Discover Villa Borghese | History, Rooms, Visitor Tips & more

Villa Borghese, the building which houses the Borghese Gallery today, rose in the early seventeenth century. It initially consisted of just the Villa and later many more plots were added to this property. Located in the heart of Rome, the Villa was built in 1605 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V. It formerly housed the private art collection of the Cardinal. 

Today, Villa Borghese is a world-class museum that ranks on the list of top museums in Italy. The museum is home to hundreds of art collections, antiques and sculptures spread across 20 rooms. Villa Borghese also houses one of the largest parks in Rome, named Borghese gardens. Being a famous tourist destination, Villa Borghese in Rome attracts thousands of visitors every year. 

Keep scrolling to find the brief and all the information on the Villa Borghese to plan a hassle-free visit!

Why visit Villa Borghese?

Villa Borghese
  • Palatial allure - Villa Borghese was designed and built by Scipione Borghese with an artistic suit where he threw lavish garden parties to showcase his art collection.
  • One of the top galleries in Europe - The Villa Borghese in Rome is known for being home to world-class art and paintings collections. 
  • More than 90 attractions - Along with the Borghese Villa, you can also explore around 90 attractions spread across 80 hectares in Rome. 
  • Discover Villa Borghese Pinciana - Take a stroll through the villa to admire the history of Borghese Villa which also housed the Cardinal’s private collection along with the wide array of paintings, sculptures, and antiquities on display.

Discover the Rooms of Villa Borghese

The Villa has 2 floors with a total of 20 lavish rooms decorated with paintings, sculptures and antiques of well-known artists.

First Floor

Villa Borghese

Marianna Rossi Hall

This is the entrance to Villa Borghese and its most promonent feature is the ceiling by Marianna Rossi. This huge hall with monumental sculptures and decorations were part of Prince Marcantonio's renovations.

Villa Borghese

Paolina Room

One the most famous sculptures of the Borghese collection made my Antonio Canova, the statue of Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, is on display here.

Villa Borghese

David Room

Bernini's life-size sculpture of David is placed in the center of this room. It was orginally called the 'Room of the Sun' due to the presence of the Fall of Phaeton in the center of the ceiling.

Villa Borghese

Apollo and Daphne Room

Bernini's life-sized Baroque marble sculpture, Apollo and Daphne is housed here along with works of Dosso Dossi, Giovanni Battista Marchetti and paintings representing Daphne's Metamorphoses on the ceiling.

Villa Borghese

Room of the Emperors

This room gets it name from the 18 alabaster and porphyry busts of theTwelve Caesars and Goddess Juno. The room also features paintings of Domenico de Angelis and Marchetti's architectural trompe l’oeil (3D optical illusion).

Hermaphrodite Room

The famous sculpture of Hermaphrodite gives this room its name. Oil paintings of Nicola Buonvicini, Marchetti's murals, works of Vincenzo Pacetti and Paul Brill are also on display here.

Villa Borghese

Aeneas and Anchises Room

Bernini's marble group with Aeneas and Anchises is placed right in the center of this room along with the paintings of Laurent Pécheux on the ceiling and those of Jean Baptiste Tierce.

Villa Borghese

Egyptian Room

This room has Marchetti's architectural trompe l’oeils representing the Egyptian planetary gods and Conca's celing paintings depicting Anthony and Cleopatra.

Villa Borghese

Silenus Room

The last room on the ground floor has 12 paintings by Caravaggio, Cavalier d’Arpino's famous works and masterpieces of Cigoli, Dirck van Baburen and Giovanni Baglione.

Second Floor

Villa Borghese

Dido Room

The ceiling of this room is decorated with the story of Apolo and Dido by Anton von Maron. Other works on display here are of Perugino, Pinturicchio, Bartolomeo, Botticelli, Andrea del Sarto and Raphael.

Hercules Room

The room gets its name from the five paintings of Hercules on the ceiling by Christoph Unterberger. Other notable artworks featured in this room include those of Brescianino, Niccolò dell’Abate, Correggio, Girolamo da Carpi and Nicolas Cordier.

Villa Borghese

Room of Ferrarese Painting

Known as the "Little Gallery" and later as the “Gallery of portraits of women“ before Marcantonio Borghese's renovation phase, the Tale of Ganymede by Vincenzo Berrettini is featured on the ceiling along with artworks of Ortolano and Mazzolino displayed in the room.

Villa Borghese

Room of the Bacchantes

This room gets its name from Felice Giani's fresco on the ceiling depicting three dancing women with decorations of festoons, floral motifs and musical instruments all around. Nordic works from the early 16th century and Leonardo Da Vinci's Leda and Lorenzo Lotto's Portrait of A Gentleman are the masterpieces here.

Villa Borghese

Fame Room

Felice Giani's Allegory of Fame is placed right in the centre and the landscapes displayed here are of Giovanni Campovecchio. Elegantly decorated in an antiquarian style, the room also features famous artworks of Francesco Ubertini, Giovanni di Lorenzo Larciani and Alonso Berruguete.

Villa Borghese

Lanfranco Loggia

This room houses Giovanni Lanfranco's Council of Gods and Claude Deruet's Assumption present. Most artworks in this room are from the 17th century epitomizing two pictorial currents of the time - the classic revival style and intensely expressed Caravaggesque naturalism.

Aurora Room

The ceiling represents the Twilights of Dawn and Dusk and the Allegory of Aurora in three notable paintings by Domenico Corvi. Giovan Battista Marchetti decorated the walls with grotesques, zodiac signs, medallions etc. The room also has a sculpture depicting the allegory of Sleep by Alessandro Algardi right in the centre.

Flora Room

Domenico De Angelis represents Flora as the mother of flowers and plants. The vegetal volutes and trompe-oeil decorations are painted by Giovan Battista Marchetti. The room also displays paintings of Marcello Venusti, Pellegrino Tibaldi and Jacopo Zucchi.

Count of Angers Room

The Recognition of Gaultier and Count of Angers are notable paintings by Giuseppe Cades dominating the ceiling in this room. The paintings displayed here are Flemish and Dutch artworks of the 17th century acquired by Antonio Asprucci. Gaspare Landi and Pompeo Batoni's famous works are also present here.

Jupiter and Antiope Room

This room has the Quadro Riportato by Bénigne Gagneraux featured on the ceiling along with decorations executed by Vincenzo Berrettini. Collections of Pietro da Cortona, noteworthy artworks of Roman Baroque portraiture, and paintings of Pieter Paul Rubens as well as Andrea Sacchi are also displayed here.

Helen and Paris Room

Gavin Hamilton and Giovan Battista Marchetti's decorations are featured on the ceiling in this room. Sculptures of Agostino Penna and Vincenzo Pacetti are also present. Other masterpieces here are the works of Domenichino, Federico Barocci and Giovanni Lanfranco.

Psyche Room

With Pietro Antonio Novelli decorations on the ceiling, the room comes to be called the Psyche room as it represents the tale of Cupid and Psyche. Paintings of Giovan Battista Marchetti, Antonello da Messina, Titian, Giovanni Bellini and ornamental pieces by Agostino Penna are displayed here.

Brief History of Villa Borghese

17th century - The Rise of Villa Borghese

Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V, was an influential art collector and investigator. He was given charge of the Vatican art collection and he used that power to create a private collection of his own. He started turning his vineyard in Pincian hill into the largest gardens in Rome and also commissioned the construction of Villa Borghese Pinciana in 1605, under the architect Flaminio Ponzio, to house his magnificent artworks. After his death, the work was carried on by Jan van Santen. 

Cardinal's Art Collection in Villa Borghese

Cardinal Scipione was passionate about art and wanted to establish a symbol of the prestige of the Borghese family. In 1607, the Pope gave him 107 paintings that were confiscated from Cavalier D'Arpino's studio. His collection also included works of Caravaggio, Bernini and Raphael. His estates were expanded with vast “secret gardens” and palatial complexes like the Villa Borghese to house all his artworks.

The Villa and other places covered almost eighty hectares of land that was divided into three “enclosures” with parks, fountains and also an animal menagerie. The Cardinal often threw lavish parties in the Borghese Villa for a private display of his collection.

18th - 19th century

After the death of Cardinal Borghese, Prince Marcantonio IV Borghese redesigned the Villa between 1730 - 1800. The famous architects Antonio and Mario Asprucci made major changes to the Casino Nobile and Villa under the direction of the Prince. He replaced the outdated tapestries and leather hangings of the Borghese Villa. He also rearranged the sculptures and antiquities of the Borghese according to the thematic criterion, which was welcomed and appreciated by Roman society. After Marcantonio IV, Prince Camillo Borghese sold some Borghese sculptures and antiquities in 1808 and they can be seen in the Louver Museum in Paris. At the end of the 19th century, the villa went public and admissions were accepted in Villa Borghese with payment.

Post the unification of Italy

Villa Borghese came in between the possessions of the Borghese family and the Italian state after the unification of Italy in 1861. In 1901, the Italian Government bought the entire monumental estate and sold it to the Municipality of Rome. Since then it has been open to the public to explore and admire its vast art collection.

Today, Villa Borghese is a glorious fusion of art, architecture and nature, hosting public exhibitions and distinguished artistic events.

Plan Your Visit to Villa Borghese

Location
Getting there
Timings
Eat
Stay
Visitor tips
Villa Borghese location
Where is Villa Borghese located?

Villa Borghese is located in the heart of Rome and houses the world-famous Borghese Gallery. You can take a bus to the gallery and get off at the Pinciana Museo Borghese stop. From there it is just a 2-minute walk to your destination.

Address: Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5, 00197 Roma RM, Italy.

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Where is the entrance to Villa Borghese?

Parco del Daini, located to the right of Villa Borghese, is an entrance lined with benches that leads to the Borghese Gallery and the Zoo.

Villa Borghese by bus
Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese

There are some notable Italian restaurants and cafes in and around the Villa Borghese park premises that you can enjoy:

  • Casina Valadier - neoclassical style restaurants perfect for romantic dinners and special occasions
  • Mirabelle - enjoy authentic Italian gastronomic traditions with a creative touch in this fine-dining restaurant
  • Terrazza Borghese - Enjoy delicious Italian cuisine with a nice view of the Borghese Gardens
  • Babbette - Indulge in some authentic French and Italian food in this outdoor bistro with a tranquil courtyard seating
  • Pauline Borghese Restaurant - Stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner at this fine-dining Italian restaurant
Villa Borghese

Book Villa Borghese Tours and Tickets

Skip-the-Line Small-Group Guided Tour of Borghese Gallery

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Tickets to Borghese Gallery

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Combo (Save 5%): Borghese Gallery + Rome Bioparco Tickets

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Combo (Save 4%): Vatican Museums + Borghese Gallery Tickets

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Combo (Save 5%): Colosseum + Borghese Gallery Tickets

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Borghese Entry & Castel St Angelo Entry

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Frequently Asked Questions about Villa Borghese

Q. What is the Villa Borghese?

A. Villa Borghese is the headquarters of the world-famous Borghese Gallery, located in Rome. It was built by Cardinal Scipione Borghese and it formerly housed his private art collection.

Q. When was the Villa Borghese built?

A. Villa Borghese was built in 1605.

Q. Who built the Villa Borghese?

A. Villa Borghese was built by Cardinal Scipione Borghese.

Q. Is there a dress code for entering the Villa Borghese?

A. No, there is no dress code for entering the Villa Borghese.

Q. How to get to Villa Borghese?

A. You can get to Villa Borghese in Rome by bus, metro or car. By bus - take bus 360, 495, 52, 53, 63, 83 or 92 and alight at the Pinciana Museo Borghese stop. By metro - Take Line A metro to Piazza di Spagna.

Q. What can I see in the Villa Borghese?

A. In the Borghese Villa, you can explore and admire world-class art collections, paintings and sculptures. Some of the private collections of Cardinal Scipione Borghese are also on display.

Q. How many rooms are there in Villa Borghese?

A. The Villa Borghese consists of 20 rooms that feature antiques, sculptures, and many paintings.

Q. Who lived in the Villa Borghese?

A. Scipione Borghese used to live and throw private parties at the Villa Borghese. He also held private displays of his magnificent art collection.

Q. Who owns the Villa Borghese?

A. The Italian government has owned Villa Borghese in Rome since 1903.

Q. Is the Villa Borghese worth visiting?

Yes, Villa Borghese is worth visiting as it offers art, paintings, sculptures, picturesque gardens, and mesmerizing views for visitors. Book the Villa Borghese tickets in advance to avoid huge crowds.

Q. How long does it take to explore the Villa Borghese?

A. You will need at least 2 - 4 hours to explore the Borghese Gallery. However, if you need to explore the whole place peacefully, you will need half a day or a full day.

Q. What else can I see around the Villa Borghese?

A. The Borghese Villa is located in the Villa Borghese park which houses around 90 attractions that you can explore and enjoy. Some of these are the Borghese gardens, Temple of Asclepius, Water Clock, Carlo Bilotti Museum, Casina de Raffaello, Pincio Terrace, Bioparco di Roma etc.

Q. When is the best time to visit Villa Borghese?

A. The best time to visit Villa Borghese is during spring, between April and June as well as September to October is a pleasant time to visit Villa Borghese. Avoid summer as it is the peak tourist season with heavy crowds.

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Villa Borghese

Artworks Collection

Villa Borghese

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Villa Borghese

Borghese Gardens