Visiting Palazzo Colonna: the two mornings a week it opens
The operator’s own sentence
The Colonna publish it in capitals, reproduced here because the capitals are part of what it tells you: “OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS, EVEN ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS”.It does not. What closes it is Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and every afternoon of the week.
Plan around the opening mornings: there is no ticket desk keeping half-hours, no summer extension, no late opening. Eight hours a week, so it pays to book one of them.
What is open when
| Day | Hours | How you see it | Door |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 9:15–13:15 | Self-guided, or with a guide | Via della Pilotta, 17 |
| Friday | Mornings, by reservation | Guided tour at a set time | Piazza SS. Apostoli, 66 |
| Any other day, or any afternoon | — | Private booking only | — |
The two mornings are not the same visit and the difference is bigger than the clock. Friday or Saturday works through it properly.
The Friday tours, and the languages they run in
Friday is by reservation and the free guided tours run at fixed times. The operator lists them by language, and Italian gets the most of them, which is worth knowing before you assume an English slot will be there.
| Language | Friday start times |
|---|---|
| Italian | 9:30, 10:00 and 10:30 |
| English | 9:30 and 10:00 |
| French | 10:30 |
Reserve a Friday morning directly with the palace rather than assuming. The number is +39 06 6784350 and the address is [email protected]. English slots are limited, so book early.
Which door, and the accessible entrance
Two entrances on two sides of one building, and the day decides which. Friday is Piazza SS. Apostoli, 66. Saturday is Via della Pilotta, 17. The operator also names an entrance for visitors with mobility difficulties, and that is Piazza SS. Apostoli, 66. Getting there has the walk from the Trevi Fountain and from Piazza Venezia.
The audioguide, and who narrates it
It costs about five euros on top of either Saturday ticket, and it does not come as a handset: it arrives as a QR code and plays on your own phone, which means no queue for a device and no deposit. Six languages are live — Italian, English, French, Spanish, German and Russian — with Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese announced as coming. The full tariff, audioguide included, is on the tickets page, where the figures sit in a table.
A reviewer called Graeme wrote of it: “interesting audio by a family member very personal”. That is a lovely detail and it may well be right. It is a lovely impression from one visitor. If you want it confirmed, ask at the desk on the morning.
Book the admission
This is the flagship listing on the platform: admission, no guide, and the Princess Isabelle apartments sitting behind an option rather than inside the price. The widget shows live prices.
Before you go
- Friday or Saturday — different hours, different door, different ticket, different guiding.
- Tickets — the operator’s published tariff beside the platform’s.
- What to see, in order — the operator’s own route through the eight named rooms.
- Getting there — which door, on which day.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Palazzo Colonna?
Yes, on Friday and Saturday mornings. Saturday runs 9:15 to 13:15 and can be done self-guided or with a guide; Friday is guided tours by reservation. Any other day or afternoon is private booking only.
What are Palazzo Colonna’s opening hours?
The operator publishes “open to the public on Friday and Saturday mornings, even on public holidays”. Saturday is 9:15–13:15. Friday mornings are by reservation, with guided tours at 9:30, 10:00 and 10:30.
What languages is the Palazzo Colonna audioguide in?
Six: Italian, English, French, Spanish, German and Russian, with Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese announced as coming. It costs about five euros and is delivered by QR code to your own phone.