Bernini & Pope Urban VIII: Patronage and the Baroque Revolution (Feb 12 – Jun 14, 2026)
After the huge success of the exhibition dedicated to Caravaggio, Palazzo Barberini pays tribute to another great 17th-century master: Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
The exhibition Bernini and the Barberini, curated by Andrea Bacchi and Maurizia Cicconi, opened its doors just a few days ago, coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the consecration of the new St Peter’s Basilica, one of the places where Bernini’s genius had the chance to develop projects and ideas, commissioned by Maffeo Barberini, better known as Pope Urban VIII.
The exhibition focuses precisely on these two key figures of the Roman Baroque and on the patron-artist relationship that grew between them. It was the so-called mirabil congiuntura, mentioned in ancient sources, that gave rise to one of the most fascinating artistic and intellectual partnerships in art history.
It was Pope Barberini who immediately recognised the young artist’s incredible potential, taking him under his protective wing and entrusting him with numerous commissions.
INSPIRATION
Where to see Bernini’s Masterpieces in Rome
Exhibition route
Bernini and the Barberini is arranged in six sections tracing Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s journey from his early years in his father’s workshop to full artistic maturity, while highlighting the decisive role of Maffeo Barberini (later Pope Urban VIII) in shaping a visual language that would become a model for the European Baroque.
1) Claiming Him as His Own: Maffeo “discovers” Bernini
The opening section reconstructs the moment Barberini recognises the young prodigy and helps him step out from Pietro Bernini’s shadow. Works by father and son appear alongside key early masterpieces by Gian Lorenzo, already marked by lifelike movement, sensuous surfaces and direct emotional impact, foreshadowing the Baroque.
2) Ne plus ultra: The New Saint Peter’s
Dedicated to Bernini’s work in St Peter’s Basilica after its consecration in 1626, this section centres on the Baldacchino, commissioned when he was just over twenty-five. Drawings and models reveal how Bernini fused architecture, sculpture and decoration into a single theatrical statement, conceived in dialogue with the basilica’s surrounding elements.
3) The Pope’s Image: Bernini as Portraitist
Here the focus shifts to Bernini’s papal portraiture, from his early busts of Paolo V and Gregorio XV to the extraordinary series of portraits of Urban VIII. Shown together, these busts chart the evolution of a portrait formula that combines psychological intensity with a powerful image of spiritual and temporal authority.
Affresco strappato,
Roma, Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini
4) Palazzo Barberini: A Choral Masterpiece
This section highlights the exhibition’s setting, Palazzo Barberini, presented as a collaborative Baroque achievement shaped by Bernini, Borromini and Pietro da Cortona. Drawings, models and artworks reveal Bernini’s role beyond sculpture, from architectural ideas to furnishings and decorative design, alongside masterpieces from the Barberini collection, including works by Guido Reni.
5) Apes Urbana: The Faces of Barberini Rome
An anthology of portraits from Urban VIII’s Rome brings together cardinals, intellectuals, courtesans and eccentric figures orbiting the court. Bernini’s busts are shown alongside Algardi, Duquesnoy and Finelli, in a lively comparison of styles. Standouts include Finelli’s razor-sharp Bust of Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger and Duquesnoy’s striking portrait of Michel Magnan, capturing the court’s complexity beyond official stereotypes.
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Roma, 1680)
Busto di Costanza Piccolomini Bonarelli, 1636 -1637 circa, Marmo, Firenze, Museo Nazionale del Bargello
6) Bernini’s Freedom, Urban VIII’s Power
The final section explores the more intimate and tension-filled side of their bond, focusing on artistic freedom, protection and control. It includes rarely displayed works and paintings attributed to Bernini, created outside major public commissions. At its heart is the celebrated, uncommissioned Bust of Costanza Bonarelli (Bargello, Florence), one of the peaks of Baroque portraiture. The section closes with a more private portrait of Urban VIII attributed to Bernini, hinting at a relationship shaped by complicity, power and human emotion.
