The Borghese Gallery, Rome

Many European museums are so large and crowded that they can be overwhelming. But if you want to see works from famous artists you pretty much don’t have a choice. This is why the Borghese Gallery in Rome is good choice for visitors to Rome.

The museum itself is housed in the palace of Cardinal Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V. It’s small compared with top Italian art museums such as the Vatican or the Uffizi. But the quality of the works more than makes up for its small size. It is divided into two levels, with the ground floor mainly for sculptures and upper floor for paintings.

This is THE place to see works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Some of his works were featured in the movie Angels and Demons. But there are also paintings by Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian and Veronese.

Because of its small size, visitor numbers are strictly limited to 360 at a time in 2-hour timeslots.  This makes the visit much more enjoyable without the crowds fighting for selfies. This also means you must book well in advance. Don’t expect to get in on the day without reservations. 

Yes, they do chase everyone out at the end of every 2 hour slots. 

The gardens around the gallery is also quite nice.