Some quick background on the gallery: The Pamphilj family are descendants from Pope Innocent X, whose famous portrait by Velasquez hangs in the gallery. Members of the family still live in the building, just across the interior courtyard. The hallways and rooms in the gallery used to be their day to day living space. It is a beautiful palace and hundreds of paintings are displayed on the walls. The architecture and decoration of the interior is a work of art in itself. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed, it just has to be committed to memory.
It was amazing that the family used to live in the rooms that you walk through on the tour. Some of the smaller living rooms are roped off. They are still set up with the original furniture, but in one room, the "yellow room", I noticed elements of modern-day life among the 18th century decor. A cordless phone sat on one of the sidetables, a few small bookcases were filled with relatively new looking art books and encyclopedias, and framed family photographs (both black and white and color) sit on the mantle piece. No information is available as to whether or not the family uses this room and its modern conveniences, but the everyday modern things that decorate our houses today stood out in the lavish, palatial room.
Tickets are only 5,60 euros for students, and I definitely recommend using the audio guide, narrated by the prince himself.
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