The Borghese Museum houses an unmatched collection of Italian baroque and renaissance masterpieces…read more Artworks by Bernini and Caravaggio are among their popular pieces and a whole lot more including sculptures. Not to miss pieces are Bernini's marble sculptures - Apollo & Daphne and The Rape of Proserpina. Canova's neoclassical Paolina Borghese as Venus Victrix and Carravaggio's painting - David with the Head of Goliath. We came in immediately after checking in to our hotel for a 4pm timed entry. Reservation is a must. Bought our tickets a month in advance back in 2023. This was still early on after covid so restrictions still apply. I love how we were able to savor every moment we spent here because it wasn't congested at all. From the outside, it was a beautiful building in a magnificent park. I would call this a hidden gem in Rome. Borghese museum is a must go to when in Rome. The time we spent was good enough. During that time, there weren't a lot of people as they control the number of people entering the museum. Definitely 5 thumbs up. August 2026

I didn't know that this museum is so popular and that you must purchase your tickets in advance…read more Luckily, I was able to purchase tickets before our trip to Rome, but they had only a limited number of tickets available for the time that we were going to be there. So if you are planning on going to Galleria Borghese, make sure to purchase your tickets in advance. We visited the Borghese in the afternoon during the week, and I think that was a great idea because it was pretty empty, and we had yet another chance to see everything with almost no one around. I'm not sure if it's always like that or if we got lucky. Either way, I was able to take my time to look at all the beautiful art pieces. Everything was so beautiful. I recommend going to this museum if you have the time; it's definitely worth it.

Absolutely phenomenal museum…read more One not to be missed. And with 5% of the tourists of Rome's other museums, and no wait to get in line. There is no downside. * * * GNAM is the nineteenth and twentieth century art museum of Rome. If you want stuff that was painted yesterday, there are galleries of 21st century art around town. Enjoy at your peril. Everything in GNAM that was painted or sculpted before 1960 is an absolute masterpiece. And there is a lot of lively stuff in the newer material too. It is easy to forget in a city with all of the Roman antiquities, all of the medieval treasures and Rome's fantastic legacy of Renaissance and Baroque art, That Italy was just as talented in the 19th and 20th centuries as it was in the previous periods. Our "standard" art histories moves European Art history of the 1800s and 1900s to France. Italy could go toe to toe with France on every artistic movement that occurred after Napoleon and this includes Romanticism, Impressionism and Modernism. There are paintings in GNAM that fully anticipate every formal innovation of impressionism. They were painted in the 1860s and 1870's. Monet and Renoir would be "inventing" impressionism thirty years later. The nineteenth century working class realism paintings of Courbet are blown away with the soulful depictions of working class life that were painted in Italy ... and yes twenty years before Courbet. There are night landscape paintings here that are darker and more intense than anything you could see in the Louvre. There is portraiture to die for - including my favorite "beautiful woman" painting of all time. * * * GNAM is huge, and excellent throughout. But there is one utterly amazing room that can fill your whole stay. If you go straight from the front door through a "seating gallery", you walk into an enormous room that is literally the size of a football field. The ceilings are sixty feet high. This is the primary room of the nineteenth century Romantic Era collection. Every single square millimeter of wall space is hung with paintings. You are looking at five or six paintings one on top of each other going up the wall all the way up sixty feet high and this being repeated every three yards for the entire room, all four walls. There are easily over 200 large paintings in this room - maybe closer to 300. There is not a loser or a boring painting anywhere in the room. And - to give a sense of the remarkable level of activity that Italy enjoyed in the Romantic Era, no artist is represented by more than two paintings. Most artists only have one selection. Thus you are looking at a room that is displaying between 100 and 150 different nineteenth century Italian artists - with each selection being one of the best paintings that artist ever created. The spectacle is mind-boggling. Close examination makes each painting better and better and better. There are all sorts of compositional subtleties, painterly tricks and psychological/philosophical subtexts in the works that only become apparent in a long viewing. Well over 80% of my visit to GNAM was spent in that one room. And even at that - I only saw about 1/5 of the paintings that are there. * * * This is a museum that will change your opinion about much of what you understand about art. Plan to come here. Plan to spend a lot of time here. This is one of the great collections of the world.

In a city full of Renaissance art, it was awesome to have a break of that to be able to enjoy some…read moremodern art and contemporary art. The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary has all that and more. It's a large museum and there is enough here for a half day of appreciation. I'm generally not a huge fan of "contemporary" art as it is usually political and many times, the message from the artist goes over my head. That was the case for a couple of the exhibits here. And then I found the "modern" art. Paintings by Gustave Courbet, Cy Twombly, and my very favorite, Piet Mondrian. Portraits by Giovanni Boldini. Sculpture by Ercole Dante. I got well and truly lost in the museum and before I knew it, it was time to go. Wonderful time. [Review 19190 overall - 345 in Italy - 160 of 2023.]

Great views of the city. Does charge for the best views, but probably worth it at sunsetread more

So, we went to the Borghese the day before and were surprised the second floor was closed...I…read morelooked online to see what the reason for the closure was and found it was due to renovations but....many of the works were moved here - the National Art Gallery at the Palazzo Barberini. And....if you had tickets from the Borghese your cost to get in here was just 5€ with no advance purchase needed.... We walked over and not on,y was the internet correct that we could get in for 5€ by showing our tickets from the Borghese, but NO ONE WAS HERE!!!! It was amazingly uncrowded and quiet..in September...in Rome...there is an amazing amount of fabulous art here and everyone is crowded into a few museums....and this isn't one of them, so I highly recommend a trip here if you want a break from the crowds. The museum is huge...we thought this was maybe a 1 hour activity but we were here several hours. The works from the Borghese were indeed here, but we saw so much more too. Staff were relaxed and friendly; I think they were also benefiting from the smaller crowds. Be ready to put all bags and water bottles into lockers. They take a 1€ coin that you get back when you pick up your items. The kind guard had some extra coins to loan to guests who like us didn't have change. Definitely don't miss this less crowded, and amazing museum.

Space is on two levels with multiple gallery sized rooms. A lot of interesting and interactive…read moredisplays and models. I love the fact that you can actually touch and try almost everything on display to see the mechanics of it and how it works. They have a lot of interesting facts about daVinci and his works. I do recommend going if you are into his work. The whole space takes a good 40mins-1hr to walk through if you interact and read everything and about 25 minutes if you just want to walk through and a casually interact. I have to say it was really fascinating to find out all the thing she tried to make and the mechanics of how to do certain tasks before the machines, or tasks were wildly developed.

We stumbled upon this museum while wandering the area and decided to give it a shot. Two adult…read moretickets were about 25 euros with audio tour, but unfortunately neither of us felt that it was really worth the money. Maybe I should have expected this, but everything in the museum is a replica or slightly sad version to depict Leonardo's inventions. The tour itself probably took about 25 minutes, but there's really not a whole lot to see.

We took an excursion that only took us to Rome from Civitavecchia, the cruise port, the bus ride…read morewas 4 hrs rd trip leaving us w just 4 hrs to see the city but I have been to Rome some 7 times, my husband was scared of missing the bus so we only saw the Piazza Navona and the church there then came back to the bus stop. I was so excited to find out we stood right in front of the museum, the entrance was free and it was nicely air conditioned. The Museo Napoleonico in Rome presents the collections of Count Giuseppe Primoli, the great-grandson of Joseph and of Lucien Bonaparte. Born in 1851 to Princess Charlotte Bonaparte and Count Primoli di Foglia, Giuseppe Primoli belonged to the Roman branch of the imperial family. He spent most of his youth in Paris, at Napoleon III's court and moved to Rome after the fall of the Empire. Totally devoted to his family on his mother's side, he started a collection of works of art and various objects linked with the Bonapartes. The collection - comprising family souvenirs, objects donated by Princess Mathilda and Empress Eugénie, items bought from antique dealers or purchased in auction sales - grew consistently until its owner died in 1927. Count Primoli donated it to the city of Rome where many Bonapartes had sought refuge. I had gone to a French lycee and learned about Napoleon, I had gone to Corsica and seen the house where he was born, it was amazing, Corsica was a beautiful island, one thing I never saw was a picture of Josephine, his life long love and devotion to her, never learned about his long quest to have an heir so all those questions were answered by this massive museum. When I was young I was irritated w all the French revolution, guillotine and eternal wars between Europeans but as I get older I get fascinated by it all and going back to my roots, coincidentally on the 14 hours flight back from Barcelona, Lufthansa had the movie Napoleon w Vanessa Kirby and the amazing actor Joaquin Phoenix, wow she was so glamorous, that was not how real oil paintings of Josephine showed her, she looked pretty plain Jane but she was a real character. I must have spent hours studying the history of all the pictures, I was very impressed with the fact it was free and the museum curators were very helpful. Highly recommended even if you are not a Francophile.

Nice history about Napoleon and his family. Great to do to fill in time between bigger site seeing…read moreevents. Free admission and 5 euro for audio-- audio is recommended for the full history and hidden treasures.

There is no cost for walking around the premises of the Castel Sant'Angelo. It does take some time…read moreto walk around the entire building. There are lots of people that visit this landmark; however, it is not overly crowded. The atmosphere is chill, people are just walking around and taking pictures. The landmark is best for people wanting to see the sites of Rome, love history, and architecture. Overall it is a great experience in Rome. You do need to be cautious of people who are trying to engage you in conversation and give you a bracelet, They will start out by saying nice shoes or commenting on your skin color. My husband was a mark throughout all the cities in Rome. Unfortunately, we did engage in a conversation with the person and ultimately got robbed - yes robbed of 30 euros. The man literally grabbed the money out of my hand and began to run away.

Castel Sant' Angelo along the Tiber River, is one of Rome's most captivating landmarks. The…read morestructure is huge and daunting. It was originally built as Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum nearly 2,000 years ago, the castle later became a fortress, a papal refuge, a prison, and eventually a museum.. What makes Castel Sant'Angelo especially memorable is the atmosphere. The thick stone walls, hidden passageways, and spiral ramps. The angel statue atop the castle gives the entire site a dramatic, almost theatrical presence.

Museo di Roma is a wonderful museum to end your visit in Rome. I wouldn't recommend this museum for…read morepeople who are going to be staying in Rome for a short period of time (1-3 days) but more to the folks who have been in Roma before and are looking to do a recap of the history of this beautiful city. My husband and I have been in Roma four times during the last few years and were looking to do something new because the bigger attractions haven't really changed in the last few years. We were staying a block away from Museo di Roma and decided to give it a chance. The Museum goes through the history of this beautiful city, from the architecture to war. History has shaped this city and is really amazing to see how much it has changed and which places are still up and are part of the modern day Roma. This museum has some really amazing views of Campo de'Fiori which are perfect photo opportunities. They offer discounts to EU students and people who are 25 years or younger. You are not allowed to walk through the museum with a backpack but they offer free locker rooms to leave your stuff while walking through this beautiful museum.

Wonderful museum. We skipped the exhibition- the regular collection was enough for us, but the…read morespecial exhibition of opera and art looked fascinating. The museum has a lift for the handicapped (and if you have proof of disability, you can get in free with one other person! Isn't that nice?) The price- 9 euros I think- was well worth it. There were many different kinds of art here- and the palace itself is a work of art. The paintings on the ceilings are lovely- and the way the collections were arranged was great. There's even a movie giving you history of the building. My favorite room was the one of the artists and their families- paintings, representing artists and their families- and I also loved the rooms of sculpture- one with a wonderful winged nymph, and another room with many sculpted heads. But all the rooms were great- and there was almost no one here. Why? It's a gorgeous collection. Go here. Enjoy. And let me just add, they have a handicapped bathroom, if you have any mobility impairment (lovely bathroom, let me add). Just a final note- from the upper floor you get a knock out view of the Plaza Navona- it's a wonderful place to take a picture. I LOVED my picture from the upper window!

If you want to meet the rudest and most dishonest servers in Rome, this is the place for you. Yes,…read morecome and look at a bunch of fake plaster and clay statues while being treated like shit, get overcharged, and feel like you're unwelcome and trespassing in an unrestricted space. Biggest tourist trap I've ever seen. After my wife was denied entry to the bathroom despite all six of my party purchasing from the place, I was yelled at because I pulled out my credit card but wasn't at the register to pay. ( I wasn't finished with my drink. Nor was my son ) but then as I approached the register, she asked me what I ordered, I told her, she pressed the button, and 4.50 euro popped up. She asked for 6.00 euro. When I asked why it said 4.50 but she asked for 6.00, she made up some bullshit excuse. This place is a joke. Please don't waste your time and money on this dump.

This was a truly disappointing experience by every dining metric. We made an advance New Years Eve…read morereservation. We showed up approximately ten minutes early to find that no table had been set aside for us; and others arriving without reservation were seated before us even though our parties were the same size. The female host was rude and unhelpful. We were seated in the very back of the restaurant near the kitchen and dilapidated restrooms. Only after being seated were we told that only six dishes and salads were available for dining. Originally we were understanding as the restaurant was to close in an hour (information that was also not shared with us prior to booking). We were also surprised to find that even pasta dishes were available for order. We were all dejected by this time and chose instead to leave. We had had one bottle of sparkling water and some glasses of tap water. As we were incredibly dissatisfied with the experience, our server, who was beyond kind, told us we would not be charged for our 4€ bottle of sparkling water. As we were leaving, rather than apologize for lackluster service and oversight in booking, the same hostess attempted to follow us out of the restaurant, asking us to pay for the water we had. Up until that point we had been willing to give the restaurant another chance. This restaurant desperately needs to hire and train staff to a higher, even basic standard and ensure that when reservations are place there is food. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone.

This palazzo was so much more than I had ever expected. It is the state museum in Rome of Greek and…read moreRoman antiquities. It has a great collection of high quality pieces and the Palazzo itself is facinating. It's built on top of ruins and the have left them uncovered so you can look into the past.

Across the street from the church was Palazzo Altemps. Wow, we were very impressed with this…read moreluxurious palace designed by Melozzo da Forli for Girolamo Riario. The palace became the home of the Altemps family in 1568, and there is a stunning inner courtyard. The 16th- to 18th-century palazzo is beautiful with a grand central courtyard, many frescoes and original painted wood ceilings. The museum holds a rich collection of Roman and Greek antiquities as well as an Egyptian Collection and an entire gallery of portraits of Caesar. In the palace dining room are frescoes and mosaics brought from the Villa of Livia and the Villa of the Farnesina. The frescoes and mosaics have been reconstructed in their original dimensions. The star feature of the museum is the Lodovisi Art Collection consisting of 104 sculptures, Ludovisi Throne and the Ludovisi Acrolith. The Mattei Collection features work brought from the Ciriaco Mattei villa. The Drago Collection has four reliefs; and in the Mother Goddesses Room, visitors can see the head of Ephesian Artiemis, which was discovered in 2009 during excavations of Via Marmorata. You are also able to see the Church of Saint Aniceto, which was built within the palace. The building also holds the recently restructured Goldoni Theatre, that functions as a conference center as well. This is certainly a museum that is not to be missed.

The Vatican Museums are vast and absolutely beautiful from the tapestries, to the sculptures, to…read morethe frescoes. Pictures do not capture the beauty of the art that has been collected over the years by the Vatican. This is an extraordinary experience for people who enjoy art, history, and religion. Highly recommend doing a tour that includes the Vatican, Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. The early morning tour is the best to avoid the crowds and the lines. The downside of the tour is that there is so much to see in the museums - so the tour is a great way to start and then to go back and spend time in each of the museums to fully enjoy the experience. For a full list and description you can visit the Vatican's website https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/galleria-arazzi.html

Incredible collection of art, mostly but not all Christian. Even if you're not of the faith, the…read morecollection is staggering in scope and it is well worth a visit. The standouts for me were the Sistine Chapel and the hall of maps. The Chapel is a master work of art that you've seen, at least in part, a thousand times. Still, looking up to see the frescos with your own eyes is an awe-inspiring experience. The hall of maps is an impressive seemingly purpose-built installation on its own. Coming across it midst endless sculptures makes it all the more impressive. You can hit the highlights in about an hour if you must but the wait can be long. Book skip the line tickets unless you're prepared to spend just as long waiting outside as you will in the museums no matter the weather!