Palazzo Corsini Reinstalls Cardinal Corsini's 18th-Century Collection

Palazzo Corsini alla Lungara in Rome has reinstalled Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini's 18th-century collection of paintings and sculptures, following the original arrangement documented in a period inventory. The cardinal, a nephew of Pope Clement XII, was a key cultural and political figure in 18th-century Rome, known for his patronage and preservation of art. The reinstallation includes over seventy paintings repositioned according to the cardinal's original layout, with eighteen works recovered from external deposits—a common Italian practice where museums lend artworks to decorate embassies and ministries. Curator Alessandro Cosma explained that the aim is to refocus attention on the cardinal as founder of the Galleria Corsini and the collection that forms the core of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica. The exhibition also features important loans of works once owned by the cardinal. The inventory, compiled by the cardinal's librarian, provides a room-by-room description of the paintings' placement, allowing the walls to be recreated as they appeared in the 18th century. Religious subjects dominate, including a delicate Madonna by Murillo. The collection also includes vedute by Paolo Anesi and Gian Paolo Panini, popular during the Grand Tour era.