Galleria Borghese, a shrine of the Arts

Scipione Borghese, the secretary of State and nephew of Pope Paul V, dominated the politics and arts of the papal kingdom in the early 1600: his art collection was considered the most beautiful in the world and it is still located in the Gallery conceived for this purpose. A greedy collector and a man of no scruples, the Cardinal amassed there legally (and illegally) an incredible number of ancient roman sculptures, his picture gallery being the most complete and updated to the various tendencies of painting, with masterpieces of Raffaello, Tiziano and definitely the biggest number of Caravaggio paintings in a private collection. But most of all Scipione discovered the talent of the young Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the artist that would have literally invented the baroque style expressing his genius in any field of the arts. The cardinal sponsored generously his wonderful early sculptures: Apollo and Daphne, Pluto and Proserpina, David are still displayed in the original location, conceived to exalt their view.