# Borghese Gallery, Rome

> The Borghese Gallery is Cardinal Scipione Borghese's private collection in a 17th-century villa: Bernini's greatest sculptures, Canova's Pauline and six Caravaggios. Entry is by booking only, for a two-hour slot, at about €18. It opens Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–19:00 and closes on Mondays; slots sell out weeks ahead.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese

- City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy
- YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 2 h
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket: ≈ €18 (€16 + €2 booking), 2-hour slot
- Booking: Required — on the official site, 2–4 weeks ahead
- Opening hours: Tue–Sun 9:00–19:00, slots every 2 hours
- Closed: Mondays
- Bags: All but tiny bags go in the free, compulsory cloakroom
- Location: Villa Borghese park; 20 minutes' walk from Spagna metro
- Coordinates: 41.91421, 12.49214
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **1613–1616** — the villa was built for Cardinal Scipione Borghese (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Bernini** — Apollo and Daphne, the Rape of Proserpina and David are all here (source: English Wikipedia)
- **6 paintings** — by Caravaggio — one of his largest collections (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1805–1808** — Canova carved Pauline Borghese as Venus Victrix (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1902** — the Italian state bought the villa and collection (source: English Wikipedia)
- **2 hours** — the length of every visiting slot (source: Galleria Borghese official website)

## Borghese Gallery tickets and booking

You **can't get in without a booking**: numbers are capped and entry runs in slots **every two hours**. Tickets cost about **€18** — €16 plus a €2 booking fee — according to 2026 guides. Book on the **gallery's official website**; spring, summer and weekend slots go 2–4 weeks ahead.

Collect your ticket at the basement desk and check your bags **30 minutes before** your slot. On the **first Sunday of the month** entry is free, but still by booking, and those slots vanish within hours.

## What to see

The star attractions are **Bernini's sculptures**, made for the cardinal in the 1620s. In **Apollo and Daphne** the nymph turns into a laurel before your eyes — leaves sprouting from her fingers, roots from her toes. In **The Rape of Proserpina**, Pluto's fingers sink into marble thigh as if into flesh. **David** is caught mid-throw, with Bernini's own face.

Nearby reclines **Canova's Pauline Borghese**, Napoleon's sister as Venus on a marble couch. Upstairs, the **Pinacoteca** holds Raphael's Deposition, Titian's Sacred and Profane Love and **six Caravaggios**, including Boy with a Basket of Fruit and Sick Bacchus.

## Masterpieces room by room

- **Apollo and Daphne** (Bernini) — ground floor, Room III.
- **The Rape of Proserpina** (Bernini) — Room IV, Hall of the Emperors.
- **David** (Bernini) — Room II.
- **Pauline Borghese** (Canova) — Room I.
- **Caravaggio paintings** — Room VIII.
- **The Deposition** (Raphael) — Pinacoteca, first floor.
- **Sacred and Profane Love** (Titian) — Pinacoteca.

> **Making the most of two hours** Start upstairs in the Pinacoteca: most visitors head straight for the Bernini rooms, so the painting galleries are quieter for the first 40 minutes. Then come down to the sculptures. Staff clear the building exactly at the end of your slot, so keep an eye on the time.

> **Bags and cloakroom** Only very small bags are allowed; backpacks, larger bags, umbrellas and bottles must go in the free cloakroom. Photos without flash are fine; no food or drink inside.

## How to get to the Borghese Gallery

1. Metro line A to **Spagna**, then a 20-minute signposted walk through the park.
2. Buses 61, 89, 160 or 910 to the Pinciana / Museo Borghese stop.
3. From the [Pincio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pincio), 15–20 minutes across the [Villa Borghese gardens](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-borghese).
4. The ticket desk and cloakroom are in the basement, under the main staircase.

## How long and when to go

Every visit lasts **two hours** — enough to see everything properly. The quietest slots are the **first at 9:00** and the last of the day. It's closed on Mondays. Build in time for the Villa Borghese gardens before or after: the lake and the Pincio terrace are a short walk away.

## Is the Borghese Gallery worth it?

Emphatically yes — arguably Rome's finest small museum: only twenty rooms, but packed with works people cross the world to see. The capped numbers make it far calmer than the Vatican. Just book early.

## Before you go

Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Book a slot on the official site 2–4 weeks ahead
- [ ] Make sure it isn't a Monday
- [ ] Arrive 30 minutes before your slot
- [ ] Leave big bags at the hotel or check them in
- [ ] Start upstairs in the Pinacoteca

## Rome's museums: compare and choose

Museums in Rome rated by YesGo.

- [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €15–20
- [Domus Aurea](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/domus-aurea) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26
- [Ara Pacis](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €13–15
- [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Galleria Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €18
- [Vatican Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €25
- [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- [Galleria Doria Pamphilj](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/doria-pamphilj) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €16–18
- [Palazzo Farnese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-farnese) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid, booking only
- [Imperial Fora](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/imperial-fora) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15
- [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15
- [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €12
- [Palazzo Massimo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-massimo) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €10–12 combined ticket
- [MAXXI](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/maxxi) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €12–15
- [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–18

## Villa Borghese and the Pincio

The Borghese Gallery on a morning slot, a walk through the park, sunset on the Pincio terrace and down to Piazza del Popolo.

1. [Galleria Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €18
2. [Villa Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-borghese) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
3. [Pincio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pincio) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free
4. [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free

## Don't mix it up

The Borghese Gallery is the museum inside the Villa Borghese park: the park is free, the gallery needs a booking. Palazzo Borghese in the centre is a private palace and not open to visitors.

## Tips

- Booking is compulsory — 2–4 weeks ahead.
- Start with the Pinacoteca to dodge the Bernini crowd.
- Staff clear the rooms exactly at two hours.
- Closed on Mondays.

## Questions

### How much are Borghese Gallery tickets?

About €18 — €16 entry plus €2 booking, according to 2026 guides.

### Do I need to book the Borghese Gallery?

Yes, always — entry is by timed reservation only.

### What are the opening hours?

Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–19:00, with slots every 2 hours; closed Monday.

### How long can you stay in the Borghese Gallery?

Two hours per slot.

### What are the must-sees?

Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, Rape of Proserpina and David, Canova's Pauline, and works by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian.

### How many Caravaggios are in the Borghese Gallery?

Six, including Boy with a Basket of Fruit and Sick Bacchus.

### Can I bring a backpack?

No — backpacks and larger bags go in the free cloakroom.

### Where is the Borghese Gallery?

In the Villa Borghese park, about 20 minutes' walk from Spagna metro.

## How we checked

History of the villa and collection from English Wikipedia; booking rules and hours from the gallery's official site. Price from 2026 guides, hence the 'checking' badge.

## Sources

- Galleria Borghese official website (Italian Ministry of Culture)
- English Wikipedia, Galleria Borghese
- 2026 guides: visitrome.com, artvisitguide.com

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