HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVED

There’s a distinctive thrill about setting foot in this magnificent building located on Via del Corso, near Piazza Venezia. It is still the residence of the Doria Pamphilj, one of Rome’s most notable aristocratic families and the largest private stately home in the whole of the city centre. A part of the apartments is on view to the public, offering the visitor a stunning glimpse of the home life of Rome’s powerful elite.

The gallery houses one of the capital’s richest and most extensive private collections of art treasures including paintings, carvings and sculptures. The oldest part of the edifice dates back to the 1400s though much of what you will see was designed and erected in the 1700s when it came into the possession of the Pamphilj family. The apex of their wealth and power was reached when Giovanni Battista Pamphilj became Pope Innocent X (1644 -1655). This period marks the birth of the present collection and his portrait by Velázquez, known the world over as one the finest portraits ever made, hangs among other distinguished figures in the Aldobrandini Gallery. Clad in papal garb, he sits enthroned, gazing astutely out towards the onlooker. It is said the Pope himself was struck by the likeness and proclaimed the finished portrait “all too real”. He must, however, have grown to like it, since Velázquez was well rewarded for his efforts and several copies of the original were also made.

Your expert guide will lead you through a series of opulent chambers belonging to the family and point out features of particular significance. The dazzling display of period furniture, rich wall hangings, precious paintings, panels and frescoed ceilings make an unmistakable statement about the wealth and prestige of this noble family that successfully managed to uphold its privilege and power, both political and religious, over the centuries often through timely marriages that bound the ruling classes together in their common purpose.

You will admire an impressive procession of famous works of art collected over the last five hundred years by the Pamphilj family. Famous Italian names such as Caravaggio, Tiziano, Raffaello, Filippo Lippi as well as many Flemish masters appear one after the other along the walls. In all there are roughly 400 works of incomparable beauty and historical importance. Under the guidance of your art historian, you will learn to pick out the qualities and techniques of some of these masters and examine at close quarters the brushstrokes and fine detail that make up the compositions. It is indeed hard to believe that so many artistic treasures were so carefully and lovingly collected and can still be enjoyed in the setting of this stunning palazzo.

Crown your tour with a leisurely stroll through the city centre and discover its priceless Baroque gems. The splendid Piazza Navona, graced by Bernini’s glorious Fountain of the Four Rivers, and Salvi’s majestic Trevi “wishing well” are among the finest examples of the era’s quest for virtuosity and grandeur. The trompe l’oeil masterpiece inside the church of St. Ignazio, depicting a fake dome and a ceiling that opens on to the Heavens, constitutes yet another ground-breaking achievement of the 17th century.