Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica

Rome, Italy

The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica (GNAA), or National Gallery of Ancient Art, is the main national collection of older (broadly, pre-1800) paintings in Rome. It has two sites: the Palazzo Barberini and the Palazzo Corsini.

The Palazzo Barberini was designed for Pope Urban VIII, a member of the Barberini family, by 16th century Italian architect Carlo Maderno on the old location of Villa Sforza. Its central salon ceiling was decorated by Pietro da Cortona with the visual panegyric of the Allegory of Divine Providence and Barberini Power to glorify the papal Barberini family.

The Palazzo Corsini, formerly known as Palazzo Riario, is a 15th-century palace that was rebuilt in the 18th century by architect Ferdinando Fuga for Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini. For a partial list of artworks, see Palazzo Corsini entry.

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Founded: 1893
Category: Museums in Italy

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Nikolett M (6 months ago)
Variety of different artwork. The building was very intricate and beautiful with the statues. The main area with the painted ceiling is absolutely stunning!
Vladyslava Bespalova (6 months ago)
Decided to hide here from the unexpected drizzle falling upon Rome, and couldn't be more pleasantly surprised. Took around two hours overall to see everything including a lovely garden a bit further into the gallery yard, and the rooms were almost empty during the last few working hours. Each time you enter a room with a gorgeous ceiling, your mouth falls open. Caravaggio stuns as always, and you can wander around counting the number of Judith' and Holofernes' heads you can see portrayed by different artists. There's this one room that stands out-it feels malleable, grand, and intimate to a fault, despite other visitors craning their necks up near you. What a miracle, truly!
Jessica Sophia (8 months ago)
Stunning building & wonderful collection. I loved the combination of stunning architecture as well as stunning works. You are taken on a journey through history with a visit here. There were no queues & there are descriptions of everything if you are wanting to learn about the pieces. There are also a good number of seats to be able to take it all in.
Adri (9 months ago)
This 17th-century Roman palace, located at short walking distance from the Fontana di Trevi, is a must-visit if you are an art lover. It’s named after Maffeo Barberini (of the noble Barberini family, later elected Pope), who purchased in 1625 from Alessandro Sforza. Today it houses the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, the main collection of older paintings in Rome. To my surprise the place wasn’t crowded at all when I visited it during the week. The ticket (which is not expensive at all) includes the entrance to the Corsini Palace, which is located in another neighborhood. The palace is huge, and there is so much to see: I was amazed not only by all the paintings and art, but also by the architecture of the palace, its grand rooms, the frescos on the ceilings, etc. My visit lasted a couple of hours, after which I went to see the garden, which is not big, but has a very nice and relaxing landscape. l really enjoyed my visit, including the lack of that huge crowd that unfortunately accompanies you everywhere in the city: I will surely come back the next time we’re in Rome!
O Okan (9 months ago)
This museum is set within a 17th-century palace complex and features a well-curated collection of paintings, showcasing various styles such as High Renaissance, Mannerism, and Baroque. The architectural design of the building itself is intriguing. The chance to see works by Caravaggio and his followers makes the visit worthwhile, along with pieces by Raphael, Hans Holbein the Younger, and El Greco. Although it isn't the oldest structure in Rome—where you can find artifacts and ruins over a thousand years old—it still serves as an important landmark. It sporadically houses temporary events, a recent one being a group exhibition on the New American Realism, a much recent movement which blends social commentary and figure based representation based on mundane objects. Such a dynamic use of exhibition space adds to the relevance of this institution to the art scene.
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