Palazzo Barberini
Rome, Italy
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome
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Photo: Mikhail Malykh, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free
- Opening hours
- Short, usually mornings — check ahead
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 20 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Highlights
- Borromini's oval dome, the undulating façade, the cloister
- The crossroads
- Four 16th-century corner fountains
- Time needed
- 15–20 minutes
- Location
- Via del Quirinale 23; 7 minutes from Barberini metro
Key facts
1638–1641Borromini built the church and cloister
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English Wikipedia1665–1667the undulating façade was finished — his last work
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English WikipediaSan Carlinoits affectionate nickname, for its tiny size
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English WikipediaThe domeoval, coffered with crosses, octagons and hexagons
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English Wikipedia1588–1593the four corner fountains were installed
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English WikipediaBorromini's masterpiece
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane was the first major work of Francesco Borromini, Bernini's great rival. Spanish Trinitarian friars commissioned a church and convent on a tiny corner plot, and in 1638–1641 he produced a building that changed Baroque architecture. Romans call it 'San Carlino': legend says it would fit inside one of the four piers holding up St Peter's dome.
Borromini completed the rippling façade in 1665–1667, at the end of his life: convex and concave sections alternate so the wall seems to sway, with saints in the niches.
The dome
Look up at the oval dome. Its surface is covered in coffers shaped as crosses, octagons and hexagons that shrink towards the lantern at the top, making it seem taller and deeper than it is, while light pours down onto white walls.
There's no gilding or coloured marble — Borromini relied on form and light alone. The plan is a complex geometry of triangles and ovals that architects still dissect in lectures.
The Quattro Fontane crossroads
The church stands where Via del Quirinale meets Via delle Quattro Fontane. Each of the four corners got a fountain in a niche in 1588–1593: two river gods, the Tiber and the Arno, and two goddesses, Diana and Juno. Pope Sixtus V laid out the streets so that from the crossing you can see three obelisks — at Santa Maria Maggiore, on the Quirinal and at Trinità dei Monti — plus Porta Pia. It's narrow and busy, so watch the traffic while taking photos.
Who was Borromini?
Francesco Borromini (1599–1667) came from Ticino and began as a stonecutter on St Peter's under his relative Carlo Maderno, later working alongside Bernini before the two became Baroque Rome's great rivals. Other works to seek out include the spiral dome of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, the façade of Sant'Agnese in Agone and the forced-perspective gallery at Palazzo Spada.
What to see
- The oval dome — view it from the centre of the church.
- The undulating façade — best seen from the opposite corner.
- The cloister — a tiny columned courtyard, also Borromini.
- The four fountains — one on each corner.
- Three obelisk views — from the middle of the crossing.
- Bernini's Sant'Andrea al Quirinale — 3 minutes along the street.
How to get there
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Palazzo Barberini is about 3 min away on foot.
- Quirinal Palace is about 5 min away on foot.
- Santa Maria della Vittoria is about 6 min away on foot.
More tips
- Metro line A to Barberini, then 7 minutes up Via delle Quattro Fontane.
- From Palazzo Barberini, 5 minutes.
- From the Quirinal Palace, 5 minutes along Via del Quirinale.
- Buses 40, 64, 70 and 170 to Via Nazionale, then 5 minutes.
Is it worth visiting?
Yes, for anyone interested in architecture: one of the key buildings of the Baroque, free and steps from Palazzo Barberini and the Quirinal. Fifteen minutes does it — but check the hours, as it opens only briefly and closes at midday. Compare it with Bernini's church nearby for the best lesson in Roman Baroque.
Before you go
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Rome's churches: compare and choose
Churches and basilicas in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Pantheon | 82 | 30 min | ≈ €5 | 21 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's Basilica | 71 | 1 h 30 min | Free; dome ≈ €8–15 | 3.1 km |
| Sistine Chapel | 64 | 30 min | Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25 | 3.0 km |
| Archbasilica of St John Lateran | 64 | 45 min | Free | 38 min walk |
| Santa Maria Maggiore | 62 | 40 min | Free | 14 min walk |
| Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls | 57 | 45 min | Free | 4.9 km |
| Church of the Gesù | 53 | 30 min | Free | 20 min walk |
| Sant'Ignazio | 51 | 30 min | Free | 17 min walk |
| Santa Maria sopra Minerva | 51 | 30 min | Free | 19 min walk |
| Piazza del Popolo | 50 | 30 min | Free | 27 min walk |
| Santa Maria in Trastevere | 50 | 30 min | Free | 38 min walk |
| Mouth of Truth | 49 | 20 min | Donation ≈ €2 | 30 min walk |
| Catacombs of Rome | 48 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €10–12 with guide | 18 min walk |
| San Pietro in Vincoli | 48 | 20 min | Free | 16 min walk |
| San Luigi dei Francesi | 47 | 20 min | Free | 23 min walk |
| San Carlo alle Quattro Fontaneyou are here | 46 | 20 min | Free | — |
| Santa Maria della Vittoria | 46 | 20 min | Free | 8 min walk |
| Tempietto | 45 | 20 min | Free | 43 min walk |
| Santa Sabina | 45 | 20 min | Free | 37 min walk |
| Trastevere | 44 | 2 h | Free | 2.6 km |
| Baths of Diocletian | 42 | 1 h | Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 | 11 min walk |
| Basilica of San Clemente | 39 | 1 h | Upper free; excavations ≈ €10–12 | 26 min walk |
Trevi and the Quirinal
The Trevi Fountain in the morning, up to the Quirinal, then San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and Palazzo Barberini.
- Trevi Fountain20 min · Free; basin €2
- 6 min walk from the previous stopQuirinal Palace1 h 15 min · Square free; tours by booking
- 6 min walk from the previous stopSan Carlo alle Quattro Fontaneyou are here20 min · Free
- 3 min walk from the previous stopPalazzo Barberini2 h · ≈ €15
4 places · about 4 h 10 min with walks · 15 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- View the dome from the centre.
- Hours are short — check ahead.
- Bernini's church nearby makes a great comparison.
- Three obelisks line up from the crossroads.
Questions
Who built San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane?
Francesco Borromini, in 1638–1641; the façade in 1665–1667.
Is it free?
Yes.
What is it famous for?
Its undulating façade and oval dome coffered with crosses and polygons — a Baroque masterpiece.
Where is it?
At the Quattro Fontane crossroads, Via del Quirinale 23, 7 minutes from Barberini metro.
What are the Four Fountains?
Four 16th-century corner fountains — the Tiber, the Arno, Diana and Juno.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and Quattro Fontane
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