Bernini and Caravaggio in a villa in the park
In the heart of the park of Villa Borghese, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, built in the early seventeenth century a villa to house his extraordinary collection of art. Today the Galleria Borghese is one of the most precious museums in the world, a jewel box of frescoed rooms with marble floors.
It holds the masterpieces of the young Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which seem to turn marble into flesh: Apollo and Daphne, in which the nymph turns into a laurel tree as the god touches her, the Rape of Proserpina, with Pluto's fingers sinking into her thigh, and David. Next to them are six paintings by Caravaggio, Antonio Canova's Pauline Borghese reclining as Venus, and works by Raphael and Titian, including Sacred and Profane Love.
Tip: entry is only by reservation, in two-hour time slots, with a limited number of visitors; book weeks ahead. Afterwards, walk in the park to the Pincio terrace.
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