Rome has no lack of stunning views from St. Peter’s Dome, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Borghese Gardens or the Janiculum Hill. One hilltop panorama tells a story from Julius Caesar to Mussolini. The view from the Palatine conveys the storied history of ancient Rome, Christian Rome, and modern Rome. Visitors who make their way up the steep incline to the Palatine Hill are rewarded with rich views of the Forum. As one of Rome’s seven historic hills, one can linger for quite some time on the terrace to enjoy the scenery. One can differentiate the buildings of the Forum: the round Temple of Romulus, th ..read more

Michelangelo’s fame was well founded after completing two early masterpieces, the Pietà in the Vatican, and the David, in Florence’s Accademia. Both speak to his creative genius. To comprehend his level of mastery, we need to start where he did, in the mountains. Michelangelo defined himself as a sculptor, not a painter. He believed he had sculpting in his blood, as his wet nurse was from Settignano, a Florentine region of stonecutters and stonemasons. His early experiences instilled in him a deep respect and love for the quarries. The Apuan Alps hold rich reserves of the best marble, whe ..read more

A recent exhibition of Caravaggio’s Judith and Holofernes depicts a grisly scene of decapitation. Caravaggio gained prominence in Rome in the early 1600s. He was a violent man and a number of his paintings depict violent scenes. Is there a link to his brutality, his paintings, and the city in which he lived? What was Caravaggio’s Rome like? Imagine a grimy city with frequent violence and filth. That was seventeenth century Rome. I do not suggest practicing art in a crime ridden city had anything to do with his personality or crimes he committed. Correlation is not causation in Caravaggio’s cas ..read more

I take a brief pause from my usual posts to offer readers a review of Laura Morelli’s latest historical fiction, The Last Masterpiece: A Novel of World War II Italy. In my not-for-profit blog I have never publicized another author’s book, but her subject closely aligns with my interests of World War II, looted art, and of course, Italy. The publisher (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins) reached out to me to write a review. My only payment for this review was a complimentary copy of the paperback book. My respect for Dr. Morelli’s research and efforts to bring art history alive for rea ..read more

Debauchery and megalomania seem to define most Roman emperors. The need to control their realm and please people led many to murder, drain the coffers, build spectacular baths, aqueducts, circuses, amphitheaters, statues, and temples. There are four emperors that come to mind: Augustus, Nero, Vespasian, and Hadrian. These are not the best or worst emperors, but some who have a visual legacy available to visitors in Rome. If it’s good to be king, then it’s great to be emperor. Imagine the cultural, artistic, and material resources at their disposal, when in its prime the empire extended from Sy ..read more

Four popes – and one bishop - shaped the Rome we see today. The popes of the della Rovere, Farnese, Borghese, and Barberini families each placed their own mark on the art and architecture of the city. Despite a shocking level of graft, familial self-promotion, and sexual impropriety, these four popes and their families account for a large part of why Rome is unlike any other city. We wouldn’t have Rome if it wasn’t for the Roman Empire, but we wouldn’t have the Vatican without the church’s first bishop, Saint Peter. It all started with a church built on the site of his death, the Basilica of S ..read more

The Italian National Tourist Board rolled out a nine million Euro campaign to entice tourists to visit Italy, especially the cities of Rome, Venice, and Florence. Their secret weapon is Botticelli’s iconic Venus dressed in the guise of a tourist. Taking a selfie. Some nick-named her the “Barbie Venus.” The campaign tagline is “Open to Meraviglia,” or open to wonder. I wonder if it’s a good idea. Italy needs more tourists? Marketed as a virtual influencer, the flawless computer-generated twenty-first century Venus selfie takes place in an empty Piazza San Marco. Venice’s Piazza San Marco is nev ..read more

Renaissance artists rarely produced art for themselves. When they did there was a freedom of expression without cares about patrons paying or overseeing their work. Michelangelo and Titian, the two sixteenth century powerhouse competitive artists, decided to create their own memorial as the end of their lives approached. Long time rivals, with completely different approaches to their art, they chose the same subject for their tombs. Was it coincidence or was this their last chance to try to surpass the other? Did jealousy or piety fuel their creativity? Michelangelo (1475-1564) and Titian (c.1 ..read more

The Colosseum, public baths, togas, and wall paintings are some of the iconic symbols of Rome, made possible with creativity and invention. Ancient Rome has had a long life in popular culture and continues to attract millions of tourists. Dozens of movies have been set in Rome or showcase its cinematic allure, from Gidget to James Bond. Classics movies like Gladiator (2000, although not filmed in Rome), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), or Ben-Hur (1959) established ideas about what ancient Rome was like. Some are more accurate than others, and justly represent the cruelty and harshness of ..read more

The merchant and banking classes gained their fortunes largely from the textile trade and in turn became patrons of art. Artists paid homage to the textile industry in their paintings by adorning their saints, patrons, and citizens with clothing made in Florence. Italian Renaissance clothing was all about silk, wool, fur, and jewels. Florence was a textile town from the tenth century. This land-locked city on the Arno River at one time was the center of wool and silk manufacturing. They were not raising sheep in the city but instead had all the necessary tools and skills to turn raw wool into ..read more