Barberini Palace and Gallery

So we walked from the Piazza del Populi

Walked down the Via del Corso, admiring the
pretty shops

Had lunch near Augustus' mausoleum

Crossed over some more swanky streets and then climbed
the Spanish Steps

And, at length, after more fountains under renovation, found
the Palazzo Barberini, a major national art museum

Dueling staircases: this one Bernini's

This one Boromini's

Boromini won

  

The Barberini has lots of paintings, mostly
by Bee-list painters, although there are a
couple Caravaggios and other biggies;
anyhow, the above is the Barberini's emblem
piece, so to speak, Raphael's Fornarina,
thought to be his mistress, Margherita Luti

Ceiling in the grand hall, thought to be the
largest frescoed ceiling in any non-religious
building

Lots of bees

Barberini Bees

Huge Domenichino Madonna con Bambino
with St. John the Evangelist and St. Petronius

And Corradini's nice La Velata; overall, we
gave the Barberini a B