Villa Borghese

Nestled among the beautiful grounds of the Villa Borghese park is the Villa Borghese. Once home to the Borghese family, it now houses a fantastic art collection. The highlights of the collection are three amazing sculptures by Bernini. All of the sculpture's are on the first floor, which is actually the last floor that you will visit. First is his Rape of Persephone. Notice how he even created the slight indentations in Persephone's skin where her attacker's hands are holding her. Bernini's David was create after Michelangelo's more famous version in Florence, and depicts the legendary character in a much more active pose. It is believed that David's face is actually the artist's self-portrait. A truly unique and amazingly detailed, delicate work is his Apollo and Daphne. The sculpture captures Daphne as she is turning into a tree in order to escape the unwanted advances of the Roman God Apollo. The museum only allows a limited number of visitors into the building at a time since it is not a very large space. Also, reservations are recommended to make sure that you can get in when you arrive. If you do have to wait, the gardens surrounding the villa certainly make for a glorious waiting area. Or, you can browse through the gift shop, accessed through a door outside and to the left of the main doors.