Bernini Statues in Rome: Where to See His Sculptures
Updated October 27, 2026
Bernini's statues in Rome are in three kinds of place: the Borghese Gallery, which holds the marble groups he carved in his twenties for Cardinal Scipione Borghese; the squares, where his fountains still run (Piazza Navona, Piazza Barberini); and the churches, above all the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in Santa Maria della Vittoria. Only the Borghese needs a timed ticket booked in advance. The fountains are in public squares. The list starts with the Borghese because it is the one place where you can see Apollo and Daphne, David and The Rape of Proserpina within a few rooms of each other, then follows a route on foot through the city.
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#1Borghese Gallery: Apollo and Daphne, David, The Rape of Proserpina
$55Bernini's early marble groups, made for the villa they still stand in.
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Ground floor: The Rape of Proserpina (1621–1622) in Room 4, Apollo and Daphne (1622–1625) in Room 3, David (1623–1624) in Room 2 and Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius (1618–1619) in Room 6. Proserpina left the collection in 1623 as a gift to Cardinal Ludovisi and came back only in 1908. Truth Unveiled by Time (1645–1652) and two busts of Scipione Borghese (1632) are here too. Entry is by timed two-hour slot; the official ticket is €18 (€16 + €2 fee), about $20. A guided tour with tickets starts at $55.
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Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, Santa Maria della Vittoria
Marble, gilded rays and hidden light in the Cornaro Chapel.
Made in 1647–1652 for the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria, a church on Via XX Settembre. From the Borghese Gallery it is about 1.4 km on foot, around 19 minutes (OpenStreetMap estimate), so it pairs well with a gallery slot.
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Fountain of the Four Rivers, Piazza Navona
Four river gods around an obelisk in the middle of Piazza Navona.
Built in 1648–1651. The four figures stand for the great rivers of the four continents then known to Europeans: the Nile, the Ganges, the Danube and the Río de la Plata. It is in a public square, open at all hours.
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Triton Fountain and Fountain of the Bees, Piazza Barberini
Two fountains for the Barberini pope, Urban VIII, at the foot of Via Veneto.
The Triton Fountain (1642–1643) stands in the middle of Piazza Barberini; the smaller Fountain of the Bees (1644) is at the corner of Via Veneto. Bees are the Barberini family emblem. Barberini metro (line A) is here, and buses 63, 83, 52 and 53 run from it to the Borghese Gallery.
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Angels of Ponte Sant'Angelo and Sant'Andrea delle Fratte
Ten angels carry the instruments of the Passion across the Tiber.
Bernini designed the angels for the bridge in 1667–1669, and other sculptors carved most of them. The two from his own hand, the Angel with the Crown of Thorns and the Angel with the Superscription, are in the church of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte; copies stand on the bridge.
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Elephant and Obelisk, Piazza della Minerva
A small elephant carrying an Egyptian obelisk, behind the Pantheon.
Designed by Bernini in 1667 for the square in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, a short walk from the Pantheon. In a public square.
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St Peter's Basilica: the Baldachin and the colonnade
Bernini's largest works, in Vatican City.
The bronze Baldachin over the papal altar (1623–1634) and the colonnade around St Peter's Square with its statues (1656–1671). Technically outside Rome, in Vatican City.
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Blessed Ludovica Albertoni, San Francesco a Ripa
One of Bernini's last sculptures, in a Trastevere church.
Carved in 1671–1674 for the Altieri Chapel of San Francesco a Ripa, in Trastevere.
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Sant'Andrea al Quirinale
A small oval church: Bernini as architect.
Built to Bernini's design in 1658–1670, on Via del Quirinale.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see the most Bernini statues in Rome?
At the Borghese Gallery: Apollo and Daphne, David, The Rape of Proserpina, Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius and Truth Unveiled by Time are all in one building, on a timed two-hour ticket.
Which Bernini sculptures can I see for free?
His fountains are in public squares: the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, the Triton and the Bees in Piazza Barberini, and the Elephant and Obelisk in Piazza della Minerva. The Ponte Sant'Angelo angels (copies of the two Bernini carved) are on a public bridge.
Is a ticket needed for Bernini at the Borghese Gallery?
Yes. Booking is mandatory for every ticket, free ones included. The official ticket is €18 (€16 + €2 booking fee), about $20, and cannot be refunded.
What is a good Bernini walking route?
Start with a Borghese slot, walk about 1.4 km to Santa Maria della Vittoria for Saint Teresa, then about 600 m to the Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini, and about 1.7 km on to Piazza Navona. Distances are OpenStreetMap walking estimates.
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