Barberini Palace: the baroque residence of the National Gallery of Ancient Art of Rome

Palazzo Barberini in Rome: the baroque masterpiece of the National Gallery of Ancient Art

The baroque residence of Palazzo Barberini is one of the most stunning and majestic buildings of Rome city center and was built in the XVIIth century by 3 of the most important architects of history - Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. Located in Trevi district, Palazzo Barberini - together with Palazzo Corsini - nowadays hosts the National Gallery of Ancient Art, the main museum of this kind in Rome as well as in Italy.

Palazzo Barberini is a triumph of baroque majesty thanks to some architectural masterpieces: the glass loggia in the porticato facade made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the wonderful vault of the entrance hall, painted by Pietro da Cortona, with a joke of illusionism creating a fresco open sky ceiling of the Allegory of the Divine Providence and the two main monumental stairs, the oval helicoidal staircase conceived by Borromini and the square-shafted staircase designed by Bernini.

Palazzo Barberini, being the headquarter of the National Gallery of Ancient Art, hosts some of the most important paintings of the Italian art such as the Fornarina made by Raphael, Judith Beheading Holofernes painted by Caravaggio and the portrait of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein. Palazzo Barberini hosts also a collection of sculptures that includes the Vestal Virgin Tuccia made by the Roccoco sculptor Antonio Corradini. In addition to the permanent collection of Ancient Art, Palazzo Barberini usually hosts also temporary art exhibitions that can be visited with the same ticket.

Useful information for visiting Palazzo Barberini

Opening hours:
Palazzo Barberini, located in Via delle Quattro Fontane 13, is open everyday except Monday from 10am to 7pm; the ticket office closes at 6pm. Palazzo Barberini is closed on Dec.25 and on Jan.1.

Tickets and costs:
The standard ticket cost is 15 euros, some reductions are reserved to European students, kids, people with an annual Metrebus card and tourists with a ticket for Palazzo Corsini, the other location of National Gallery of Ancient Art. Our suggestion is to book a reserved entrance or guided tour to be sure to avoid long waits.

Accessibility:
A ramp at the entrance and a system of lifts guarantee to disabled people the possibility to visit Palazzo Barberini.

How to get to Palazzo Barberini

By Metro: Palazzo Barberini is well connected with the Line A subway, with Barberini stop which is just 2 minutes walking away from the main entrance.

By Bus: the lines 53 - 61 - 62 - 63 - 80 - 81 - 83 - 160 - 492 - 590 have bus stops close to Palazzo Barberini

By car: Rome city center is closed to private cars, but a taxi service can be used to reach Palazzo Barberini.

FAQs about visiting Palazzo Barberini:

What can be found inside Palazzo Barberini?
Palazzo Barberini is a treasure of masterpieces divided in centuries, in its exhibition rooms are displayed 4 paintings made by Caravaggio - the Narcissus, Judith beheading Holofernes, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Francis in meditation - and the Fornarina painted by Raphael, in addition to paintings made by Tintoretto, Tiziano, El Greco, Guido Reni, Guercino, Vanvitelli and some sculptures created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

How long does the visit at Palazzo Barberini take?
A standard visit at Palazzo Barberini approximately takes 2 hours, to discover the exhibition rooms displayed on two floors (ground and first floor).

Is there the possibility of a free entrance to Palazzo Barberini?
Since Palazzo Barberini belongs to the circuit of state museums, each first Sunday of the month the entrance is free. Nevertheless, our suggestion is to make an early booking as Palazzo Barberini is one of the most important museums to visit in Rome by tourists as well as locals.

The best tours to visit Palazzo Barberini:

There are many combinations to discover the treasures of Palazzo Barberini, planning a visit to it, choosing from one of the options, it is the best solution to enjoy the Palazzo Barberini great collection without wasting time.

Reserved entrance at Palazzo Barberini ticket:
It is the basic option and best seller as well to visit Palazzo Barberini, the reserved entrance ticket guarantees the access to the art collection of Palazzo Barberini and Palazzo Corsini (the other location of the National Gallery of Ancient Art) and the opportunity to visit the temporary art exhibitions.

Hand-picked combination tickets:
Exploring the treasures of Palazzo Barberini, along with other wonderful gems of the eternal city of Rome, is a great solution with the hand-picked combination ticket. The best options are: Palazzo Barberini and Borghese gallery tickets, Palazzo Barberini and Villa Medici tickets or Palazzo Merulana and Palazzo Barberini tickets.