I didn’t have time to visit this gallery on my previous trip to Rome in 2018. So it was on my list of places to go this time. I purchased the 15 Euro ticket on line and booked an opening time slot of 9am. A tour of the Doria Pamphilj Gallery is definitely worth exploring if you love art and beautiful residences.
Pre-Booking
Like most things in Rome these days, it is wise to pre-book for places you wish to visit. I’m not joking when I say, start looking three to four months in advance. If you want entry into certain places, and especially specific time slots, you will have to start booking this far in advance.
I booked Doria only 2 weeks prior and there was loads of space still available. However, when I tried to book The Borghese Gallery on that same day, they were already full for 2 months. And this is not high season.
The Palace
This huge art collection is actually housed in a private residence, a palace called the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. A portion of the building is still the Pamphilj family residence. When you walk through this amazing space, you not only see the art, but the interior of the palace, so the furniture, painted walls and ceiling, incredible light fixtures etc.
The Art
Incredible pieces are in this collection. This day I was specifically going to see the three Caravaggio paintings, one of my all time favourite artists. They were beautiful and not wholly what I was expecting. Only one was the typical moody dark and brooding type of work I know and love Caravaggio for.
The other two were quite colourful and much brighter.
It was interesting for me to see his work expanded in this way.
The other piece I was curious about was the Velasquez’s portrait of Innocent X. Wow, the expression on his face is quite dour and serious but the colour and detail of his clothing is stunning.
And the bust of Titian’s Solome beside Innocent, was simply beautiful.
Other pieces that caught my eye were carvings and statues in one large room. Most carved of marble and quite exquisite in varying ways.
A new to me artist that I really enjoyed seeing the work of was Jan Brueghel. The animals!! I studied those paintings for many minutes. Looking at the detail and huge array of various types of creatures was so enjoyable.
If you are visiting Rome, and would love to see some beautiful art, set in a glorious palatial setting, The Doria Pamphilj might just be the place for you. I urge you to not only study the painting and sculpture but the building in its entirety. The walls still contain amazing decorative paint and textile finishes.
