The best art gallery in Rome is the Galleria Colonna.

The best art gallery in Rome is the Galleria Colonna.

The Galleria Colonna is one of the most beautiful Baroque buildings in Rome. Commissioned by Cardinal Girolamo Colonna and his nephew Lorenzo,the architect was Antonio del Grande. Later, Gian Lorenzo Bernini took this project and turned it into a stunning Baroque jewel with the help of Carlo Fontana.

The inauguration of the gallery took place in 1700. The great hall depicts the important battle of Lepanto, in which Marcantonio Colonna participated as a general and which was won over the Turks in 1571. This battle is also represented in the Vatican Museums, in the Gallery of the Maps

The Colonna family is one of the oldest Roman families, and is also known for having brought the Column of the Flagellation of Christ from Jerusalem to Rome. The enormous influence the Colonna family had not only on art and its propaganda, but also on the direction of the Catholic Church.  The famous Pope Martin V Colonna is buried in St. John Lateran, which was the seat of the Bishop of Rome from 550 until 1309, when the French Pope Clement V moved the Papacy to Avignon for 70 years.

What are the most important masterpieces to visit in the Palazzo Colonna? The Hall of the Battle Column,the Great Hall, the Throne Room, the Tapestry Room,the Yellow Room, the Room of the Chapel, the Primitive Room, and the Room of the Embroidery house the greatest painters, at the level of Bronzino’s Venus, Cupid and a Satyr, Madonna and Sleeping Child, Tintoretto depicting Narcissus at the Source,Guido Reni’s Sant Francis Praying with Two Angels,Guercino’s The Martyrdom of St Emerenziana, St Paul the Hermit, Moses with the Tables of the Law, The Archangel Gabriel, Il Mangiafagioli by Annibale Carracci, San Giovanni Battista by Salvator Rosa, and Ghirlandaio’s The Night, The Dawn and Venus and Love.

Here you can also admire the amazing gardens of the 13th century that exist in this villa with beautiful statues, the whole area is characterized by fascinating remains of ancient temples and monuments datingback to the 3rd century, such as the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of Serapis, and the Temple of Septimius Severus, dedicated to Hercules and Dionysus.

The gallery is located in the heart of Rome. Be sure to check their website before you arrive, so you can purchase tickets in advance. The gallery offers also guided tours in English. Its official website iswww.galleriacolonna.it.