# Palazzo Barberini, Rome

> Palazzo Barberini is the Baroque palace of Pope Urban VIII's family, now home to the National Gallery of Ancient Art: Raphael's Fornarina, Caravaggio, Holbein, Titian and El Greco. Above it all soars Pietro da Cortona's ceiling in the great hall, and two staircases by Bernini and Borromini. Tickets are about €15; it opens Tuesday to Sunday. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini

- City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy
- YesGo score: 37/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 2 h
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket: ≈ €15, with Palazzo Corsini in Trastevere
- Opening hours: Tue–Sun ≈ 10:00–19:00
- Closed: Mondays
- Highlights: Raphael's Fornarina, Caravaggio, Pietro da Cortona's ceiling
- Time needed: 1.5–2 hours
- Location: Via delle Quattro Fontane 13; Metro A Barberini, 3 minutes
- Coordinates: 41.90332, 12.48986
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **1625–1633** — built for the family of Pope Urban VIII Barberini (source: English Wikipedia)
- **3 architects** — Maderno, Bernini and Borromini all worked on it (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1633–1639** — Pietro da Cortona painted the great hall ceiling (source: English Wikipedia)
- **La Fornarina** — Raphael's portrait, around 1520 (source: English Wikipedia)
- **1949** — the state bought the palace for the National Gallery (source: English Wikipedia)

## Palazzo Barberini tickets and hours

The ticket costs about **€15** and usually also covers **Palazzo Corsini** in Trastevere, where the collection continues — keep it for a few days. The gallery opens **Tuesday to Sunday** from around 10:00 to 19:00 and closes on **Mondays**. Queues are rare.

## A papal family palace

The palace was built in **1625–1633** for the family of **Pope Urban VIII**, Maffeo Barberini. **Carlo Maderno** began it; after his death the young **Bernini** took over, assisted by **Francesco Borromini**, soon to be his great rival. The result was one of Baroque Rome's most splendid palaces, with gardens and a theatre.

Its two staircases are a duel of geniuses: on the left, **Bernini's grand square stair**; on the right, **Borromini's elegant oval spiral** with paired columns. Climb both — a free lesson in Baroque architecture.

## Pietro da Cortona's ceiling

The **Gran Salone** is crowned by one of the Baroque's most overwhelming ceilings, **Pietro da Cortona**'s **Triumph of Divine Providence** (1633–1639). Dozens of figures and allegories swirl overhead with giant **bees** — the Barberini emblem — while painted architecture opens the roof to the sky. There are benches, so sit and take it in.

## Masterpieces of the collection

The **National Gallery of Ancient Art** covers painting from the 13th to 18th centuries. The star is **Raphael**'s **La Fornarina** (around 1520), a young woman wearing an armband inscribed with the painter's name — said to be his lover, a baker's daughter. Here too are **Caravaggio**'s *Narcissus* gazing at his reflection and *Judith and Holofernes*.

Other treasures include **Holbein**'s portrait of **Henry VIII**, and works by **Titian**, **Tintoretto**, **El Greco**, Filippo Lippi and Guido Reni.

## Barberini bees all over Rome

The family emblem — **three bees** — turns up all over the centre. Outside on **Piazza Barberini** stand Bernini's **Triton Fountain** and, at the corner of Via Veneto, his little **Fountain of the Bees**. You'll find them on Bernini's baldachin in St Peter's and on countless coats of arms. Romans quipped that 'what the barbarians didn't do, the Barberini did', since the family stripped bronze even from the Pantheon's portico.

## What to see

- **Raphael's La Fornarina** — with his name on her armband.
- **Caravaggio** — Narcissus and Judith and Holofernes.
- **Holbein's Henry VIII** — the famous royal portrait.
- **Pietro da Cortona's ceiling** — the Gran Salone.
- **Bernini's staircase** — square, left of the entrance.
- **Borromini's spiral staircase** — oval, on the right.
- **The palace garden** — with a view of the façade.

> **A ticket for two palaces** The Barberini ticket usually includes Palazzo Corsini in Trastevere, opposite Villa Farnesina, where more of the collection hangs. Keep your ticket for the day you explore Trastevere.

## How to get there

1. Metro line A to **Barberini**, then 3 minutes up Via delle Quattro Fontane.
2. From the [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain), 10 minutes on foot.
3. [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) is 5 minutes further up the street.
4. Buses 52, 53, 61, 62 and 63 to Piazza Barberini.

## Is Palazzo Barberini worth it?

Yes, for painting lovers: Raphael, Caravaggio and Holbein under one roof without the queues of the Vatican or the Borghese, plus Cortona's ceiling, one of the great sights of Baroque Rome. Combine it with the Trevi Fountain and Bernini's Triton Fountain on Piazza Barberini.

## Before you go

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

- [ ] Make sure it isn't a Monday
- [ ] Buy a ticket online or on site
- [ ] Find Raphael's Fornarina
- [ ] Sit under the ceiling in the Gran Salone
- [ ] Climb both staircases

## 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

## Baroque around Repubblica

Palazzo Barberini, Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Bernini at Santa Maria della Vittoria and the Baths of Diocletian.

1. [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15
2. [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
3. [Santa Maria della Vittoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/santa-maria-della-vittoria) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
4. [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

## Don't mix it up

Palazzo Barberini isn't the Borghese Gallery: both have Caravaggios, but the Borghese has Bernini's sculptures and timed slots, while here you'll find Raphael, Cortona's ceiling and walk-in entry.

## Tips

- Two staircases — Bernini's and Borromini's.
- Benches under Cortona's ceiling.
- The ticket usually includes Palazzo Corsini.
- Closed on Mondays.

## Questions

### How much are Palazzo Barberini tickets?

About €15, usually including Palazzo Corsini in Trastevere.

### What are the opening hours?

Tuesday–Sunday roughly 10:00–19:00; closed Monday.

### What are the highlights?

Raphael's Fornarina, Caravaggio, Holbein's Henry VIII, Pietro da Cortona's ceiling and the Bernini and Borromini staircases.

### Where is Palazzo Barberini?

Via delle Quattro Fontane 13, 3 minutes from Barberini metro.

### Who built Palazzo Barberini?

Carlo Maderno, Bernini and Borromini, in 1625–1633.

### How long do you need?

1.5–2 hours.

## How we checked

Palace history and collection from English Wikipedia. Price and hours weren't confirmed on the official site at the time of checking — hence the 'checking' badge.

## Sources

- Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica — Barberini Corsini
- English Wikipedia, Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica

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