My Best Days in Rome

I can never get enough of this magnificent place! So much to see and so much to capture! I?m trying hard to store so many beautiful sights in the files of my brain, as well as taking photos of those special moments when the sun is setting over the ancient terracotta rooves, with St. Peter?s on the horizon, and there are birds circling at dusk, and always those Botticelli type faces in the crowd, young boys and girls seemingly straight out of a Caravaggio painting with dark luminous eyes framed by dark curls!

A young 17 to 18-year-old girl such as this, sat at the table next to me at a little caffe alla rustica in the Centro Storico, talking to her friend. They were chatting about their studies and teenage life in general, but it was this girl?s face and hair that had me transfixed! A perfect Madonna, with dark almond-shaped eyes and long dark lashes, and her hair was cut in a mid-length bob, a mass of messy curls framing exquisite olive skin, pink lips perfectly shaped, and a smile that was warm and genuine.

I could imagine her in front of Botticelli draped in a stunning gown of silk and taffeta!

Although I tried to keep my glances from embarrassing her, she noticed my interest and gave me a gorgeous smile! I was really wishing I could ask her if I could steal a photo, but the urge subsided when they stood and started to walk away. As they departed, she turned and politely bade me farewell with ?Arrivaderci Signora.?  Surely she read my mind!

During the past 6 weeks, I?ve explored Rome as never before, and although I?ve been to most of the well-visited tourist spots in Rome; the Colosseum, The Roman Forum, Victor Emmanuel 11 Monument, Via Veneto, Campo de? Fiori, Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, Castel Sant?Angelo and of course the magnificent Vatican Museum with it?s Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo and exquisite St. Peter?s with all of its glorious treasures, mosaics, sculptures, in particular Michelangelo?s ?Pieta? which literally takes one?s breath away, however, apart from all of these wonderful places steeped in history and oozing in ambiance and culture, during this time in Rome I have been given the opportunity to take a little more time to explore and discover magical places that are not as well – known to the average tourist.

I really am truly blessed to have this leisurely time here in the Eternal City.

I am staying close to the Vatican, and spend a lot of time walking and speaking with the local ?Romani? which gives one great insight into the Roman way of life.

Some of my favourite special places I would like to share with my friends are….

1. The Ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, Terme di Caracalla, are spectacular, especially when visited late afternoon with the golden glow of the setting sun. One can imagine the scene in Roman times, up to 1,600 people bathing here at any one time. One can imagine the debauchery amongst all the nudity, spas, and bathhouses! The gardens and pine trees surrounding the ruins really set a beautiful scene and especially for that ?photo opportunity. Viale delle Terme di Caracalla ? near Circo Maximus Metro

On a sunny Sunday morning- The Palazzo d?Este in Tivoli. On the last Sunday in March, Edda decided it was about time she was taken for a day out! She thought a drive out to Tivoli to show me the grand Villa D?Este would be a great idea. So off we went the three of us, Edda, her 78-year-old husband Girolamo, and me.  On the way, as we whizzed by familiar spots, Girolamo amazed me with his driving skills, speeding along, twisting and turning as a young 20 yr old might do, and at the same time pointing out places of interest from his youth.

We arrived in Tivoli an hour or so later, and from the moment we entered Villa?d?ESTE and the magnificent gardens and fountains that never cease to amaze adoring visitors, I was transported into a world of horticultural bliss, flowering plants, and shrubs, manicured hedges, and heavenly perfumes wafting in the air. This is well worth the drive, especially on a lovely sunny day, particularly late afternoon.

Best Museum- Museo Nazionale Romano If you love Roman history, this is the place to visit! The National Museum is spread over a few Palazzos? in Rome. One that I loved, in particular, was the Palazzo Massimo near Roma Termini. (Rome?s Central Railway Station.) Here you can see the most treasured of archeological finds, and many exquisite statues including the sensual reclining statue of The Sleeping Hermaphrodite, a copy of the Greek original from the 2nd century BC. A beautiful piece of work, an exquisite study of a naked woman reclining. From the back she is perfectly sensual and divine in feminine shape and form, yet walk around to the front and you’ll be surprised to find male testicles between her perfect thighs! (Something the Romans perceived as a joke perhaps?)

Best ceiling ? Apart from the Sistine Chapel – Palazzo Barberini, Located above the metro of the same name in Via delle Quattro Fontane. Here in the Palazzo?s large hall is one of the most beautifully decorated ceilings in Rome. Comfy lounges have been strategically placed, allowing drooling visitors to recline, and study the glorious work called the ?Triumph of the Divine Providence? by Cortona.

Palazzo Barberini is the home of the National Gallery of Ancient Art and some of the most treasured pieces include La Fornarina by Raphael, Christ and the Adultress by Tintoretto, Narcissist and Judith Decapitating Holofernus by my beloved Caravaggio. Outside, in Piazza Barberini is Bernini?s water fountain, ?Fontana di Trifona,? designed and built in 1643.

Best Street ? Via Margutta Just off Via del Corso, a short distance from Piazza del Popolo, is one of the most magical spots in Rome. As the visiting crowds (a nicer expression rather than ?tourists?) plough their way up and down Via del Corso, they have little idea that very close by is an ancient street exuding ambiance.

This was originally the street where many artists lived and worked in days gone by, but as rentals increased they were forced to move out, and many of their dwellings are now home to many superb galleries and interior designers, vine-covered walls, and many interesting objects d? arte.

Best Paintings- Caravaggio ? I am totally in love with Caravaggio and decided to do a ‘Caravaggio Crawl? visiting a list of  21 of his works of art. I was determined! I had the time and I was on a mission!

Born Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio on 29^th September 1571, he was known as the bad boy of the Renaissance years, roaming around the country, Milan, Rome, Florence, Sicily, and Malta, getting into numerous brawls and well-known as a womanizer, yet he produced some of the most incredible works of art with dramatic use of light, influencing the Baroque School of Painting. In 1606, one of his arguments led to the death of a young man and he fled from Rome with a price on his head. Much later, in 1610, he was on his way back to the Vatican to receive a pardon, when he died of a fever on the beach at Porto Ercole near Grosseto in Tuscany.

By 6.00 pm my legs were telling me it was time to head for home, so I made my way up past the Croatian Church, San Girolamo dei Croati near the Ponte Cavour on the corner of Porta di Ripetta and turned down Via Tomacelli towards Piazza di Spagna, along Via Condotti and marvelled at the sight of the Spanish Steps in front of me, now filled with springtime tubs of flowering bougainvillea, and azaleas?what a pretty picture! The usual throngs of mostly young people tend to meet late afternoon/early evening, lolling about, friends chatting, young lovers caressing, chestnuts roasting, and as I stood there taking it all in, I happened to glance upwards and noticed the garden rooftops were so decorative in pure Italian design. Terracotta pots, shaped in different sizes, potted Mediterranean varieties, lemons, olives, and smaller pots of aloe and the spiky type ferns, way up there against a backdrop of a perfect late afternoon Roman sky, with colourful displays of bougainvillea and framed by the ochres and rusty coloured buildings….all that is definitely Italian!

Saturday 25 April ? Today is a holiday in Italy, to commemorate the forming of the Republic. As in Australia and NZ (today being Anzac Day,) those who fought and died for their country are remembered, at the time of Liberation, and all who have died in the various wars since then.

Galleria Borghese– I took the metro to Piazza del Popolo and walked through the Villa Borghese gardens to Galleria Borghese where some of the most famous pieces of art can be seen in this country and indeed in the whole world.

??.that gallery which resembles the Theatre of the Universe, the Collection of Wonders, and the Longing of the Human Gaze? Scipone Francucci., the man of letters, in his short poem of 1613 described for the first time the collection of paintings, and antique sculptures that belonged to Cardinal Scipone, nephew of Pope Paul V 1605-1621, housed at Villa Borghese. What a Collection! The wealth and opulence of the period overwhelms the senses!

The many world-famous sculptures by Bernini, the stunning reclining statue of Paola Bonaparte (sister of Napolean married to a Borghese) by Antonio Canova, and the art of Caravaggio, Rubens, Raphael, Domenichino, Titian, and 100?s of others.

I will never forget this day, it was so special to be surrounded by so much beauty and so many pieces and not knowing where to look, in fear of missing something precious.

As I departed a few hours later, I walked through the gardens along Via Belle Arti towards the National Gallery of Modern Art but was stopped in my tracks when I happened to glance at one of the many informative signs around the gardens of Villa Borghese. It was a poem by Filippo Bettini, written in Italian and then by Predrag Matvejevi? in Croatian.

Villa Borghese (Croatian version by Predrag Matejevic) Samoca nema vlastita doma,Na nekim mjestima manje je sama,Unaokolo rastu cempressi,Udoh prvoga dana i ugledah stari kip,Oci su me njegove pratile,Na provatku, Drugoga dana docekao me pogled mlade zene, Uklesan u kamenu, Ostali smo dugo jedno kraj drugoga, Dolazio sam iz dana u dan, Vracao sam se s njihovim ocima i pogledom, U Villa Borghese ostavijao sam samocu.

Borhgese by Filippo Bettini.Non ha vera patria la solitudine, E meno sola in certi lunghi, Cipressi spuntano intorno, Vi arriverai il I suoi occhi mi accompagnamo, Per tutto il ritorno, Il secondo giorno mi accolse, uno sguardo di donna scolpito in pietra, restammo a lungo l?una a fianca dell?altro, Andavo li giorno dopo giorno Me ne tornavo in compagnia dei loro occhi, E del loro sguardo, Lasciave la mia solitudine, A Villa Borghese.

This day was so delightful, the warmth of the sun through the trees, dappled sunlight, and many people out walking, and younger people all sitting in circles in the grass, laughing, talking, and enjoying their youth. Bikes parked against a tree and lovers lying side by side watching the clouds above while he, stroked her face. What bliss!

As I walked through the gardens, the sights were never-ending!.

A present from the city of Moscow, a seated Aleksander Puskin (1799-1837) with an inscription:?Chi cienon ce la terra dove il cielo, Risplende di ineffabile azurro…..? Italia, terra incantata, Contrada di elevate inspirazione?

Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri on Sunday 26^th April 2009 Mass at 10.00am. This morning?s mass was followed by a concert of baroque music. Il  Maestro di Cappella, Osvaldo Guidotti was outstanding. A youngish man, late 30s or early 40s perhaps, dressed conservatively in a suit and tie, with hair tied back, and obviously a master of the organ which in this case was massive, reaching to the decorative ceiling of the Basilica. As he played, his whole body moved with the music, arms at times outstretched, legs and feet working the ?pedals? below, and at the end, jumping up and bowing to the applause!

The details of the concert are below: Concerta 11.20am Organista Osvaldo Guidotti  Titolare dell?organo della basilica Program- Barocca

EugenioTironi ? Tempo di Marcia Solenne

F. Couperin(1688-1733 ?Ttierce enTaille

J.S.Bach- (1685-1750) ?Toccata in re- ?Dorica?

 Leaving the Basilica, I stopped for a moment to try to make a bit of a plan for the rest of the day. It was definitely time for a bite to eat?but it would have to be on the run, something al bar (standing at the bar)

Thoughts of seeing some more of Caravaggio were high on my priority list, so off I went, marching down Via Nazionale towards Piazza Venezia. I knew that the Capitolini Museum at the Campidoglio was home to another couple of great pieces, but on the way popped into another favourite coffee bar where the service is always great and the coffee superb, and as usual, I was greeted with a smile. After two glasses of iced water, served with slices of lemon, my toasted pannini arrived filled with grilled melanzane and bocconcini. It was simple yet delicious, and the coffee just hit the spot!

Directly across the road is the Fori Imperiali and the Mercati di Traiano (The Museums of the Imperial Roman Forum) and so, since it was on my way, I had an instant urge to go and explore, especially since this week is Culture Week in Rome and all the Museums and exhibitions are free of charge.

WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE!

Excavations have been going on continuously here since the 1800s and more and more is being discovered and displayed in the original Roman setting of the Forum.

This is just down the road from the Colosseum, and across the road, behind the majestic Victor Emmanuelle memorial and the Campidoglio which is where I was heading.

I could have stayed much longer in this place of rustic stone archways, tunnels, stairways, perfectly bricked windows, and doorways, but Caravaggio was calling!

I arrived at the Campidoglio and made for the gallery of Il Capitolino, which dates back to 1471 when it was donated to the people of Rome by Pope Sixtus 1V.

I was getting excited, Caravaggio was about to appear again! Would I recognise his work from a distance among so many stunning pieces by so many famous Renaissance artists such as Guido Reni, Guercino, Pietro da Cortona, and Romanelli? Would they stand out as they always seem to do?

OF COURSE, THEY DID! There they were, placed side by side. Buon Ventura (Good Luck) and San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist) It was so hard to turn and go, but I can come again I guess, it doesn?t have to be the first and last time!

On the floor above, was the exhibition of Fra Angelico, Beato Angelico, and L?Alba Del Rinascimento.

His Birth name was Guido di Piero in Vicchio, born in the Mugello area N.E. of Florence. I had never heard of him but was so pleased that I had the opportunity to see these incredibly wonderful works of art, which to me seemed very modern in style given the fact he represented the late Middle ages to the Early Renaissance. Some pieces were almost in the modern Na?ve Style He studied art in Florence then around 1420 he joined the Domenican order and became known as Fra Angelico.

 The exhibition included pieces on loan from Florence, Zagreb, Dresden, Leipzig and Houston.