Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
The Art Gallery
Since 1671, the palace has been owned by the Pamphilj family and continues to house true art treasures. Among them are masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio, as well as works by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Claude Lorrain, and sculptures by Bernini.
My rating:
The positives:
An unknown gem in Rome. Centrally located and full of high-quality artworks!
The negatives:
Maybe not the first stop for first-time visitors to Rome. Or: go there when you can't get hold of a Ticket for the Vatican Museums!
Tip:
Visit as part of a guided tour: that way, you'll learn everything about the family and the collection. I tested one!
Last Modified: 28.02.2024 | Céline
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Tickets
Important Note: The official Tickets are sold online for EUR 17. On-site EUR 16.
And there is the official Audio guide included!
So, I recommend buying it on-site or on the official website!
The details
at a glance
Opening Hours
Open daily,
Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
last entry 1 hour before closing
Holidays:
Closed on Easter, as well as on January 1st and December 25th.
Open on December 24th, from 10 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Photo Gallery
What is there
to see?
Where should I start? The building, the family, and the collection history are intertwined and connected.
Because within the Galleria Doria Pamphilj building, there is not only the public gallery we can visit today, but also the home of the historical Pamphilj family! In the covered courtyard that you have to pass through, there are their expensive cars – hello Ferrari! Before entering the actual gallery, you can even catch a glimpse of one of the private rooms – where there’s nothing on display, but behind the two doors you see, a Pamphilj could be having breakfast!
And then you enter the actual gallery, which is adorned with paintings, chandeliers, and stucco ornaments. These grand rooms served representational purposes in earlier times. Dignitaries were received here – the Pope even had his own reception room here. Mozart was allowed to play in his ballroom, and there is even a private chapel with a trompe-l’œil by Pozzo. One thing becomes clear: the Pamphiljs had money and power.
After passing through these reception rooms, you arrive at the actual art collection. And here, the grandeur and opulence don’t stop. Works by great artists and lesser-known ones hang on the walls in a “Petersburg Hanging” style. Lorrain, Breughel, Reni, Dürer, and Carracci are among the “lesser” stars – the highlights of the collection are Velázquez and Caravaggio.
An architectural highlight is the corridor located along the facade facing Via del Corso: a moment that makes you say, “Wow!” Flanked by ancient sculptures, adorned with a ceiling depicting the Labors of Hercules, illuminated by chandeliers, the Hall of Mirrors (not to be confused with the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles) is a sight to behold.
1 Minute Video
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Hall of Mirrors
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Velázquez
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Caravaggio
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Breughel & Others
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A bit of History
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The Tour I joined
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1 Minute
at the Galleria Doria Pamphilj
A look inside!
The Galleria is relatively unknown – everyone always wants to visit the Vatican Museums or the Galleria Borghese.
But here, a big hidden gem awaits you!
Yours, Céline
Magnificent
The Hall of Mirrors in Rome
This corridor was designed around 1730 by Gabriele Valvassori. It is called the Hall of Mirrors because gilded and intricately decorated mirrors and archaeological sculptures alternate between the windows. Among them, we find Apollo and Marsyas, Athena, and others.
The ceiling fresco was painted between 1731 and 1734 by Aureliano Milani. It depicts the labors of Hercules, which are associated with the family lineage of the Pamphilj. True to the motto, “we are descended from Hercules.”
VELÁZQUEZ &
POPE INNOCENT X
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599 – 1660) was a Spanish painter who belonged to the most important portrait painters of the Baroque period. He was virtually the court portraitist of the Spanish royal court in Madrid. He portrayed King Philip IV, his family, and other court members countless times. Velázquez was the star of his time, and everyone wanted to be portrayed by him – except the Pope, who was initially sceptical. He had to be convinced by seeing other portraits first.
When Velázquez went to Rome in 1648, his task was primarily to purchase artworks for the Spaniards – they were planning to open an art academy and needed works for that purpose. However, in 1650, he created the famous portrait of the Pope, which is housed in this small yet exquisite Galleria Doria Pamphilj!
How did it happen? Quite simply, Pope Innocent X was a Pamphilj Pope: Giovanni Battista Pamphilj. Before Velázquez could paint him, he had to be convinced by other portraits Velázquez was creating in Rome at that time. Today, it is considered one of the finest and most significant portraits ever created.
“He was tall, thin, angry, quarrelsome, with a red face, bald in the front, and thick, closely-set eyebrows, and when he frowned, he showed his servility and roughness…” Giacinto Gigli, an Italian historian, on the Pope in 1655.
The realism of the portrait is so immense that one almost feels like standing in front of the real Pope. His eyes pierce through, never letting you out of their gaze. You can feel it when you stand before it and move around. The Pope appears unyielding, almost stern. He is depicted as a highly intelligent and aging man who cannot be fooled. Or so it seems.
His garments are fine linen, typical for the summer season in Rome – the rich red hues of his upper clothing, headgear, and the hanging drapes make the painting even more precious.
Velázquez’s signature is not simply found in a corner, as is usually the case, but integrated into the painting itself. It’s on the paper that the Pope is holding. It’s the commission for Velázquez to paint the portrait. Or perhaps it’s the bill with the corresponding costs – maybe that’s why the Pope looks so grumpy. 😉
The Pope and his family kept the painting private until the 18th century, showing it only to selected visitors. Fortunately, today we can all make our own assessment of it!
The French historian Hippolyte Taine once said about the portrait, “once seen, it is impossible to forget.” And in a way, that’s true.
The contemporary artist Francis Bacon was almost obsessed with the work, even though he allegedly never saw the original. He painted distorted versions of it, known as the “Screaming Popes.” There are a total of 45 known variations. One of them hangs in the Vatican Museums. In this one, the Pope doesn’t scream, but it is clearly Innocent X.
Another significant work by Velázquez – perhaps even more famous than the portrayal of Innocent X – is “Las Meninas,” found in the Prado Museum in Madrid. In Barcelona, these paintings also play a role – because Picasso engaged intensely with this work and created many copies, which we can admire today in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona.
SECOND HIGHLIGHT
CARAVAGGIO
We find three works by Caravaggio here! Three works that couldn’t be more different in terms of execution.
We have the religious theme: “Rest on the Flight into Egypt,” the “Penitent Magdalene,” and “St. John the Baptist.”
They all look different: St. John the Baptist is unmistakably a Caravaggio: the chiaroscuro composition, the young age of John, the way he is presented – that’s Caravaggio!
But with “Rest on the Flight into Egypt,” you need to look twice. The main figure, the angel, turns his back to us… He divides the painting in two halves. On the left, we see Joseph and the donkey. Joseph holds the sheet music for the angel who is playing music and sits in a barren landscape with stony ground… representing earthly life. On the right side of the angel, we then see Mary and the infant Jesus. Flowers spring from the ground in front of her, and the view into the distance is clear, showing a magnificent autumn landscape – the divine world.
The third painting is completely different: It’s the penitent or “Repentant Magdalene.” The theme isn’t the issue… It’s the way he portrays her. No chiaroscuro moment, no typical (nude) figure of Caravaggio… She sits in a gray, undefined space – richly dressed and adorned beside her. She is said to have been depicted here at the lowest point of her life of vice, with her last possessions beside her on the floor.
It is said that the woman who modeled for him for this painting is also the Mary in the painting “Rest on the Flight into Egypt.”
BRUEGHEL &
OTHER ARTISTS
What struck me as I walked through the art collection is that the Pamphiljs were clearly fans of Brueghel. Because here, there are at least 10 works by Pieter and Jan Brueghel. And that’s a lot, considering the size of the collection. And it’s also clear why: have a look at the colors of the Flemish/Dutch works: pure, clear, and vibrant – while the Italian works appear dark and somehow filtered.
There’s, for example, “Earthly Paradise with the Fall of Man” by Jan Brueghel the Elder, “Landscape with the Creation of Animals” – also attributed to Jan Brueghel with a question mark, or the “Allegory of Earth.”
In addition, there’s a whole range of great Italian artists 😉
Paintings by Lippi, Parmigianino, Reni, Raphael, Titian, Vasari, or Carracci.
There’s even a sculpture by Bernini that almost goes unnoticed. It’s in the room with Velázquez’s portrait of Pope Innocent X and is easily overlooked! The other portrait captivates us so much that we hardly notice Bernini’s work, even though it depicts the exact same pope…
You can also find French artists like Claude Lorrain or our own Albrecht Dürer.
Unfortunately, I must admit that it wasn’t so easy to take photos here. The lighting was too strong on the artworks, and if they were hanging higher, it became even more challenging.
GALLERIA DORIA PAMPHILJ
A BIT OF HISTORY
The construction history of the palace on Via del Corso doesn’t trace back to the Pamphilj family. But the man who created this oasis, was determined to show it to the pope, and had to part with his beloved palace for it…
The core of the palace dates back to Cardinal Niccolò d’Acciapaccio, who built it in the 15th century. The next owner is the one I mentioned earlier: Cardinal Fazio Giovanni Santori, who had to relinquish the palace to none other than Pope Julius II. He then gifted the building to his nephew: Francesco Maria I. della Rovere.
It wasn’t until 1647 that the palace came into the possession of the Pamphilj family through a fortuitous marriage. The name Doria was also added to the family through marriage to the Doria family from Genoa. In 1671, the expansion of the palace began under the architect Carlo Maderno, who was also the construction supervisor at St. Peter’s Basilica. With him, this palace became the largest inhabited palace in Rome.
The rooms are grand and designed for representation. The respective popes were frequent guests at the time and even had their own throne room, which was closed during my visit but is usually accessible. The throne is not a symbol of power but was created for the popes. When the popes visited the Pamphilj house, they were the hosts, and even the noble family had to play the role of guests in their own home.
The history of the art collection is also influenced by marriages, fortunate inheritances, and acquisitions.
Admiral Andrea Doria and Pope Innocent X are the most important and well-known members of the family. However, a woman also played a significant role: Olimpia Maidalchini.
She was the sister-in-law of the pope – but not only that: it is said that she was also his advisor and lover. It is believed that she recommended the Velázquez portrait to him. Whether Bernini’s bust also stemmed from her influence is not known.
Pope Innocent X, as stubborn and tough as he may have been, changed his will in her favor and appointed her as the universal heir of his worldly possessions. Olimpia Maidalchini also tried to strengthen her son, Camillo Pamphilj. You can also see her bust in the gallery.
The future of the Pamphilj family will unfold over time. Since 2000, with the death of the last (biological) daughter, Orietta, the Pamphilj lineage has extinguished. Two adopted children remain: Jonathan and Gesine. Prince Jonathan Doria-Pamphilj married a man, with whom he has two children: Emily and Filippo Andrea VII. They still live there today, and my guide Bruno showed me traces of inline skaters on the gallery floor, which were left by the children.
RECOMMENDATION
A TOUR
I can highly recommend a guided tour. Bruno provided me with so many insights and knowledge about the family, the architecture, and the collection – much more than you can read here! And even though it can only be booked in English, everything was easy to understand.
It lasted 2 hours – but since I was alone, it was a VIP open-ended tour 😉 … Until I finally heard my stomach and had to make my way to the Vittoriano while keeping an eye on the clock.
Grazie Mille, Bruno!
See you next time!
Céline
PS: The tour with Pink Umbrella does not seam to exist any more… I found an alternative here, and I hope they will guide you as good as Bruno did!
Official Website (EN): doriapamphilj.it
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2016 – 2024
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