Bernini and the Barberini: exhibition at Palazzo Barberini (Rome) until

Bernini and the Barberini: exhibition at Palazzo Barberini

Until 14 June 2026, the rooms of Palazzo Barberini, home of the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in Rome, host the exhibition Bernini and the Barberini. Curated by Andrea Bacchi and Maurizia Cicconi, the show reconstructs the pivotal relationship between Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Maffeo Barberini, fundamental to the development of Baroque art in seventeenth-century Rome.

The exhibition highlights Maffeo Barberini’s role as Bernini’s early patron and examines how their personal and intellectual connection influenced major monumental projects, especially commissions for St Peter’s. The display also coincides with the 400th anniversary of the consecration of the new St Peter’s Basilica (1626).

Highlights

The itinerary, divided into six sections, traces Bernini’s career from his youth to full maturity and presents rare works and documentary material, many shown in Italy for the first time.

• Key sculptures: works such as the Saint Sebastian from the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Putto with Dragon from the Getty Museum, illustrating the birth of Baroque sculpture.
• Family comparisons: dialogues between Pietro Bernini and his son Gian Lorenzo, including loans like the Four Seasons from the Aldobrandini collection.
• Portraits and busts: the gallery of Barberini ancestors sculpted by Bernini and others, alongside marble and bronze busts of Urban VIII.
• Bernini as painter: rarely seen paintings, including Bernini’s only significant public painting displayed next to a pendant by Andrea Sacchi.
• Drawings, models and prints: materials documenting the artist’s work on St Peter’s projects, from the Baldacchino to the funerary monument of Urban VIII.

Catalogue, curators and partners

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by Allemandi, featuring essays by the curators and detailed entries on the exhibited works. The project is supported by institutional and technical partners.

• Curators: Andrea Bacchi, Maurizia Cicconi
• Main partners: Intesa Sanpaolo (main partner); patronage of the Fabbrica di San Pietro in Vaticano; Coopculture (technical partner)
• Loans from major institutions: Albertina (Vienna), J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles), Musée du Louvre (Paris), Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Florence), Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Madrid), Vatican Museums, National Gallery (London and Washington), The Morgan Library (New York), Victoria and Albert Museum (London).

The exhibition provides a focused opportunity to revisit a key moment in the emergence of Roman Baroque through the interplay of patronage and artistic practice. For ticketing, opening days and visiting info, please consult the official Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica website.