Museo Carlo Bilotti

This small museum of modern art is housed in a palazzo that was bought by Scipione Borghese in 1616 and used as a resting place during hunts. Damaged by French cannon fire in 1849, it was then variously used as a storehouse for oranges, a religious institute and city offices; it opened as a gallery in 2006 to house the superlative collection of billionaire tycoon Carlo Bilotti. The De Chirico paintings and sculptures that form the nucleus of the 22 works in the permanent collection (first floor) perhaps influenced Bilotti to choose Rome as the city in which to display them (De Chirico spent much of his life in Rome, and died here in 1978.) Also on the first floor, an entire room is devoted to the Bilotti family: the highlights are a Larry Rivers portrait of Signor Bilotti posing before a Dubuffet canvas, and a poignant 1981 Warhol portrait of Bilotti’s wife and daughter. A wall of photographs capture the family schmoozing with various high-profile figures on the contemporary art scene. The ground floor hosts temporary art exhibitions.