Galleria Borghese

In the late 16th century, the wealthy Borghese family moved from Siena to the north of Rome and gradually extended its influence over the Roman aristocracy and the Catholic Church. When Camillo Borghese was elected Pope in 1605, under the name Paul V, it was decided to build a magnificent family residence on the Pincio hill.

In 1607, under the project of the architect Flaminio Ponzio, the construction of Villa Casino Nobile began, which now houses the Borghese Gallery. At the same time, Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V, received the title of cardinal. Thanks to his position, Scipione, a passionate collector, began actively collecting art and paintings. In March 1613, the cardinal's private collection was transferred to Casino Nobile.

Scipione Borghese continued to enrich his collection until his death in 1633, but not always by legal means. Today, his collection forms the core of the Borghese Gallery and is unmatched.

In the 1770s, by the decree of Marcantonio IV Borghese, the best sculptors and artists were invited to restore the valuable collection. During these years, under the supervision of the architect Antonio Asprucci, the villa was rebuilt in the classical style, and all sculptures and paintings were organized by theme.

In the early 20th century, due to financial difficulties, the Borghese family sold the park and all the buildings, including the collection, to the Italian state. In 1902, the private villa Casino Nobile was transformed into a state museum, and the park became public. The Borghese Gallery was completely restored from 1983 to 1997. During the restoration, the interiors and the double staircase of the portico were restored, returning the building to its original appearance.

The interior is a work of art in itself, with its marble floors, columns, bas-reliefs, frescoes, decorated ceilings, and so on, serving as a magnificent backdrop for the artworks.

The first floor of the museum is dedicated to sculpture. Cardinal Scipione Borghese was a passionate collector of ancient sculptures and also a fan of the work of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. It was by his commission that G.L. Bernini created his most impressive works, which have since been housed in the Villa Borghese museum: "Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius", "David", "Apollo and Daphne", "The Rape of Proserpina".

In the First Hall, works of ancient sculpture ("Bacchus", "Fighting Satyr") are exhibited, and the floor features ancient mosaics from the 3rd century AD. On the wall is a late-antique bas-relief "The Feat of Marcus Curtius" with a figure added by Pietro Bernini, the father of the famous sculptor and architect. On the ceiling is the fresco "Triumph of Romulus" (M. Rossi, 1778). In the fifth hall, surrounded by ancient busts and vases, the famous sculpture of the reclining Hermaphroditus (1st century BC) is displayed, a piece that replaced the first one sold to Napoleon in 1807 (now exhibited in the Louvre).

In the "Egyptian Hall", alongside a small collection of ancient Egyptian art and paintings from the story of Antony and Cleopatra, antique statues of the Peplophoros and Isis, as well as "Satyr on a Dolphin" (1st century BC), a sculpture that Raphael admired two centuries earlier, are displayed. In the next room, Caravaggio's paintings are juxtaposed with an ancient statue of the Dancing Satyr (2nd century AD). An unusual work by an unknown sculptor, presumably a Renaissance or Hellenistic sculpture replica: "Dream", or "Sleeping Putti" (Putti dormienti) — three winged babies, hugging each other, soundly sleep on a marble slab.

In the "Gallery of Emperors", lined with multicolored marbles, adorned with bas-reliefs and grotesque paintings, busts of twelve Roman Caesars made by G. Della Porta in the 1580s are presented. One of the central works of the room is "Victorious Venus" — a semi-reclining figure of Pauline Bonaparte in the guise of Venus, a work by Antonio Canova (1805—1808).

The second floor of the building houses the art gallery. Among the masterpieces of painting are "Madonna with Child" by Giovanni Bellini, "The Entombment" by Raphael, "Earthly Love and Heavenly Love" and "Venus Blindfolding Cupid" by Titian, paintings by S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio, Guercino, Caravaggio, Rubens.