Essential information
| Address | Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, 00197 Rome |
|---|---|
| Hours | Tue–Sun 09:00–19:00 (last entry 17:00) |
| Closed | Monday, 1 January, 25 December |
| Standard entry | €15 + €2 booking fee = €17 |
| Under 18 EU | Free + €2 booking fee |
| First Sunday of the month | Free, no booking required |
| Visit duration | Exactly 2 hours (mandatory timed slot) |
How booking works
The Borghese Gallery is the only museum in Rome that requires mandatory booking for all visits, including free ones. There are 5 slots per day: 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00.
How to book: through the Soprintendenza Capitolina website (recommended 2–4 weeks in advance during high season). Tickets are personalised and non-transferable.
What to bring: ID document, booking confirmation (digital or printed). Arrive 10 minutes before your slot time.
Ground floor (Rooms I–X)
The ground floor is dominated by Bernini's and Canova's sculptures. This is the heart of the visit.
Room I — Venus Victrix by Canova (1805–1808)
Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, portrayed as Venus with the apple of discord. The surface has a warm luminosity created by a wax and organic colourant treatment — Canova's secret technique. Originally mounted on a revolving mechanism, now fixed in place.
Room II — Rape of Proserpina by Bernini (1621–1622)
Bernini was 23 years old. Pluto's fingers sink into Proserpina's thigh: the marble deforms like living flesh. Among the five most technically astonishing works in the history of sculpture.
Room III — Apollo and Daphne by Bernini (1622–1625)
The exact moment of Ovidian metamorphosis: fingers turning into branches, hair into leaves, skin into bark. A couplet at the base reads: He who chases fleeting pleasures gathers only ashes and leaves — added by the future Pope Urban VIII as a moral justification.
Room IV — David by Bernini (1623–1624)
The authority of the moment: the sling already in motion, the face contorted with effort. Bernini used his own face as model — Scipione held the mirror. In the same space: the Aeneas Group (1618–1619), Bernini's first sculpture for Scipione.
Room V — Sleeping Hermaphrodite
Roman copy of a Greek original from the 2nd century BC. The marble mattress is an original work by Bernini (1620): a visual and technical joke, a Baroque continuation of a classical subject.
Rooms VI–VII — Roman mosaics
Original 2nd–3rd century AD floors depicting gladiators, hunting scenes and mythological figures. Often overlooked by visitors, they are among the finest in the city.
Rooms VIII–IX — The Caravaggios
Room VIII: Sick Bacchus (~1593–94), Boy with a Basket of Fruit (~1593–94). Room IX: Madonna of the Palafrenieri (1605–06, rejected by the Pope), Saint Jerome (1605–06), Saint John the Baptist (1610), David with the Head of Goliath (1609–10) — with a head that is probably Caravaggio's self-portrait.
Room X — Venus and Cupid by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1531)
Work of unusual northern European quality in the collection. The nude Venus with small Cupid trying to free himself from beehives.
Upper floor (Rooms XI–XX)
Room XIV — Raphael, Entombment (1507)
Stolen from the church of San Francesco in Città di Castello in 1608 on Scipione's orders. Raphael's early period, with clear references to Michelangelo.
Room XX — Titian, Sacred and Profane Love (~1514)
The picture gallery's masterpiece. Two women — one clothed, one nude — at a fountain; the symbolic meaning is still debated. The red garment of earthly love is among the most celebrated draperies in Renaissance painting.
Other notable works on the upper floor:
- Rubens, Deposition (~1602)
- Correggio, Danaë (1531)
- Antonello da Messina, Portrait of a Man (~1475)
- Pinturicchio and numerous Venetian and Flemish works
Getting there
Metro: Line A Flaminio (20 min walk) or Spagna (25 min, uphill). Bus: 52/53 Via Pinciana (5 min walk), 116 Via Pinciana (5 min), 910 Porta Pinciana (7 min). Tram: 3 and 19, Viale delle Belle Arti (10 min walk). Car: underground parking Via Aldrovandi (~€2/hr).
Practical tips
- Best slot: 09:00 (optimal natural light on the ground floor; minimum crowds)
- Cloakroom obligatory for rucksacks and large bags; leave valuables at your hotel
- Audio guides: ~€5 in 6 languages; guided tours: €30–50/person in a group, €150–300 private
- Café: none inside; bars available in the immediate vicinity of the park
- Accessibility: side entrance with ramp, lift to upper floor, accessible toilets
With a private driver
Reach the Borghese Gallery by private driver. From your hotel, airport or station — direct and on time. Service from €49. → Book at myromedriver.com
Frequently asked questions
Can you re-enter after leaving? No. The 2-hour slot does not permit exit and re-entry.
What if you arrive late? Delays of up to 15–20 minutes are generally tolerated; beyond that the ticket may be considered invalid. Better to arrive 10 minutes early.
Is it worth paying for a guide? For those who genuinely want to understand Bernini and Caravaggio: yes, absolutely. For a quick visual visit: the audio guide is sufficient.
When is it least crowded? The 09:00 slot on weekdays in low season (November–March, excluding public holidays).
Article no. 180 — TIER S — MON-09 Borghese Gallery Type: COMPLETE GUIDE Words: ~1000