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Get Your Galleria Borghese Tickets
Pre-book your Galleria Borghese Tickets and get a chance to enjoy a skip-the-line entry into one of the most popular museums and art galleries in the world. Enjoy hassle-free access into the gallery and admire the most famous collection of paintings and sculptures in the world once you are inside the Villa Borghese Pinciana. Your skip the lines Galleria Borghese Tickets also offer you a chance to explore the 20 marvellous art rooms here at your own pace and comfort, where you can witness the works of famed artists like Bernini, Canova, Titian and Caravaggio, among others.
Step into the world of art and beauty as you avail a combo tour of the gallery with your Galleria Borghese Tickets. You can enjoy a skip the line entry into the museum and spend some time here viewing paintings like Caravaggio’s Boy with a Basket of Fruit, sculptures like Bernini’s David, and more. Then, you can take a relaxing stroll in the Villa Borghese Gardens, complete with many trees and lakes, while also soaking in views of the famous Piazza del Popolo from the Pincio Terrace.
Galleria Borghese Sculptures
One of the major highlights of the Borghese Gallery is the sculpture of Cardinal Scipione Borghese by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Located in Room 14 of the museum, you can find two busts of Borghese, wherein the first version effortlessly captures the Cardinal’s physiognomy and his readiness of movement. This is considered to be the superior bust. There are several delicate and intricate differences between the two busts, both of which are considered to be some of Bernini’s greatest works ever.
Another one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s famous works, located in Room 2 of Galleria Borghese is the sculpture of David, which looks like he is about to throw something. Complete with many minute details, you can see the tension in his muscles, an extremely focussed expression as well as his contorted body. This version of David by Bernini is not like the ones by Michelangelo or Donatello, but is rather raw and humanistic, almost as if it is making the viewer question as to why David has this posture and expression and what may have led to this moment.
When visiting the Borghese Gallery, head over to the Salone of the Borghese Gallery to see the sculpture of Marcus Curtius Throwing Himself into the Chasm, near the ceiling. The fact that it is a two-part artwork makes it all the more unique and interesting. The first part of the artwork is the horse, which dates back to Antiquity, while the second part is the rider, Marcus Curtius, which was later added by Pietro Bernini many centuries later. This sculpture is one of the major examples of how antique works of art were reused in order to complement more ornamental pieces in the 16th century.
Room 5 of Galleria Borghese is the abode of the Statue of the Sleeping Hermaphroditus, one of the 20 or so versions of the same masterpiece. The sculpture is quite unique in itself, as it contains a half male, half female offspring of Aphrodite and Hermes, which has continued to baffle the world of art and culture throughout the centuries. When looking at this sculpture, it almost feels like you are seeing an actual person lying on a marble mattress, which was made by Bernini.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini, under the patronage of Scipione Borghese, complete the sculpture of the Rape of Proserpina in the 17th century. Located in Room 4 of the museum, the beautiful marble sculpture depicts the abduction and rape of a woman, with the story being that of Pluto, the God of the underworld, and Proserpina, the daughter of Ceres and Jupiter. Depicting a scene from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, one of the major highlights of this sculpture is the physical realism, along with the intense emotion and violence captured in it.
Galleria Borghese Paintings
Room 19 of Galleria Borghese houses the painting of The Hunt of Diana by Domenichino. It is said that Scipione Borghese forcefully stole this piece, which depicts the mythological scene of Diana, the goddess of hunt, surrounded by her nymphs under the moonlight. You can also see many men, bows, arrows as well as animals in the painting. The painting is also quite famous because of how it balances beauty and chaos in a rather light and graceful manner.
Created by Caravaggio in the 16th century, is the painting of The Young Sick Bacchus, located in Room 8 of Galleria Borghese. It is said that this painting was a self-portrait of Caravaggio, who used a mirror to paint this work when he spent six months in the Santa Maria della Consolazione hospital after he arrived in Rome. The painting of The Young Sick Bacchus also gained fame due to it being one of the earliest art forms depicting malaria as a disease, in addition to the artist’s ability to paint still life, figures of antiquity and a baroque expression with ease.
Tucked amidst other works of art in Room 3 of Borghese Gallery is the painting of Melissa, created by Dosso Dossi in the 16th century. The subject of the painting is Homer’s sorceress Melissa or Circa, as she watches the things hanging from the tree. You can also see Melissa, sitting inside a magic circle, surrounded by vibrant and exotic colours around her. The major highlight of this painting is the dog, which almost has human-like features, and is quite interesting to look at.
With your Borghese Gallery Tickets, you can also witness the painting of David with the Head of Goliath, made by Caravaggio, and located in Room 8 of the gallery. One of the gallery’s most prized possessions, this painting showcases the beautiful work of light and shadows which has been blended into the illustration of David where he is seen holding the severed head of Goliath. Many experts are of the opinion that this is another one of Caravaggio’s self-portraits, where the young Caravaggio holds the head of the adult Caravaggio.
Brief History of Galleria Borghese
Located inside a beautiful villa which was commissioned in 1613 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, Galleria Borghese consists of some of the most famous and extensive art work in the world. Scipione Borghese was an early patron of Bernini, and commissioned the sculptor to produce artworks for this villa, while also collecting famous masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Veronese and Titian, among others.
It was in 1660 that Scipione Borghese began his private collection, and he did so by imprisoning artists so that he could collect their works for his gallery. However, in the early 19th century, some of the most famous artworks of the gallery were sold to Napoleon Bonaparte, which are now housed in the Louvre in Paris. The entire estate was later acquired by the Italian government in 1902, and the main house was turned into an art museum which later came to be known as Galleria Borghese.
Plan Your Borghese Gallery Visit
How to reach:
- By metro To get to the Borghese Gallery by metro, you can take Line A and get off at Spagna or Flaminio. From Flaminio, you can take the Piazza del Popolo entrance and take the stairs to Pincio Hill, which is located a 10-minutes’ walk away from the gallery. Alternatively, from Spagna, you can head towards the Spanish Steps, and then take the first left towards the Borghese Gardens to get to the gallery.
- By bus You can also avail a bus ride to get to the gallery. You can either take bus 116 to Galleria Borghese, or take bus 910 from the Termini Station and get off at Pinciana or Museo Borghese stop
Location: Galleria Borghese is located at Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, 00197 Rome, Italy.
Opening Hours: The Borghese Gallery is open from 09:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday, and between 09:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Galleria Borghese Tickets FAQs
Which Galleria Borghese Tickets should I buy?
You can typically choose between two main types of Galleria Borghese Tickets, which include self-guided tickets with an audio guide, or normal tickets with a guided tour. If you plan to visit the gallery alone or simply wish to have a more private experience here, the Galleria Borghese Tickets with an audio guide are best for you. Alternatively, if you would like to enjoy a guided tour of the museum, including an in-person commentary, you must avail the normal tickets which include a guided tour.
Are the Borghese Gardens included with my Galleria Borghese Tickets?
Yes, the Borghese Gardens are included with your Galleria Borghese Tickets. Alternatively, you can even enter the gardens if you don’t wish to explore the gallery since the gardens are a free park amenity which you can enjoy at your leisure.
How long to spend at the Borghese Gallery?
Owing to the relatively small size of the museum, there is a two-hour maximum time limit given to all visitors upon their entry into the Borghese Gallery.
Are guided tours of the Borghese Gallery available?
Yes, guided tours are available at the gallery. However, it entirely depends on the Galleria Borghese Tickets that you book. While some Galleria Borghese Tickets do not include a guided tour, there are others that include an English-speaking guide who will offer you interesting facts about the works of art during your visit.
What is the best time to visit the Borghese Gallery?
There are five different time slots which you can choose from while booking your Galleria Borghese Tickets. The best time to visit the Borghese Gallery is to book the 11:00 a.m., 03:00 p.m. or 05:00 p.m. time slots. It is during these times that the gallery has the least number of crowds, which enables you to explore it without any rush.
What is the best way to get to the Borghese Gallery?
The best way to get to the Borghese Gallery is by bus or train. By bus, you can get off at the Pinciana/ Museo Borghese stop and walk to the gallery, and by train, you can get off at Piazza di Spagna or Barberini stations to walk to the gallery.