Excursion to the Borghese art gallery

The famous Borghese Art Gallery is considered to be the only one in the world in terms of its uniqueness and importance, as it has priceless masterpieces of the Renaissance and Baroque periods in its collection. After Paul V Borghese was elected to the papal throne, his nephew, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, began to order and buy the most valuable works of art for his private collection. However, the cardinal was not always able to convince artists to sell him their works, so he appropriated the works he wanted without much remorse, often by not entirely honest means.

What to expect during the tour

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Cardinal Borghese became the owner of almost a hundred paintings that were in the Cavalier d’Arpino’s art studio, including early works by Caravaggio, by means of confiscation. Over time, Scipio’s private collection was replenished with works by Titian and Raphael. The genius of the Baroque era, Jean Lorenzo Bernini, created his most famous sculptures in 1615-1623, by order of the cardinal, which are still in the Borghese Gallery. Already at the end of the seventeenth century, the Borghese could boast of their collection of more than 800 paintings, which was considered to be one of the largest collections of ancient Roman statues in Europe.

What will be the itinerary of our tour

Let’s begin our exploration with the collection in the Main Hall, where the ceiling was painted by Mariano Rossi, and where statues of the Twelve Caesars, Dionysus, and the majestic statue of the “Attacking Satyr” are displayed. On the floor, there is an exceptionally important mosaic depicting gladiatorial combats and hunting scenes that took place in amphitheaters. The next room holds one of the symbols of the collection – the famous portrait statue of Pauline Bonaparte Borghese, the sister of French Emperor Napoleon. In the Hall of the Sun, we will see the statue of David by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, where the artist portrayed himself as the young Jewish shepherd with a slingshot in hand. The Hall of Apollo and Daphne is famous for Bernini’s sculpture of the same name and the paintings of Renaissance artist Dosso Dossi. A room that captivates with its beauty is the Hall of Emperors, with eighteen busts made of porphyry and alabaster. Here, you’ll find Bernini’s statue “The Rape of Proserpina.” We will also visit the Hall of the Hermaphrodite with a Roman copy from the 2nd century AD of Polykleitos’ original (the original is in Paris), and the Hall of the Gladiator, where Bernini’s statue “Aeneas and Anchises” and the statue “Truth” (La Verità) stand. Through the Egyptian Hall, we’ll enter the Hall of Silenus, where our introduction to Caravaggio and his paintings will begin: “David with the Head of Goliath,” “Boy with a Basket of Fruit,” “Madonna with Child and Saint Anne,” among others.

On the second floor in the Hall of Dido, Renaissance treasures are housed – paintings by Perugino (Raphael’s teacher), Botticelli, Andrea del Sarto, and masterpieces by Raphael himself (“The Deposition,” “Lady with a Unicorn,” “Portrait of a Man”). In the Hall of the Bacchantes, we’ll find the famous copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Leda and the Swan.” In the Loggia of Lafranco are the self-portraits of Gian Lorenzo and busts of Scipione Borghese and Pope Paul V. We won’t miss the following halls: Hall of Flora; Hall of Aurora; Hall of Jupiter and Antiope; Hall of Helen and Paris. Lastly, we will enter the Hall of Psyche, featuring famous works by Titian (“Sacred and Profane Love,” “Saint Dominic,” “Venus Blinding Cupid,” and “Christ Bound to the Column”).