I bet that you, too, strolling around Villa Borghese, have stopped dozens of times at the Lake Garden, perhaps to rent a little boat or just to enjoy some fresh air.
Yet right there, just a stone’s throw from the water, lies a treasure that many ignore or only observe from the outside. It is not the usual inaccessible art gallery, but a place open to everyone: it is the Carlo Bilotti Museum.
It’s one of those Roman gems that saves your weekend when you’re looking for something to do-a beautiful, cultural and, incredibly, free plan.
You’ll enter a historic building surrounded by greenery and come face to face with art giants like Giorgio de Chirico and Andy Warhol .
Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Instead it is a reality opened in 2006 thanks to the generosity of Carlo Bilotti, a cosmetics entrepreneur with a penchant for art, who decided to give his private collection to the city of Rome.
A museum conceived as an art salon surrounded by greenery
But what is so special about this museum compared to others? First of all, the atmosphere. You are not in a cold, detached palace, but in the old Villa Borghese Orangery.
The permanent collection is on the second floor and offers you an intimate journey through the history of twentieth-century art. It is the fruit of the passion of Carlo, his wife Hedwig and their children, who have lived between Rome, New York and Palm Beach, collecting masterpieces for decades.
The museum is not just paintings hanging on the walls: it is a project of pure patronage. Bilotti wanted these works to be usable by everyone, and he succeeded.
In addition to the permanent collection, the Nymphaeum Room on the first floor regularly hosts contemporary art projects that dialogue with the surrounding space, making each visit a new experience.
Jubilee 2025 special at the Bilotti Museum: special visits on Dec. 14 and 21
This month the Carlo Bilotti Museum offers two unmissable opportunities to experience art in a different way than usual and rediscover the city in the run-up to the Jubilee.
Forget the classic “boring” guided tour and get ready for two experiences designed to connect you with nature and history:
- Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, at 11 a.m.: a special tour that starts right from the Lake Garden. Before entering the rooms, you’ll take a historical overview of the villa and the Borghese family, and then dive into the collection. The focus? De Chirico’s Metaphysics and Warhol’s Pop Art, explained in a simple and straightforward way, passing through the Bilotti family portraits. You will then descend into the magnificent Nymphaeum to discover the secrets of the building that houses you.
- Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, also at 11 a.m.: A sensory workshop, perfect if you have children between the ages of 6 and 10. You will walk among domestic pines and redwoods, listening to the sounds of seagulls and moorhens, collecting leaves and berries. These materials will then be used inside the museum to create a creative laurel wreath, combining nature with De Chirico’s art.
The giants of art featured at the Carlo Bilotti Museum.
It is not every day that one can admire works of this caliber for free. The undisputed “master of the house” is Giorgio de Chirico. The museum preserves a substantial nucleus of his paintings and sculptures, allowing you to really understand what is meant by “Metaphysics” without having to read art history tomes.
But the collection is eclectic and international. You will find works by:
- Andy Warhol and Larry Rivers (who even portrayed the Bilotti family);
- Gino Severini;
- Giacomo Manzù;
- Mimmo Rotella.
There is also room for Nicola Pucci, Pietro Consagra and Marion Greenstone. It is a fascinating mix that chronicles the personal taste of a collector who experienced art firsthand, getting to know the artists and hanging out with them.
The Orangery: an incredible location for a museum
The location of the Bilotti Museum deserves a separate paragraph because its history is rocambolic. The building you see today elegant and restored, centuries ago was known as the Casino dei Giuochi d’Acqua.
In the 18th century, under Prince Marcantonio IV Borghese, it was the center of Roman social life, the site of lavish parties celebrated in the chronicles of the time.
Unfortunately, history has not always been kind. In 1849, during the defense of the Roman Republic, the building suffered disastrous cannon fire that reduced it to ruins, erasing the rich original decorations.
It was rebuilt and converted into an Orangery (the winter shelter for citrus pots), and later became offices and even housing.
The latest restoration, which turned it into a museum, performed a small miracle: it brought back the original rooms, making the ancient structure legible. Today, walking through its halls means walking through centuries of Roman history.
How to get to the Carlo Bilotti Museum
Feel like visiting this gem of Rome’s Civic Museums? Here’s everything you need to know to plan your cultural trip at no cost.
Opening hours:
- Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Special holiday openings: December 24 and 31 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.), January 1, 2025 (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.).
- Closed: Every Monday, December 25 and May 1.
- Please note: Last admission is always half an hour before closing.
Tickets: Admission isfree. Yes, you read that right.
Contact: If you have any questions or want to book the tactile-sensory tour (available on request until 12/31/2025), you can call the call center at 060608 (daily 9am-7pm) or email info@museocarlobilotti.it.
Remember to always check the official notices page before you go, especially on holidays.