ROME, ITALY: CAPITOLINE MUSEUMS, CACIO E PEPE, ROMA AT NIGHT

ROME, ITALY: CAPITOLINE MUSEUMS, CACIO E PEPE, ROMA AT NIGHT

This is the second half of Day 1 of 6 days we spent in Rome this past March 2018. Part 1 of this day if you haven’t read it. This part has a lot of art at the Capitoline Museums (reliving my art history class days) and includes dinner and drinks in Trastevere.

So! The first part left off as we were leaving the Roman Forum.

We headed directly to the Capitoline Museum cafe for an afternoon pick me up.

Panini and latte

The cafe has a nice view of the city too.

Took in the views before heading back down and around to the admissions desk.

As we were getting our tickets, another older American couple was there asking for new ipads with audio tour because the battery ran out. The admissions person was confused, and it turned out they were in there for FOUR HOURS listening to every audio stop. What were we in for?

Here we go!

This is one of the first things you see when you enter. In my last part in the Roman Forum, the largest basilica building there used to have this huge sculpture of Constantine. Here is what is left! Pretty amazing. Imagine how big and grand it would have felt in that space.

So the Capitoline Museums are three buildings that house art and archaeological finds. The museum was opened to the public in 1734 by Clement XII and is considered the first museum in the world where all visitors could come enjoy art. The buildings themselves are works of art, two worked on by Michelangelo.

Wowowow

*Enhance*

Frescos and popes

Boy with Thorn! Hellenistic bronze sculpture of a boy pulling a thorn from the bottom of his foot.

The Capitoline Wolf! Plus baby Romulus and Remus

Weird to learn about the Capitoline Wolf in art history class and see it IRL.

Medusaaaa

I remember seeing a cult statue of Artemis when I visited Ephesus, Turkey in 2011. Here’s a copy!

Ouch

Students at work

This exact sculpture visited the Getty in 2012! My coworker Steve made this video about its installation. SO nuts to see it here.

There’s just something I love about students sketching on the floors all around the room.

Spiral staircase by some excavations

Tiny treasures

Snakes and sculptures and bronzes oh my

Might be St. Sebastian? The eerieness of the sculpture was amplified by the red marble and lighting for sure.

The Getty Villa also has a sarcophagus with faces missing. I imagine shopping for my own sarcophagus in Ancient Rome and picking out a nice one and then asking for a custom face. But it’d be me on both of the bodies.

Love

A man and his dog

In the land of medieval paintings now

I’ve never seen like…graphite or something added on top of a layer of paint

A touch rendering available for folks with vision impairments. You can “see” the paintings by feeling the lines and depth.

Mary Magdalene looking like an Instagram model

Zach for scale

Same but different

There was an underground tunnel you could walk through to connect to another building that overlooked the Roman Forum.

So beautiful to catch this view at sunset

Entered the other building to walk through briskly, it was almost dark already.

River god potentially?

Hairy fawn

Tiny egyptian gallery

Ouch, don’t play with swords.

Boy with Swan

Not chocolate

Emperors. Philosophers. Zach.

I’ll leave it with this incredible pose.

Back down Michelangelo’s steps

So beautiful!

Past ruins in the dark

Back to our side of the river, Trastevere.

Trattoria Teo in the distance. We have early reservations.

Popped into this little bar, The Hole.

I got a negroni and to our surprise we got some cheese, meats, bread, etc. I had read about and heard about “aperitivo” but somehow forgot and we were SO delighted to partake in some pre-dinner munching.

Trattoria Da Teo.

Some table wine

Artichokes

I was told to try the Roman specialty, cacio e pepe pasta. The flavor of the sauce was so delicious, but the noodles weren’t my style.

It was fun to eat in a packed restaurant, so much energy.

Gelato for dessert

I got lemon! Good night, the next day we have a big day in Vatican city!

Thanks for reading! Much love friends.