Palazzo Barberini
“lets test the beauty of it cause i say so”— alina dixit
Introduction
Palazzo Barberini is one of the great architectural statements of seventeenth-century Rome and the principal Roman residence of the Barberini family. Built after Maffeo Barberini became Pope Urban VIII, the palace brought together Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini in one of the defining projects of the Roman Baroque. Today it houses part of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica
History
In 1625, two years after his election as Pope Urban VIII, Maffeo Barberini acquired a villa from the Sforza family for his nephews Taddeo, Francesco and Antonio. Carlo Maderno began the transformation of the existing villa into a monumental palace, creating the innovative H-shaped plan that opened the building toward its gardens. After Maderno’s death in 1629, Gian Lorenzo Bernini took over much of the project, while Francesco Borromini contributed important architectural elements. The palace became both a family residence and a visual declaration of Barberini power in papal Rome. In 1949, the Italian state purchased Palazzo Barberini together with 112 works from the family collection, and the building became one of the principal homes of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica.
What to Notice
Do not treat Palazzo Barberini only as a container for paintings. The building itself is one of the exhibits. Compare Bernini’s monumental square staircase with Borromini’s much lighter spiral staircase; look at the way the palace opens toward the garden rather than enclosing a traditional internal courtyard; and spend time beneath Pietro da Cortona’s ceiling, whose illusionistic architecture dissolves the boundary between painted space and the real room.
Today
Palazzo Barberini is one of the two seats of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica, together with Galleria Corsini. Its collections span several centuries, with particular strength in Renaissance and Baroque painting. The official museum site lists Palazzo Barberini at Via delle Quattro Fontane 13 in Rome.