Rome Museums | Museums in Rome | Museums of Rome | Rome Travels - Rome Travels | Home | Rome Guide | Rome Tours | Rome Travel | Religious Holidays | Italy Pilgrimages | Italy Shore Excursions

History of the Borghese Gallery

The original sculptures and paintings of the Borghese Gallery date back to Cardinal Scipione's private collection, nephew of the great Pope Paul V ( 1612-1621).

Inaugurated in 1617, Cardinal Scipione was drawn to any works of ancient, Renaissance and contemporary art which might re-evoke a new golden age: Bellini, Titian, Raphael, Jacopo da Bassano, Caravaggio, Correggio, Reni, A. Carracci, Domenichino, Guercino, G.L. Bernini, Algardi. In addition, the Roman Mosaics, and the Greek Statues.

Coming from one of the wealthiest families in Europe, in the early XIXth Century one of descendants of the Cardinal Scipione, Mr. Camillo Borghese, married Napoleon's sister, Mrs. Paolina Bonaparte. Antonio Canova enriched the villa with its embleme sculpture, the Paolina Borghese.

BORGHESE GALLERY  
Top 10 masterpieces

1 - Antonello da Messina, Portrait of a Man
2 - G.L. Bernini, Apollo and Dafne
3 - G.L. Bernini, Rape of Proserpina
4 - G.L. Bernini, David
5 - Rubens, la Pietà
6 - Titian, Sacred & Prophane Love
7 - Caravaggio, David and Goliath
8 - Caravaggio, Madonna of Palafrenieri
9 - Raphael, Deposition of Christ
10 - A. Canova, Paolina Borghese

CAPITOLINE MUSEUMS -
THE FIRST PUBLIC MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD - A.D. 1471

In 1471 the Pope Sixtus IVth gave back to the Romans what was always belonging to them: some of his priceless collection for a public exposure (so called: "donario Sistino"). So far, Romans and the City Hall inaugurated the first Museum in the World: the Capitoline Museums.

Today they are the most important Museums that talk about the History of Rome, from the Iron Age to the late XVIIIth cent. Musei Capitolini mean:

The Gallery of Statues, Classical and Hellenistic Periods.
Frescos talking the three Roman Ages: Monarchy, Republic and Roman Empire.
The best bronze portrait ever done, II Cent. b.C. The Etruscan Collection.
The most outstanding Mosaic in the Roman World, other the most famous one: The Pilnius' Doves.
Marble statues, bronze and gilded bronze statues: the Globe on top of the Caligula's Obelisk (Vatican) and the "Donario Sistino", artfacts given back to the Romans by Pope Sixtus IVth to Rome: The Hercules & bronze statue of Constantine, Emperor of Rome ( 312-337 A.D.)
The Marcus Aurelius riding the Horse, emblem of the Capitol Hill.
The She Wolf, emblem of Rome.
Bronze Laws of the Roman Senate.
The holiest Temple of Rome: The Capitol Triad or so called Temple of the Capitoline Jupiter.
The Painting Gallery, from the Primitives to the XVIII cent. with also great works of Arts by Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens, Carracci, Guercino, Domenichino, Tintoretto.
The Famous "Roman Horts", the old monumental Gardens in Rome.
The collection of Tapestries of French School - Gobelins.
The Ceramic Collection of the School of Capodimonte.

In other words, there is no other place in Rome where 31 centuries of history are concentrated, all in one spot: this is the Capitol Hill and this are the Musei Capitolini. This it is where all the Roman Roads are leading to. And it where Legends, the History of Rome, of our Country, of Europe cross each other still today. Ask us !

The Capitoline Museums - Top 10 Highlights

1) Plinius' Doves, Mosaic from the Hadrian's Villa (II Cent. A.D.)
2) Venere Capitolina or "Capitoline Venus" (Ist Cent. A.D.)
3) "Lex de Imperio Vespasiani", the Vespasian's Imperial Law, bronze law (69 A.D.)
4) Galata Morente, the Dying Gaul (Ist Cent. A.D.)
5) Marcus Aurelius, the Caesar riding the horse (170 A.D.)
6) She Wolf - Etruscan scolpture - (VIth Cent. B.C.)
7) Fasti Consolari e Trionfali - Triumphal and Consolar Fasts (Ist Cent. B.C.)
8) Temple of Capitoline Jupiter (VIth Cent. B.C.)
9) Caravaggio: la Buona Ventura and St. John, 1595
10) Capitoline Brutus (IInd Cent. B.C.)

CENTRALE MONTEMARTINI  
The collections of the Capitoline Museums

The history of the former Montemartini Thermoelectric Centre (first in Rome, 1912) began in 1997 with the transfer of hundreds of sculptures and mosaics to the new location during the restructuring works carried out across much of the Capitoline complex. Today, it is an extraordinary example of industrial archaeology converted into a museum.

The display reconstructs some of the great monumental complexes and illustrates the development of the ancient city from the Republican Age to the late Imperial Age.
In a great atmosphe of a game of contrasts, the old machinery of electricity production is today the backround of masterpieces of ancient sculptures, mosaics, remains of old temples.

The superb museum space was originally thought of as a temporary solution. However, when part of the sculptural collection returned to the Campidoglio in 2005, on the conclusion of the restructuring works, it was decided to turn the building into a permanent location for a collection of the Musei Capitolini’s most recent acquisitions.

NATIONAL ROMAN MUSEUM of PALAZZO MASSIMO alle TERME -
The Roman Collections

It is the most outstanding and complete museum of the Roman antiquities. In this huge museum of 4 floors, visitors can appreciate:

1) Underground level: the "Caveau", secured, the Numismatic Collection - Roman coins -gold, silver and bronze- from IInd Cent. B.C to the Middle Ages;
2) Ground level: priceless Bronze statues and marble ones, Caesars' portraits and Roman calendars from IInd Cent. B. C up to Ist cent. A.D.
3) First level: same as above but from IInd Cent. A.D. to IVth Cent. A.D. (Age of Emperor Constantine)
4) Second Floor: the most complete collection of Roman Frescoes (ex.: from the Livia's Villa, Ist. Cent. B.C.) and Roman Mosaics until the IVthe Cent. A.D.

National Roman Museum of Terme di Diocleziano - (Baths of Diocletian)

Housed in the great vestige of the largest Thermal Baths of Rome, built at the end of 3rd Cent. A.D., it is the most complete collection of Roman epigraphy, nearly 10.000 of them. In the remains of the Frigidarium of the Baths, Michelangelo designed the incredible Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri and the cloister that can be visited once inside the Museum.

November 27th, 2008:

After 30 years of restoration, the immense Room X  of the Baths of Diocletian (largest Roman Baths in Rome, built in 306 A.D.) reopens to the public. There have been recontructed two Imperial Tombs too with remarkable fresco walls.
See Two  1 & 2

The entrance to the Room X is included in the ticket of the Baths of Diocletian.

Roman National Museum  
Palazzo MASSIMO alle TERME
& Palazzo ALTEMPS

TOP 10 Masterpieces


1) The Hellenistic Prince (II cent. A.D.)
2) The Boxer (I Cent. B.C.)
3) Praeneste Fasti (Roman Calendar, I Cent. B.C.))
4) The Disk Thrower (II Cent. A.D.)
5) Teti Goddes (II Cent. A.D.)
6) Frescoes of Livia's House (I Cent. B.C.)
7) Frescoes of Villa alla Farnesina (I Cent. B.C.)
8) Ares, Oreste & Elettra (Ludovisi, II Cent. A.D.)
9) Ludovisi Throne (V Cent. B.C.)
10) The Suicide Gaul (I Cent. B.C.)

Painting Galleries in Rome - LINKS
Renaissance and Baroque Picture Galleries


1) National Roman Museum of Palazzo Barberini - Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13

2) Galleria Colonna - Via della Pilotta 17  

3) Galleria Corsini - Via della Lungara 10

4) Spada Gallery - Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13

5) Galleria Doria-Pamphilj - Via del Collegio Romano

6) National Museum of Venezia Palace
Via del Plebiscito, 118 - Also Temporary exhibits

7) Museo del Corso - Via del Corso 320 - Temporary exibits

Further Museums of Roman Antiquities


1) National Roman Museum of Crypta Balbi - Via delle Botteghe Oscure 31

2) National Roman Museum of Palazzo Altemps - Piazza Sant’Apollinare 46

3) Museo Barracco - Corso Vittorio Emanuele 166/A

4) Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia - Piazzale Villa Giulia 9

5) Museum of the City Walls - Via di Porta San Sebastiano 18

6) Museum of the Old Roman Navy - Via A.Guidoni - Fiumicino Airport

Further Remarkable Rome Museums

1) Cimitery/Crypt of the Father Capuchins -  Via V.Veneto 27

2) Central Museum of the Italian Unification (Museo Centrale del Risorgimento) -  Via San Pietro in Carcere (Roman Forum)

3) Museum of the High Middle Ages - Via A. Lincoln 3 (EUR)

4) Museum of the Roman Civilization - Via G.Agnelli 10  (EUR)

5) Museum of Rome of Braschi Palace - Via di San Pantaleo (Piazza Navona)

6) Museum of Villa Torlonia and Casina delle Civette - Villa Torlonia, Via Nomentana 70

1) Guiding fee - Tour Costs - 4-5 hours tour - Private Guide :

1-6 people: 450.00 EUR
7-14 people: 600.00 EUR
15-20 people: 50.00 EUR per person
21-40 people: 40.00 EUR per person

2) Same as above, 4-5 hours private guide PLUS with private transportation 

1-2 people : EUR 700.00
3-7 people : EUR 800.00
8-17 people * : EUR 95.00 per person
18-40 people * : EUR 60.00 per person
* : Included the these costs is also the minibus/bus permit

NOTES:

1) The entrance fees are not included in the above cost. Our Tourist Guides, being official Rome Tour guides, they never pay them.

2) 22 % VAT TAX TO BE ADDED

1) Guiding fee - Tour Costs - 8-10 hours tour - Full day Guided Tour

1-6 people: 900.00 EUR
7-14 people: 1,200.00 EUR
15-20 people: 75.00 EUR per person
21-40 people: 50.00 EUR per person

2) Same as above, 8-10 hours private guide PLUS with private transportation 

1-2 people : EUR 1,400.00
3-7 people : EUR 1,500.00
8-17 people * : EUR 150.00 per person
18-40 people * : EUR 100.00 per person
* : Included the these costs is also the minibus/bus permit

NOTES:

1) The entrance fees are not included in the above cost. Our Tourist Guides, being official Rome Tour guides, they never pay them.

2) 22 % VAT TAX TO BE ADDED

3 DEALS for the above tours:

DEAL 1: For bookings and payments received on the Winter months ( November through February ): Rome Travels will apply the 20% off the original price - tickets excluded -.

DEAL 2 : Same, 20% off if you book a full day of eight hours in any tour at least for 2 days.

DEAL 3 : For booking and payments done 3 months ahead throughout the tour season (March-October)