If you are walking from the apartment towards the Trevi Fountain, you pass Palazzo Carpegna, home of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca. We had not been there for some years. So we recently returned for a special opening as part of Open House Roma, an annual event that we greatly appreciate.

Palazzo Carpegna was built in the 17th century, and from the outside it looks like a very traditional building. But inside, there is the unexpected stroke of genius left by my favorite architect, Borromini.

Our visit started with the palazzo’s pretty little courtyard, filled with sculpture. The courtyard is marginally visible from the side street through a thicket of gate-climbing vines.

We moved on to the star of the show — the Borromini doorway. It’s an elaborate, strange, highly decorative doorway, as only the great Borromini could devise..

A laurel and flower festoon is draped between the capitals, which, together with the upper ornamentation creates an oval shape reminiscent of his work at San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and elsewhere. The decoration is weird, unexpected, untraditional, and tremendous.

The festoon, however, is gorgeous. It feels organic and heavy, as if with ripe fruit that is about to burst open.

After visiting the portico, courtyard, and doorway, we headed all the way up the stairs to the art gallery.

Another lovely visit to one of Rome’s many hidden treasures. And it’s so close by!