Before I left on my trip I booked a ticket for the Borghese Gallery online. This was a bit tricky as I wasn’t sure which day and time would be best. Anyway, today was the day and allotted time 11am to 1pm. So I headed out at about 10am, thinking this would be plenty of time. It wasn’t.
After yesterday’s chilly visit to Navona, I thought I’d do a quick revisit. More people about today, particularly art students sketching the Fountain of the Four Rivers. Imagine what it must be like, sitting on one of the marble benches for some time; five minutes and the cold was seeping through my coat and jeans to my bones.
Anyway, off to the Borghese Park. I headed up the Via del Corso to the Piazza del Popolo and started to climb up to the park. Hundreds of steps, all this walking has got to be slimming.
The park is starkly beautiful in the winter; incredibly green and damp, mossy trunks and bare branches. Around every corner there are vistas to stop and admire, and there’s absolute silence – hardly a soul around. Eventually after a few false turns I found the Borghese, now 45 minutes late. Which meant a too-short visit to the ground floor (sculpture; Bernini’s) and the first floor (pictures; Caravaggios). Nonetheless, a small and exquisite gallery and a highlight.
After yesterday’s chilly visit to Navona, I thought I’d do a quick revisit. More people about today, particularly art students sketching the Fountain of the Four Rivers. Imagine what it must be like, sitting on one of the marble benches for some time; five minutes and the cold was seeping through my coat and jeans to my bones.
Anyway, off to the Borghese Park. I headed up the Via del Corso to the Piazza del Popolo and started to climb up to the park. Hundreds of steps, all this walking has got to be slimming.
The park is starkly beautiful in the winter; incredibly green and damp, mossy trunks and bare branches. Around every corner there are vistas to stop and admire, and there’s absolute silence – hardly a soul around. Eventually after a few false turns I found the Borghese, now 45 minutes late. Which meant a too-short visit to the ground floor (sculpture; Bernini’s) and the first floor (pictures; Caravaggios). Nonetheless, a small and exquisite gallery and a highlight.
Hi ER,
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful commentary. Your descriptions and photos bring it alive. Sorry to hear you missed out on some of the Borghese tour but at least you got to see some of the priceless treasures. It seems like the cold strikes to one's bones so hope you managed to find time to buy a heavy coat.
I hope you plan to publish this material when you return to warmer climes! It would make fantastic reading.
P. xxxx