Palazzo Barberini

A 17th-century palace facing Piazza Barberini in Rione Trevi. Built as the residence of the most important popes of one of the richest families of Rome, the Barberini Family. It represents the beginning of the Roman Baroque. A sublime example of Italian Baroque architecture, the noble palace is the collaboration of three of the main architects of the 17th century: Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Francesco Borromini. The typological innovation of the building is considered among the most extraordinary in the history of Italian architecture.

In the main room the Triumph of Divine Providence the most important fresco of Roman Baroque. Today, it houses the National Gallery of Ancient Art (in Italian Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica), the main national collection of older paintings in Rome. Its best works are from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. One of the most precious hidden gems in the city, here you can admire Raphael and Caravaggio artworks. The Barberini family used symbols to express their power and noble position. Pope Urban, member of the Barberini family, embraced bee iconography, since at that time bees were a Christian symbol.