Collecting antiques: the Spada family and their legacy

To mark European Archaeology Days 2026, the Galleria Spada is offering a guided tour in in English focusing on its collection of antiquitities.

Less well-known than the famous collection of Baroque paintings, the Spada family’s collection of antiquities is itself highly representative of the cultural dynamics of a 17th-century family. The tour will focus on the history of the collection’s formation and the various characteristics of the works.

It will highlight the history of the Spada family within the context of the 17th-century Roman art market, when private collections were also influenced by chance discoveries and reconstructive restorations commissioned by antiquarians, which were also aimed at artistic study and practice.
The tour, lasting approximately one hour, will conclude in the Secret Garden, where visitors can admire Francesco Borromini’s Perspective Gallery, a masterpiece of mathematical calculation and art.

Booking is required via email at galleriaspada@artem.org or by telephone on 06 6832409 (closed on Tuesdays).