What’s a trip to Italy without the art? Even though we ditched Florence this time around, we did manage to see a few of our favorites while in Rome. Rome’s museums are dramatically underwhelming. When you have ancient temple columns still standing in your streets, it’s a bit of a let down to be indoors. But, we did venture into the National Museum of Rome, the Capitoline Museum and the Borghese Gallerie and we’re happy we did because it was in these places we spied these treasures…

The Villa Borghese features the Borghese Gallerie and is chock full of Bernini sculptures commissioned by the family and standing in pretty much the places they were originally intended to be admired. Bernini’s skill at working with marble as if it were a piece of fabric is simply mesmerizing.  We also dipped into the Capitoline Museum and the National History Museum and let our eyes and feet wander through the galleries. Often, I’d come across something and think, “Hey! I’ve seen that in a book before.”  

Michelangelo’s Pieta, Vatican, Rome

This giant foot makes me wonder where the rest of this guy ended up

Medusa

The Boxer at Rest, Greek Sculpture, National Museum of Rome

There’s something compelling about a singing head

The Discus Thrower, Roman copy of Greek sculpture

Fabulous large sculpture of Pope John Paul II outside the Rome Termini Station

Bernini’s Ecstasy of St Theresa

The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, Capitoline Hill Museum

The she-wolf and twins

The Boy with Thorn, Capitoline Hill Museum