Galleria Corsini
Galleria Corsini
GALLERIA NAZIONALE D'ARTE ANTICA
Galleria Corsini
Everywhere you look: expensive, beautiful and inspiring works of art, sculptures, portraits and paintings! Even for visitors who are less interested in art, it is absolutely possible to immerse themselves in the Baroque period.
My Rating:
The positives:
An unexpected highlight. Priceless collection of art that inspires not only experts.
The negatives:
The signage of the artworks could be better. There are information cards for each room, but these are impractical as a museum guide.
Tip:
Take a tour and repeat it. The gallery is small, but there is an almost unmanageable number of works of art. The brain can only really grasp what it sees when it is looked at several times.
Last Modified: 14.01.2025 | Céline & Susi
Galleria Corsini
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Roma Pass
The Galleria Corsini is on the list of museums and sights you can visit with the Roma Pass.
The Roma Pass is valid for 48 or 72 hours.
-> Find out more about the Roma Pass
The Roma Pass is also included with the 72-hour Omnia Card.
-> Find out more about the Omnia Card
Galleria Corsini
Photo Gallery
WHAT IS THERE
TO SEE?
Walking along Via della Lungara in Trastevere, Palazzo Corsini seems unremarkable. You would pay much more attention to Villa Farnesina, which is just opposite. But when you enter Palazzo Corsini, climb the stairs along the statues and open the doors to the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, this first impression changes dramatically! The inconspicuous building becomes an absolute sensation!
On the 1st floor of the building is the Corsini Art Gallery, where there is hardly a free wall space to be seen—so densely do the expensive, beautiful and inspiring works of art hang on the walls. It’s an art collection that knocks you over. One is overwhelmed (in a positive sense) by sculptures, portraits, and paintings. Even for visitors less interested in art, it is absolutely possible to immerse oneself in the Baroque era.
In the impressive halls you find of Peter Paul Rubens (“Angels caring for St. Sebastian”), Abraham Brueghel (“Fiori e Frutta”), Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Bust of Pope Alexander VII Chigi) or Caravaggio (“John the Baptist”).
It is advisable not to just glance at the breathtaking works of art. Take your time, breathe deeply, close your eyes and feel the brilliance of the artists and their creations as you open your eyes.
GALLERIA CORSINI
A bit of History
Palazzo Corsini, part of which houses the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, was built as early as the 15th century by Cardinal Domenico Riario. The rest of the building is used for exhibitions and XY. The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica is divided between two buildings: the second part is in Palazzo Barberini.
The fact that we can admire art from the 17th and 18th centuries in Palazzo Corsini today is thanks to Cardinal Neri Corsini Senior, who started the collection in the 17th century. In 1732, the Corsini family, who actually came from Florence, began to convert the villa into a Baroque palace. In 1735, they acquired the palace outright and in 1736 the conversion work was completed. Almost one hundred and fifty years later (1883), the state then bought the palazzo together with the art collection from the Corsini family.
The Palazzo was not only of great importance to artists and art collectors, but also to the Catholic Church. The famous Kristina of Sweden lived in it after she came to Rome in 1655 to become a Catholic. She had already renounced her throne in 1654. She did not want to rule, she did not want to marry, she wanted to become a Catholic. She was also already a lover of art. Kristina, who was joyfully received by the Catholic Church, is buried today in a tomb under St. Peter’s Basilica.
THE FAMILY
CORSINI
Like the Farnese or Borghese families, the Corsini family was an important noble family in Rome, which also provided a pope (Lorenzo Corsini, from 1730 Pope Clement XII).
The latter left his mark on Rome with many architectural masterpieces. These include the Lateran Basilica and the Trevi Fountain. The façade of the church was designed under his commission, and the construction of Rome’s most famous fountain began in 1735. (The Pope’s coat of arms at the top of the Trevi Fountain commemorates Pope Clement XII.
SELECTED WORKS OF ART
RAFFAEL, BERNINI & CO
School of Raphael: “Portrait of Pope Julius II della Rovere”
Gian Lorenzo Bernini: “Bust of Pope Alexander VII Chigi”
Peter Paul Rubens: “Angels looking after St Sebastian”
Fra Bartolomeo: “Holy Family with John the Baptist”
Abraham Brueghel: “Flowers and fruits”
You have to see the works of Caravaggio and Nicolas Poussin on site 😉
Official website Galleria Corsini (EN): www.barberinicorsini.org
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2020 – 2025
With the support of Susanne Vukan.
Courtesy of Galleria Corsini / Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica
