Borghese Gallery: how to book to see Bernini and Caravaggio

Updated on October 1, 2026

The Borghese Gallery occupies the casino nobile of [Villa Borghese](/fr/attractions/villa-borghese), the residence built in the early 17th century for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V. Its twenty frescoed rooms bring together Bernini's sculptures, Canova's Pauline Borghese and paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, Correggio and Antonello da Messina. Booking is compulsory for every visitor, including those who enter free: entry is on the hour, in groups of up to 180 people, for a two-hour visit. A ticket costs €16, plus €2 for the booking (prices checked in October 2026).

Highlights

The Rape of Proserpina

In the Room of the Emperors, the marble group carved by Bernini in 1621-1622 shows Pluto seizing Proserpina. Look closely at the god's hand pressing into the young woman's thigh: the marble seems to give way like flesh.

Apollo and Daphne

In the room named after it, this Bernini marble (1622-1625) captures the moment Daphne turns into a laurel tree to escape Apollo: her fingers become leaves, her feet roots. Walk all the way round the statue, which reveals itself in stages.

The Caravaggio paintings

The gallery holds six canvases by Caravaggio, including Boy with a Basket of Fruit, Young Sick Bacchus, the Madonna dei Palafrenieri and David with the Head of Goliath, in which Goliath's face is thought to be a self-portrait of the painter.

Pauline Borghese as Venus Victrix

Antonio Canova sculpted Napoleon's sister, wife of Prince Camillo Borghese, reclining on a daybed with an apple in her hand (1805-1808). The work stands in the first room on the ground floor.

The picture gallery upstairs

On the first floor, the paintings include Raphael's Deposition, his Lady with a Unicorn and Titian's Sacred and Profane Love. The facade, decorated with niches and ancient reliefs, faces a lawn where visitors wait for their time slot to begin.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Book on the gallery's official website or by phone on +39 06 32810 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am-6pm): weekend slots and first-Sunday slots sell out fast. Full price €16 (€11 for the last slot at 5:45pm), €2 for 18-25-year-olds who are EU citizens or hold a residence permit, free for under-18s, plus the compulsory €2 booking fee in every case (prices checked in October 2026; they may rise during a temporary exhibition). Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month and on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November, but the €2 booking is still compulsory; these tickets go on sale 10 days before. Tickets cannot be changed or refunded, and there is no skip-the-line ticket: be wary of resellers offering one. Medium and large bags, backpacks and suitcases are not allowed in the rooms and must be left at the cloakroom.

How to get there

Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, 00197 Rome, inside the Villa Borghese park; the nearest park entrance is on via Pinciana. From metro Barberini (line A), bus 52, 53, 63 or 83 to the Pinciana/Museo Borghese stop, or bus 61 and 160 to San Paolo del Brasile. From Termini station, bus 92 or 910 to Pinciana/Museo Borghese. From metro Flaminio (line A), bus 61, 89, 160, 490 or 495 to San Paolo del Brasile, or a 20-minute walk through the park. Taxi ranks on via Pinciana and via Vittorio Veneto.