♦ Bernini e i Barberini ♦
Palazzo Barberini, Rome
February 12 thru June 14, 2026
The exhibition Bernini e i Barberini celebrates the partnership between Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Maffeo Barberini, “his first and most influential patron, who took the name Urban VIII upon his election to the papacy in 1623”.
Through over 70 masterpieces, it recounts the rise of the total artist who, at the service of the Pontiff, transformed Rome into the theater of the Baroque.
♦ Urban VIII called Bernini a “sublime genius”, immediately recognizing his talent and entrusting him with some of the most prestigious commissions of his pontificate. After his first works for Scipione Borghese—including “Apollo and “Daphne” and the “Rape of Proserpina”, now housed in the Borghese Gallery —the artist’s fame grew rapidly, establishing him as the great protagonist of Baroque Rome.
The exhibition, divided into six sections, takes visitors from the artist’s early works to his full maturity, demonstrating the transition from late Mannerism to the Baroque style that made Bernini famous throughout Europe…
(Source: Palazzo Barberini)
♦ “A major exhibition curated by Andrea Bacchi and Maurizia Cicconi: an exploration of the unique bond between Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Maffeo Barberini—his first and most decisive patron—elected Pope in 1623 as Urban VIII…”
“…this exhibition offers an unprecedented opportunity to rethink the birth of the Baroque through the privileged lens of the personal and intellectual dialogue between Bernini and Pope Urban VIII—two key figures in defining the artistic language of their time.
The exhibition coincides with the 400th anniversary of the consecration of the new St. Peter’s Basilica (1626), marking one of the zeniths of the Roman Baroque and Bernini’s career.”
(Source: COOP CULTURE)
Busts of Pope Paul V – remarkable likenesses and that intense lifelike gaze (and these were commissioned posthumously!
♦“…Discover Roman Baroque through the art of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the master who more than any other shaped the image of seventeenth-century Rome…Following the success of the exhibition dedicated to Caravaggio , Palazzo Barberini presents a new major exhibition celebrating the city’s golden age and the fundamental role of the Barberini family in the development of Baroque…
…The exhibition focuses on the bond between Bernini and Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII: a decisive collaboration that profoundly influenced the artistic and urban evolution of the capital.”
(Source: Romaguida)
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♦ There is, of course, so much more to say about Bernini and his genius… from a very early age and his remarkable life and career! Suffice it to say, this is a sampling and I would invite (and strongly encourage) anyone visiting Rome to visit the Galleria Borghese as well as the Basilica of Santa Maria della Vittoria where many of his absolutely mozzafiato (breathtaking!) iconic statues can be seen “in situ”…and then, of course, there is Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s…!
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♦ More TipZ and Info:
Palazzo Barberini
About the exhibit/tix: https://barberinicorsini.org/en/evento/bernini-e-i-barberini/
via delle Quattro Fontane, 13 – Rome
Closed on Mondays
