Galleria Borghese Private Tour

Marvel at masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael and Bernini on this private 2.5 hour tour of the magnificent Borghese Galleria, one of Rome’s artistic gems.

Tour Details

This 2.5 hour Borghese Gallery tour, led by an expert in art history, provides an in-depth examination of Rome’s most famous private art collection. Originally built as a suburban villa on the outskirts of the city, this gallery features a significant portion of Cardinal Borghese’s art selection, including masterpieces by Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Bernini. In this tour, we’ll cover the most important works and explore the relationships between art, politics, and society in 17th-century Rome.

We’ll start by discussing the mastermind behind the collection—Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew to Pope Paul V—whose personal (and at times controversial) relationships with acclaimed artists and impressive purchases made the collection what it is today, while his impeccable taste and voracious eye set an incredibly high standard for private collections that followed. We'll look closely at Borghese, using him as a lens to understand Papal power and the politics of aristocratic Rome during the 17th century.

We’ll then move to the first of two floors in the Galleria, where the sculptures are housed. We’ll spend some time appreciating the work of Bernini, one of the most important artists of this age, and explore the tension and movement in his exquisite works like Apollo and Daphne and David. Next, we’ll head upstairs to see paintings from the renowned artists Caravaggio, Titian, Raffaello, Correggio, and Bronzino. We’ll also look at Raphael's Entombment and Titian's Sacred and Profane Love. Over the course of the visit, we will develop a better understanding of not only the art the collection contains but the intricacies and politics of art collecting during the Baroque period.

Galleria Borghese Private Tour

Tour Details

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