Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica - Palazzo Barberini

This guide to Palazzo Barberini in Rome traces how a Tuscan cardinal, Maffeo Barberini, became Pope Urban VIII in 1623 and turned this hillside into Rome's grandest private palace. It follows the rival architects Bernini and Borromini, each given a staircase to design in his own style, and the seven years Pietro da Cortona spent painting the great salon's ceiling. You'll spot the family's coat of arms along the way: three golden bees, escorted toward heaven above your head.