The Cardinal House

This private visit to the Borghese Gallery introduces one of Rome’s major art collections, housed in the 17th-century villa built for Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Moving through its frescoed rooms, you encounter works by Bernini, Caravaggio, and Canova that shaped the language of early Baroque. You observe movement carved into marble, tension created by light, and dialogue between sculpture and painting. The works are part of one ambition — a cardinal assembling beauty as power. After the galleries, the experience shifts outdoors to the lake in Villa Borghese, part of the 19th-century landscape garden developed as a retreat for the Borghese family. A sumptuous picnic is arranged among cypress and umbrella pines. By linking art and setting, interior and exterior, you experience the villa as it functioned in its time — a residence, a display of power, a cultivated retreat. The shift in pace from rooms to water reflects how art and environment were meant to coexist within a single vision.

In this curated experience, you’re able to view Villa Borghese not as a museum, but a private world shaped by vision, power, leisure. The lake and landscape were an extension of the Villa, where nature reinforced the aesthetics of the interior. You approach the works in the Gallery with intention and sequence, allowing Bernini’s sculpture, Caravaggio’s light, and the frescoed ceilings to be understood in relation to one another rather than as isolated highlights. Access to Borghese Gallery is strictly timed and limited, each visit confined to a fixed window. Without careful pacing and a private guide, the two-hour villa visit can be overwhelming. Furthermore, skip-the-line tickets and transfers remove any friction. Most tours conclude at the museum exit. Here, the experience extends into the grounds of Villa Borghese toward the lake, replicating the estate’s rhythm as it would have been for its residents — art, architecture, landscape approached as parts of the same narrative.

Martin leads a team of expert guides, archaeologists, historians, and technical specialists who share his thoughtful approach to travel. For your private visit, Martin assigns a certified guide who combines deep art history knowledge with clear storytelling. Depending on the day, you may be paired with Alessandra — Rome-born, with credentials in Art History (La Sapienza) and Christian Archaeology, and a specialist in the Vatican Museums and early Christian sites; Eleonora — a cultural anthropologist who helps connect with places through their historical, human, social, and symbolic layers; or Raul — trained in art history, archaeology, and the history of ancient Rome and the Palatine.

Comfortable shoes and good vibes. ** Good to know: Water bottles, large bags and backpacks are not allowed inside the Galleria Borghese. You can bring a small handbag or pouch for personal items.