Galleria Doria Pamphilj

The Doria Pamphilj Gallery occupies a princely palace in Rome. Its rooms display Velázquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X alongside works by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian, among others.

Why it matters

The gallery preserves the Doria, Pamphilj and Aldobrandini families' artistic holdings, assembled through marriage, inheritance and papal fortune. Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, painted in 1650, is among its central works. The collection also includes Caravaggio's Penitent Magdalene and Rest on the Flight into Egypt, a double portrait by Raphael, works by Titian and Claude Lorrain, and a marble portrait of Innocent X by Bernini.

What to notice

The palace's four wings around the courtyard retain the character of salons, with pictures displayed in tiers against damask and mirrors. Velázquez's portrait of Innocent X can be compared with Bernini's sculpted portrait of the same pope. Other works include Caravaggio's Penitent Magdalene and Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Raphael's double portrait, Titian's Salomè with the head of the Baptist, and Claude Lorrain's Landscape with dancing figures, the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca. The palace also preserves a family chapel, furniture and tapestries.

Context and history

The family's history links the Doria of Genoa, the Pamphilj, and the Aldobrandini. Andrea Doria, born in 1466, became Prince of Melfi in 1531. Giovan Battista Pamphilj was elected pope in 1644 as Innocent X. In 1647, Prince Camillo Pamphilj married Olimpia Aldobrandini, bringing the Aldobrandini inheritance into the family; the Doria Landi and Pamphilj lines united in 1671, and the double surname Doria Pamphilj Landi was assumed in 1764. The palace grew from a group of medieval houses into a princely complex.