Back to museums
Palazzo Colonna seen from Via della Pilotta, Rome, with the arched bridges linking the palace to its gardens

Galleria Colonna

ArchitectureArtHistoryOpens 9:15amFrom €15Piazza Venezia (bus hub)

The Galleria Colonna is one of Rome's best-kept secrets, partly because it opens to the public only on Saturday mornings. It is still the private home of the Colonna family, who have lived here for over twenty generations, and the gallery they built in the late 1600s is a 76-metre barrel of Baroque extravagance. Gilded mirrors, crystal chandeliers, polychrome marble, and a ceiling frescoed with the Battle of Lepanto (the family's proudest moment, when Marcantonio II Colonna commanded the papal fleet) create an effect somewhere between a museum and a stage set. The art is serious: Bronzino, Tintoretto, Guercino, Guido Reni, Salvator Rosa, Vanvitelli and others line the walls, and a cannonball lodged in the marble staircase during the 1849 siege of Rome has been left in place. The ground-floor Princess Isabelle apartments, on the full route, feel like stepping into someone's exceptionally grand living room, which is essentially what they are. What makes it special is the mix of outstanding painting, over-the-top Baroque architecture, and the sense that you are a guest in a private residence rather than a visitor to a museum.

More in Rome

On nowAll of October 2026

What's On

Permanent Collections

The terraced Colonna garden on the Quirinal Hill, Palazzo Colonna, Rome

The Colonna Garden on the Quirinal Hill

A terraced Italianate garden climbing the Quirinal, with box hedges, a Rainaldi fountain, ancient Roman sarcophagi and statues, and sweeping views over the rooftops of central Rome.

Permanent collection· €15
The Room of the Baldachin with Alexander the Great Gobelins tapestries, Pio Pavilion, Palazzo Colonna

The Pio Pavilion

A former cardinals' apartment hung with six Gobelins tapestries of Alexander the Great's battles, plus Pietro Bracci's marble bust of Pope Benedict XIV and a frescoed Cornucopia Hall ceiling.

Permanent collection· €15
The Princess Isabelle Apartment, ground floor of Palazzo Colonna, Rome

The Princess Isabelle Apartment

The ground-floor private apartment, kept as Princess Isabelle left it: a Vanvitelli room of 37 city views, Jan Brueghel the Elder miniatures and Simon Vouet's portrait of Maria Mancini.

Permanent collection· €25
The Great Hall of the Galleria Colonna, Palazzo Colonna, Rome

The Colonna Gallery (Great Hall)

The 76-metre Baroque showpiece: a barrel-vaulted hall of gilt mirrors and chandeliers beneath a Battle of Lepanto ceiling, hung with Guercino, Guido Reni, Tintoretto and Salvator Rosa.

Permanent collection· €15

Plan Your Visit

Getting there

Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 66, 00187 Roma RM, Italy

Nearest station: Piazza Venezia (bus hub), Barberini (Metro Line A) and Cavour (Metro Line B)

Show on map

Hours

MonClosed
TueClosed
WedClosed
ThuClosed
FriClosed
SatToday09:15–13:15
SunClosed

Admission

From €15

Short route €15 (gallery, Pio pavilion, gardens). Complete route +Princess Isabelle apartment €25. Friday guided complete tour €35. FAI and other reductions; under-12s free on Saturdays.

Last verified

Get Directions Visit Website

Nearby

Facade of Palazzo Doria Pamphilj on Via del Corso, Rome

Galleria Doria Pamphilj

Art3 min walk
Facade of the Palazzo dei Conservatori, part of the Capitoline Museums, on Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome

Capitoline Museums

Art6 min walk
Neoclassical facade of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni on Via Nazionale, Rome

Palazzo delle Esposizioni

Art7 min walk
Front facade of the Pantheon in Rome

Pantheon

Architecture7 min walk

Visitor Information

How much does Galleria Colonna cost?
Standard adult admission to Galleria Colonna is €15. Short route €15 (gallery, Pio pavilion, gardens). Complete route +Princess Isabelle apartment €25. Friday guided complete tour €35. FAI and other reductions; under-12s free on Saturdays.. Prices for special exhibitions and timed-entry slots may differ.
What are the opening hours of Galleria Colonna?
Galleria Colonna is open Open to the public Saturdays 09:15-13:15 (last entry). Fridays guided complete tour by reservation only. Private tours other days by appointment.. Holiday hours can vary, so check the museum's website before you go.
Where is Galleria Colonna?
Galleria Colonna is located at Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 66, 00187 Roma RM, Italy, in the Trevi / Centro Storico area of Rome. The nearest stations are Piazza Venezia (bus hub), Barberini (Metro Line A) and Cavour (Metro Line B).
What can I see at Galleria Colonna?
A lavish private Baroque gallery in a palace the Colonna family has called home for 700 years, open to the public only on Saturdays. Current highlights include The Colonna Garden on the Quirinal Hill, The Pio Pavilion and The Princess Isabelle Apartment.
Do I need to book Galleria Colonna in advance?
Booking ahead is recommended, especially for weekends, school holidays, and special exhibitions. Tickets are normally on the museum's website, and a pre-booked timed slot helps you avoid queues at the entrance.
When is the best time to visit Galleria Colonna?
Weekday mornings shortly after opening are typically the quietest, especially mid-week. Late afternoons can also be calmer. Weekends, school holidays, and the lunch rush are the busiest periods.

Image credits

9

Your image? Ask us to correct or remove it.

Book tickets