Borghese Gallery: Reserved Entry

What a wonderful, awesome pearl! The building doesn’t look like much at all from the outside, especially when one considers the vast beauty of Rome’s architecture otherwise. However, what’s inside is a true, magnificent miracle of splendor, in my eyes beating Versailles, Louvre and hundreds of beautiful castles and a palaces I’ve seen in the 34 countries I’ve visited. Simply stunning. Ancient sculptures place in those lush, baroque interiors, painted heavily from the very floor to the roof and beyond, made an almost cathartic impression on us. Unforgettable!

The Galleria Borghese is absolutely well worth a visit, offering an intimate and breathtaking experience where you can get incredibly close to some of the most important masterpieces in art history. The collection is stunning, featuring incredible highlights such as Bernini’s dynamic sculptures like Apollo and Daphne, The Rape of Proserpina, and David, as well as Canova’s elegant Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix and Raphael’s The Deposition. Although we were unlucky that Caravaggio's Boy with a Basket of Fruit was on loan during our visit, seeing his David with the Head of Goliath and Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love still made this a truly spectacular villa that justifies every bit of its reputation.

Great exhibition, which is perfectly sized and not too overwhelming (like many in Rome). The Bernini sculptures are incredible, and the real highlights. Many beautiful pieces of art too, especially the Caravaggios. As of Feb 2026, there was also a little Mongolian exhibition on Zanabazar. Can be tricky to get tickets on the official website, hence booked a guided tour (which was actually ideal for giving history and context)