Galleria Doria-Pamphilj

One of Rome's Most Exquisite Art Galleries

Aug 22, 2009 Claudia J. Beresford

At the western edge of the Piazza Venezia, turn onto Via del Corso and there, tucked away at number 305, is the discrete entrance to one of Rome's greatest treasures.

The facade of the building is unremarkable, well, in comparison to others in the city, which is why tourists often pass by oblivious, their eyes on the boutique and designer stores lining the opposite side of the busy road. An art lover however, with their mind set clearly on their destination, should have very little difficulty in locating the reassuringly sombre entrance to their left.

Admission and Opening Hours to The Doria-Pamphilj Palace and Gallery

The courtyard it leads to is cool and the street-noise muffled. At the ticket booth to the right of the entrance, visitors are offered an interactive audioguide in Italian, French or English, which is included in the entrance fee. Admission is extremely good value, full price being €9 and €6 for students, the over 65 and groups, and the gallery is open daily from 10 till 5. Having received their ticket and guide, visitors are directed, by way of ropes, to follow a path behind them, along the edge of the courtyard towards some understated yet elegant steps, leading into the palace.

Now, the sequencing of the tour seems to vary. Visitors either start with the fully restored palace rooms, then continue to the galleries, also fully restored, or the vice-versa. The order is irrelevant, but having the grandeur of the palace as a finale makes it all the more spectacular.

Brief History of The Doria-Pamphilj Family and Their Priceless Art Collection

The palace’s collection of fine art, accumulated by the Doria-Pamphilj family, to whom the Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj in Rome and the family's Palazzo del Principe Museum in Genoa still belong, adorns every inch of wall space. In the 1600’s, the Doria, Pamphilj (the j is pronounced as 'ee'), Landi and Aldobrandini families united through various marriages and began the enormous project of building the palace and filling it with art. Paintings were used in the way we now use wallpaper and works were often commissioned simply to fill gaps on the wall.

Since then the family name, which now includes English blood, has been shortened to Doria-Pamphilj and the palace and its gallery has been expanded and maintained by each generation. The old family, which included various popes, Italian royalty and some of the most famous, as well as infamous, members of society, was both extremely wealthy and progressive in their taste in art, often buying pieces from artists whom society had then rejected as the wrong sort, but whose names are still recognised centuries later.

The Quadrangle Courtyard Gallery

The four gallery rooms which surround the courtyard are slim corridors lined in rare works with frescoed ceilings and gold frames around the windows and mirrors. Statues are interspersed among ornate antique furniture. As well as busts of family members, there are reconstituted roman statues put back together by the family when roman revival was all the rage in society and one could only guess as to the statues original form.

Other rooms lead off from corners of this quadrangle and in each is designated a century, which allows a glimpse at the collection in progression. The rooms move through the early-teen centuries giving the visitor a fascinating journey through the evolution of artistic technique and taste over time. At one corner of the quadrangle, the audioguide draws the attention of the visitor to the rather severe and unflattering bust of Olimpia Maidalchini, Pope Innocent X’s sister in law, advisor and rumoured mistress. Listeners will be entertained by the tale of how, by claiming the right to collect taxes from brothels for herself - doing so as a Pope, you see, would be immoral - this infamous woman became the most powerful and influential person in Rome.

The Gallery's Treasure - Diego Velázquez's 'Innocent X'

In 1927, the gallery’s most famous piece was hung in its own room. Painted by Diego Velázquez in 1650, Pope Innocent X’s portrait was criticized by the subject as being too real. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most famous works in the world and hangs beside a bust of the Pope, who was born into the Pamphilj family, carved by sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Between the quad gallery and the palace rooms there is a gift shop and visitors will find themselves lingering not only for the huge range of art books and miniature versions of the works they have seen. No space has been wasted and even in here there are dozens of paintings through whose bakcground and stories the audioguide walks the visitor; there is no chance to miss a thing.

The Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj

Visitors, having had their breath stolen by the galleries behind them, cannot fail to be in awe of this exquisite palace. Painstakingly restored by newer generations to mimic the magnificence of centuries before, the palace galleries were opened to the public for the first time during the late twentieth century. Visitors are led through a ballroom, completed by manikins dressed in antique musician’s uniforms, a chapel, which houses the mummified corpse of a saint, throne rooms, state rooms, bedrooms and even a bathroom, the entire floor of which is composed of marble. On every wall is hung a painting or is draped intricately delicate velvet. The floors are the original terracotta polished for so many years with only the best beeswax.

Throughout the galleries and the palace there are chairs on which a visitor may sit to listen to the audioguide, which is lengthy and detailed, while appreciating the splendour of his surroundings. Of course, these chairs are modern, the antique furniture, ornately carved from wood and marble and gilded with gold, is quite rightly roped off. Visitors, using the audioguide, are invited not to hurry in their tour and indeed many wish it would last a while longer.

When the tour has sadly ended, visitors will be pleased to discover, at the foot of the stairs exiting the gallery, a delightful cafe, where they will be able to enjoy refreshments whilst planning their next visit to the Doria-Pamphilj Gallery.

Sources

The Galleria Doria-Pamphilj Website.

The copyright of the article Galleria Doria-Pamphilj in S Europe Travel is owned by Claudia J. Beresford. Permission to republish Galleria Doria-Pamphilj in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.