Roman Holiday

This is Santa Maria Maggiore as seen from the roof top garden of our hotel, an appropriate place to start our ten day excursion in Rome and Tuscany.

This basilica is the site of Bernini's tomb which says simply: " He decorated the city."

This was my first trip to Rome and hopefully it won't be my last. I feel we just scratched the surface. Following, is some of the art that I saw that impressed and inspired me.

Our first full day was spent visiting our neighboring Basilica.. so much bigger than it first appeared. Then the Roman Baths. Both sites were relatively uncrowded, so we were able to wander at will .

The Baths' courtyard's atrium had sculpture after sculpture, it's a vast site continually being excavated.

I was especially inspired by the clothed figurines called Tanagra and found a great description and link to an audio visual explanation from the Louvre: go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanagra_figurine

Here's another example

The National Museum of Rome is housed both here, at the Baths, and across the street.
It has beautiful modern exhibits showing frescoes and mosaics from ancient homes.

This fresco, featuring multiple flower, fruit and bird specimens is from the subterranean dining room of Augustus and Livia. It was designed to keep their guests cool during the heat of the summer.

Each display was laid out in rooms reproducing the size of the original and with mosaic floors both in situ or on the walls. Here are examples of my favorites.

The colors, sophistication and intricacy of the mosaics in particular, were astonishing.

I also loved the frescoes that were only partially saved.
This one was especially entrancing, with a mysterious view of horses and dolphins bounding through the waves.

The next day we went to the Vatican City and ran into the Pope. It was a terrific day, with representatives from Costa Rica and Africa dressed up for the occasion and waving their flags.

Also charming were the many brides celebrating their weddings and dragging their trains across the cobblestone square. We spent a lot of time enjoying the crowd before going into the Basilica.

Inside St Peters', besides the magnificent sculpture of the Pieta, were interesting portraits of the Popes.

There was beautiful light that people passed through while touring the space, creating a show of living sculpture.

Bernini did this fantastic sculpture, notice the hour glass.. he really is over the top...

After following the hoards through the museum and being overwhelmed by both the art and the crowds, we came out past a model of the Vatican. Joey asked where exactly the Pope lives and the guard pointed out the upper windows of the building on the right.

The following day we went to the Trevi fountain.

and the Spanish Steps.

There, I went into the little museum devoted to Keats and the Romantic Poets. They have a re-creation of what his room was like and multiple pictures of Byron, Shelly, Keats and his letters. His poetry was cut up and given in line segments to various friends and followers after his death. Keats had a third floor view out onto this wonderful scene.
If one were to suffer from TB and die at an early age.. this would be the place to go.

Our last day before Tuscany, we took a quick trip to see the basilica at Piaizza del Popolo. Another beautiful public space. The basilica had two Caravaggio's in an awkward niche.
The Conversion of St Paul

The Crucifixtion of St Peter

Truely stirring and wonderful pieces of art. You have to push a button to light them, the space is so dark.
Somehow it seemed appropriate to the power of the pieces and the lighting Caravaggio is so known for.

Next Blog: Tuscany