Palazzo Barberini
Via del Quattro Fontane 13

Palazzo Barberini is one of those jewels in Rome, that if you haven’t heard of it, you will miss it and therefore, will miss an unforgettable experience. You don’t need to make reservations, since there is never a line to get in, even though all the websites tell you that you have to make a reservation. The Palazzo is located just a block away from the corner of Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini that boasts Fontana del Tritone (Triton fountain) – one of Bernini’s masterpieces. The fountain is located on a Piazza that is surrounded by traffic on all sides and it might be a challenge to cross the street to get to the fountain, but it’s really worth it. It is really a gorgeous fountain with sea god Triton in the middle – half man, half fish with the mermaid’s tail sitting on top of the huge shell supported by the dolphins.

The Palazzo is up on the hill and when you enter through the gates, you see this large villa surrounded by the tropical flowers and plants. I even saw one of the people who work there looking out from one of the windows on the second floor and posing for a picture that I was taking of the building.

Barberini was a pope in the 17th century, and this Palazzo was built for him by several architects including Bernini and Borromini (it will celebrate 300-year anniversary in 20 years). Everywhere in the building you can see the bees which are the symbol of Barberini family – they are in the wall and ceiling patterns, above the doors. There are several busts of the pope himself in the Palazzo. The Palazzo is also called the National Gallery of Classic Art (Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica).

Villa Farnesina

Via della Lungara, 230
 

The Renaissance Villa Farnesina is not very large but is filled with works of art, the most famous being by Raphael. The villa was designed in the early 16th century by Baldassare Peruzzi for Agostino Chigi, a banker and patron of the arts. One of the rooms in the villa not to be missed is the Galleria or Loggia of Psyche. The style is Raphael's but it was mainly his pupils who worked on it. The Galatea Room is another pearl with a marvellous fresco, by Raphael himself, of the Triumph of Galatea. The Perspective Room (Sala delle Prospettive) by Peruzzi is painted to resemble a loggia from which one gazes out at views of the countryside. On Chigi's death, Raphael's paintings had to be sold as his heirs were unable to keep up the property. All that remains of the master are his frescoes. The property was bought by the Farnese family from whom it takes its present name. The villa is now the home of the Academy of the Lincei and the National Collection of Drawings and Prints. Admission is EUR4.

Galleria Colonna - Colonna Palaces
Via della Pilotta, 17

This gallery is attached to Palazzo Colonna and is made up of six rooms, richly decorated with ceiling frescoes. Marcantonio Colonna's 'Apotheosis,' a powerful fresco, can be seen at the entrance. There are also two writing desks, which are marvellous works of art and well worth seeing. The first desk is decorated in semi-precious stone with bronze statuettes and the second is decorated with inlaid ivory. Not to be missed is Bronzino's piece entitled 'Venus and Cupid.' Unfortunately, this splendid gallery is only open once a week, but it is definitely worth visiting in order to see these unique pieces. There is no wheelchair access. Admission is EUR5.16 for adults; EUR4 for students.

Palazzo Falconieri

The palace on the lovely Via Giulia was bought by the state of Hungary in 1928, since which it has been the home of the Hungarian Academy. Here cultural initiatives are held, providing a meeting point between the Hungarian and Italian cultures. Design of the palace was by Bramante whom Pope Julius II had commissioned to design a road to connect Ponte Sisto to Ponte Trionfale together with buildings on either side. However, the final touches to this palace were added by Borromini, without spoiling the 16th c. structure of the building. The palace was named after Orazio Falconieri who bought it from the Farnese family in 1638. Inside there is a magnificent stairway and richly decorated ceilings.
 

Castel Sant'Angelo
Address: Lungotevere Castello 50, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06/39967700 Location: San Pietro Category: Castles/PalacesMuseums/Galleries

For hundreds of years this fortress guarded the Vatican, to which it is linked by the Passetto, an arcaded passageway. According to legend, Castel Sant'Angelo got its name during the plague of 590, when Pope Gregory the Great (circa 540-604), passing by in a religious procession, had a vision of an angel sheathing its sword atop the stone ramparts. Though it may look like a stronghold, Castel Sant'Angelo was in fact built as a tomb for the emperor Hadrian (76-138) in AD 135. By the 6th century it had been transformed into a fortress, and it remained a refuge for the popes for almost 1,000 years. It has dungeons, battlements, cannon and cannonballs, and a collection of antique weaponry and armor. The lower levels formed the base of Hadrian's mausoleum; ancient ramps and narrow staircases climb through the castle's core to courtyards and frescoed halls, where temporary exhibits are held. Off the loggia is a café.

The upper terrace, with the massive angel statue commemorating Gregory's vision, evokes memories of Tosca, Puccini's poignant heroine in the opera of the same name, who threw herself off these ramparts with the cry, "Scarpia, avanti a Dio!" ("Scarpia, we meet before God"). On summer evenings a book fair with musical events and food stalls surrounds the castle. One of Rome's most beautiful pedestrian bridges, Ponte Sant'Angelo spans the Tiber in front of the fortress and is studded with graceful angels designed by Bernini. www.pierreci.it. EUR5. Tues.-Sun. 9-8.
 

Palazzo Corsini
Address: Via della Lungara 10, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06/68802323 Location: Trastevere Category: Castles/PalacesMuseums/Galleries

This elegant palace holds the 16th- and 17th-century painting collection of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica; even if you're not interested in the paintings, stop in to climb the extraordinary 17th-century stone staircase, itself a drama of architectural shadows and sculptural voids. The adjacent Corsini gardens, now Rome's Giardino Botanico, offer a welcome break with native and exotic plants and a stunning view at the top. www.galleriaborghese.it. EUR4. Tues.-Sun. 8:30-
 

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj
Address: Piazza del Collegio Romano 2, Rome, Italy
Phone: 06/6797323 Location: near Piazza Venezia Category: Museums/GalleriesCastles/Palaces

The 18th-century facade of this palazzo on Via del Corso is only a small part of a bona fide patrician palace, still home to a princely family that rents out many of its 1,000 rooms. Visit the remarkably well preserved Galleria Doria Pamphilj, a picture gallery that gives you a sense of the sumptuous surroundings of a Roman noble family and how art was once put on display: numbered paintings (the museum catalog, available from the bookshop, comes in handy) are packed onto every available wall space. Pride of place is given to the famous (and pitiless) portrait of the 17th-century Pamphilj pope Innocent X by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660), but don't overlook Caravaggio's poignant Rest on the Flight into Egypt. The audio guide is by the current Doria Pamphilj prince himself and gives a fascinating personal history of the palace. www.doriapamphilj.it. Galleria Doria Pamphilj EUR7.30, includes audio guide. Fri.-Wed. 10-5.

Palzzo Ruspoli

Palazzo Ruspoli was the residence of a noble Roman family who acquired it in the second half of the 17th century and still own it. It was built in the second half of the 16th century, designed by Bartolomeo Ammannati for a Florentine family. On entering the courtyard, you are in a portico of columns with antique sarcophagi under the arches. There is a garden at the back of the courtyard that has now become a cinema. The Palazzo is now the site of photographic, art, and archaeological exhibitions. The magnificent marble staircase with one hundred steps, each hewn from a single piece of stone, is a marvel. Admission prices vary according to the exhibition.

Palazzo Serristori

Palazzo Serristori stands on Via della Conciliazione between Palazzo Cesi and Palazzo dei Penitenzieri. The famous Duke Valentino, i.e. Cesare Borgia lived there. Built in the mid-16th century, the palace belonged to Bartolomeo della Rovere and then to the Serristori family until 1830 who made it the Tuscan embassy to the Holy See. It was later fitted out to be a barracks before passing to the Vatican. It is now a Papal school and has recently been restored.