Art Galleries in Rome
Visiting Roman art galleries is as integral to the complete tourist experience as visiting the monuments, fountains and piazzas. Rome boasts a plethora of galleries, mostly classical ones, but in recent years more and more new galleries of contemporary art have been springing up all over the city. The galleries of Rome provide interest for all tastes, even for casual tourists. No trip to the Eternal City would be complete without a visit to the famous Borghese Gallery, particularly if you are an enthusiast of Raphael, Caravaggio or Bernini. Other large galleries, such as Colonna Gallery, Doria Pamphili and Palazzo Altemps, are also hugely popular among tourists as evidenced by long queues often forming outside their doors. If small, unique art galleries are your thing, you will be at the right addres in Via Margutta and Via dei Coronari – picturesque streets long known for their artistic feel.
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Colonna Gallery
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Address: Palazzo Colonna, Via della Pilotta, 17
Phone: +39 06 6784350
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This site represents one of the prettiest and most noble structures in the world, hosting a remarkable collection of paintings. Among the lavishly decorated chambers, a highlight is the gilded salon, crammed with mirrors and displaying an exuberance of crystal chandeliers. The paintings which hang in that splendour include pieces by Bronzino, Dosso Dossi, Carracci, Tintoretto and Van Dyck. Although the property still serves as a private house, the site is open to visitors weekly. Here one can stroll along one of the world's longest halls. Apart from the gallery, visitors can also tour some of private apartments, upon written request.
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Doria Pamphilj Gallery
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Address: Piazza del Collegio Romano, 2 Palazzo Doria
Phone: +39 06 6797323
e-mail: arti.rm@doriapamphilj.it
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Website: http://www.doriapamphilj.com/
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 see map
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The Palazzo Doria Pamphilj hosts one of the world's grandest and most fascinating displays of art. Accessed from Piazza del Collegio Romano, the privately owned building is still the residence of the Roman family Doria Pamphilij. The collection of paintings, furniture and sculpture began in the 16th Century by several noble families, including the Doria and Pamphilj. The displays feature valuable paintings and furniture from the palace of Innocent X. Currently, the Palazzo is among the city's largest privately owned structures, with the displays being divided among the state rooms, the chapel and a number of galleries encircling an atrium. A recent addition to the collection is the exhibit of Byzantine art. Members of the Doria-Pamphilj family still live in the house, strolling amongst the priceless oils by Caravaggio, Velazquez, Rubens, Bernini, Titian and Raphael.
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National Gallery of Palazzo Corsini
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Address: Via della Lungara 10
Phone: +39 06 68802323
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see map
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This structure of the 17th Century was designed by Ferdinando Fuga and considerably reconstructed in the 18th Century. Currently one of Rome's leading galleries, it contains pieces of 16th and 17th Century art, represented at its best by Titian, Poussin, Andrea del Sarto, Guido Reni, Van Dyck, Rubens, Brueghel and Caravaggio. This is, however, only the first of the two sections of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, the Palazzo Corsini. The smallish palazzo's cosy gallery is literally overflowing with high art.
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Spada Gallery
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Address: Piazza Capo di Ferro 13 Palazzo Spada
Phone: +39 06 6861158
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Price: 2.5 - 5 EUR
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Website: http://www.galleriaborghese.it/spada/
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This gallery is part of the Palazzo Spada, a structure commenced in 1540 by architect Giulio Merisi. Here one can view the regular displays of high art, featuring Rubens, Duerer, Caravaggio, Guercino, Domenichino, Guido Reni, Andrea del Sarto, Salvator Rosa, Passarotti, Solimena and a long line of lesser Renaissance Italians. Of particular note is the Borromini gallery, which offers an optical illusion experimens, the brainchild of an unknown artist. Galleria Spada, nestled behind the sumptuous Palazzo Spada, mainly exhibits the collections of the Spada family. The art is limited to the 17th and the 18th Centuries, with some occasional additions of second and third Centuries Roman statues. The palazzo's General Council Chamber displays a gigantic sculpture of Pompey, allegedly known as the one at which the murder of Julius Caesar took place.
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Scuderie Papali al Quirinale
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Address: Via XXIV Maggio 16
Phone: +39 06 696270
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Price: 7.5 - 10 EUR
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Website: http://www.scuderiequirinale.it/
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The Scuderie del Quirinale is a current cutting-edge exhibition venue in Rome, offering temporary exhibitions on a rotating basis. With an exhibition area of 3,000, the building is also equipped with a cafeteria, bookstore and a gift shop. Along with the Palazzo del Quirinale, the residence of the Italian President, and the Palazzo della Consulta, the city's civil and criminal court, it forms an impressive architectural space, organises around a vast piazza. The spacious area at the front is dominated by an obelisk, which originally belonged to the Mausoleum of Augustus, and was relocated here in the 18th Century. The fountain is dominated by the sculpture of the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux. The building rests upon the ruins from the Roman Temple of Serapide, portions of which can be still viewed.
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Museo del Corso
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Address: Via del Corso 320
Phone: +39 06 6786209
e-mail: info@museodelcorso.it
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Website: http://www.museodelcorso.it/
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Inaugurated in 1999 as a multifunctional exhibition venue, Museo del Corso has gained on popularity to become one of the internationally significant sites for exhibitions and retrospectives. The Museo emphasised on innovation, which is mirrored, to some extent, in its various exhibition styles. The displays vary tremendously, with some of the past exhibitions having exerted a strong influence on Italian culture. Exhibits of modern and 20th Century art, although not a prerogative, have been held in the museum's Caveau. Some of the past exhibitions have included an important collection of 16th - 18th Century art, a retrospective of the history of the old Roman road, Via del Corso, a collection of French masterpieces, a review of Tuscan Impressionists and 20th Century sculpture, and a valuable exhibit dedicated to Art Deco.
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Acquario Romano
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Address: Piazza Manfredo Fanti 47
Phone: +39 06 4468616
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Initially conceived as an aquarium, this building currently houses series of temporary exhibitions, chronicling modern and 20th Century art. The bizarre structure is set close to Stazione Termini. The Roman Aquarium was erected in 1887, and was to operate as a fish hatchery, as well as a meeting venue for the emerging middle class of the Esquiline district. Some of the art on permanent display here is related to the history of the building, such as the image in the elliptical hall. The few showcases which held the aquariums give an idea of the large scale of the entire structure.
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Exhibition Palace for Modern and Contemporary Art
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Address: Via Nazionale 194
Phone: +39 06 4745903
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This exhibition space follows the building plans of Piacentini. In the late 19th Century, when it was first launched, the Neo-classical structure emerged as one of the first buildings erected after the unification of the country. Currently, the site operates as a gallery and hosts various displays of modern and contemporary art. The gallery does not have its own funds and collections, but hosts travelling exhibitions on a regular basis and is already an established artistic institution in Rome.
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