GALLERIA NAZIONALE D'ARTE ANTICA
Gallery preserving a unique collection of eighteenth-century Roman marble sculptures and paintings.
Built in 1511 by Cardinal Raffaele Riario, the Palazzo Corsini saw a succession of different owners, including Christine of Sweden, a great art lover, who developed her intellectual salons there and hosted the statues on the ground floor during the second half of the 17th century. It passed into the hands of the Corsini family in 1736, when Lorenzo Corsini, better known as Clement XII, became Pope. It was the latter who developed the collection today, then Cardinal Neri Maria, his nephew. Since 1884, the Corsini Palace has belonged to the State. Part of the palace is the seat of the Academy dei Lincei ( "the lynx" in Italian), a society of scholars, men of letters and scientists, founded in 1603. To name but one, Galileo was one of its illustrious members! The National Gallery of Ancient Art of the Corsini Palace, including the Corsini Collection, is a unique collection of 18th century sculptures of Roman marbles, sculptures and paintings. These works bear witness to the evolution and counter-baroque trend of the first half of the 18th century. Among the artists on display will be Fra Angelico (Last Judgment), Rubens (San Sebastian cared for by angels), Guido Reni (Salome and the head of Baptist), Guercino (Ecce Homo) and the famous Caravaggio (San Juan Baptist). From the rooms at the back of the palace, you will have a very beautiful view of the Orto botanico and the slopes of the Janiculum.
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