Official Information
Official site: https://www.galleriacolonna.it/en/
Online tickets: https://www.galleriacolonna.it/en/visits/, https://www.tosc.it/artist/galleria-colonna/galleria-colonna-palazzo-colonna-1614736/
Address: Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 66, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
Map: View on Google Maps
Opening Hours
The Colonna Gallery is normally open to the public on Friday and Saturday mornings, with additional special openings on certain public holidays or for booked group visits. Because days and time slots can change, the official website directs visitors to the “Visits” and “Info” sections for current schedules and reservation procedures.
Palazzo Colonna is one of the largest and most historic private palaces in Rome, with origins in the Middle Ages and later expansions that produced a vast Baroque residence. The Galleria Colonna, opened to the public in the early eighteenth century and still owned by the Colonna family, occupies a spectacular reception wing designed by architects including Antonio Del Grande, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Carlo Fontana. Its Great Hall, over seventy metres long with mirrored walls, marble columns, gilded stuccoes and ceiling frescoes celebrating the naval victories of the Colonna, is often considered one of the masterpieces of Roman Baroque interior design. Paintings by artists such as Annibale Carracci, Guercino, Bronzino and Tintoretto hang alongside tapestries, sculpture and antique furnishings. The palace is still a lived-in residence, which contributes to its particular atmosphere: visitors move through rooms that remain partly furnished and occasionally used for family events. Because access is restricted to specific mornings and guided visits, numbers are limited and the experience feels far from mass tourism. Guides and printed materials provide background on the family’s role in Roman and papal history, including Pope Martin V, a Colonna elected in 1417, and explain details of the artworks and architecture. The official website, available in multiple languages, offers detailed practical information on opening days, booking requirements, combined tours of the Gallery and Princess Isabelle’s apartments, and special evening visits. For travellers who appreciate opulent Baroque interiors and wish to see how a great Roman noble family still maintains its heritage, Palazzo Colonna offers a rare glimpse into a world usually hidden behind palace facades.