10 rooms in southern wing used to display permanent collection.

Palazzo Barberini in Rome, home to Italy's national gallery of ancient art, has rearranged its collection in the 10 rooms which opened to the public in the palace's southern wing last year.

The new rooms on the first floor were unveiled in May 2018 after museum management came to an agreement with the Italian military's officers club which had occupied the space for decades.

The 10 restored rooms were used initially to display the exhibition Eco e Narciso, a series of portraits and self-portraits from the Palazzo Barberini collection alongside contemporary works from Rome's MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo.

The 750sqm-exhibition space overlooking the palace gardens has now become a permanent part of the museum itinerary, displaying 78 works from its priceless collection, illuminated by a new lighting system.

The rooms house paintings ranging from Neapolitan 17th-century works to 18th-century masterpieces, with portraits and landscapes by Grand Tour painters.

Also on display are recently-restored works such as Judith and Holofernes by Francesco Furini, the monumental paintings of the Apostles by Carlo Maratti, and landscapes by Van Wittel.

Photo Alberto Novelli