Borghese Gallery |
Capitoline Museum |
Villa Farnesina |
Apollo and Daphne. Credit: salvadorfornell via photopin cc |
Marcus Aurelius. Credit: profzucker via photopin cc |
Villa Farnesina. Photo credit: Roma Opera Omnia via photopin cc |
Start this amazing tour at the Galleria Borghese, the queen of private collections in Europe, in the heart of Rome's most beautiful park. This remarkable collection, contains some of the most beautiful paintings and sculptures of the world, by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, Bernini and Canova. Many of these sculptures are displayed in the spaces they were intended for, including early works commissioned to Gian Lorenzo Bernini by his first patron Scipione Borghese. Napoleon Bonaparte's sister Pauline married into the Borghese family and Antonio Canova's half-nude reclining portrait of her as Venus Victrix takes pride of place in one of the galleries. A famously controversial woman in her lifetime, when asked how she could pose for the sculptor wearing so little, she reputedly replied that there was a stove in the studio that kept her warm.
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Musei Capitolini constitute the oldest public collection in the world and offer a great number of ancient statues. The collections are housed in 3 different palaces which are flanking the gracious square piazza del Campidoglio projected by Michelangelo in 1530s for the Pope Paul III.
The hospitable rooms have an atmosphere all their own and are rarely over crowded. A new pavilion displays the original bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius which survived to the destruction of middle Ages because it was believed to represent the Christian emperor Constantine. Masterpieces of the museums are the famous She wolf, symbol of Rome , the Colossal seated statue of Constantine the great, the Dying Gaul, the Wounded Amazon and an interesting Picture Gallery. The tunnel, which connects the two buildings of the Museums has a breathtaking and unique view over the Roman Forum. |
This graceful Renaissance villa was the suburban residence of Agostino Chigi, a rich bank man which commissioned the decorations of this Villa to the most talented artists of his era: Raphael, Sodoma, Sebastiano del Piombo, Baldassarre Peruzzi. Actually he was a very rich and eccentric man and here he used to entertain Popes, cardinals, ambassadors, famous writers and artists with his sumptuous dinners.
In one of these happenings, as a demonstration of his richness and extravagance the golden plates used during the meal were thrown into the river Tiber after every course. In any case there was a net at the bottom to retrieve them afterwards. The most beautiful rooms were painted by Raphael who was also inspired by his love for a woman which lived in the area. The Villa is located in one of the most charming district of Rome, Trastevere, which keeps his medieval appearance. |