 |
| Wayne in the Borghese Gardens |
We dedicated our day to the Borghese Gallery and Gardens. It was about an hour's walk up to the Pincio Hill where the Gardens sit overlooking the famous and popular Piazza Popolo. We had a 1pm entrance time and were allowed 2 hours in the galleries. This was so much better than a simple entry time, which we had for the Blake in London. Because there was not a mandated exit time at the Blake, it became so crowded one could hardly move. Here, it was a wide-opened look at the most beautiful works. Cardinal Scipione (Skippy from now on) was a major collector of art and sculpture, a patron of Bernini and an avid collector of Caravaggio. This collection is beyond fabulous. It contains three sculptures by Bernini that eclipse any other sculpture I've seen. And, I've seen Michelangelo's David. Bernini also completed a David who moves with the Baroque flourish of a man filled with rage. The Rape of Proserpine, and Apollo and Daphne are marvels of workmanship. The negative, open spaces and delicate forms achieved in the stone mystify comprehension. There is also a quite nice sculpture of Napoleon's sister, Pauline, by Canova. She is top-half naked reclining on a sofa. Asked during the posing if she was not uncomfortable posing that way, she replied, "No, it is quite warm with the stove." No photos are allowed in the gallery so I have downloaded these for viewing pleasure.
 |
| David |
 |
| Apollo and Daphne |
 |
The Rape of Proserpini
|
 |
| Pauline Bonapart |
No justice here with these photos, though. One must examine great sculpture in the round. We ended the day with a walk through a small part of the extensive gardens and found Wayne a nice fountain.
Everywhere are churches, big and small. We can't resist sticking our heads in all of them. Each and every one is a wonder to behold with unrestrained Baroque flourishes of marble, sculpture, paintings. We found the Chiesa San Marcello al Corso on the walk home.
Observations from a visitor: Shoppers bring there dogs with them to the supermarket. There are special carts with a space for the dogs to sit. The dogs are actually better behaved than some American's I've encountered.
