Borghese Gallery and Villa Borghese

A visit to Villa Borghese, Pincio, and Galleria Borghese

Located amidst the greenery of the favourite public park of the Romans, the Borghese Gallery is an authentic artistic treasure chest, the result of the passion for art of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who in the early 1600s had the villa built on the suburban property donated to him by his uncle, Pope Paul V, with the specific purpose of housing his art collection. In order to enjoy it fully, it is important to enter the villa with a perception of the surrounding park and open air in a wonderful blend of art and nature, that we now recognize as typical of Rome.

Once again, as at the Vatican Museums, we find the correspondence between the “container” and what it “contains”, in which the artistic value of the individual works is enhanced by the decorative splendour of the rooms in which they are displayed. It is important to bear in mind that the Borghese Gallery originated as a private collection and that the works and their display are not the result of didactic criteria (period, subject), but rather reflect the taste and intentions of its former owners.

Do not miss the series of sculptures made for the cardinal by young Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Eneas, the Rape of Proserpine, Apollo and Daphne, and David), that seem to invite us to participate in what is happening to them, Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love, Caravaggio’s masterpieces and the lovely Princess Paolina Borghese, Napoleon’s favourite sister, portrayed by Canova as Venus.

The Lake of Villa Borghese, close to Flaminia House B&B

The Borghese Cardinal was famous above all for his capacity to discover new talents and for his methods in acquiring the works of art he wished to own, which on some occasions were not exactly lawful. He did not hesitate to have the Deposition by Raphael stolen from a church in Perugia and he had painter Domenichino imprisoned because he did not want to give him a painting commissioned to him by another cardinal.

Useful Information: From Flaminia House B&B, get the Bus Line n. 223 to Via Martini (end of line). Proceed to Galleria Borghese, through Parco dei Daini. To be back to Flaminia House B&B, you can also go from Villa Borghese to Pincio (a place with a very nice view of the City), and from there to Piazza del Popolo. Get the line Tram Line N. 2 to the direction of Piazza Mancini, and get off at the Pinturicchio stop.

Before leaving the park, why not hire an electrical double bicycle at the Bar of Cinema (near the Pincio) in the Nord area of Villa Borghese.