9.20am. A very serene atmosphere and a splendid and quite chilly weather here in saint Peter square. It's all so joyful and calm. This pope is really what we needed! The best preserved temple in the roman forum. It has been covered with scaffoldings for about two years and it's visible again since few months.
It's just wonderful ! Early morning light on the Aurelian walls near Porta Pinciana by Veneto street.
The circuit of ancient roman walls still encircling roman historical centre is one of Rome's most fascinating memories of the the roman's empire greatness. Camillo Borghese was elected pope on 16th May 1605. The outcome of the conclave was a complete surprise for everyone. He was young, fifty-three years old, robust and in health. He was a quiet man of few words and respected for his friendliness. He was not too gifted but his capacity for work was inexhaustible and was very conscientious too. He devoted much time to prayer and made his confession daily. Starting from the 17th century a flourishing art market was settled in Italy and merchants were skilled in acquiring and selling Italian ancient statuary and paintings in other European countries as England and France.
Italian aristocratic families sold their collections of works of art in time of financial crisis like, for instance, the Gonzaga family and these collection can be found now in the English Picture Galleries. Many Italian works of art can be found in France’s museums, above all in the Louvre, as a result of Napoleon’s conquests. During the Italian campaign from 1796 onwards Napoleon spoiled the Italian peninsula of hundreds of artifacts considered spoils of the war. Only partially they were returned to Italy after the Vienna council of 1815, many remained in France. The villa of the emperor Hadrian in Tivoli is the paradise for lovers of ancient architecture.
Hadrian's passion, or hobby, was architecture and he had the means and power to express his passion in his villa in Tivoli, projecting many of the buildings himself. In many cases he also wished to reproduce what he saw and liked traveling all over the roman empire. Whenever he was in Rome he kept extending his residence constructions and the villa ended being the largest of the ancient times, larger than Versailles too. The pictures shows a glimpse of the monumental frigidarium in the large bath of Hadrian's villa. It's a real marvel!! |
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