Art in Rome
Villa Borghese
This gallery houses paintings by Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens, Botticelli and Raphael as well as sculptures by Bernini, including Apollo and Daphne. Bernini preserved in marble the mythological moment when the lovesick Apollo, who had been unable to woe Daphne, witnessed her transformation from nymph to laurel tree in her last-ditch effort to avoid his love. Apollo vows never to forget her and promises that he and all Roman conquerors will wear a reminder of her upon their heads-- the laurel wreath. Bernini's rendering of Daphne caught mid-transformation, part-nymph and part-tree, is considered a masterpiece of the Baroque era. Other masterpieces on display include Canova's famous sculpture Venus Victrix and Correggio's painting Danae.
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
It all began when the sixteenth century Pope Julius II placed a few sculptures from his collection on display. Today the Vatican boasts several museums, which along with the Sistine Chapel, comprise the Vatican Palace. This is one of the most extensive art collections ever amassed with works by such artists as Raphael and Michelangelo. The biggest draw among the Palace's many masterpieces is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which of course, is legendary for Michelangelo's frescoes illustrating the early history of humanity. Among the tableaus are Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment. In one of the rooms painted by Raphael is Liberation of St. Peter, capturing the moment an angel provides the apostle's miraculous escape from prison. There are four rooms painted by Raphael and his protegees collectively referred to as the Stanze of Raphael. The rooms are part of the second floor apartment used by the Pope in the early 16th century.
The Capitoline Museums
This museum complex houses an extensive collection of marble busts of Roman emperors and a famous bronze statute dating from the sixth century B.C.E. of the symbol of Rome, the Capitoline wolf.
National Gallery of Modern Art
How do you define modern in an ancient city? The focus of the collection is Italian works of the past 200 years. The museum is also a must-see for serious Dada enthusiasts.
Municipal Gallery of Modern Art
It's large collection covers the 19th and 20 centuries of Italian art.
