 | Rome Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 5647 |  |
Best known, of course, is the Lupa Capitolina or She-wolf (Why is there no specific English word for a female wolf like in other languages!?). This famous Etruscan bronze statue (room VII Palazzo dei Conservatori) of the emblem of Roma goes back as far as the 6th c. BC. The twin brothers Romulus and Remus were added during the Renaissance period.
A most beautiful statue is that of the Spinario: "Boy removing thorn from foot". Certainly one of the most gracious statues of all times, it is probably an original Greek work of the 1st c. BC. (room VI). In the same room, I very much liked the bust of consul Junius Brutus dating from the 3rd c. BC. (nothing to do with the Brutus who killed J. Caesar). Have you seen the expression of the eyes!
I also admired a bronze statue of a horse of the 5th c. BC which is being restored. What a perfection! |
If the basilica is so sumptuous, and this since the 4th c., it is by no doubt because the Apostle Paul, in fact the number two of the Church, is buried here.
It was under Nero, around 64, that the decapitated Apostle Paul - he had this privilege being a Roman citizen - was buried along the Via Ostiense leading to the port of Ostia.
According to the uses in Rome people were buried along the roads leaving the city; the best known example to-day being the tombs along the Via Appia Antica.
Presently the shrine of St Paul is located at the junction of the nave and transept under the "ciborium". The pilgrims go down there by a double staircase. The tomb of the Apostle Paul is hidden behind a grid under a marble flagstone from the 4th c.
A reproduction of this marble flagstone is visible with the details in the small museum which is next to the sacristy.
The stone on which is written “PAULO APOSTOLIMART” is about 2,10 x 1,30 m and placed 4,50 m above the actual sarcophagus of the Saint. The largest hole in the stone is used to descend a censer in the tomb. By the other two smaller holes pilgrims would introduce objects in the tomb which were then kept for worship.
Interesting are also the wooden statues from the 14th c. which decorate the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament on the left of the apse. |
 | |  |
If the outside of this church, located at less than 200 m of Piazza Venezia is sober, the interior by its exuberant decoration is astonishing. Here everything is luxury: gold, silver, bronze, polychrome marble.
You might think that after having visited San Pietro, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovani in Laterano you have seen the best but that is not true until you have visited the Chiesa del Gesù. This is the principal church of the Society of Jesus.
Its construction was started on the initiative of St Ignacio de Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, in 1575. The baroque decoration extended over 17th c. with the frescos from Baciccia and the famous altar of St Ignacio de Loyola carried out by Andrea Pozzo (left part of the transept). It faces the chapel of St François Xavier realized by Pietro da Cortona.
This church is a work of the Counter-Reformation. Its decoration affirms the conclusions of the council of Trente, the fight of the Roman Church against the Turks and the Protestants.
The church is unfortunately very dark but the introduction of one Euro in some switches makes it possible to light some parts of the church.
The Chiesa del Gesù is becoming more and more a success with the tourists. Be attentive at the opening hours. The Gesù is closed in the afternoon.
Open: 7 - 12.30 h and 16 - 19.45 h. Address: Piazza del Gesù at the end of Via del Plebiscito.Directions: Close to Piazza Venezia.Website: www.chiesadelgesu.org |
| | |
If you are an amateur of ancient sculptures you will find here very fine pieces coming mainly from private collections belonging to high-ranking churchmen and noble Roman families.
Among the marble statues I did admire is the very famous "Galata Morente" (Room VIII, Palazzo Nuovo). The English translation of "dying Gaul" is confusing because the Galates were Celtics living in Asia Minor (far away from the "Galli" Gaul's of the present France). The statue is a copy of a bronze statue from the school of Pergamo (3-2nd c. BC) it is one of the most beautiful pieces of the antic art.
In the large room VI of the same Palazzo Nuovo are five masterpieces of black marble among which the "Old Centaur" and the "Young Centaur" of an extraordinary technique are my preferred. They were found at the Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli as well as another highlight of the museum, the red marble statue of a "Faun".
But these are just a few among many good statues. I also liked that elegant statue of Hygeia and the portrait in marble of a lady with an imposing wave hairdressing which was typical for the family of the Severi Emperors. |
| | |
If you have only time to visit one museum in Rome I advise you this one.
You will not be waiting in a long line as with the museum of the Vatican and you will see very famous pieces of the Antique art. Moreover the site of the museum is one of most beautiful of Rome.
In fact there are 3 museums on Piazza Campidoglio. They are called "Musei Capitolini" and belong to the city of Rome. The sole entry is on the right by the “Palazzo dei Consevatori”. Here on two floors and about thirty rooms is the main part of the collections. The most outstanding artefacts are statues of bronze or marble of the ancient Rome. Most known are “the She-wolf”, “the Spinario” and the equestrian statue of Marc-Aurelius.
By an underground gallery the visitors reach, after a right turn, the arcades of the antique “Tabularium”, located under the "Palazzo dei Senatorio" and present town hall, from where one has imposing sights on the Foro Romano and the Palatine hill.
By this same underground the visitors join, on the other side of the Piazza Campidoglio the “Palazzo Nuovo” which comprises a dozen rooms with statues of which most known are the “Faun” and “the dying Gaul”.
The exit of the Capitoline Museums is by this palace.
The collections of statues and archaeological artefacts of the “Musei Capitolini” were made up as from 1471 by the Popes and Roman important families like the Horti and the Castellani. The Pinacotheca, art gallery of the second floor was founded by Pope Benoit XIV in the 18th century. There is also a cabinet of currencies and medals.
Open: 9 - 20 h, closed on Monday.
Price: 6,50 €, reduced 4,50 €, free for EU citizens less than 18 y. or more than 65 years.
Nice cafeteria with terrace on the 2nd floor. |
| | |
In this Palazzo from Cardinal Altemps, from the late Renaissance, is on display an important collection of antique sculptures belonging to the "Museo Nationale Romano".
The Museo Nationale Romano Altemps is located about 100 m north of the Piazza Navona.
The most famous part of the collection was given by the family Boncompagni Ludovisi.
The sculptures belong to the Hellenistic, Roman republican and imperial periods as well as from the baroque periods.
The amateurs of antique sculptures will be interested by the explanations (Italian and English) about the restoration work on these sculptures which most often reached us in pieces and were also often Roman copies of Greek sculptures.
This museum shows also Egyptian statues as the cult of Isis was practised in Roma.
The most striking statue is that of the Galate committing suicide with his sword after having killed his wife to avoid her falling in hands of the enemy.
There is also a beautiful statue of the Aphrodite (Venus) of the temple on the Greek island Cnidos. The original, work of Praxiteles, of this nude figure seeking to cover herself was very popular in the Greek and Roman world. Many copies exist of the original.
A very famous Roman sarcophagus with Battle Scene modelled from a single block of marble is shown in this museum. All details of Roman weapons and uniforms are very well preserved.
When visiting the Piazza Navona it is worthwhile to visit (1 hour) this museum. As the ticket is combined with the Museum of Palazzo Massimo (near Termini station) it is good choice if you are an amateur of Greek and Roman art.
Open 9 - 19.45 h. Closed on Monday.
Price. Combined ticket for Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Terme di Diocleziano, valid during 3 days: 7 €, reduced 3,50 €, free for EU citizens less than 18 or more than 65 years old. |
| | |
It seems to me that it is vain trying to describe here a place like the Forum when a well-known guide such as the “Michelin Rome” devotes ten tight pages to it!
Best thing to do is to walk around, look in all directions, stop here and there to consult the guide book to find out to what corresponds such section of wall, such columns or ruin. I call that "humer l'air antique" sniff the air of the antic Rome.
My favoured walk starts on the height of the Capitole, then descends the staircases towards Via Sacra and joins the Coliseum. The return is even more spectacular with its superb sights on the Capitol with the back of the Vittoriano monument.
What strikes the visitor is the cluttering of this forum by all sorts of constructions. Already during the five centuries of the Roman Republic this place overflowed of administrative, legal, commercial and religious buildings. From this period not much remains.
It is under the Empire that the Forum fills up with temples, basilica, and triumphal arches dedicated to the emperors of which we see now some vestiges. This glorious period stops with the barbarian invasions of the beginning of 5th c. after J-C.
Rome becomes then the city of the Popes and the imperial buildings are transformed into churches. From the 9th century on the buildings on the forum start to collapse or are stripped off their ancient ornaments. The deserted forum becomes a sewage farm and cows feed on the meadows. During the 16th century the old forum is used as career for the construction of other buildings, of which the St-Peter Basilica!
Finally towards 1800 start systematic excavations by Carlo Fea who are continued during two centuries. It is only in the 20th century that the topography of the heart of ancient Rome is reconstituted such as the tourist discovers it today.
TICKETS FOR THE FORO ROMANO + COLLOSSEO + PALATINO at 9 € (full price) have now to be bought at the ticket offices (biglietterie) largo Salara Vecchia or Via di S. Gregorio 30.
Reduced price: 4,50 € for EU citizens between 18 and 24 years.
Free for EU citizens under 18 or more than 65 years.
Open all days from 08.30 till 1 hour before sunset.
From 25/03 - 31/08 that is 19.00 h; in September 19.00 h; October 18.30 h; 28/10 - 15/02 16.30 h; 16/02 - 15/03 17.00 h.
It is certainly sad for those who used to pass here each day but it was not very logical to make people pay for the Palatine or Trajan market and not for the most important monumental area of Rome. |
| | |
No doubt the Vatican museum is one of the major multidepartment museums in the world but if you stay only a few days in Rome is it worthwhile to line up for nearly two hours to get in and fight your way through the crowd inside?
A VT friend asked me why after visiting and commenting six Roman museums I kept silent about the Vatican museum (except showing the 2008 opening hours)?
Well, my wife and I visited this museum around 1995. We waited 45 minutes in the rain, were very happy to get inside where it was dry but when we came out both of us felt somewhat disappointed. We had expected more!
The crowd in the Sistine chapel had spoiled our pleasure and what we saw in the other parts was not extraordinary; we had seen similar works of art elsewhere under better conditions.
Let me give you some examples about parts of the Vatican museum of which similar art works can be seen elsewhere without losing your time in long lines:
1° Greek and Roman antiquities. You can see works of art as good in quality at the Museo Capitolino and Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps (without lines).
2° Pinacotheca. Religious subjects by great Italian painters are very common in Italy. No need to line up during two hours to see some.
3° Stanze (rooms) of Raphael. Yes this are great works of art. Now if your interest for frescoes is a general one, not specific to Raphael, there are many other frescoes to be seen in Rome. If you came for the frescoes of Raphael you have to line up.
The "masterpiece", "chef-d'oeuvre", "capolavoro" of the Vatican is the Sistine Chapel for which there is no substitute. Therefore, at least once in our life, we line up in the rain or in the sun for 1 - 2 hours or pay a lot of money for a group visit.
I would certainly visit again the chapel if some Monsignor would take me here on a private visit. As the probability for such favour is zero I read a good illustrated guide on the frescoes of Michelangelo. Something I would recommend to all visitors because the frescoes are at 20 m height, so that the details are not much visible.
If it is your first visit to Rome, your only visit, you can not escape the lines. My photo shows the 500 m line starting at the Piazza del Risorgimento.
Many good tips (Lacristina, Icunme a.o.) have been given here how to reduce somewhat the waiting.
Bon courage. |
| | |
No tradition existed in Rome in the Middle Ages which associated the martyrs in any way with the Coliseum. It was only in the 17th c. that this amphitheatre came to be regarded as a scene of early Christian heroism.
It were pious personages like Carlo Tomassi and several popes (Clement X, Benedict XIV) who first closed the exterior arcades and made the Coliseum become a sanctuary.
It is a fact that when the Coliseum stood in grave danger of demolition it was saved by the pious belief which placed it in the category of monuments of the early Martyrs.
But are there real historical grounds for regarding it so?
In the Catholic Church the specialists of the acts of the Saints and Martyrs are the Bollandists, they are Jesuits and have strong links with Belgium where they started and continue their hagiographical work.
According to father H. Delehaye, a famous Bollandist, it is probable that some of the Christians were killed by wild beasts in the Coliseum but there is just as much reason to suppose that they met their death in one of the other places dedicated to the cruel amusements of imperial Rome: the Circus Flaminius, the Stadium of Domitian, etc.
Little attention was paid by the Christians of the first age to the actual place of a martyr's sufferings so that historical evidence is inconclusive. |
| | |
On a rainy winter day I took the opportunity to visit this major basilica which I had not seen during my previous stays in Rome. I knew that the basilica of St Paul had been entirely rebuilt after the fire of 1823, and thus expected to see a somewhat banal remake, during the 19th century, of the original church. I was mistaken and much amazed when I discovered this architectural wonder.
I entered by the large transept at the Via Ostensie and already in this part of the Basilica I got lost in admiration looking up at the coffered ceiling with his blazons of the popes.
When I arrived in the middle of the transept I could discover in the darkness the immense nave divided into five aisles by 80 imposing monolithic columns made of granite.
The Basilica of Saint-Paul is imposing by the force of its proportions and the relative simplicity of its decoration. It preserved the plans of a Roman Empire basilica since it was built on order of the emperor Constantine in the 4th century.
The frontage is preceded by a large atrium surrounded by colonnades. This part dates from the 20th C. Works are going on so that the frontage is only partially visible from Viale di San Paolo.
The cloister, on the right of the transept, is remarkable by the elegance of the small columns of various forms decorated with pieces of marble and gildings.
Open 7 - 18 h. Free entrance. Address: Via Ostiense 190Directions: The Basilica is at only 200 m from the metro B station "Basilica S. Paolo". |
| | |
|
 |
 |
Search Hotels
Find the best room rates |
|
 |
|
on January 31, 2008
