Checking a purse at the Borghese Gallery

Regarding security, what's the difference between a locker and a manned deposit with restricted access? If one was less secure you'd see tons of bad reviews on TripAdvisor.

Anyway, from the English version of the official site: https://www.tosc.it/en/artist/galleria-borghese/galleria-borghese-2253937/

CLOAKROOM:
The cloakroom is located inside the Museum.
Visitors must deposit objects such as bags, knapsacks, prams, trolleys, umbrellas, selfie sticks, and others whose degree of dangerousness or encumbrance will be judged by our security personnel. In addition, it is forbidden to enter the Museum with food, beverages (including water), or animals (with the exception of guide dogs).

As you can read the deposit is inside the building, any thief should get unnoticed past the staff to reach your bag.

I don't see how a bag check with attendants is less secure. I had no trouble checking my bag there.

EDITED TO ADD:
I probably didn't worry too much because I don't keep the important stuff in my cross body bag. I always use a leg wallet when traveling.

I dithered over this issue. I wound up taking my small cross body that I wear under y sweater on the plane so I could keep my money and cards with me. I also had on my money belt with my passport and other documents that need to stay secure. When I was there in October the line for the bag check was about 10 people long.

Do you have any kind of small purse you take with you on the plane that you can tuck into your regular bigger purse you want for your full day? That way you can take your valuables with you.

I had to check my purse there just a few days ago. There was no problem other than remembering the items I wanted to remove from it to carry into the museum--my museum ticket, external battery, charging cable and some tissues. I don't know how I'd have managed if I hadn't had pockets. My smartphone was on a lanyard around my neck, so there was no risk of forgetting that.

I was there in December and it was fine. I kept my wallet/passport, etc. and they checked my bag and umbrella. There's staff behind a counter and they put your stuff in a bigger bag and onto a conveyer belt thingy and it goes out the back somewhere.

Dario--you make a very good point--if there was thievery going on, there would definitely be bad reviews.

Pam--I think that's going to be my plan, just bring a smaller purse to tuck in my bigger one. I don't like the idea of handing over things like my phone, passport, cards & cash, and as acraven says, I'd need too many pockets!

Geeky as it seemed as a 65 year old grandma, I used a waist pak as a cross body purse all over Costa Rica earlier this month. I loved the small size and hands free. I have use small and medium cross body purses for decades, but having the pak so close to my body and not swinging around was so much more comfortable. I would suggest that tucked into your checked purse for the museum use. Wear it around the waist, or fashionably across the body.

We had zero concerns checking our day bags at the Borghese. My husband did take his wallet with him, and I have a pouch pinned under my waistband that contains my daily cash and a credit card. This is a highly esteemed attraction, and if thefts were a common issue then the complaint would have shown up on umpty review sites.

Be assured that your bag will be fine; take with you whatever cash/cards/passport/phone is allowed and makes you comfortable.

The checked items are hung on a rotating conveyor device, like you might see at a dry cleaner’s. They give you a plastic tag with a number that corresponds with the hanger, and you hand the tag back to reclaim your item.

I checked a small backpack there last September. It disappeared way in the back, dark recess in the basement (entry) level, and no humans seem to go in that space. With passport, credit cards, and most cash stashed in a moneybelt I was wearing, the water bottle, jacket, and guidebooks in the backpack weren’t a concern - just a mandatory check at the Borghese.

My daughter and I both checked bags and on that day it was crazy busy. I wondered myself how safe it was but I did not really think about it before leaving our apartment that morning. So, We both had valuables and my daughter had a very expensive camera. When it came time to pick up there were lines and the area was really congested. They had difficulty finding our bags with our claim tickets. They actually tried to give my daughter someone else's bag. Finally, we were given the correct bags. In hindsight given how busy it was. I would have only taken in something I could hide under my clothes like a previous poster did. Just to say time and worry.

In General it's not a good idea to be carrying a big purse around Italy, you need something you can keep close to your body and plan on never putting down, not even to eat. Seriously consider taking a medium size cross body, I can't imagine a need for anything bigger.
The security for bags at the Borghese seemed adequate with no access my the general public, but then you have to trust the workers. I was able to take my cross body in and my husband had to check his sling pack, but removed his valuables, so just his water, sunscreen, jacket and other small replaceable stuff like that was checked in.
Side note: If you get an audio guide they will require an ID to be left for collateral, I gave them my California Drivers license as I would never leave my passport.

Newnona--that's exactly my concern, as I tend to be a worrier--that my item will get lost or mixed up.

Letizia--my regular bag is going to be a medium size Travelon crossbody-- I find I need things throughout the day. I will just plan on having my truly valuable things in a smaller pouch or on my body. Good tip about having ID for the audio guide, I always bring my driver's license for such occasions.

My wife had a similar experience to @newnona when she went to retrieve her bag. It was scary, as she had essential items in there. But I must commend the staff, because the guards went well out of their way to hunt the bag down. They ultimately found it, and nothing was missing. And there was great rejoicing (yay).

Please give my regards to Bernini's Apollo & Daphne - one of my favorite works of art on the planet.

Christa- My cross body bag is a medium size Fossil and I was not asked to check it in, so your bag sounds fine. Of course any employee can deem it to big and ask you to check it.

It was my fault that I did not do the research as to having to check bags. But, yes they did come through in the end. My daughters camera was easily worth $1500.00 and that bag wasn't even the problem, It was her purse/bag. Again, the bottom line to me in the future would be to not have to check anything. A little too unorganized for my comfort. But, the Borghese was fabulous, especially with a private guide.