The National Gallery of Ancient Art of Rome has its collections displayed in two grand palaces of the capital: at Palazzo Barberini and at Palazzo Corsini. While the collections of this gallery started to grow around the initial generous core of masterpieces which were part of the Corsini Collection (donated to the Italian state by the family in 1893, and subsequently complemented by the Torlonia Collection, the Chigi Collection and the Hertz Collection), originally displayed at the Corsini Palace, after a while Palazzo Corsini became too crowded to shelter and to showcase the wealth of works. The Barberini Palace thus proved to be at hand as exhibition space.

Thus, the collections one can nowadays admire at the Barberini Palace focus on featuring the works of the most influential artists during the 16th and the 17th century (mainly Italian painters, but without overlooking certain important sculptors of the time, as well as foreign creators), also making room for the display of masterpieces by earlier artists, such as Filippo Lippi’s Virgin with Baby Jesus. Visitors can thus admire masterpieces by El Greco (Birth and Baptism of Jesus), Caravaggio (Judith and Holofernes), Tizian (Venus and Adonis, Narcissus), Raphael (Fornarina), and Pietro da Cortona (Triumph of the Divine Providence, Guardian Angel), amongst others. Gian Lorenzo Bernini is also represented at the gallery, with a notable work: Portrait of Pope Urban VIII (born Maffeo Barberini, important sponsor and promoter of Bernini).

Name:
National Gallery of Ancient Art of Barberini Palace (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica di Palazzo Barberini)
Address:
13, Via delle Quattro Fontane, 00184, Rome, Italy
Telephone:
0039 06 32810 / 0039 06 4814591
Fax:
0039 06 8555952
Website:
www.galleriaborghese.it