Archive for 'Latium'

As mentioned in the previous post, the Galleria Borghese is an incredible art gallery located in a former pleasure villa in Rome belonging to a 16th century cardinal. It is home to works by the likes of Rubens, Titian and Raphael and particularly excellent collections of works by Bernini and Caravaggio. If you are an art lover who has found a vacation rental in Rome, it well and truly is a must-see attraction. Here are some more of our highlights among the collection to keep an eye out for when you visit!

3. Susanna and the Elders, Rubens, 1607

“Susanna and the Elders” by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, dates to 1607 and is one of several versions of the tale that he painted. It depicts Susanna, a figure mentioned in a deuterocanonical chapter of the biblical Book of Daniel, a fair Hebrew wife who was falsely accused by a group of voyeurs. The tale goes that two lustful elders secretly observed Susanna while she bathed in her garden and then threatened to tell others that she was meeting a young man unless she agreed to have sex with them.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Rome, in fact, the list is truly endless. However, people often focus on the monumental ruins and architectural feats of the city and immense works of art such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, when there are actually plenty of other excellent cultural gems to be seen. These are housed in the city's museums and, if you are an art lover, in particular, the Galleria Borghese is the Roman museum for you.

An architectural gem in its own right, the Galleria Borghese, is an art gallery housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. Built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio, it was a villa suburbana, a party villa at the edge of Rome, for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V (reign 1605–1621). Borghese was a passionate patron of the arts and collector and was even involved in the designing of the villa. The Galleria Borghese today is a public art gallery that houses a substantial part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculpture and antiquities and, in particular, is home to a rich collection of works by Caravaggio and Bernini. Other important artists represented by the collection include Titian, Raphael and Rubens, among others.

The Tempietto is a small commemorative martyrium (or tomb) built by Donato Bramante in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio in Rome. Dating to the 16th century, it is considered a masterpiece of High Renaissance Italian architecture. Harmonious, restrained and elegant, it is one of the most beautiful buildings of the period and is a must-see for architecture lovers and nerds. Just find a holiday rental in Rome and make time for this lesser-known, but exceptional, architectural gem.

Between the centuries of the might of the Roman Empire millennia ago and the continued power of the papacy throughout history, it is safe to say that Rome has had plenty of money invested in her appearance and infrastructure over the years. It is also safe to say that the city is one of the great architectural gems of the world, especially on such a scale and throughout so much of the city. Few other places can boast the same consistently stunning range and quality of architecture through such a large percentage of their square-meterage. Yet, even when you think you cannot be surprised by what Rome's architectural treasure trove has to offer, you stumble across something that you have never seen before: like Coppedè, the Eternal City's answer to Gaudì.

Located behind the main streets of Quartiere Trieste, between Piazza Buenos Aires and via Tagliamento, is the bizarre, beautiful and whimsical district of Coppedè. Tucked away as it is, many people never stumble across this tiny area, the smallest quartiere of Rome.

Italian cocktails tend to mutate and become something else quite often and these variations can become popular favourites in their own right. Take the Cardinale, for example, it is descended from the Negroni, a cocktail supposedly, invented in Florence in 1919 at Caffè Casoni (now called Caffè Giacosa). The Negroni, in turn, meanwhile, is said to be an Americano that was transformed by adding gin rather than soda water.

Then comes the Cardinale, a drink that is said to come from Rome and date back to the 1950s, and which is a riff on the Negroni. It alters the ratios of the Negroni and replaces the Campari for slightly spicy Contratto Bitter and sweet vermouth for dry, making for a more complex and drier cocktail. Don't be fooled by the pretty appearance, this cocktail isn't sweet and easy but something a little more challenging and not everyone's cup of tea (or should we say cocktail). However, if you're brave, try it out and, you never know, it could become a favourite.