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Once upon a time Gods were infuriated by the pride of the Romans and all its visitors who thought that if they had Rome for themselves they had everything . They sent storms over to punish those who were too haughty. The storms were announced by whispering winds that frightened away those who had ears to hear their song.
That is how I was speared of the hounded skies of Rome, hiding away in the Tivoli Gardens. That is one way to put it. The other story would be that the Erasmus Union has organised for us a guided trip there right in time for a storm to hit the capital. I don't know about you but I much prefer the first option.
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Once upon a time in a far away land there lived a powerful noble family, Ludovisi, Legend as it that the four corners of the word have heard of the beauty of their Roman gardens during the 17th and the 18th century. Like any respected Roman family, Ludovisi were avid collectors of art, Ancient and contemporary.
Unfortunately their "ever after" ended by the 19th century, when the financial crisis of the family obliged them to fragment their lands and sell those plots(This is actually the reason why layout of the Cartiere Ludivisi is so uneven) All the plots were sold except for one that become the dumping ground of the quarter. The modern art gallery in Rome was one of those unexpected surprises. Back in the UK we were constantly threatened that the art scene here is absent. It is true that Rome is known for its Renaissance, Baroque and Classic art, but the city is blossoming with international contemporary art . A traditional place to see modern and contemporary art would be the Galleria Nazionale d Arte Moderna e Contemporanea. the name and the outline of the institution might seem scary(especially after visiting a couple of the grandiose churches and domes). From the outside one could probably expect some heavy walls full of golden decorations and frescoes with some traditional art that could only be called modern because it was done after 1900. Well. the space was the first surprise. the gallery is huge. the tall walls allow the installation of ambitious projects inside the space. The rooms would recall the environment of a white cube space, without implementing a feeling of hygienic coldness and opaque distance. The curation of art pieces was an open dialogue with the public. There was no particular concept repeated in all the rooms tat was, in my opinion, the secret of the success of the whole gallery: the artworks were mixed together inside each room. There was no room exhibiting only sculptures from a certain historical period or certain artist. instead, they were spread and mixed in a perfect harmony. The rooms were never too crowded, nor too heavy or imbalanced. The fact that mediums, artists and practices were fluently intertwined expanded the space and made the gallery attractive for anyone. I honestly don't think there could be anyone walking around the gallery and not finding at least one piece to like in each room. I am still taken aback by the curatorial talent of mixing completely different styles in such a harmonious way, without sacrificing some artists or artworks in favor of others. The history of the Ancient Roman World is absolutely fascinating for me. It has been so for quite a long, thanks to my very passionate mother. Somehow, as she was telling me the Olympian stories and Ovid's Metamorphoses and showing me pictures of a typical Roman Domus, stories became facts, and fairy-tales became books. This new world (and my mom's passions) lured me into liking learning Latin.
Coming to Rome was a bit like going to the Holy Land for me. And Ara Pacis was a place somwehere between (hi)story and reality Galleria Borghese...
Where should I start? It is one of those places that everyone is talking about "YOU MUST SEE IT" in an almost violent or an overexcited way. I should start with YOU MUST SEE IT The Villa belonged to Scipione Borghese a guy who really liked his Art. He was an important patron, supporting artists like Bernini and Caravaggio. He also had a good eye for artworks and when he did like a piece he would do anything to have it. Also the fact that his uncle was a Pope helped. You didn't want to sell your painting to Scipione? By the next day you were imprisoned and the only way to get out would be to offer a couple of your artworks to nice Scipione who would make sure you get safe home and your work gets safe to his home. Was there a nice painting in a Church? if Scipione liked it, it was not in the church anymore, but in his modest collection. The word Nepotism comes from the flavors Pope Paul V would do for his dear nephew. In order to visit the Gallery it is best to book in advance. Visitors are allowed inside the villa for 2 h and in groups depending on the booked period. In my opinion 2 h are far from enough, however, the gallery is quite abundant and tiring. It is totally worth paying for a recorded guide. You know when there is a huge festival in town and you die to see who is singing, searching for your idol among the list of names? Well... I do the same, but it s not music, it is visual arts, and it is not contemporary, nope, it goes back a couple of centuries ago. I cannot say that I visited the Barberini Palace for Caravaggio exclusively, however, it was a good reason to go there. After all, come on, it's Caravaggio! |
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