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Porta Pia, is one of the last works of Michelangelo who designed the arch and the windows of the interior façade. The central topping is baroque. Porta Pia has a special meaning for the history of the unity of Italy. Rome was the last city lacking for the unity of our country, and was conquered by "bersaglieri" through a break they could make in the city walls exactly in Porta Pia. Today there is a marmol signal of the site of the "break of Porta Pia", the interior rooms of the Door have been turned into a museum of the bersaglieri. In fronf of the Door there is a statue-monument dedicated to that heroic soldiers. |
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Galleria
Borghese,
probably the more beautiful private gallery of the Renaissance - Baroque,
jointly with the Uffizi in Florence. It was built by the Cardinal
Scipione Borghese to house his collection of roman antiquities and works
from renaissance and baroque. It was later enriched by various members
of the family.
Strongly suggested to see: the masterpieces of Bernini, between them Apollo and Dafne (in the picture) and the statue-portrait of Paolina Borghese Bonaparte by Canova. |
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Catacombs
of S. Agnese The
Church of "St. Agnese fuori le mura", built in 342 by Costanza, daughter
of emperor Costantine on the tomb of the roman martyr, was rebuilt in
the VII century; it is an important example of roman christian "basilica",
inside you can see wonderful mosaics of VII century.
In the same complex there is the Mausoleo of St. Costanza, built as a tomb for the two daughters of Costantine. The polygonal building is perfectly conserved, his voults are decorated with mosaics of the VI century AC. From it you can enter the Catacumbs, 7 km. of galleries. Fragments of marmol statues and epigraphs are placed in the walls of the stair of the entrance of the Basilica. |
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Terme di Diocleziano. The gigantic scale building began in 298 A.C. and was completed in 306 A.C. Of the 130.000 sqm. built 1/4 was for the termal part with the 3 characteristic spaces with different temperatures: calidarium, tepidarium and frigidarium . In the bigger hall, with 3 voults, you can today admire the Church of St. Mary of the Angels of Michelangelo. 8 gigantic columns of egypttan granite, derived from the roman terme, are still visible in S.ta Maria degli Angeli. |
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Villa Torlonia. The villa was built
for Torlonia family, one of the more important of Rome (many popes and
cardinals were of this family.
It was the official house of Mussolini, in the period when he was first minister of Italian government. Perhaps for this reason the house was left completely abandoned after his defeat. It is still closed, waiting for restauration, anyway you can admire the park, full of roman ruins. Under the villa there are ebraic catacombs. |
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Casina
delle Civette It
is located inside the park of Villa Torlonia, Count Torlonia retired in
this house, when he gave his villa in use to Mussolini.
It has recently opened to the public after a long restauration. It is one of the best examples of Liberty architecture in Rome, the builder was the grandfather of my grandmother.
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Museum of Contemporary Art MACRO, via Reggio Emilia 54. It was opened in 1999 in the previuos Peroni Beer Factory, an interesting building of the beginning of the las century. It has 4000 sqm. exposition rooms, organizes shows of young contemporary artists, but also couses, workshops and conferences. |
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