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April 26, 2013 · 10:35 am

Mangia and Vino con Vista in Ravenna: A UNESCO Site in Emilia-Romagna

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English: Cross. Detail from the 6th century Byzantine mosaic in the apse of the basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe (Ravenna, Italy) Italiano: Croce gemmata. Particolare del mosaico bizantino nel catino absidale di Sant’Apollinare in Classe a Ravenna (secolo VI). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Built in 548 A.D. The sights of Ravenna are mostly from the period when Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ravenna houses early Christian Monuments in the Romagna Region www.turismoravenna.it . Ravenna was initially the seat of the Roman Empire in the 5^th century, the Visigoth Empire and finally the Byzantine Italian Empire under Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora until the 8^th century. Ravenna was the capital of the Western Roman Empire for 150 years.

Dante; Dante Museum, Ravenna, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Dante Alighieri’s portrait by Sandro Botticelli. Tempera 54,7 x 47,5 cm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ravenna’s proximity to the sea and unique collection of early Christian mosaics and monuments make it a desirable destination. The Torre del Pubblico leans more than the Tower of Pisa. Dante’s tomb is located on Via Dante Alighieri. Beautiful beaches are found in the Punta Marina di Ravenna.

Domenico di Michelino, La Divina Commedia di Dante (Dante and the Divine Comedy). 1465 fresco, in the dome of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence (Florence’s cathedral). Dante Alighieri is shown holding a copy of his epic poem The Divine Comedy. He is pointing to a procession of sin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ravenna flourished under the Byzantine Empire. All eight artistically noteworthy buildings: the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, the Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo, the Arian Baptistery, the Archiepiscopal Chapel, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the Church of San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare in Classe were constructed in the 5^th and 6^th centuries. The octagonal baptistery contains a beautiful mosaic of John the Baptist and Christ.

Ravenna 1996_0016 (Photo credit: thomas alan)

Ravenna’s mosaics are considered to be the finest in the world outside Istanbul. “The artistry of the mosaics and monuments presents an enlightened blend of Greco-Roman, Christian iconography, oriental and Western genres. Ravenna provides a glimpse into artistic and religious relationships during an important period of European cultural history.” UNESCO

Dante gazes at Mount Purgatory in an allegorical portrait by Agnolo Bronzino, painted c. 1530 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ravenna offers an array of annual events including the prestigious summer “Ravenna Festival” with opera performances, classical music and ballet. In September, the Basilica of San Francesco conducts Progetto Dante: “La Divina Commedia nel Mondo” with readings from Dante’s Divine Comedy. The Basilica was built in the 5th century and completely re-built between the 10th and 11th centuries. Dante Alighieri’s funeral was held here in 1321.

Gustave Doré’s illustration to Dante’s Inferno. Plate IX: Canto III: Arrival of Charon. “And lo! towards us coming in a boat / An old man, hoary with the hair of eld, / Crying: ‘Woe unto you, ye souls depraved!’” (Longfellow’s translation) “And, lo! toward us in a bark / Comes an old man, hoary white with eld, / Crying “Woe to you, wicked spirits!” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dante’s death tomb in Ravenna. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the peaceful Piazza dell Popola, or beside the Marina di Ravenna, you can enjoy a pleasant “Vino con Vista.” Have a glass of Rosso Ravenna, Bianco Ravenna or Sangiovese de Romagna Superiore Riserva with your Parmigiano Reggiano. Ravenna is famous for its olive oil from Brisighella, and the vineyards from prestigious Albana.

Think about that Ducati or Ferrari you’ve had your eye on as you watch the Italians enjoy their testosterone infused rides. If you prefer, you can plan your next mosaic tile project as you sip your delicious Lambrusco at one of the charming cafes.

If you dine at Gigiole on Piazza Couvour or Antica Trattoria al Gallo 1909 on via Maggione, try some Tagliatelle Bolognese. In this region, they love cheese and butter; so don’t forget to take your cholesterol medication.

Dine at the Buon Ricordo destination at the Ristorante Hotel Tino in Massa Lombarda @ Via Resistenza, 22 (www.tinomassalombarda.it). The “Ossobuco del Cavaliere” comes with a charming collector plate depicting a knight on horseback. The veal is served with saffron risotto. Dine in the charming courtyard of this hotel.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides to Italy and Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites.

To learn more about Italy read www.vino-con-vista.com Travel Guides.

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Filed under Ancient mosaics in Ravenna, Ancient Rome, Dante, ebooks, Italian Architecture, Italian art, Italian Food, Italian Food and Wine, Italian Wine, Italy, Italy Travel Guides, oenogastronomic, Ravenna, Roman Architecture, Roman Emperors, Rome History, The Divine Comedy, Travel and Tourism, UNESCO, UNESCO WOrld Heritage Sites in SIcily, vino con vista, Wine, World Heritage Sites

Tagged as Basilica of San Vitale, Byzantine Empire, Dante Alighieri, Emilia Romagna, Italian wine, Italy, italy travel, Italy Travel Guides, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Roman Empire, Rome, Travel and Tourism, vino con vista, World Heritage Site

April 20, 2013 · 11:52 am

I Love Italian Renaissance Art

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Euro-standard circulation Italian 1 euro coin (national/obverse side). The design represents Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the proportions of the human body (also known as the Vitruvian man). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Leonardo da Vinci was the embodiment of a Renaissance Man because he excelled at a variety of worthwhile endeavors. He was a celebrated sculptor, painter, architect, engineer and scientist. Leonardo’s “Vitruvian Man” represents the perfectly proportioned man.

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Watch the following video showing four major Italian Renaissance artists and their work : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQBVE9BzYk

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Michelangelo Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbZen2OOA3M&feature=related

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Titian, Raphael, Giotto Video:

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBTtjDMBIbk&feature=related

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Botticelli Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOILQzTfYww&feature=related are notable Renaissance artists who were commissioned by wealthy families and popes.

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Leonardo (Photo credit: Arenamontanus)

The contributions of these artists decorate the walls of churches, palaces and museums around the world. The Renaissance flourished in Italy and Italian masters graced humanity with a wealth of masterpieces

Bartolommeo Vivarini from Venice produced works of art for cities across Northern Italy and down the Adriatic Coast including this altarpiece of “Saint Mark” around 1490.

Cosme Tura from Ferrara painted “Saint George” around 1474 for the Church of San Giorgio fuori le Mura in Ferrara.

Carlo Crivelli from Venice painted the “Madonna and Child” in 1468.

Alessandro Mattia da Farnese from Rome painted the “Portrait of Prince Augusto Chigi” in 1664.

Giovanni di Paolo from Sienna painted “The Madonna and Child with Angels” in 1475.

Sano di Pietro from Siena painted “Saint Catherine of Siena” in about 1450.

Fra Angelico (Guido di Pietro) from Florence painted “The Madonna and Child” in 1411-1413.

Giotto‘s “God the Father with Angels”

Saint Jerome

Bernardino Luini from Milan painted “The Conversion of the Magdalene” (An Allegory of Modesty and Vanity) in 1520 with gesturing hands.

Catena’s “Holy Family”

I love Luca Signorelli’s, ”The Coronation of the Virgin” 1508

Reasons Why The Renaissance Started in Italy (brighthub.com)
So How Did the Renaissance Begin? (vino-con-vista.us)
Vatican Museums (romeinfo.wordpress.com)
Excellent Art Galleries Worth Visiting in Italy (vino-con-vista.info)
Face of Devil Discovered in Giotto Fresco (inquisitr.com)
The devil’s in the details of a Giotto fresco (msnbc.msn.com)

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Filed under ebooks, Florence, IPad, Italy, Italy Travel Guides, Renaissance Art

Tagged as Alessandro Mattia de Farnese, Art, art history, Art of Italy, Bartolommeo Vivarini, Bernardino Luini, Bernardino Luini An Allegory of Modesty and Vanity, Carlo Crivelli, Coronation of the Virgin, Cosme Tura, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Giovanni de Paolo, History, Italian Renaissance, Italy, italy travel, Italy Travel Guides, Leonardo, Leonardo da Vinci, Luca Signorelli, Madonna (art), Michelangelo, Mona Lisa, Raphael, Renaissance, Renaissance art, Renaissance Florence, Rome, Saint Jerome, Sano di Pietro, Titian, Travel and Tourism, Trevi Fountain, Venice, Vitruvian Man, Vitruvian Man in a Square and in a Circle

April 18, 2013 · 11:42 am

Piazza del Popolo’s Top 5 Vino con Vista Opportunities in Rome

Roma – Piazza del Popolo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Piazza del Popolo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Piazza del Popolo is one of my favorite pedestrian-only squares in Rome because it offers so many interesting sites and things to do. The Piazza is situated between the ancient Porta Flaminia and the park of the Pincio.

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popolo archway

The Porta Flaminia was one of the gates in the ancient Roman Aurelian Wall. It was the starting point of the Via Flaminia which led north to the Roman town of Ariminum ( Rimini) in Ancient Rome. On the north end of the piazza stands the Porta del Popolo that is also called the Porta Flaminia.

Porta del Popolo or Porta Flaminia in Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It leads to the the Piazzale Flaminio and the start of the Via Flaminia. The gateway was reconfigureed by Bernini for Pope Alexander VII in 1655, to welcome Queen Christina of Sweden to Rome following her conversion to Roman Catholicism after her abdication.

Popolo piazza

The Piazza has a suberb location in Rome. The central street, the Via del Corso follows southward to the Piazza Venezia, the Capitol and the forum. The Via di Ripetta leads past the Mausoleum of Augustus to the River Tiber and the Via del Babuino (“Baboon”) leads to Piazza di Spagna.

The Piazza has one of the tallest obelisks in Rome surrounded by outdoor cafes perfectly suited to an extraordinary Vino con Vista. There are three churches in the square: The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo with a simple facade and the twin Baroque churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681) and Santa Maria in Montesanto (1679).

1. From Piazza del Popolo you can climb the stairs behind the Neptune fountain to the top of the Pincio Steps that lead from the Piazza del Popolo to the Villa Borghese’s gardens. The stairs link the piazza with the heights of the ancient Roman Pincian Hill that overlooks the space from the east. The pedestrian steps leading up beside a waterfall to the Pincio park balustraded lookout that provides a passageway to the Villa Borghese gardens.

Pincio Hill in Piazza Popolo

Neptune Fountain

2. The Popolo Obelisk is the Egyptian obelisk of Sety I from Heliopolis. Three sides of the obelisk were carved during the reign of Sety I and the fourth side was carved during the riegn of Rameses II. The obelisk is also called “obelisco Flaminio” and it is the second oldest and one of the tallest obelisks in Rome. The obelisk was brought to Rome in 10 BC by order of Augustus and originally set up in the Circus Maximus. It was re-erected here in the piazza by the architect-engineer Domenico Fontana in 1589 as part of the urban plan of Sixtus V.

Popolo obelisk

At the center of the piazza is the Fontana dell’ Obelisco with a group of our mini lion fountains. Each lion is situated on a stepped plinth added around the base of the obelisk in 1818.

Popolo lion fountain

The layout of the piazza today was designed in neoclassical style between 1811 and 1822 by the architect Giuseppe Valadier when he removed a modest fountain by Giacomo Della Porta that was erected in 1572.

3. The Piazza has a lovely Fontana del Nettuno at the base of the Porta del Popolo on Pincio Hill. The Piazza Popolo Fountain of Neptune stands on the west side of the piazza and depicts Neptune with his trident accompanied by two dolphins.

Piazza Popolo Fountain of Neptune

4. Visit the symmetrical (almost) twin Baroque churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681) and Santa Maria in Montesanto (1679), begun by Carlo Rainaldi and completed by Bernini and Carlo Fontana.

Roma – Piazza del Popolo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Maria Montesanto

These churches define the junctions of the roads called the “trident” (il Tridente): the Via del Corso in the centre; the Via del Babuino to the left (opened in 1525 as the Via Paolina) and the Via di Ripetta (opened by Leo X in 1518 as the Via Leonina) to the right.

Santa Maria dei Miracoli

Santa Maria dei Miracoli in Piazza Popolo

Miracoli altar in Piazza Popolo

Piazza del Popolo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The two, almost twin, churches of S. Maria di Montesanto (left) and S. Maria dei Miracoli (right) in Piazza del Popolo were designed by Carlo Rainaldi. Gian Lorenzo Bernini provided him with advice on how to emphasize the similarity between the two churches. S. Maria di Montesanto was erected first (1678) and S. Maria dei Miracoli a few years later (1681). The columns come from the bell tower erected by Bernini for St Peter’s, a project that was eventually abandoned.

The high altar of Santa Maria dei Miracoli has the miraculous image of the Virgin which has given the church its name, “Madonna dei Miracoli” (Our Lady of Miracles). The first chapel on the right-hand side has an altar dedicated to Our Lady of Bétharram, named after a shrine near Lourdes. The church was erected by C.Rainaldi to preserve an image of the Madonna that was found on the wall close to Porta del Popolo. The church has two chapels on each side. The image of the Madonna is on the high altar surmounted by four marble angels by A.Raggi. In the presbytery, there are funeral monument to cardinal Gastaldi, who sponsored construction of the church, and his brother. The facade was later changed by G.L.Bernini and C.Fontana.

5. The Church of Santa Maria del Popolo has a simple facade. It is an Augustinian church located on the north side of the Piazza del Popolo. It occupies the site where Pope Paschal II (1099-1118) built an oratory over the tombs of the Roman Domitia family at the foot of the Pincian Hills. The church includes works by several famous artists, architects and sculptors including: Raphael, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Caravaggio, Pinturicchio, Andrea Bregno, Guillaume de Marcillat and Donato Bramante. The dome of the Chigi Chapel is decorated with Raphael’s drawings of the Creation of the World. These depict God as creator of the heavens, surrounded by symbols of the planets.

Raffaello Sanzio – Dome of the Chigi Chapel – WGA18820 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The original church was built on this site in 1099. A host of famous architects rebuilt this beautiful old church beginning in 1472; namely, A. Bregno, Pinturicchio, and B. Pontelli. Later, Bramante and Bernini made additions to it.

Santa Maria del Popolo contains one of the richest collections of art of all Rome’s churches, with the exception of St. Peter’s. It also contains two Chigi pyramid tombs embedded in the walls of the side chapels, the tomb of Cardinal Foscari, and the tomb of Cardinal Della Revere by Mino da Fiesole and A. Bregno.

Dämonenloch in der Santa Maria del Popolo, Rom English: Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, Italy: Chigi chapel. Incrustated floor with the coats of arms of the House of Chigi hold by the Death. Italiano: Santa Maria del Popolo a Roma, Cappella Chigi. Pavimento intarsiato con lo stemma Chigi sorretto dalla Morte. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is a the kneeling skeleton mosaic on the floor in the Chigi Chapel of the 17th century. It represents the coat of arms of the House of Chigi.

Visit the gorgeous Della Revere Chapel and be sure to admire the stained-glass of 1509 by French artist Guillaume de Marcillat. Also, there is the tomb of Ascanio Sforza, who died in 1505, built by Andrea Sansovino.

Nero lived on in the imagination of the people long after the fall of the Roman Empire. In the Middle Ages, a legend arose that a walnut tree growing here on the spot where his ashes were buried was haunted by the Emperor. Ravens roosting in the tree were thought to be demons tormenting him for his hideous crimes. When the first church was built here, under Pope Paschal II’s reign, the tree was cut down, supposedly putting an end to the supernatural events that had terrified the locals for so long.

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Popolo

The apse was designed by Bramante. The oldest stained glass window in Rome can be found here, made by French artist Guillaume de Marcillat. Pinturicchio decorated the vault with frescoes, including the Coronation of the Virgin. The tombs of Cardinals Ascanio Sforza and Girolamo Basso della Rovere, both made by Andrea Sansovino, can also be found in the apse.

The Cerasi Chapel is one of five chapels located within the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. The Chapel contains important paintings by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci, two of the founders of Baroque art.

Admire the two famous canvases painted by Caravaggio: “The Martyrdom and Crucifixion of St. Peter“ (St. Peter was crucified upside down) on the right side of the Chapel and ”Conversion of Saint Paul on the Way to Damascus“ on the left side of the chapel. These paintings were commissioned by Tiberio Cerasi in 1600.

Caravaggio’s Crucifixion of Saint Peter

Caravaggio’s The Conversion on the Way to Damascus

Situated between the two works of Caravaggio is the altarpiece Assumption of the Virgin by Annibale Carracci.

Santa maria del polpolo, cappella chigi 3 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Maria del Popolo, cappella Chigi, in Rome, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Chigi Chapel is the most lavishly decorated. The wealthy Sienese banker Agostini Chigi commissioned Raphael to design and decorate the octagonal funerary chapel. On the altar, admire the “Nativity of the Virgin” by Sebastiano del Piombo.

Jonah and the great fish, with the head of the Farnese Antinous. Marble, drawn by Raphael and executed by Lorenzetto (1522–27), Chigi Chapel of the Church Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. Français : Jonas et le gros poisson, avec la tête de l’Antinoüs Farnèse. Marbre, dessiné par Raphaël et exécuté par Lorenzetto (1522-1527), chapelle Chigi de l’église Santa Maria del Popolo à Rome. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the left alcove there is a statue of Johan and Elijah by Lorenzetto. The other two statues of Daniel and Habakkuk are by Bernini. The angel is telling Habakkuk to take the basket of food to the famished Daniel in the lions’ den in Babylon. Bernini also did the portraits on the Pyramidal tombs of Agostino and Sigismondo Chigi. In the inscription on the floor of “Death”, Bernini added the inscription, “Death is the way to Heaven.”

Santa maria del polpolo, cappella chigi 4 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God the creator of the heavens is surrounded by the symbols of the planets guided by angels. Gian Lorenzo Bernini would later complete the chapel. His additions include the sculptures “Habakkuk and the Angel” (1655-1661) and “Daniel and the Lion” ((1655-1657). Bernini also created the portraits on the tombs of Agostino and Sigismondo Chigi on the sides of the chapel.

Santa Maria del Popolo (Rome) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The main altar has as image of the Virgin. Below the 13th century image of the Virgin it says: “You are the honor of our people.” There are two statues of Augustinian saints on either side of the picture of the Virgin: Nicholas of Tolentino on the left and William of Maleval on the right.

Santa maria del polpolo, pinturicchio 2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Maria del Popolo main altar

The Della Rovere Chapel has a beautiful fresco by Pinturicchio depicting the Nativity and the life of St. Jerome.

Santa maria del polpolo, pinturicchio 1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Photo of the Cybo Chapel of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Cybo Chapel has sixteen columns of Sicilian jasper with an altarpiece by Carlo Maratto, “Immaculate Conception with Saints.”

On the sides of the chapel are the twin tombs of the Cybo Cardinals; Lorenzo on the left and Alderano on the right.

At the end of your site-seeing adventure, have a Vino con Vista at the Rosati Cafe. Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Italy Travel Guides. To learn more about Rome visit www.vino-con-vista.com.

Piazza Popolo’s Rosati Cafe

My Glorious Vino Con Vista Weekend in Rome: Non Basta una Vita (vinoconvistablog.me)
Art Treasures in Trinita dei Monti in Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)
How to Decipher the Eternal City of Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)

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Filed under Ancient Rome, Bernini, Caravaggio, Churches in Rome, ebooks, Italian Architecture, Italian art, Italian Food and Wine, Italian Wine, Italy, Italy Travel Guides, Piazza Popolo in Rome, Roman Amphitheater, Roman Architecture, Roman Emperors, Rome, Rome History, Rome Italy, vino con vista

Tagged as Ancient Rome, Aurelian Wall, Domenico Fontana, Donato Bramante, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Girolamo Basso della Rovere, Giuseppe Valadier, Italy, Our Lady of Miracles, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Venezia, Piazzale Flaminio, Pincian Hill, Pope Alexander VII, Rome, Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto, Santa Maria del Popolo, Spanish Steps, St. Peter's Basilica

· 10:41 am

Top Treasures of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in Italy

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Carlo Brogi (1850-1925) – “Rome – Vatican – Museo Pio-Clementino – Augustus in his older age”. Catalogue # 8262. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Fresco of Mercury – Vatican Museum – Rome, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Vatican Museums (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A spiral staircase inside one of the Vatican Museums (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Augustus of Prima Porta, statue of the emperor Augustus in Museo Chiaramonti, Vatican, Rome (with white background). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bust of Augustus of the Prima Porta type. Roman artwork, most of the bust is a modern restoration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Vatican Museums ( Musei Vaticani) are located inside the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection acquired by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries. The collection includes some of the most renowned classical sculptures like the Apoxyomenos (Athlete Washing) in the Museo Pio Clementino that houses works of Greek and Roman sculpture. This statue was discovered in 1849 when it was excavated in Trastevere. This statue is a 1^st century Roman copy of an original Greek bronze by Lysippus.

Athlete Washing at the Vatican Musuem

I can’t resist the ancient “giant head ” sculptures in Rome! They truly relflect the egos that have dominated this town for centuries.

Classic vatican giant head

The museums contain some of the most important masterpieces of sacred Renaissance art. The intricate and elaborate Roman mosaic floors were made from tesserae colored marble.

Roman Mosaic floor of Neptune at the Vatican Museums

Many Roman military leaders were commemorated with statues throughout Rome. The statues were originally painted with vibrant colors like this replica of the Prima Porta Augustus shown below. The original marble Augustus of Prima Porta is also in the museum.

The statue of Augustus Caesar was discovered in 1863, in the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta, near Rome. Augustus Caesar’s wife, Livia Drusilla, retired to the villa after his death. The sculpture is now displayed in the Braccio Nuovo of the Vatican Museums.

There are 54 galleries (salas) in the museums. The last one is the Sistine Chapel. You will witness one of the oldest and most comprehensive art collections in the world! Let’s take a look at some of Vatican Museum’s treasures and masterpieces.

Vatican Museum Treasures

The Goddess of Fertility

1.Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. They were visited by 4,310,083 people in the year 2007.

The Vatican Museums trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased 500 years ago; the sculpture of Laocoon.

The story of Laocoön was the subject of a play by the Greek writer Sophocles. According to Greek mythology, Laocoön was killed after attempting to expose the ruse of the Trojan Horse by striking it with a spear. The snakes were sent by Athena, and were interpreted by the Trojans as proof that the horse was a sacred object. The most famous account of these events is in Virgil‘s Aeneid. Laocoön warned his fellow Trojans against the wooden horse presented to the city by the Greeks. In the Aeneid, Virgil gives Laocoön the famous line Equo ne credite, Teucri / Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes, or “Do not trust the Horse, Trojans: Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even bearing gifts.” This line is the source of the saying: “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”

The statue was unearthed in 1506 near the site of the Domus Aurea of the Emperor Nero in Rome, in the vineyard of Felice De Fredis near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Laocoon in Vatican Museums

Pope Julius II, an enthusiastic classicist, sent Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarroti to examine the discovery. On their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner. The pope put the sculpture of the Trojan “Laocoön and His Sons” who were named Antiphantes and Thymbraeus in the grips of a sea serpent on public display at the Vatican exactly one month after its discovery. It is believed that the scultures wre from the island of Rhodes and there names were Agesander, Athenodros and Polydorus.

2. The Stanze della Segnatura are four rooms decorated by Raphael. They formed part of the apartment situated on the second floor of the Pontifical Palace that was chosen by Julius II della Rovere (pontiff from 1503 to 1513) as his own residence and used also by his successors. The pictorial decoration was executed by Raphael and his school between 1508 and 1524. I love Raphael’s “Baptism of Constantine” and the “Deliverance of Saint Peter.”

Raphael’s Baptism of Constantine

Raphael’s ceiling

Raphael’s Deliverance of St. Peter

3. The Sistine Chapel houses Michelangelo’s brilliant frescoes on the ceiling and lunettes above the windows. Here’s a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html

In 1473, Pope Sixtus IV commissioned Giovannni De Dolci to build a chapel for Papal ceremonies. This Sistine Chapel is located in the Vatican Museum a few blocks away from St. Peter’s. It is famous for its architecture and its elaborate decorative frescoed interior. Many Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio and others contributed to the magnificent art display in the Chapel.

Commissioned by Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512.

Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo

He resented the commission but the ceiling and The Last Judgement (1535–1541) is Michelangelo’s crowning achievement in painting. The “Last Judgment” is located on the wall behind the main altar and was completed in 1541.

Saint Jerome holding his flayed skin with Michelangelo’s self-portrait

Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” (1536-1541). It represents a vortex of divine, human and diabolical bodies. Some souls are blessed and reach paradise and others are damned and cast down into an inferno.

Vatican Last Judgement Information Board

There are information boards in the Cortile della Pigna that will help you navigate the art in the Chapel.

Check out the large Roman bronze pinecone that was once a fountain. It is positioned in front of the niche in the courtyard.

Michelangelo’s Ceiling in the Sistine Chapel

One of the primary functions of the Sistine Chapel is that it is a venue for the election of each successive pope in a conclave of the College of Cardinals. During a conclave, a chimney is installed in the roof of the chapel. The smoke from the chimney serves as a signal. If white smoke appears, it is generated by burning the ballots of the election. The white smoke signifies the election of a new pope. If a candidate receives less than a two-thirds majority, the cardinals send black smoke up the chimney. This is created by burning the ballots along with wet straw and chemical additives, therefore it signals that the election has not been successful.

4. The Gallery of the Busts (Galleria dei Busti) is where many ancient busts are displayed in the Museum of Antiquities.

Ancient busts at the Vatican Museum

The Bust Room in the Vatican Museum

5. The Map Room at the Vatican Musuems is incredible. The barrel vaulted ceiling of the “Gallery of Maps” is the hallway that leads to the former residences of the popes. The map room illustrates stories of the saints and events charted on the wall maps. It is located on the west side of the Belvedere Courtyard in the Vatican. This magnificent hallway contains a series of painted topographical maps of Italy. The maps are based on drawings by friar and geographer Ignazio Danti. The gallery was commissioned in 1580 by Pope Gregory XIII.It took Danti three years (1580–1583) to complete the 40 panels.

A Map of Sardinia at the Vatican Museums

6. The Sarcophagus of Saint Helen, the mother of Constantine is located in Sala a Croce Greca. The ornate object is carved from red porphyry stone with Roman horsemen and barbarian prisoners from the 4^th century.

St. Helen’s Sarcophagus

7. The Pinacoteca Vaticana was commissioned by Pope Pius IV in 1790. The collection was first housed in the Borgia Apartment, until Pope Pius XI ordered construction of a proper building. The designer was Luca Beltrami. The art gallery contains paintings by Giotto, Lippi, Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio including:

Leonardo da Vinci’s Saint Jerome

Fra Filippo Lippi’s Coronation of the Virgin

1. Giotto, “The Stefaneschi Altarpiece”

2. Fra Angelico, “Madonna and Child with St. Dominic, St. Catherine and the Angels

3. ”Filippo Lippi, “Coronation of the Virgin”

4. Bellini, “Pieta” (1471)

5. Pinturicchio, “Adoration of the Magi” (in the Borgia Apartment)

6. Leonardo da Vinci, “St. Jerome” (1480) Raphael’s Oddi Altarpiece, “Crowning of the Virgin” (1503) and “The Foligno Madonna”

Caravaggio’s Entombment

7. Caravaggio’s, “The Deposition” shows Christ’s hand brushing againstthe tombstone.Saint John the Evangelist and Nicodemus, the Pharisee and doctor of law, struggle to support his body.The Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene are bent toward Jesus.This painting was originally commissioned for a church in Rome but it was moved here when itwas returned from France.

“The Vatican Museums Under the Stars” Exhibit is open from May 6-July 15 every Friday. Get your tickets on-line, get there early and proceed to the Sistine Chapel immediately. I was fortunate enough to almost have the entire Chapel to myself!!

After admiring the amazing art, helix staircase and sculptures collected by the papacy since the 15^th century in the Vatican Museum, have a Vino con Vista by enjoying a glass of Cesanese or Montepulciano di Abruzzo wine in one of the charming neighborhood cafes like Bar Santa Anna or Pizzeria il Migliore on via Santa Anna.

Vatican Museums Helix Staircase by Giuseppe Momo in 1932

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Italy Travel Guides. To learn more about Rome visit www.vino-con-vista.com

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April 17, 2013 · 10:56 am

St. Peter’s Basilica in Italy’s Vatican City

St. Peter’s Basilica at Early Morning (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

: Image via Wikipedia

In 1506, Bramante was commissioned by Pope Julius II to renovate St. Peter’s Basilica, originally built by Constantine from 324-329.

Emperor Constantine built a glorious crown for St. Peter’s tomb over the site where his bones were preserved.

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica (Photo credit: diluvienne)

English: Wide angle View of the altar inside St. Peter’s Basilica (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Statue of St Peter by Arnolfo di Cambio in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Façade of St. Peter’s Basilica as seen from Saint Peter’s Square. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

St Peter’s Basilica (Photo credit: JP..)

Saint Peter’s Basilica is built above the site where Peter the Apostle was crucified, martyred and buried in the year 64.

English: Bernini’s “Gloria” surmounting the “Cathedra Petri”, also by him. Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

St. Peter was the first apostle and the first pope. He is always carrying his key.

Saint Peter’s Square (Photo credit: jimmyharris)

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City (Photo credit: kvsankar)

Since Rome is a place of pilgrimage, a “Scave Tour” is available with advanced reservations and allows you to visit the tomb of St. Peter and the archeological excavations beneath the basilica. Travel from the Baroque church to the Romanesque sanctuary to the Roman cemetery and tomb of Peter the Apostle. The crypt is located under the Papal Altar. Pay hommage to St.Peter in the Basilica.

The Basilica contains the work of some of Italy’s finest sculptors. Vatican City is the world’s smallest country and occupies 109 acres; it has been a sovereign state since 1929 and is ruled by the Pope.

St. Peter’s Square is equipped with large video screens. When pilgrims and tourists converge upon the area for festivities, spectators have a bird’s eye view of the main event.

The red granite obelisk was brought to Rome from Egypt by Emperor Caligula in 37 AD. It was moved to this square in 1587 by Domenico Fontana.

The statues surrounding the obelisk represent the zodiac. There are two 17^th century fountains in the square. The fountain on the right (1613) is by Carlo Maderno who also designed the façade of the church. The fountain on the left was added by Bernini in 1675 by Carlo Fontana.

English: A 5×6 segment panoramic image taken by myself with a Canon 5D and 70-200mm f/2.8L lens from the dome of St Peter’s in Vatican City in Rome. Français: Image panoramique composée de 5×6 photos prises par David Iliff à l’aide d’un appareil Canon 5D et une lentille 70-200mm f/2.8L à partir du dôme de la Basilique Saint-Pierre au Vatican. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Columns and Corinthian pilasters decorate the façade. The central balcony above the main entrance is the “Loggia of Benedictions” where the pope delivers the benediction after his election and gives his weekly blessing. Below the cupola, Bernini’s workshop created 13 statues: Christ the Redeemer, John the Baptist and eleven apostles. St. Peter and St. Paul’s 19^th century statues welcome visitors on the ground floor of the basilica.

St. Peter’s statue by Giuseppe de Fabris holds the golden key that he received from Christ.

St. Paul’s statue by Adamo Tadolini holds the sword that symbolizes his decapitation in Rome.

The dome of the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The building on the right is the Pope’s residence. The Pope appears every Sunday at noon to say the Angelus and give his apostolic blessing. The colonnade surrounding the square was designed by Bernini between the years 1656 and 1666. They represent two outstretched arms welcoming the faithful to the Basilica. There are 140 statues of saints watching over the Basilica above the colonnade.

St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are five bronze entrance doors. These sacred doors are symbolic and functional. From left to right these doors represent: Death, Good and Evil, the original door from the old basilica, the Sacraments and the Porta Santa (Holy Door). The Holy Door is only opened during Jubilee years so that religious pilgrims can receive the Pope’s special blessing.

Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Sculptor: Vico Consorti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Français : La Pietà de Michel-Ange située dans la Basilique Saint-Pierre, au Vatican. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides to Italy and Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites.

To learn more about Romevisit www.vino-con-vista.com. Buon Viaggio–

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April 16, 2013 · 11:26 am

I Love Caravaggio

Caravaggio (Photo credit: Carmen Alonso Suarez)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Sacrifice of Isaac (detail) – WGA04139 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Caravaggio, Resurrection (Photo credit: Martin Beek)

I love art and Caravaggio is one of my favorite artists. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was a famous Baroque Italian artist.

A portrait of the Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Caravaggio (1572-1610) (Michelangelo Merisi)

Michelangelo Merisi, named Caravaggio, Italian painter, was born in Caravaggio in 1571 and died in Porto Ercole in 1610. Caravaggio trained as a painter in Milan under Simone Peterzano who trained under Titan. He moved to Rome in his early twenties. He died at the age of 38 of a fever in Porto Ercole in Tuscany.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Fortune Teller – WGA04082 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

caravaggio (Photo credit: u m a m i)

Between 1592, “when Caravaggio arrived in Rome, to the end of Gregory XV Ludovisi’s pontificate in 1623 was one of the greatest artistic period’s of all time.” Many great artists converged on Rome in that period: Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, Guido Reni and Rubens.

Rome has many of Carravaggio’s masterpieces. They are on display in churches, museums, places and former residences of nobility. Travel to Piazza Venezia, Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese and the Vatican City to view his work.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Calling of Saint Matthew (detail) – WGA04117 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Caravaggio depicted his subjects with intense realism. His revolutionary use of light is a technique known as Chiaroscuro that blended shifts of light and dark. This is also called Tenebrism. Tenebrism uses dramatic illumination “where there are violent contrasts of light and dark and darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image.”

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Calling of Saint Matthew (detail) – WGA04115 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Martyrdom of St Matthew (detail) – WGA04123 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

His first public commissions in Rome were about Saint Matthew the Apostle: the Martyrdom of Saint Matthew and the Calling of Saint Matthew. These were completed between 1599-1600 for the Contarelli Chapel in the church of the French congregation, San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Martyrdom of St Matthew (detail) – WGA04125 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Martyrdom of St Matthew – WGA04121 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Between these two paintings in the chapel, he also painted The Inspiration of Saint Matthew in the altar in 1602. These three adjacent canvases by Caravaggio in the Contarelli chapel represent the story from the Gospel of Matthew.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – The Inspiration of Saint Matthew – WGA04128 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Italiano: Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi, cappella Contarelli. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of my favorite Caravaggio paintings is Bacchus (the Roman god of wine). You can find Caravaggio’s Bacchus at the Uffizi Museum in Florence, Italy.

Image via Wikipedia

If you want to go on a Caravaggio Treasure Hunt in Rome you can also visit the Galleria Doria Pamphili for more paintings.

Just a short walk from Piazza Venezia in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj on Piazza del Collegio. Admire “Riposo dalla fuga in Egitto”, “Maddalena” and “San Giovanni Battista”.

[ C ] Caravaggio – Judith Beheading Holofernes (1599) (Photo credit: Cea.)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – Martha and Mary Magdalene – WGA04101 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At Galleria Doria Pamphili on Via del Corso you can admire the “Rest on the Flight from Egypt”

Michelangelo Caravaggio 027 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rest on the Flight into Egypt (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

and “Pentilent Mary Magdalene”

Michelangelo Caravaggio 002 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Then visit the Church of St. Augustine to see the “Madonna of the Pilgrims”

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – Madonna di Loreto – WGA04156 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Musicians (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – Sick Bacchus – WGA04072 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – Medusa – WGA04108 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Borghese gallery (Piazzale Scipione Borghese, www.galleriaborghese.it/ has many pieces; the world’s greatest collection including: ”Giovane con la canestra di frutta”, “Bacchino malato”, “San Girolamo”, “Madonna dei Palafrenieri”, “Davide con la testa di Golia” and finally “San Giovannino”.

“San Francesco in meditazione” in the church of the Cappuccini Convento on Via Veneto is also attributed to Caravaggio, while the mythical “Narciso” and the “Decapitazione di Oloferne” are in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica di Palazzo Barberini.

Other masterpieces by the great Lombard artist can be found in the Corsini Galleria on Via della Lungara (“San Giovanni Battista nel Deserto”), in the Vatican Museum (“Deposizione di Cristo”), in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Piazza del Popolo (“Converzione di San Paolo” and the “Crocefissione di San Pietro”); in Sant’Agostino on Via della Scrofa (“Madonna dei Pellegrini”). Finally in San Luigi dei Francesi on the piazza of the same name there is a series of paintings which tell the story of Saint Matthew in the Cappella Contarelli of the church, they are: “Vocazione”, “Il Martirio”, and “San Matteo e l’Angelo”. In the Casino Ludovisi, the last remains of the Villa Ludovisi on Via Lombardia, Caravaggio created frescos in oil on the walls of the alchemy laboratory, painting “Giove, Nettuno and Plutone” in triumph around the sun.

2010 marked the 400th anniversary of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s death. He was 39 when he died and had spent half of his life painting professionally. While Caravaggio’s passing came as no huge surprise to his contemporaries, the rest of us have been trying to flesh out his chronology ever since. See, when he painted, he painted in bursts and, usually, out of necessity. There seem to have been long intervals in between painting bursts when life, flight and threats of imprisonment and/or execution took over. Given the circumstances and doing the math, quite a few too many Caravaggio canvases have surfaced over the centuries to be credible.

To learn more about Italy read Dr. Lovero’s Travel Guides . They are available at www.vino-con-vista.com

Vatican Museums (Photo credit: ocad123)

How to Decipher the Eternal City of Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)
Art at the Pinacoteca Vaticana in the Vatican Museums (vinoconvistablog.me)
Caravaggio ‘ was killed by the Knights of Malta’ (telegraph.co.uk)
Book Review: Caravaggio – Painter of Miracles by Francine Prose (todworner.wordpress.com)

Book Review: Caravaggio – Painter of Miracles by Francine Prose (todworner.wordpress.com)

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April 15, 2013 · 11:30 am

The Ancient Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano in Rome Italy

Roma-basilica cosma e damiano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is dedicated to the two twin brothers who were physicians. Damiano and Cosma soon became patrons of physicians, surgeons, pharmacists and veterinarians.

Português: Interior da Igreja dos Santos Cosme e Damião, Roma. Italiano: Roma: Mosaico absidale nella chiesa dei Santi Cosma e Damiano (527/530, ma con ampi restauri successivi). All’estrema sinistra, papa Felice IV. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They were made famous by a miraculous operation whereby they transplanted an Ethiopian’s leg onto a white man’s body. They never charged their patients for services, so they were known as “silverless.”

Pesellino, santi cosma e damiano (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian before Lisius (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They were both martyred in ancient Cyrus in northern Syria during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. For centuries, this became the hub of the medical area of Rome where many physicians conducted their meetings.

SS. Cosmas of Damian, Roma Mosaikk,detalje Italiano: Roma: Dettaglio del mosaico absidale nella chiesa dei Santi Cosma e Damiano (527/530, ma con ampi restauri successivi). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pope Felix IV presents Sts Cosmas and Damian with the basilica he rededicated to them. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 527, Pope Felix IV (526-530) converted two buildings in the Roman Forum to a Christian Church. Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths and his daughter Queen Amalasuntha donated the library of the Forum of Peace built in 70 by Emperor Vespian and a portion of the Temple of Romulus which was erected by Emperor Maxentius for his son Romulus to Pope Felix. He united the two buildings to create this Basilica. This was the first time that this was done in Rome. The original entrance to the church was from the Roman Forum.

Ss. Cosmas of Damian, Roma (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The church was restored in 780 by Emperor Hadrian and in 1632, Pope Urban VIII had the church fully renovated using a design by architect Luigi Arrigucci. The church has two levels. One end of the church is below ground level and is known as the crypt.

The Crypt of Santi Cosma e Damiano

Mosaic apse of Santi Cosma e Damiano

The high altar has a 6th century Byzantine apse mosaic that became the model for other mosaics in Roman churches. The mosaic parousia depicts a majestic Christ wearing a Roman toga holding a scroll. The baroque altar is from 1628 with back and white marble columns from the original altar in the crypt. The picture in the center of the altar is a 13th century “Our Lady of Grace”.

Mosaic of Christ in the Church of Santi Cosma E Damiano

The Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Photo credit: jimforest)

Saints Damian and Cosma are carrying crowns of martyrdom. They are being presented to Saint Peter (the older one on the right of Christ) and Saint Paul (on the left of Christ) garbed in the white robes of heaven. Saints Damian and Cosma are dressed in grey togas. The faces of the two brothers are almost identical. To the left of the Saint is Pope Felix holding a model of his church and hovering over his feet are three Barberini bees signifying that the restoration of the church was done during the pontificate of Urban VIII. To the right of Saint Damian is St. Theodore, a soldier-martyr.

Saint Peter and Saint Damian in Rome Italy

Pope Felix with Cosmas and Saint Paul

Saint Cosmas and Saint Paul in Rome Italy

The mosaic on the triumphal arch is from the 7th century with an enthroned Lamb of God. The painted ceiling is from 1632 with a fresco by Marco Tullio Montagna of Saints Damian and Cosmas being greeted in heaven by the Virgin and Child. Each end of the ceiling has the coat of arms of Urban VIII with his Barberini bees.

Enter the church through the 17th century courtyard of the Franciscans with frescoes of the life of Saint Francis by Francesco Allegrini.

English: Nativity Scene in Santi Cosma e Damiano, in Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a room off the cloister there is an 18th century Neopolitan presepio. On November 29, 1988 some thieves stole some of the pieces and they were never returned.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Italy Travel Guides. Learn more about Rome @ www.vino-con-vista.com

San Marco is the Church of the Venetian Community in Rome (vinoconvistablog.me)
Insights into the Vatican in Italy: UNESCO’s Holy City (vinoconvistablog.me)
My Glorious Vino Con Vista Weekend in Rome: Non Basta una Vita (vinoconvistablog.me)
Roman Emperor History Tips (vinoconvistablog.me)

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April 11, 2013 · 11:18 am

Saint Paul Outside the Walls: a UNESCO Basilica in Rome

San Paolo Fuori le Mura was erected in the 4^th century. It is one of the four patriarchal basilicas of Rome built at the request of Roman Emperor Constantine I over the burial place of Paul the Apostle.

Front of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls – Roma – Italy. Italiano: Facciata della Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura a Roma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint Paul Outside the Walls is sometimes called the “Basilica Ostiense” because it is located on the Ostian Way. Paul the Apostle was brought to Rome as a prisioner. He was martyred between the years 64 and 67, during the persecution of Emperor Nero. His body was claimed by a Roman woman who buried it in her family tomb near a vineyard on the road to Ostia. Emperor Constantine placed the Apostle’s body in a bronze sarcophagus with a marble slab over it. At the request of Emperor Constantine in 324, a basilica was built over St. Paul’s tomb.

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Rome) – interior Polski: Wnętrze bazyliki św. Pawła za Murami w Rzymie Italiano: Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura (Roma) – interno (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This first edifice was expanded under Valentinian I in about 370. Since many pilgrims came to visit the site, Emperor Valentine II made plans for a larger building. Emperor Theodosius began the new building and Emperor Honorius completed it.

English: Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Rome) – the tabernacle of the confession Italiano: Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura (Roma) – ciborio di Arnolfo di Cambio Polski: Bazylika św. Pawła za Murami w Rzymie – grób św. Pawła, przykryty gotyckim baldachimem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rom, Sankt Paul vor den Mauern, San Paolo fuori le mura Italiano: Statua di San Paolo di fronte alla facciata della Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura a Roma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pope Leo III, further embellished the building and it became the largest and most beautiful church in Rome under his papacy. Of all the churches of Rome, this one preserved its primitive character for 1435 years. In 1823 it was almost completely destroyed by a fire.

St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome

In 1823, it was rebuilt and enlarged by the architect Poletti and modified by Guglielmo Calderini. It was completed in 1854.

Roma – Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura – resti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Portrait of Pope Honorius I in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Rome Italiano: Ritratto di Papa Onorio I nella Basilica di San Paolo fuori la Mura, Roma (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Necropolis of Saint Paul outside the Walls in Rome

The interior of the current basilica has 80 monolithic columns of Montorfano granite divided into five naves. On the upper part of the walls, frescoes illustrate scenes from the life of St Paul. Against the internal wall of the facade there are six large alabaster columns presented by the Viceroy of Egypt to Gregory XVI.

St. Paul Outside the Walls Frescoes in Rome

Saint Paul Outside the Walls is located at the site where Paul was executed and buried.

Tomb of Saint Paul in Rome

It is located outside the Aurelian Walls. The the basilica was damaged during the Saracen invasions in the 9th century. Pope John VIII (872–882) fortified the basilica and the monastery forming the town of Joannispolis (Giovannipoli) which existed until 1348, when an earthquake totally destroyed the town.

Fortified Walls in Rome

Map of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

Interior of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome

The Basilica was founded where his followers erected a memorial, called a cella memoriae. In the chapel of the relics, lie the chains that bound Paul the Apostle when he was improsioned in Rome. In the 5th century, this church was larger than the Old St. Peter’s Basilica.

The front of the basilica has ten monolithic columns of red Baveno granite. A huge statue of St. Paul dominates the entrance to the new building. The inscription on the base of the statue says “To the preacher of truth, the teacher of nations”.

Facade of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

The facade mosaic is the work of Filippo Agricola and Nicola Consoni. In the typanum, Christ is seated in the center giving his blessing. On his right side is Saint Peter and on his left side is St. Paul. Below the Lamb of God, the four rivers of Paradise flow. Twelve sheep represent the Apostles who approach the Lamb from the holy cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Here’s a Virtual Tour of the entrance and central courtyard: http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/Media/VR/St_Paul_Courtyard/index.html

Facade Mosaic

It was rebuilt by the architect Poletti and reconsecrated 1855 with the presence of Pope Pius IX and fifty cardinals. Many countries made contributions to the reconstruction efforts: the Viceroy of Egypt sent pillars of alabaster, the Emperor of Russia sent precious malachite and lapis lazuli for the tabernacle.

Saint Paul

In the right corner there is a statue of St. Luke the Evangelist. Saint Paul is in the front of the basilica.

Saint Luke

Under the portico, the wall niches have statues of St. Peter and St. Paul by Gregorio Zappala.

Popes Leo XII, Pius VIII and Gregory XVI, personally oversaw the reconstruction of the church. In 1854 Pope Pius IX was able to celebrate the completion of the reconstruction.

Under Pope Gregory the Great (590–604), the basilica was extensively modified. He had the pavement was raised to place the altar directly over Paul’s tomb. The tomb is covered by a Gothic baldachino by Adolfo di Cambio completed in 1285.

Tomb of St. Paul

Here’s a virtual tour of St. Paul’s Tomb http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/Media/VR/St_Paul_Tomb/index.html. To make a portion of the tomb visible to religious pilgrims, the floor was lowered forming a confessio where people can pray. Directly below the altar, a grill-covered window reveals the stone sarcophagus. Carbon dating of the contents of the tomb indicated that the remains in the sarcophagus are from someone who lived in the first or second century indicating that they are the remains of the apostle.

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Rome) – the tabernacle of the confession Italiano: Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura (Roma) – ciborio di Arnolfo di Cambio Polski: Bazylika św. Pawła za Murami w Rzymie – grób św. Pawła, przykryty gotyckim baldachimem (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over Saint Paul’s tomb, Arnolfo di Cambio‘s Gothic tabernacle is resting on four porphyry columns. The four cornices above the niches of the baldachin have statues of Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Timothy and Saint Bartholomew. Excavations located a first century tomb with a marble slab covering it with the Latin inscription “Paulo Apostolo Mart”. You can see a plaster copy of the slab in the Church Museum located off of the cloister.

St. Paul’s Tabernacle

Arnolfo di cambio (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

St. Peter statue by Arnolfo di Cambio inside the Vatican Basilica, dressed with a vestment on St. Peter and Paul feast. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Arnolfo di Cambio also created the bronze Saint Peter statue in St. Peter’s Basillica and the ptesepe in the lower level of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Italiano: Presepe di Arnolfo di Cambio. Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Roma, Italia . English: Manger by Arnolfo di Cambio, Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore, Italy . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

San Paolo Fuori le Mura’s interior has 80 monolithic columns of Montorfano granite from the isolated mountain on Lake Maggiore. It is divided into five naves. Above the arches over the granite columns, all the way around the interior of the Basilica, there are circular mosaic portraits of all the Popes, from the first to the present. Only the current pope’s portrait is illuminated. According to legend, when this Basilica runs out of space for these portraits of the popes, the world will end.

Statue of St. Paul Apostle in the Basilica San Paolo fuori le Mura (Rome) Polski: Figura św. Pawła Apostoła w bazylice Świętego Pawła za Murami w Rzymie Italiano: Statua di San Paolo Apostolo nella Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura a Roma (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the upper part of the walls, between the large windows, there are 36 frescoes with the scenes from the life of St Paul. Against the internal wall of the facade there are six large alabaster columns presented by the Viceroy of Egypt to Gregory XVI.

Roma – Basilica di San Paolo fuori le mura – 9 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s a virtual tour of the central nave of the basilica http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/Media/VR/St_Paul_Nave/index.html

In the Apse, there is a mosaic from 1220 showing a majestic Christ wearing imperial colors with St. Paul and St. Luke on his right and St. Peter and St. Andrew on his left. Chirst is holding a book that says “Come blessed of my Father and receive the kingdom prepared for you.”

Apse Mosaic

The palm trees represent paradise. The papal chair has a relief of Christ instucting Peter to feed the sheep.

Jesus

Saint Peter and Saint Andrew

St. Paul and St. Luke in Rome

Here’s a virtual tour of the Apse http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/Media/VR/St_Paul_Apse/index.html

Portrait of Honorius III – Detail of the apse mosaic of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (1220) – Roma – Italy Pope Honorius III ordered the mosaic and, following the Roman Catholic tradition, is represented near Christ’s feet. Pope Honorius III (1148 – 1227), born Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Honorius_III (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You can see Hononius III at the foot of Jesus is the apse mosaic.

The graceful cloister of the monastery was erected between 1220 and 1241. The spiral columns of the cloister were built by the Vassalletto family in 1214 and survived the fire.

Cloister of the monastery of San Paolo fuori le mura (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s a virtual tour of the lovely rose garden in the Cloister: http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/Media/VR/St_Paul_Cloister/index.html

The death of St. Paul – relief on the doors of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Rome) Italiano: La morte do san Paolo – rilievo sulla porta della Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura a Roma Polski: Śmierć św. Pawła – płaskorzeźba znajdująca się na drzwiach Bazyliki św. Pawła za Murami w Rzymie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From 1215 until 1964 this was the seat of the Latin Patriarch of Alexandria. The Holy Door was last opened in 2000 and there is a large plaque above the door commemorating the event.

The Holy Door (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The door pictured below on the right, is the work of Antonia Maraini and was cast in Florence in 1931. The cross on the bronze door is highlighted in silver and the horizontal bar bears the names of the evangelists. The verticle potion of the cross, has portraits of the Apolstles. The panels on the door depict scenes from the life of Saint Peter on the left and Saint Paul on the right. The figure of Christ shows him giving the keys to Saint Peter.

Holy Door

Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Silver

Visit the Pinocoteca with “Flagellation” by Bramante and other interesting works of art and tour the interesting Museum http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_paolo/vr_tour/Media/VR/St_Paul_Museum/index.html.

See some of the fragments of the original basilica. Then stop at the where you can enjoy a Vino con Vista.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Italy Travel Guides. To learn more about Rome visit www.vino-con-vista.com

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Tagged as Ancient, Aurelian Wall, Aurelian Walls, Basilica, Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Christian, Churches in Rome, Churches of Rome, Cistercians, Constantine the Great, Emperor Constantine, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, History, Italy, Nero, Paul the Apostle, People, Pope Simplicius, Roman Emperor, Rome, Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Saint Peter, San Paolo fuori le Mura, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Vatican CIty

April 10, 2013 · 10:39 am

Who built Rome’s Historic Pantheon?

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English: The Pantheon in Rome, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Plan of the first ( Red ) (by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa) and of the third (Black) (by Hadrian) Pantheon. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

complete cupola of Pantheon Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Pantheon in Rome has occupied its present location for nearly 2000 years. It was originally designed in 27 B.C. as a pagan temple for all twelve Roman deities; supernatural and immortal beings. The deities were Apollo, Ceres, Diana, Juno, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune, Venus, Vesta and Vulcan.

Pantheon – Rome (LOC) (Photo credit: The Library of Congress)

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The massive original doors are still used for entry into the Basilica.

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The structure is as wide as it is tall (140 x 140 feet). The 30 foot wide oculus in the roof is the only source of light and was designed to allow the smoke from the burning of sacrificed animals to escape. The hemispherical dome was made from un-reinforced concrete and is still the largest dome in the world of its type.

Circular exterior view of the side of the Pantheon

The coffers for the concrete dome were poured in molds. Eight massive granite columns support the triangular tympanon.

Agrippa was the son-in-law of Emperor Augustus. Agrippa’s name is still inscribed in the trabeation above the portico in Latin and bears the inscription “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, Consul for the third time built this.”

Pantheon Restoration

Agrippa did not really build the Pantheon; he built an earlier temple on this site in 27 B.C. that was ravaged by a fire. The Pantheon was built in 125 AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian.

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The Pantheon was given to Pope Boniface IV in 609 and he converted it into a church and named it Santa Maria ad Martyres. Pope Boniface had 28 carloads of martyrs’ bones brought here from various cemeteries in Rome. It became the first pagan temple to be consecrated as a church.

English: An image of the tomb of Umberto I in the Pantheon, in Rome, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saint Mary and the Martyrs houses the mortal remains of Raphael in an ancient marble sarcophagus. Raphael died in 1520. The bust of Raphael located in the niche left of the aedicule and was completed in 1833 by Giueseppe Fabris.

The tomb of the fist king of Italy, King Victor Emanuele II (1820-1878), has a statue of St. Ann and the Virgin in the aedicule to the left of the tomb by Lorenzo Ottoni.

English: Pantheon, Rome, Raphael's tomb.

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Bronze bust of Raphael on top of the artist's ...

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Most of the marble was recycled for St. Peter’s Basilica. In 1625, Pope Urban VIII (Barberini) removed the bronze from the beams of the portico to make 80 cannons for Castel Sant’Angelo and the four spiral columns of Bernini’s Baldachinno in St. Peter’s Basilica. The colossal bronze doors are original. Today we might consider that a “green” ecologically friendly move but the Roman’s say, “Whatever the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did.” The tomb of Victor Emanuele II was then created from bronze that was recast from the Castel Sant’Angelo’s cannons at the turn of the 20^th century.

The general area around the Pantheon is the financial and political hub of the city and includes the stock exchange and Parliament. I think the Cafe Agrippa is a great place for a “Vino con Vista”!

The Piazza della Rotunda is the name of the square in front of the Pantheon. One of Rome’s prized Egyptian obelisks occupies the center of the square. Did you know that you will never get lost in Rome if you follow the obelisks? They are like a Roman GPS system that mark important landmarks in Rome.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides to Italy and Vino Con Vista Travel Guides can be purchased at these sites.

To learn more about Rome visit www.vino-con-vista.com

Buon Viaggio–

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Tagged as Ancient Rome, Barberini, Castel Sant'Angelo, Emperor Augustus, Emperor Hadrian, Hadrian, italy travel, King Victor Emanuele, Lorenzo Ottoni, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Mary (mother of Jesus), Minerva, Pantheon, Pantheon oculus, Pantheon Rome, Piazza della Rotunda Egyptian Obelisk, Pope Boniface IV, Pope Urban VIII, Raffaello Sanzio Tomb, Raphael, Roman, Roman Empire, Roman mythology, Rome, rome history, Sain Mary and the Martyrs and the Pantheon, Santa Maria ad Martyres, Santa Maria ad Martyres is in the Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, Travel and Tourism, unesco, vino con vista, What are Roman deities, what does the inscription on the pantheon mean, What is an oculus, What is the name of the Pantheon church, when was the pantheon built, where is King Emanuele II tomb, Where is Raphael's Tomb, where is the pantheon, Who built the pantheon, who is buried at the pantheon, World Heritage Site

April 9, 2013 · 11:26 am

The Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella in Rome is also called the Chiesa Nuova

The church of Santa Maria in Vallicella is connected to the life of Florentine St. Philip Neri who is one of Rome’s patron saints.

Madonna della Vallicella Peter Paul Rubens Oil on slate, 425 x 250 cm Rome, Santa Maria in Vallicella (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chiesa Nuova after restoration (2006). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Maria in Vallicella in Rome Italy

St. Philip is buried in the chapel to the left of the choir in a mother-of-pearl tomb under a copula supported by Sicilian alabaster. The church is filled with beautiful sacred art donated by patrons primary from the art period between 1620-1690.

St. Philip Neri can be considered the father o...

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St. Philip Neri’s image, on the saint’s corpse, at his tomb in Santa Maria in Valicella (Rome) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The altar has a mosaic copy of Guido Reni‘s painting of “St.Philip Neri in Ecstasy”. The altar was designed by Onorio Longhi in 1600.

Guido Reni – St Filippo Neri in Ecstasy – WGA19295 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Facade of Chiesa Nuova in Rome Italy

The facade was designed by Faustolo Rughesi and completed in 1605. The inscription over the main door bears the dedication: “To the Virgin Mother of God and St. Gregory the Great“.

There are two statues in niches above the main door: Saint Gregory the Great on the left and Saint Jerome on the right. The inscription on the architrave names the facade’s donor: “Angelo Cesi, Bishop of Todi, erected this in the year of our Lord 1605.

Ancient Roman saints Domitilla with Nereus and Achilleus, by Peter Paul Rubens, at Santa Maria in Vallicella (Rome) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The brick palazzo on the left of the church is called Casa dei Filippini and was built in 1650 using a design by Francesco Borromini as a residence for the Oratorians an order founded by St. Philip Neri in 1561.

Santa Maria in Vallicella (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

St. Philip Romolo Neri (Filippo Neri; known as Apostle of Rome), (July 21, 1515 – May 27, 1595), was an Italian churchman, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the “Congregation of the Oratory”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Virgin and Child Adored by Angels, 1608, oil on slate and copper. This is the central panel depicting The Virgin and Child Adored by Angels above the High Altar, Santa Maria in Vallicella, Rome. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This church has a beautiful painting by Peter Paul Rubens of “Saint Domitilla with St. Nereus and St. Achilleus.”

There is a magnificent painting over the main altar “Virgin and Child” by Peter Paul Rubens (1607). The removable oval painting of the Virgin covers an earlier fresco.The columns that flank the painting are giallo antico.

Rubens also painted St. Gregory the Great with Saint Maurus and Papius located in the presbytery. The relics of these Roman martyrs were brought to this church in about 1590 and placed beneath the main altar.

Nederlands: Interieur van de Chiesa Nuova te Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another interesting aspect of the art in this church is the copy of the Caravaggio. One of my favorite Carravaggio paintings is ”Deposition from the Cross“ or The Entombment of Christ (1604). Unfortunately, this church has a 19th century copy of the original painting that was taken to Paris in 1797 and then the original was transferred to the Vatican Pinacoteca.

Italiano: La Deposizione di Cristo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Allesandro Vittrice was the nephew of a friend of Saint Phillip. Vittrice is also known to have been the owner of Caravaggio’s The Fortune Teller.

The Fortune Teller (1594) by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio Oil on canvas, 115 x 150 cm, Musei Capitolini, Rome (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Alessandro Vittrice commissioned Caravaggio in 1601 to paint The Entombment of Christ as an altarpiece for the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella.

Caravaggio’s “Deposition from the Cross” in Rome Italy

Chiesa Nuova in Rome Italy

Copy of Caravaggio’s “Deposition” in Rome Italy

In the Cappella Dell’Ascensione there is a beautiful painting of the “Ascension” by Gerlamo Muziano (1532-1592) flanked by columns of giallo antico.

The Ascension by Ferlamo Muziano in Rome Italy

In the Cappella della Presentazione in the left transept, admire the Presentation of Mary in the Temple by Federico Barocci ((1528-1612).

Presentation of Mary by Federico Barocci at Chiesa Nuova in Rome

In the Cappella dello Spirito Santo, admire Giovanni Maria Morandi‘s (1622-1717) ”Discesa dello Spirito Santo.”

Discesa dello Spirito Santo by G. Maria Morandi

I love the Assumption altarpiece ”Assunzione” by G. Domenico Cerrini (1609-1681).

Assumption by G. Domenico Cerrini in Rome Italy

Saint Philip’s body was sent to this church seven years after his death.

Rom, Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova), linke Orgel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Italiano: Roma, madonna all’arco della Chiesa Nuova (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The church was called “Vallicella” because it was originally built in the “little valley” of Rome by Pope Gregory I and is located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele.