by pointofnoreturn on July 23, 2007
If you’re wondering what the Galleria Borghese is, it’s a renowned art gallery situated in the lovely property of Villa Borghese in Rome. It is owned by one of Italy’s royal families – the Borghese family. We visited this gallery in the late afternoon after visiting both the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. Reservations are required in order to visit the gallery so we booked our reservation two months ahead of time for a 5pm reservation. You are required to pick up your tickets 30 minutes prior to your reservation. Galleria Borghese is part of the Roma Pass (see my review of Palatine Hill for more details) so admission was free for us, not to mention, the reservation fee of 2 euros was also waivered. Regular admission is 6.50 euros plus a mandatory reservation fee of 2 euros for a total of 8.50 euros. Reservations can be made online with their official website or over the phone.I really enjoyed the intimate nature of the Borghese Gallery. The rooms are tastefully decorated with gorgeous sculptures and paintings. If you’re a fan of Bernini’s works, this is the place to go – I’ve never seen so many Bernini sculptures in my life. My particular favourite had to be Apollo & Daphne because of its intricate details. The fact that only 200 people are allowed in at one time makes it crowd-free and allows the visitor to not feel overwhelmed. Photography is banned so don’t think about taking any pictures. The grounds of Villa Borghese are lovely with the manicured lawns and beautiful stairs. There are often people milling about admiring the property. I actually preferred this art gallery to the others that I’ve visited such as the Louvre. Don’t get me wrong, the Louvre is stunning but at the same time, the crowds are massive and overwhelming. If you include this place as one of the first two sights for the Roma Pass along with Colosseum and Palatine Hill, you’ve practically broke even and there’s still three days worth of metro/bus rides! I would absolutely recommend Galleria Borghese to anyone visiting Rome – it’s a beautiful estate and completely worth your time.To get back to the metro station, take Bus 491 on the edge of the Villa Borghese property and it will let you off at Spagna metro station where you can transfer to your preferred station.
http://www.igougo.com/review-r1337406-Galleria_Borghese.html
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