Doria Pamphilj Gallery

Last Tuesday, I was able to go to the Doria Pamphilj Gallery with a few of my classmates. This is a gallery that is owned by the Doria Pamphilj family and is the same building as our classroom. Actually, our classroom is part of the palace where the family lived. I was trying to figure out what our classroom, office and computer lab could have been used for in the 17th-19th century when the family was still living there. I decided that it was used for the servants or maybe some sort of storage for the palace. One of my favorite pieces in the collection was a piece by Caravaggio called “Rest on the Flight into Egypt.” This is a painting from around the year 1600 and features the Holy Family resting while they are fleeing from Herod because he threatened to kill Jesus. This painting not only features the Holy Family, it also pictures an angel with its back facing us. The angel is playing music on a violin and is reading a score that is being held by Joseph. The attention to detail and the realness of the humans in the painting is mesmerizing. I also really enjoyed seeing the parts of the palace where the family used to live. It was neat to see the rooms that they used to sit in every day still preserved just as they were when they family was there.

Places in Guided Walk

For the guided walk assignment, I chose three places that were related to the Doria Pamphilj family. The first place that I decided to stop at was the Doria Pamphilj Gallery. I chose this spot because this is actually in the Doria Pamphilj Palazzo and is where the family used to live. Some of the building is still used as apartments, but another party has been renovated and turned into a gallery displaying the family's collection. This gallery holds a more personal meaning to me because directly below the gallery is our classroom that we're in everyday. To be more specific, directly about our classroom is a chapel that holds the bodies of St. Justin and St. Theodora. There are also a lot of great paintings to see and rooms that have been refurbished to look as they did when the family lived there in the 17th-18th centuries.

My second place is Santa Maria in Cappella which is where the girls in my program live. This is a place that was owned by Donna Olimpia Pamphilj and in the 17th century, she turned the courtyard into a playground for children. However, in 1860 her descendants turned the place into an elderly care facility which half of it is still used for today. The other half is where our apartments are located. We're allowed to go into the courtyard, but we aren't supposed to mingle with the elderly people that live here.

The third place that I chose was a place that I haven't been to yet, but it looks beautiful. It's the Villa Doria Pamphilj. This is one of Rome's largest public parks. It was built in the mid-17th century by Pope Innocent X. There are still some summerhouses and fountains that have survived to this day.

Doria Pamphilj Guided Walk

Because one of my themes is our apartment which was previously owned by the Doria Pamphilj family, I decided to create a guided walk hitting some of the main areas of interest related to the family.

Beginning at the Museo del Corso, head south V. del Corso. After a short distance, the entrance for the Doria Pamphilj Gallery will be on your right. There are signs for the gallery on this dark stone building so you won't miss it. Coming out of the gallery, continue heading south on V. del Corso and head to the right of the capital until you reach V. del Teatro di Marcello. Follow this towards the river and cross over Lungotevere dei Pierleoni and head slightly south. Cross over the river when you reach Ponte Palatino. Head south, then turn right onto Via Ripense. turn left onto Via P. Peretti. Following this road, you will see Santa Maria in Cappella on your left. There is a large archway for the entrance and you will be able to see the chapel straight ahead. The entrance to the building is on the right inside the courtyard entryway. From Santa Maria in Cappella, go west on Bia dei Genovesi until you reach Viale Trastevere. take V. d. Gratte di trastevere west, then go north on Via Garibaldi. Go west again on Via di Porta S. Pancrazio. Continue west on V. Aurelia Antica. this will take you to the outskirts of the Villa Doria Pamphilj. I've included a makeshift map that will take you to all three locations. Good luck.

Doria Pamphilj Gallery

One of the reoccurring themes in my blogs has been Doria Pamphilj. If you want to learn more about her, check my previous blogs! Anyway, in the same Palazzo as my school (Palazzo Doria Pamphilj) there is an art gallery called Doria Pamphilj Gallery. There is an entrance fee of 8 Euros (5 for students) which is a great deal! According to our guidebook, there are hundreds of pieces of art in this gallery, including works by Titian, Caravaggio, Lorenzo Lotto, Guercino and Claude Lorrain. One of the things that would be interesting to see is the portrait of Pope Innocent X Pamphilj by Velaquez. I think people would be interested in seeing this because this is the Pope that cause so much controversy by letting Doria Pamphilj "rule" the Vatican. There is also an amazing sculpture of Doria Pamphilj. Also, I would be interested in going to this museum because this is the same woman that used to own the old convent that I live in. Small world. I have included a picture of the inner courtyard of the gallery.. enjoy : )