Set next to Villa Farnesina on the slopes of Janiculum Hill, Palazzo Corsini and its surrounding estate changed hands repeatedly over the centuries before coming to house the offices of the National Academy of Science and the Galleria Corsini section of the National Gallery of Antique Art. Home to primarily Italian masterpieces, the collection includes showstoppers like Caravaggio's St. John the Baptist, St. Sebastian Healed by Angels by Rubens, and works by Guido Reni, Beato Angelico, and Guercino. Much less known than its sister collection in Palazzo Barberini, Galleria Corsini is an art lover’s dream, with its light crowds and important works.
To fully appreciate Palazzo Corsini’s collection of masterpieces, consider joining a private tour of the National Museum of Ancient Art in the Galleria Corsini that includes skip-the-line tickets and a guide. Some Trastevere walking tours include a stop at the palace to visit the collection and picturesque botanical garden.
Palazzo Corsini is located on Via della Lungara in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood, next to the Villa Farnesina. Walk from Piazza Santa Maria or catch buses 23 or 280.
The gallery is closed on Mondays, but open throughout the day for the remainder of the week. Visit around midday when the museum is quiet to enjoy the collection virtually to yourself.
Palazzo Barberini is home to the other portion of the National Gallery of Ancient Art collection. One of the most beautiful palaces in Rome, this 17th-century palazzo was built by the city’s great Renaissance architects: Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The collection includes Raphael's La Fornarina and a number of works by Filippo Lippi, Titian, and Caravaggio.
