Visit Galleria Borghese Rome: Admission, Opening Hours and Reservations

on 7. September 2021   /   0   /  

The Galleria Borghese in Rome was set up as a museum in the 17th century by the family Borghese inside their villa Borghese. It houses famous works of the artists Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Agnolo Bronzino, Antonio Canova, Caravaggio, Raffaello, Perugino, Lorenzo Lotto, Antonello da Messina, Cranach, Annibale Carracci, Pieter Paul Rubens, Bellini and Tiziano. This Roman museum possesses the world’s most important Bernini and Caravaggio collections. In this article you can find important information about the opening hours, admission fees and reservations for the Galleria Borghese.

Galleria Borghese Rome: Tips and information for your visit to the Galleria Borghese in Rome

Galleria Borghese Rome: Opening hours of the Galleria Borghese

The Galleria Borghese in Rome is one of the state museums of the Roman Capital and at the same time one of the lesser-known attractions of Rome. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm. On Thursdays it only closes at 9 pm. The Galleria Borghese is closed on Mondays, as well as on the 25th of December and the 1st of January.

Galleria Borghese Rome: Admission to the Galleria Borghese

Entry fees to the Galleria Borghese can vary slightly, depending on whether there are temporary expositions. At the moment, admission to the Galleria Borghese looks as follows:

Free admissionReduced admissionGeneral admission
General Admission---2 euros13 euros
Admission after 5:45 pm---2 euros8 euros
Obligatory online reservation2 euros2 euros2 euros

Young people under 18 enjoy free admission to the Galleria Borghese, as well as all visitors on the first Sunday of each month. However, the online reservation is obligatory and is always 2 euros. Only disabled persons and their companions from an EU country, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland do not have to pay for the reservation fee.

Museum Borghese in Rome

Young people from EU-countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway or Switzerland between the age of 18 and 25 benefit from a reduced entry fee. Owners of the Roma Pass or the Omnia Card also get to enjoy the reduced entry fees for the Galleria Borghese, in case they have used up their free entry credits. Guided tours through the warehouse are free of charge, but the reservation fee is once again at 2 euros.

Galleria Borghese Rome: Visit only with reservation

You can only access the Galleria Borghese if you have made a reservation beforehand. Tickets are available for a specific time frame of two hours. There are only 360 people allowed inside per time slot. The 2 hour time slots start at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm, and on Thursdays at 7 pm as well. Thus, you should book your tickets some time in advance, since tickets are always sold out quickly. Don’t hope for tickets on the spot, it is unlikely to get in without having reserved tickets before!

Villa-Borghese-Rome

The Galleria Borghese offers guided tours through its warehouse at certain times. Tours last an hour and allow access to only 18 people at a time. The tours take place on Thursdays at 6 pm, Fridays at 5 pm, and on Saturdays at 10 am and noon. Even owners of the Roma Pass or the Omnia Card have to make a reservation. To make a reservation you can call +39 06 32810 (Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm) or send an e-mail to info@tosc.it.

Galleria Borghese Rome Access: How to get to the Galleria Borghese in Rome

The Galleria Borghese is located on the eastern edge of Villa Borghese. Villa Borghese is a large park in Rome. Depending on which entrance you come from, it takes you about half an hour to walk to the Galleria.

ROME_Laghetto-di-villa-Borghese_Boat_couple_02_l

Getting to the Galleria Borghese in Rome by metro

The metro station Flaminio (line A) is located at 1.5 km from the Galleria Borghese. A pedestrian tunnel leads from the station Spagna to Villa Borghese. From there you will have to walk about 650 m to get to the Galleria.

Getting to the Galleria Borghese in Rome by bus

The bus stop Pinciana / Museo Borghese is located in front of the Galleria Borghese for buses which go out-of-town. The bus lines 52, 53, 63, 83, 92, 223, 360 and 910 make a stop here. To the left of Galleria Borghese you can find the bus station Pinciana / Allegri where the bus 52 getting into town makes a stop. This bus line takes you to the metro station Barberini via Via Vittorio Veneto and on to Via del Corso.

Getting to the Galleria Borghese in Rome by tram

The closest tram station to get to the Galleria Borghese is Bioparco (zoo). From there it is about 800 m to the Galleria Borghese. You can either take the tram line 3 from  Trastevere / Pyramid / Colosseum or the line 19 from Piazza Risorgimento near the Vatican.

Galleria Borghese Rome: What to expect at the museum

The collection resembles pieces of art of different periods. Over the centuries the collections has changed continually, pieces were sold, bought or new orders for works were given. As an example, a part of the collection was acquired by Napoleon and is today located at the Louvre in Paris, France. The sculpture of the lying Paolina Borghese, sister of Napoleon, as the winner Venus in white marble is very well-known.

Paolina-Borghese-Galleria-Borghese-Rome

Not only the exhibits, but also the building of the Galleria Borghese is considered a real piece of art, with its numerous sculptures, paintings and decorated walls. To make the most out of your visit to the Galleria Borghese I advise you to book a guided tour.

Galleria Borghese Rome: A bit of history

At the end of the 16th century, the Borghese family from Siena purchased a building in the city. They rebuilt it into their family home. Today, the Palazzo Borghese houses the Spanish Embassy. Outside the city walls the Borghese family acquired estates which they enlarged with time. There they created a large park with several buildings, including the Galleria.

The project began in 1607 and in 1613 a part of the collection of Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, was transferred from the townhouse to the Galleria Borghese. Subsequently, the villa was decorated following the example of Villa Medici and Villa Farnesina. From 1770 the interior of the building was completely renovated and many painters and stonemasons worked on the decorations. Most paintings depict the family’ history. Although the private collection of Scipione Borghese represents the largest part of the collection, significant changes had been undertaken in the centuries following. Scipione was interested in works of the antique. But he also gave orders for new works, while the art of the Middle Ages hardly interested him. He liked to confront new works with antique pieces.

In 1807 Camillo Borghese sold a total of 154 statues, 170 reliefs, 160 busts, 30 columns and various vases to Napoleon. Today the represent the Borghese collection in the Louvre in Paris. But thirty years later, the pieces were replaced by pieces from excavations, works from the warehouse and other buildings of the Borghese estate. In particular, the collection of paintings is remarkable.

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