ROME – A special program to celebrate St Valentine’s Day is running at the Borghese Gallery, with artwork themed around love and daily guided tours to tell their stories.

 From Saturday to Saturday over the Valentine’s week, the first floor of the gallery is packed with paintings that represent various aspects of loving sentiments and erotic desire. There are depictions of Venus and other deities, legends and fairy tales, as well as portraits of loved ones and stories of tormented souls who have lost or been denied love.

 Every day at 5 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. the museum leads a guided tour, in Italian, to explain the love stories contained in the masterpieces, from the overwhelming passion between Venus and Adonis to the deceptions of love devised by Jupiter, to Titian's mystical wedding allegories. Upon exiting, visitors traverse ‘the lovers walkway,’ a tunnel of flowers for a romantic goodbye.

 The Gallery is also hosting a competition during the special week. To take part, visitors can publish a photo taken inside the museum and tag @galleriaborgheseufficiale with the hashtag #borgheseinlove. The images will be shared on the Borghese social media channels and the most beautiful will be rewarded with ‘an indulgent surprise.’

 Tickets can be reserved on the Borghese Gallery website.

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