Rome has many art galleries but until now has lacked a “national gallery” such as the Louvre in Paris , the National Gallery in London or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This situation, however, changes from today with the full opening to the public of the Galleria Dell’Arte Antica in the Palazzo Barberini.
Palazzo Barberini, built between 1625 - 1633 for the Barberini Pope Urban VIII, has housed art galleries since 1893. Acquired by the State in 1949, it was also used as a military administrative office until 2006. Finally, following a € 26 million restoration, it opens as a gallery housing over 300 masterpieces, including Raphael’s “La Fornarina”, Andrea Del Sarto’s “Sacra Famiglia” and Caravaggio’s “Judith Beheading Holofernes”. Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII is also there.
Sadly all did not go well at last night’s free opening as no one thought of regulating the queue of tourists and locals along via delle Quattro Fontane and there was a fair amount of queue-jumping. Nor did it occur to anyone to clear the street of cars, so art lovers who queued for hours often lost their places in the queue as they dodged traffic.
Culture Minister Sandro Bondi says that the opening of the Gallery marks a great day for Italian art.
All is calmer today and opening hours are:
Tuesday – Sunday, 08.30 – 19.30 [Ticket office closes at 18.30.]
Closed Mondays, 25th December, 1st January.
Entrance fee: €5.00
Underground: Linea A: Barberini.
Romaround can help you with all your sightseeing needs whilst in
Rome. The company can arrange private tours of the city, visits to the Vatican and papal audiences, special tours for visitors on cruises and much more.
Please contact Romaround for a quotation.
