Velázquez's Innocent X
One of the greatest portraits ever made, in its own room beside Bernini's bust of the same man.
antmoose — CC BY 2.0 · Livioandronico2013 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Livioandronico2013 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Livioandronico2013 — CC BY-SA 4.0
The largest private art collection in Rome still held by the family that formed it — and the family still lives in the palace. You step off the noisy Via del Corso into complete silence, and rooms hung floor to ceiling in the original seventeenth-century manner rather than in modern museum order. The jewel is Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1650) — reckoned among the greatest portraits ever painted, and of which the pope himself said it was "too true." It hangs in its own small room beside Bernini's marble bust of the same man: a rare direct comparison of a great painter and a great sculptor working from one sitter. There is also a Caravaggio, a deep holding of Italian and Flemish painting, and a gilded hall of mirrors in the Versailles manner. The audio guide is free with the ticket and is narrated by a member of the family about his own house and ancestors — one of the most charming museum experiences in Europe.
One of the greatest portraits ever made, in its own room beside Bernini's bust of the same man.
An audio guide told by the owner about his ancestors and their pictures — personal, funny and not remotely institutional.
A gilded Versailles-style gallery under painted ceilings — the palace's loveliest and most photographed room.
Via del Corso 305, Rome
Sant'Ignazio ChurchRome's greatest optical trick, and free: Sant'Ignazio ran out of money for its d2 minutes walk4.7
Palazzo VeneziaRome's first great Renaissance palace — and the most famous balcony in modern It2 minutes walk4.6
Museo delle CereA wax museum in central Rome at Piazza Venezia, opened in 1958 and among the old2 minutes walk3.5
Galleria SciarraA courtyard roofed in glass and iron two minutes from the Trevi Fountain, known 3 minutes walk4.4
Galleria ColonnaThe Galleria Colonna is Rome's most sumptuous private Baroque hall and its weekl3 minutes walk4.8Looking for halal food near Galleria Doria Pamphilj? There are several options nearby, from Moroccan and Indian kitchens to quick casual spots and places with a view. Confirm the halal status and opening hours before you go — these can change.
Hotel BaroccoA four-star hotel looking directly onto Piazza Barberini and Bernini's Triton Fo10 minutes walk · $$$$4.9The St. Regis RomeRome's oldest grand hotel and its most historic: opened in January 1894 as the G16 minutes walk · $$$$4.8Usually not — you can buy at the door almost any day, which is one of its great advantages over the Borghese and the Vatican.