Doria Pamphilj

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.  

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

A Little Protest then a Little Night Music

Plinth of Pasquino

Today was one of easy strolling and revisiting favorite spots.  The Pantheon is one such spot, and it happens to be very close to Pasquino, the talking statue who currently is expounding upon Trump.  We prepared for a visit with our own complaint.  It read, DUMP TRUMP, Vote Blue No Matter Who, Dear World, We're sorry for this raging, lying fool.  People are constantly stopping and reading the postings.  We did our part to spread the disgust.  

Early evening we attended a concert at San Cecilia of Schubert's Winterreise performed by Sabrina Cortese, soprano, and Daniele Ruffino, pianoforte.  It was quite beautiful and well attended. Pictures of our sunny day at flickr.

Observations of two visitors.

     Glue stick will adhere paper to stone.  

      Folding plastic chairs on flagstone are unstable.  Ouch!

Churches

     San Cecilia, second visit

     Pantheon, second visit

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Via dei Fienaroli 

Above is a picture of the apartment and street where we have been staying.  As evident, the Cooking Class of Rome was truly next door. Our rooms are the first four windows on the first floor.  We've seen only a few other people who live here.  One very nice woman rang the bell to tell us we left our keys in the door.  Otherwise, it's quite for city living with soundproof windows.  

Via dell Arco di San Calisto

Around the corner is the street that leads under the arch and onto Piazza Calisto where people gather by the dozens every night to drink, chat and sometimes listen to street performers. It's a place of conviviality.  This piazza is small and adjacent to the much larger Piazza Sant'Maria. 

Jazz at Piazza Calisto

We hung around the neighborhood all day and tried to revisit some of the churches we like.  We managed to get into half.  A wedding and closures prevented entrance to the others.  So, we stopped in the Piazza Santa Maria for an aperitif of both Jewish and Roman prepared artichokes.  It was decided that the Jewish preparation (fried) is preferred over the Roman (steamed).  

This evening we employed our cooking class lesson and made spaghetti carbonara.  Considering our limited space and utensils, the results were very good.  Pictures of the neighborhood are at flickr. 

Observations of two visitors.

    Always say no to the bread and water offers at restaurants. They ain't free.

    

Churches

     Sant'Cecilia

     Basilica San Crisogono

    

     

Janiculum Hill

Selfie at Fontana Paolo, Janiculum Hill

The Janiculum Hill is in Trastevere outside the boundaries of the ancient city, and not one of the preverbal seven hills.  But it still deserves recognition and visiting because it is the second tallest of all the hills and offers a scenic view of central Rome.  Janiculum is where Garibaldi battled the French during the struggle to defend the short lived Roman Republic of 1849.  There are many monuments to Garibaldi and the fallen soldiers.  One of them, commissioned by Mussolini, has a facist appearance but beautiful gold mosaics in the crypt. Andrea, the guide at the Mausoleum, was very friendly and chatty. He spent a great deal of time discussing Italian history and Janiculum Hill. 

Fontana dell'Acqua Paola

Other than the views, the Fontana dell'Acqua Paola was the highlight.  It was built in 1612 by Pope Paul V to mark the end of the rebuilt Acqua Traiana aqueduct and provide clean water to the residents of the hill. The sculptural theme is water.  

To fortify ourselves for the march up Janiculum Hill, we had our daily stuffing of pasta at Mani in Pasta, another highly recommended spot. The atmosphere was one of busy hustle, tight elbow to elbow tables.  Our waiter was a riot. We told him we would like a dish seen on the table next to us.  So he said, "This dish?"  Grabbed it and tried to serve us.  Everyone took it in stride.  This restaurant is know for its fish so we had vongole and spaghetti.  Pictures at flickr.

Observations of Two Visitors

     Young people will sit on the most dangerous precarious ledges.

      The Italian people are very friendly and nice.

      Garibaldi and Anna Maria, a love story.

Fountains

     Fontana del Prigione

     Fontana  dell'Aqua Paola

      

Aventine Hill Where the Views are Magnifica

View of Rome from the Aventine Hill

The Aventine Hill has a more residential feel than the other hills we've visited.  The 'pines of Rome' are everywhere here, shading large homes of architectural interest.  There are significant churches (where are there not???) and gardens over looking the Tiber and greater Rome.  The Basilica of Santa Sabina was the most interesting church.  It was built upon the ancient Temple of Juno. One of the original columns from the temple can be seen in an excavated area of the church. Santa Sabina is a rest for the eyes after so many Baroque churches.  It follows the simple basilica design drawn out by Constantine in his efforts to begin to serve as a basis for the new Christian churches.  The only existing mosaic tomb cover is here.  

Line for the Key Hole

The beauty of the hill for us was the panoramic view of Rome center, the Tiber and Trastevere.  Many people come here to capture a perfect view of St Peter's Basilica through a key hole in the door of the Priory of the Knights of Malta.  The line was long and looked to take about an hour to reach the key hole.  We opted out and found excellent views elsewhere at the Orange Garden of Santa Sabina and the Garden of Sant'Alessio.  

Felice Testaccio

Early today we had a very nice lunch at Felice Testaccio.  Several sources recommended this restaurant for the best Cacio e Pepe in Rome.  I had it; Wayne had spaghetti carbonara.  I actually preferred his dish because the meat and egg gave it more oomph.  Testaccio sits at the base of the Aventine Hill.  It was once the area of Tiber River trade and a working class neighborhood.  Today, it still has a bohemian vibe and is known for some of the best restaurants.  Panoramic pics at flickr.

Observations of two visitors.

    A 30 degree climb can be worth it for the view.

    People, like sheep, will follow the flock, ie, the keyhole line.

Churches

    Basilica of Santa Sabina

    Sant'Anselmo

Fountains

    Fontana of Santa Sabina

Bernini's Favorite Spot

Sant'Andrea della Quirinale 

Today was a lot of street sight-seeing and some good pizza.  We started with lunch at Dar Poeta, a pizza parlour recommended by many sources as the best pizza in Trastevere.  We had about a 10 minute wait for a packed restaurant.  The parlour is named after the poet, G.G. Belli, and one of his poems is written on the wall. Dar Poeta translates "At the Poet's". They offer a leavened pizza as well as another pretty full menu.  What we've noticed with Roman pizza in general is that the tomato sauce we are so accustomed to in the US is a rarity.  To get a piquant taste one needs to order a spicy sausage topping.  If you ask for a red pizza you get tomato slices baked in.  

Castor and Pollux at Piazza Quirinale

The Piazza Quirinale, near our destination, has a nice fountain with Castor and Pollux and their horses.  It is also where the Italian President lives.  Guardie! Guardie!

The Sant'Andrea della Quirinale is a small church designed by Bernini.  We have learned that it was his favorite creation.  He would go there and sit for hours contemplating his design.  It is a simple oval with acres of marble and soaring dome upon dome.  We were lucky enough to hear a visiting group of teenagers sing.  We think they were from Detroit based on their gear.  

The other church nearby, a Borromini and Bernini's supposed rival, was unfortunately closed.   Sant'Andrea sits in a tight space on the intersection of 2 roads and is considered a masterpiece of Baroque architecture.  All four corners sport fountains.  Borromini designed St Agnes in Agone in Piazza Navona.  A fun legend has it that Bernini designed his fountain of Four Rivers which faces St Agnes so that two of his allegorical in figures that face the church express horror.  It's not true but fun to consider.

Almost home, I finally walked down into the Cat Sanctuary at the Torre Argentina.  The subterranean area is a refuge for rescued abandoned cats.  Pictures at Flickr

Observations of two visitors.
     Walking in Rome is a contact sport.
      Sometimes the way from one road to another entails beaucoup stairs.  And they are       always up.

Churches
     Sant'Andrea al Quirinale
     San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
    

Marble, Marble Everywhere

Wayne Outside the Baths of Diocletian

It was a full day of walking and visiting three museums and one church.  We've gotten better at realizing the proximity of places we wish to visit and clumping them within one trek.  The three museums are part of the National Museums of Rome.  Saturday's visit of Altemps was the first visit of the four museums.  

Our day started with the Crypt Balbi which stands on the ruins of the the Theater of Balbus.  The ruins are visible deep down inside the museum.  This area of Rome along the Tiber is known as the Field of Mars where military exercises took place (even today the military will use this term for the area where drills and parades are conducted). Fires, floods and earthquakes eventually did in the theater.

From here we returned to the Piazzo Republica where the Baths of Diocletian can be visited.  These were the largest imperial baths in Rome covering some 32 acres.  Most Romans tried to bathe daily not only for cleanliness but as a means of socializing.  It's hard to imagine the original structure from the ruins.  But what clearly remains is Michelangelo's cloister where expressive face sculptures hang over the doors.  In the center of the cloister is a fountain surrounded by four cypresses. It is said that Michelangelo planted these.  

The final museum, Palazzo Massimo is across the street from the Baths.  Wayne was excited to see Boxer at Rest.  Unfortunately, it was under restoration, could be seen but not appreciated.  The Discobolus was there and made up for the Boxer's hospitalization. It is in the most perfect condition of all the Roman copies.

Boxer at Rest, Palazzo Massimo

I found this the best museum of the day.  The frescos and mosaics were captivating and in excellent condition,  The best frescos were from the villa of Livia, wife of Caesar Augustus and mother of subsequent rulers including Nero.  Look her up,  She's pretty savvy, pretty nasty, too.

The Basilica of St. Peter's Chains was on our way home.  This is where Michelangelo's Moses is (and also the chains).  I didn't realize until the visit that this sculpture is only a small part of a tomb planned for Pope Julius II. The initial design was massive and intended for the Basilica of St Peter.  A lot of pictures and some music videos are at flickr.

Observations of two visitors

    62 steps from one museum floor to another is too much for a 70 year old.  

    3 floor of 62 steps each can be a killer.

    Walking in Rome is a contact sport.

    

Churches

    St Peter's in Chains

  

Fountains

    Fontana of the Naiads (2nd time)

Mangia, Bevi, e Sposati

Rome Cooking Class

Today we walked all of three steps to our next door neighbor, the Cooking Classes in Rome.  Here we spent the next four hours getting to know our fellow 'chefs'.  We chopped, we de-boned, we sautéed, we fried, we whipped, we cracked eggs, we made pasta and pizza dough, we ate, we drank.  We learned how to use netting to hold our de-boned, stuffed chicken together.  The carbonara and stuffed chicken were the BEST.  For those of you who might find yourselves in Rome and want a cooking class, I recommend the Rome Cooking Class with Andrea.

Pictures at flickr.

Observations of two visitors.

     Everyone likes to eat.

     Not everyone likes to cook.

     Most people are nice and curious.

     

Suicidal Gauls and Talking Statues

Palazzo Altemps

The Palazzo Altemps is one of three locations for the National Museums of Rome.  These museums are a great deal more user friendly with English labels and explanations of provenance than the private palazzos. This site houses a collection of Greek and Roman sculpture that belonged to several families of the Roman nobility between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The works are on display in beautiful rooms decorated with frescoes on the walls and ceilings. Each room as only a few pieces giving the eye time to appreciate and not wander. The Altemps is a Renaissance work of art in itself with a chapel within the palace itself. Of course, Altemps was a Cardinal.  Those guys!!!  This has been one of my favorite spots, particularly the two pieces The Ludovisi Sarcophagus and the Galation Suicide.   Speculation is that the Galatian Suicide was part of a group that included the Dying Gaul now at the Borghese Gallery.  

Pasquino, the Talking Statue

On our way home we came across the sculpture of Pasquino.  This is one of six sculptures or fountains around Rome that are called talking statues because of the tradition of attaching anonymous criticism to the form. On Pasquino we noticed a number of criticisms that had the heading TRUMP.  I forwarded the script to our apartment manager with a request for translation.  She translated a few words and then said, "basically it is a poetic form of throwing shit on Trump."  We plan to return and throw our own "shit posting" on Trump.  

With some time remaining in our day, we tried to make it to the Santa Maria en Cosmedian where one can find The Mouth of Truth.  Our plan was to re-enact the scene from Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.  With about 5 minutes to spare before closing, we arrived at the church to find a waiting line of about 50 people.  So...a quick picture through the gate sufficed.  

Another beautiful sunset from the Ponte Cestio, Tiber Island ended another perfect day.  See all of it at flickr.

Observations of Two Visitors
  There are some in Rome who disparage Trump as much as we.
  Sunsets never get old.
   Popular sites are not always worth the wait.

Fountains
    Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (again)
   Fontana Tritoni

Barberinis and Berninis

Ecstasy of Beata Ludovica Alberton by Bernini

Our day started in church, the Chiesa di San Francesco a Ripa Grande, which was a block from our apartment.  Somehow we missed this very impressive Franciscan church which has the Bernini sculpture of Ludovica Alberton.  Ludovica is buried here, was beatified for her work with the poor, and had the capability to elevate herself while apparently in a state of ecstasy.  We found this sculpture to be very similar to Bernini's Ecstasy of St Teresa in the facial features and the breast grabbing.  I'm envious of the Romans who can simply walk into any of the hundreds of churches and contemplate upon all this amazing art.  

Fontana del Api by Bernini

The majority of our time today was spent in the Palazzo Barberini, the companion to the Palazzo Corsini. The Barberini houses the main national collection of older paintings in Rome. The collection includes works by Caravaggio, Lippi, and yes, Bernini among others.  The Barberini were one of those ruling families that commanded Pope and Cardinal positions.  They were a very wealthy minor noble family who made their money in Florence in the grain, wool and textiles. Their influence is easy to spot due to their iconic symbol of three bees. The palazzo faces the Barberini Piazza where we had earlier seen the Fontana of the Tritone.  We walk down to the piazza to see a small Bernini fountain we had missed, the Fontana del Api.  You got it.  The Fountain of the Bees.  This fountain was incidentally added to reduce the water pressure of the Fontana Tritone which was soaking people who walked passed. 

M5S Protestors

We had a nice waiter for our lunch who explained with great facial expression about all the street protestors we had encountered. Members of Italy's Five Star Movement (M5S) were protesting the Senate's proposed restoration of annuities for former senators. The M5S is a what we would describe as progressive yet holds to an anti-immigrant stance.  

More pics at Flickr

Observations of two visitors.

    Surprisingly few cats are around.

    Some galleries are better organized that others.

Fontains

    Fontana del Api

    Fontana del Tritones (again)

    Trevi Fontana

Churches

    Chiesa di San Francisco

The Mysterious Etruscans

Sarcophagus of the Spouses

I love the Etruscans for many reasons, but particularly because of the gender equality in their society.  Women engaged and participated in Etruscan life equally with the men,  Unlike the Greeks and Romans of this period who would not allow the women to even eat with them, the Etruscans reveled in partnership with each other,  This sarcophagus is a strong example of that. It represents the husband and wife of equal proportions attending a banquet, reclining on a kline (dining couch).  Very little is known about the Etruscans as none of their own literature or histories survive.  The buildings were made mostly of wood and, thus, have been lost.  What did remain are the extensive necropolises built to replicate Etruscan rooms and filled with artifacts and replicas of their daily lives.  The National Etruscan Museum has room after room of the excavated artifacts from the necropolises.  Etruscans traded with the Greeks whose beautiful vases can be seen here along side the Etruscan terra cotta and bronze pieces.  

Today's walk took us to the Piazza Popolo again and then through the north portal onto the Via Flaminia, once the ancient road to the Adriatic Sea. Along the way we saw a few minor fountains.  See all this at Flickr. 

Observations from two visitors.
   No matter your age, females can opt for bright red or orange hair.
   Great lunches can be found in the most unexpected places.  

Fountains
   Fontana delle Conche
   2 Nameless
  

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum

We let the professionals take over today.  Talk Walks Tours was recommended by Rick Steves, and turned out to be a good decision.  The tours are small (10 people today) and allows one to skip all the long entry lines.  Our guide, Elena, was very well informed and pointed out history and structural aspects we would have probably missed.  The tour included the Colosseum (upper and lower levels), the Palatine Hill and a look at the Roman Forum.  We got a complete description of how the Colosseum was constructed, the original appearance and the functions.  Elena continued to impress upon us that this was a place of death. Events were sponsored by the wealthy and powerful in order to appease the middle classes and the poor, "Bread and Circus".  Sound familiar? Over the nearly 400 years of use, it is estimated that 400,000 people and about 1,000,000 animals died here.  During Titus inaugural 100 days alone more than 2000 gladiators died.  And, the people loved this.  Wow!

The steep climb up the Palatine Hill was well worth the effort.  Here, where Romulus founded Rome, are the remains of the wealthy rulers' villas and the Gardens of Farnese.  The Hill offers an expansive view of the Forum and the surrounding area and is where Elena pointed out significant buildings.  She left us here, and we walked down into the Forum area for a leisurely walk and viewing.  We were impressed with the Temple of the Vestal Virgins and Caesar's cremation site.  Surprisingly, the Forum is a very small area amongst all the larger ruins of temples and shops of the area.  Our exit took us under the Via dei Fori Imperiali and into Trajan's Forum.

At Elena's suggestion we had a late lunch at Ai Bozzi in Trastavere.  The outside belied an elegant interior where we had delicious beef carpaccio and polio.  Pictures worthy of a travel log at flickr.  

Observations of two visitors.
   The Roman Forum is really just a tiny rectangular area amongst all the ruins.

    

An Angel's Eye View

Atop Castel Sant'Angelo

Here we are atop what was once the tallest building in Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo.  In the background you can see all along the right bank of the Tiber with St Peter's Basilica dominating the skyline.  Initially, Hadrian (he of the wall) commissioned this as a mausoleum for himself and his family.  And, indeed his ashes were here until the Visigoths played havoc with the place.  But time passed, the Popes took it over and converted it into a castle in order to protect themselves from invaders. They built a covered fortified passage from the Castle to the Vatican.  If you're familiar with Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, you will recognize this passage as playing a key role.  There is a beautiful bridge built by Hadrian and now adorned with marble angels that leads to the Castle.  Finally, the structure was used as a prison where some pretty famous people resided, Benvenuto Cellini among them.  Today it is a museum empty of most contents. 

Earlier in the day we toured the art gallery of the Palazzo Corsini which holds mainly Italian art from the early Renaissance to the late 18th century.  It's small but associated with the Palazzo Barberini Gallery which we will visit later.  

Beautiful views at flickr.

Observations of two visitors.

   Winter in Rome is like spring in Massachusetts

   Street Sweepers will always win the automobile right of way.
   Jazz musicians playing on the Ponte Sisto are icing on the cake.

A Good Walk Ending in a Good Aperitivo

Via Luciano Manara

Today we explored our neighbor and surrounding areas in Trastevere.  Trastevere literally means beyond the Tiber.  The earliest settlement here was the Etruscans while regal Rome was across the Tiber. By the time of the Republic, Trastevere had become part of Rome.  It was a center for a Jewish community and fishermen.  During the Imperial period the prominent Romans began to move here and build villas.  Gentrification has been around a long time.  Today Trastevere continues to maintain its character of narrow winding cobblestoned streets lined by ancient houses.  It's fun and challenging to share these narrow ways with automobiles.  Pedestrians really do rule here.  Graffiti is everywhere, but once accustomed to it, it seems to belong.  It has some of the best restaurants in Rome.  At night the people gather in the piazzas to drink, laugh and listen to music all in a friendly, safe environment.

Our walk took us pass two American universities, John Cabot and The American University, which helps explain the many English speaking young Americans we see here.  We walked further on along the Tiber to find the Palazzo Corsini, one of the late Baroque Villas built here.  We will return tomorrow to check out the art collection.

Poet Trilussa Monument

On our way back we discovered a monument to the poet Trilussa, an anagram of his surname, Carlo Alberto Salustri.  He was quite the character preferring to hang out in the streets and taverns rather than with the literary circles  He has his own piazza and fountain at the foot of the Sisto Bridge. 

Aperol Spritz at Grazie and Graziella

We ended our night with aperitivo, better know to us as happy hour.  It begins around 6pm and is meant to enhance your appetite with light fare accompanying the drinks, and prepare you for the 9pm dinner.  Needless to say we had our aperitif but also calamari and pizza which we called dinner.  I had the traditional Aperol Spritz which is concocted from Aperol, Prosecco, club soda and slices of fresh orange.  The Aperol gives the drink bitter notes.  

A further look at Trastevere at Flickr.

Observations of two visitors.

    There are a lot of beggars at the popular spots, some very aggressive, 

     

Fountains

    Fontana dell'Acqua Paola in Piazza Trilussa, aka Fontana di Ponte Sisto 

Dying Gauls and Fried Artichokes

In the Nave of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

We returned to the Campidoglio today to visit the museums.  It was a cloudy, misty day and perfect for indoor activity.  The line was very short and the galleries practically empty.  February really is a good month to avoid the crowds.  The two museums are connected by an underground passage that holds many artifacts. We used the passage to visit both buildings. There are a few paintings here, but mostly sculptures from antiquity.  In fact, many sculptures are called The Capitoline ....." as in The Capitoline She-Wolf.

The Capitoline She-Wolf

My favorites were The Dying Gaul and Venus.  Also liked for the sheer magnitude was a very empty large room completely covered in frescos.  It seemed a life time's work.  

Next door to the Campidiglio is the Basilica Santa Maria Ara Coeli where we saw the tomb of Cecchino dei Bracci, Michelangelo's lover.  Michelangelo designed the tomb and wrote love poems to Bracci.  Some 20 years ago when we were here our plan was to attend Christmas Eve midnight Mass in this church.  Like the best laid plans, we failed to keep that date.  So, it was nice to be there at last.  Also here is the Santo Bambino, a wooden carving of a standing baby Jesus said to be miraculous.  He is associated with healing the sick, particularly children who write thank you notes that surround the icon.  I walked around the church twice and never found the little bambino.  

Courtesy Wikipedia

Thinking it was not too far, we headed off to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. 30 minutes and 2 major hills later we found her.  And she is major indeed!  It is truly Roman in design without a hint of the Baroque. This church displays 5th century mosaics in wonderful condition.  The arch and the nave have some of the oldest representations of Mary in Christian antiquity. St Jerome is buried here in a crypt beneath the high altar.  

We had dinner tonight at Nonna Betta's, recommended in many guides we've consulted.  They are praised for the Jewish artichoke.  Artichokes are in season now, and this was our 3rd try. The critics were correct; they are the best.  Nonna Betta's is a kosher restaurant located in the Jewish quarter.  In the quarter are cobblestones capped in bronze and installed outside the last residence of victims of the Holocaust. Each plaque is detailed with the victim's first/last name, birth date, date and place of deportation, and date of death in a Nazi extermination camp.

See our day at Flickr 

Observations of two visitors
    Speeding cars and motorcycles really will stop if you are in a crosswalk.  

Churches
    Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara Coeli al Campidoglio 
    Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore