Galleria Alberto Sordi (Colonna Gallery)
Galleria Alberto Sordi — known until 2003 as Galleria Colonna — is a glass-roofed shopping arcade in the heart of Rome, situated on Via del Corso near Piazza Colonna. Built between 1914 and 1922 to a design by Dario Carbone and partially restored after wartime damage, it was renamed in honour of beloved Roman actor Alberto Sordi following his death in 2003. The arcade combines Liberty-era ironwork and vaulted skylights with a selection of Italian retail and dining establishments.
At a glance
- Type
- Covered shopping arcade (galleria commerciale)
- Period
- Constructed 1914–1922; restored after 1943 bombing damage; renamed 2003
- Style
- Italian Liberty (Art Nouveau); glass and iron vaulted gallery
- Location
- Via del Corso / Piazza Colonna, Rome, Lazio, Italy
- Coordinates
- 41.9010° N, 12.4808° E
Overview
The Galleria Alberto Sordi occupies a prime position on Via del Corso, one of Rome’s main shopping streets, directly adjacent to Piazza Colonna where the Column of Marcus Aurelius stands. Its bright glass-and-iron vault creates a luminous interior passage linking Via del Corso with Via della Colonna, offering visitors shelter from the sun and rain. Today the arcade houses boutiques, bookshops, a cinema multiplex and several cafés popular with both Romans and tourists.
History
The project to build a modern covered arcade on the site of an earlier palazzo was commissioned in the early twentieth century and completed by architect Dario Carbone between 1914 and 1922. Allied bombing in 1943 caused significant structural damage; the gallery was rebuilt and partially redesigned in the post-war decades. In 2003, following the death of Roman actor Alberto Sordi on 24 February of that year, the City of Rome voted to rename the arcade in his memory — a tribute to one of the city’s most celebrated cinema personalities.
What you see
The gallery’s defining feature is its arched iron-and-glass skylight, which floods the central corridor with natural light and reflects off the pale travertine floor below. The two-storey facade on Via del Corso displays pilastered bays and large display windows typical of the Italian Liberty commercial style. Halfway through the arcade, a small photographic exhibition of Alberto Sordi’s film career is often displayed near the central atrium, connecting the space to its cinematic identity.
Cultural significance
The gallery is a rare survivor of Rome’s early twentieth-century urban modernisation plans, most of which were interrupted or modified by the Fascist regime’s preference for monumental Romanesque revival. Its renaming in honour of Alberto Sordi — the actor who embodied the post-war Roman popolano in countless films — gives the arcade a living connection to Italian cinema history. The space also functions as a public foyer and occasional venue for cultural events hosted by the nearby institutions of Palazzo Chigi.
Practical information
- Address
- Via del Corso 307, 00186 Rome, Italy
- Opening hours
- Generally open daily; individual shops vary — check the official website for current hours
- Admission
- Free entry to the arcade; individual shops and cinema have their own admission fees
- Website
- Check official website for event programming and shop directory
Getting there
The nearest metro station is Spagna (Line A), about a 10-minute walk north along Via del Corso. Bus lines stopping on Via del Corso or Largo Chigi include numerous city centre routes. On foot from the Trevi Fountain, the gallery is approximately 5 minutes west; from Piazza Venezia, about 7 minutes north on Via del Corso.