Page 264 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

262  ROME AREA B Y AREA

2 Museo e Galleria Borghese

The villa and park were laid out by Cardinal
Scipione Borghese, favorite nephew of Paul V,
who had the house designed for pleasure and
entertainment. The hedonistic cardinal was
also an extravagant patron of the arts, and he
commissioned sculptures from the young Bernini
that now rank among the artist’s most famous
works. Scipione also opened his pleasure park
to the public. Today the villa houses the superb Facade of the Villa Borghese
private Borghese collection of sculptures and This painting (1613) by the villa’s Flemish
paintings in the Museo and Galleria Borghese. architect Jan van Santen shows the
highly ornate facade of the
original design.
4
Rear
entrance

Sleeping Hermaphrodite 5
This is a marble Roman copy of the Greek original by Polycles,
dated around 150 BC. The head and mattress were added
by Andrea Bergondi in the 17th century.
6
7

8

The Egyptian Room
Frescoes show episodes
in Egyptian history and
Egyptian motifs.
. Rape of Proserpine
One of Bernini’s finest
works shows Pluto (Hades) Gladiator Mosaic
abducting his bride. The The floor is decorated
sculptor’s amazing skill with with the fragments of a
marble can be seen clearly 4th-century AD mosaic
in the twisting figures. from a villa in Torrenova.
1902 Villa, grounds, and
1613 15-year-old Bernini sculpts collection bought by the state
Aeneas and Anchises Early 1800s Statues and reliefs 1809 Much of the collection is
are considered too ornate and
1622–25 Bernini sculpts stripped from the villa’s facade sold by Prince Camillo Borghese
The Rape of Proserpine to France and goes to the Louvre
1610 1710 1810
1622–25 Bernini sculpts 1805 Canova sculpts
Apollo and Daphne the seminude, reclining
Pauline Borghese
1613–15 The Flemish architect Early 1900s Balustrade around the
Jan van Santen designs and Daphne’s fingers forecourt is bought by Lord Astor
builds Villa Borghese turning into leaves for the Cliveden estate in England

US_262-263_EW_Rome_US.indd 262 15/03/17 4:21 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight history template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1)
Date 26th July 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm