Galleria Corsini – Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica

Galleria Corsini in Rome preserves the character of an eighteenth-century princely picture gallery within Palazzo Corsini on Via della Lungara. It forms one of the two venues of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica, alongside Palazzo Barberini.

Why it matters

The collection retains a close relationship with the family residence and the rooms arranged for its display. It offers a history of collecting as well as an account of painting from the Renaissance to the Baroque.

What to notice

The sequence of rooms reflects the logic of a princely gallery, bringing portraits, sacred subjects and mythological paintings into a shared decorative setting. Works by Beato Angelico, Rubens, Van Dyck, Murillo and Ribera illustrate the collection's range. Ferdinando Fuga's enlargement of the older palace shaped the architectural setting around the paintings.

Context and history

Cardinal Neri Corsini acquired Palazzo Riario in 1736 and commissioned its transformation. Queen Christina of Sweden had previously lived in the older building. The Italian state bought the palace in 1883, and the Corsini collections became foundational to the national gallery. The palace also became the home of the Accademia dei Lincei, connecting collecting with another institutional history.