Doria Pamphilj also built a large gallery for the paintings that they’ve accumulated over the years (over 400 paintings). Here you can see these paintings from 15th-18th centuries, they are hung along the long corridors. The corridors ceilings are painted with gorgeous frescoes, that remind somewhat the frescoes in the Vatican.

As you move along the corridors, you find yourself staring at myriads of paintings by famous masters. There is a large hall devoted to antique statues, and the Hall of Mirrors (very reminiscent of Versailles) in the middle of which is one of Raphael’s masterpieces. The most precious part of the collection is in the halls that are numbered 100 through 400 and are in the end of the tour. Here are the large paintings by Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, Guercino, Velazquez, each labeled and well lit, whereas the paintings along the corridors have no labels next to them. You absolutely cannot take pictures, but they have a gift shop in the middle of the collection, and you can buy very nice postcards of some of the collection paintings.

And if you find that you absolutely have to see more of Doria Pamphilj’s private collections, then your next trip should be to Genoa, where they have another portion of the family’s treasures open to the public.

All Review Photos

Open: Fri-Tues 10 am – 5 pm, closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25

To find this magnificent private collection of art may be quite difficult and even when you ask people on the street very few know where it is. But it contains an absolutely amazing collection that you have to see once you are in Rome. So since I managed to get there, I will try to explain where it is located. If you take a bus to the stop that is right in front of Palazzo Venezia near Victor Emmanuel monument on Via del Plebiscito, you have to follow Via del Plebiscito forward to the end of the block along the side opposite Palazzo Venezia, then turn right into a small street called Via Della Gatta and follow that street past the book store, then turn right again into Piazza del Collegio Romano (but there are no signs that this is the name of the place) and in the middle of the building you will see the entrance. The collection is on the second floor and is actually located right above that bookstore that you just passed. Don’t get it confused with Villa Pamphilj since Villa is located in a very different area of Rome.

Palazzo belongs to the family of princes Doria Pamphilj, and the latest prince Jonathan Doria Pamphilj was brought up and educated in England. He really loves this collection and has spent a lot of effort to preserve it. When you enter, you will be given an audio guide where he tells you about each room in the Palazzo, their history and the history of his family in the language of your choice (he speaks several languages and English is equally his first language as is Italian).

The Palazzo was built in the 15th century, and it belonged to several families before Doria Pamphilj came to power. Doria Pamphilj added new wings and a chapel to the building in the 17th century. One of prince Jonathan’s ancestors was banned from Rome for marrying for love a woman who was not of noble ancestry, but some time later he was forgiven and was allowed to return to Rome. The building decor inside was revolutionary for its time, the landscapes on the walls were very unusual, it was much more typical to have walls draped with fabric. The furniture – chairs and sofas - is set along the walls just the way it was 3 centuries ago, and this arrangement seems strange to us, but the prince tried to preserve the appearance of the Palazzo the way it was redesigned by his ancestors. The French and Belgian tapestries on the walls of private apartments are gorgeous and well preserved.

Continued in Part II