As it turns out, going to Rome Unplanned is better in theory than in practice... It seems every gallery, museum and attraction requires advanced booking, which isn't exactly the spontaneous trip I had in mind 🤔 Friday turned out a failed trip to the Borghese Gallery- where I stood in an empty foyer while being told I couldn't enter without a booking- followed by a dry €6 pastry (my fault for walking into the tourist trap) and a trip down the Spanish Step HEAVING with tourists. By that evening I knew that if I was going to see anything at all in the next month, I was going to have to become 'Rome Hyper-Planned and Micromanaged'. I've gone into full event organiser mode- which is making the trip closer to work than leisure- but at least I actually have entry tickets to the vacant galleries now(!)
Piazza del Popolo and the Borghese Gardens
Saturday happened with a little more success. With a pre-book only ticket in hand, I ventured out to Palazzo Barberini- a beautiful 17th-Century palace famous for its helicoidal staircase. The palace itself was once owned by the Barberini Family- who were notable for the election of Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII. The family crest features three bees; and the building is covered in the hidden motif like real-life Bridgerton easter-eggs.
The collection itself was impressive, including a Hans Holbein of Henry VIII, Guido Reni's 'Portrait of Beatrice Cenci' and a number of Caravaggio's. Finding The Marriage of Saint Catherine by Gerolamo Genga even managed to dredge up an old art lesson- in a handful of biblical Renaissance paintings angels, saints, the Virgin Mary and Christ can be seen painted with six toes.
Unfortunately, it largely remains a mystery why artists like Genga chose to do this- was it a symbol of divinity? The true impression of a model with a deformity? Or just a mistake? If you are an art history type then I will leave this article on Rafael's paintings for you: http://www.3pp.website/2011/10/recounting-raphaels-digits.html
Basilica of SS. Ambrose and Charles on the Corso
The first Sunday of every month is 'Rome Free Sunday'- where dozens of museums and galleries across the city open their doors for free... with an all-important timed-entry ticket. I wasn't missing the opportunity to see as much as I possibly could in one day- most of the popular museums cost between €12-15 to enter, which really makes you appreciate how much we get for free in the UK! First up was Palazzo Corsini- the sister gallery of Barberini. I will admit I didn't stay here for much longer than a quick tour of the rooms. I'm no art critique but it was obvious the collection focused on quantity over quality- stacking paintings from floor to ceiling, one on top of the other, with lighting so
poor you couldn't appreciate a piece in its entirety. But I suppose the joy of entering for free meant I could leave just as quickly and explore the local Trastevere neighbourhood.
Once known as the rougher side of the river, Trastevere is now famous for the best restaurants and bars in the city. Gentrification aside, this neighbourhood has really grown from its historic reputation and is now buzzing with trattorias, independent shops and microbreweries. After exploring for an hour, I grabbed a bite to eat and made a note to return to the area at a later date (we're on a schedule now remember, tick tock...)
Walking back up the Tiber I headed to the Castel Sant'Angelo- a formidable mausoleum to the east of the Vatican. The mausoleum was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian (you know the guy) as his final resting place;
I'm not saying that the size of the castle was overcompensating for anything... but this is also the same guy who built a 73-mile long wall to keep the unruly Scottish OUT.
If you get a chance to visit the monument then a highly recommend it on a day with beautiful weather. The views from the top are totally unrivalled with clear views out to the snow-capped mountains beyond the city.
After descending the Castel, I walked back across the river to the city centre. I dropped into the much smaller Palazzo Altemps which houses a number of well-preserved classical sculptures. I took the opportunity to sit down and sketch for an hour. I greatly underestimated how difficult it was to draw fabric by eye and only had time to draw half of the sculpture before rushing to the last timed-entry museum of the day.
Last on the Itinerary for Sunday was the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. Easily the largest gallery I visited all weekend, the exhibitions were a refreshing juxtaposition to the classical artwork I had seen all weekend. In general, it was a really well-curated gallery with a variety of work which was enjoyed by all kinds of visitors. I have a few other modern art galleries on my 'to see' list so I'll let you know which one I recommend above the rest in due course!
So far, travelling solo has had its perks and pitfalls- On Friday I was denied a table in an almost-full restaurant because the host knew they could bet a larger group arriving to take the remaining table (fair enough). But by the weekend, I got my own back at just about every busy metro station, museum queue and street corner as I snuck around the sides of crowds faster than any group.
As of this week, I finished working remotely and I'm now on official 'holiday'. I'll have lots more time to post now, including a blog post about the Vatican tomorrow. until then, feel free to subscribe to the blog below or follow the trip Instagram @romeunplanned
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