Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica

The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica is Rome’s national collection of pre-19th-century European painting, housed across two historic palaces in central Rome. It is one of Italy’s principal museums for Renaissance and Baroque art.

Collections are displayed in the two separate palaces rather than a single modern building. The site at Palazzo Barberini features monumental Baroque decoration and major paintings, while Palazzo Corsini holds complementary works and later acquisitions. Gallery displays include Renaissance and Baroque painters and decorative arts spanning several centuries.

The two palaces themselves date to the 17th and 18th centuries and were repurposed to display the national collection. Palazzo Barberini was designed and built in the early Baroque era with contributions from architects including Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Francesco Borromini; Palazzo Corsini was adapted later as a grand urban residence.

Both sites sit in central Rome. Palazzo Barberini is adjacent to Piazza Barberini and Via Veneto, and Palazzo Corsini is on the west side of the historic centre near the Tiber; both are easily reached from the city centre by public transport.

• Barberini ceiling fresco: The Barberini palace ceiling is decorated with Pietro da Cortona's large fresco "Triumph of Divine Providence," a major example of Roman Baroque ceiling painting.
• Collection focus: The gallery's collection focuses on pre-19th-century European and Italian painting, including important Baroque and Renaissance works.

What to See #

• Palazzo Barberini and Palazzo Corsini: Houses the national collection split between two historic palaces in central Rome, with the main site in **Palazzo Barberini** and a second site at **Palazzo Corsini**. The Barberini palace contains large-format Baroque decoration and major paintings; Corsini displays later and complementary parts of the collection.