Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, Courtyard
We have been passing the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj on occasion and peeking into the courtyard you see above which opens directly from the sidewalk. Today we finally entered. The collection dates from the 17th century and includes important works by Caravaggio and the Velazquez painting of Pope Innocent X who began the collection. To Wayne's delight there is also a Bernini bust of the Pope. Much like the Gardner Museum in Boston, the collection remains intact and in situ thanks to the Pope's entail. To me the star of the show, though, was the opulent palazzo. In need of attention with regard to the ravages of time, it still shines as an entirety of amazing ceilings, walls and floors.
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| Church of St Louis of the French |
There are so many similar looking baroque churches here that we have difficulty knowing if we've been inside. But today on the way back from Doria Pamphilj, we noticed this was a French church and had not been inside. What a find! Not only was the interior fabulous, there were three Caravaggio paintings in a chapel. A second church discovery was the Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola with an interesting trompe l'oeil painting in the dome.
The day ended on a high note with drinks on the roof of the Hotel Raphael. I will let the pictures tell the story at flickr.
Observations of two visitors.
Piazza Navona is beautiful anytime of day and never gets old.
Churches
Chiesa di Ignazio di Loyola
Church of St Louis of the French
