Rome capital of the Baroque.
by breughel
For somebody who like me comes from a country where the Gothic art dominates, the discovery of the Roman baroque is a unique experiment inducing a reappraisal of some aesthetic values.
The Roman baroque is well the purest, most elegant I met. It is true that Rome is the cradle of the baroque which was born in the Holy City with the Counter-Reformation about 1550. The baroque is initially a demonstration of a radiant and triumphing Catholic church and is by this fact almost ignored in the Protestant countries.
The baroque architecture was especially imposing in Rome at the 17th century with masters like Bernini, Borromini and Da Cortone. The churches of San Andrea di Quirinale, San Carlo ale Quattro Fontane and S. Luca E Martina, designed by these architects, illustrate the dynamism of the baroque architecture with its convex and concave curved frontages, the theatrical effect, the illusion by light/obscure and trompe l’œil effects as well as the rich and exuberant decoration.
Characteristics of the baroque are of course the colossal domes. Rome is the city of the baroque cupolas.
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Rome capitale du Baroque.
Pour quelqu'un qui comme moi vient d'un pays où domine le gothique la découverte du baroque romain est une expérience unique qui remet en question toutes les habitudes et valeurs esthétiques.
Le baroque romain est bien le plus pur, le plus élégant que j'ai rencontré. Il est vrai que Rome est le berceau du baroque qui est né dans la ville sainte avec la contre-réforme vers 1550. Le baroque est d'abord une manifestation d'une église catholique radieuse et triomphante et est de ce fait quasiment ignoré dans les pays protestants.
Le baroque architectural a été grandiose à Rome au XVII siècle avec ses maîtres Bernini, Borromini et Cortone (ref. les revues sur San Andrea di Quirinale, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane et SS. Luca e Martina). Ces églises illustrent le dynamisme baroque avec ses façades ondulantes alliant courbes convexes et concaves, l'effet théâtral, l'illusion par les clair / obscur et les trompe l’œil ainsi que la richesse et exubérance du décor.
Caractéristiques du baroque sont bien sur les coupoles colossales par rapport à l’édifice.
Rome est la ville des coupoles baroques.
Teatro Marcello
by davidlop
All around the city you find old pieces spread like flowers on a field after the rain. This is just found between newer buildings, just under your feet, in the middle of the street. Still under recovery... and not difficult to find: just crossing the Tiber from the Trastevere by the Tiberina island (Ponte Fabricio), walk straight ahead a few tens meters by Via del Portico d'Ottavia, and you'll find some columns on your right (just emerging from the street pavement!). Then look around, follow the column path, and voilà!
Metro
by jeoren
The Rome metro contains a modern system of transport. It's a bit like the underground stations in Antwerp; old fashioned floors with a circle relief on it..
The carriages itself have flatscreens which show short advertisementmovies. You don't have to bore yourself during the trip.
Pizza in Prati
by goodfish about San Marco (Pizzeria)
I'd seen some good reviews of San Marco and it was close to our hotel so we gave it a go. Glad we did! It was a really nice place with warm, comfortable ambiance, helpful waitstaff and terrific wood-fired, thin-crusted pizza. Really terrific. I think I've read that it's been around for 50 years so no flash in the pan. It was a balmy, beautiful evening so we chose a table outside and, as the restaurant is on a side street, were a little removed from the traffic on busy Via Cola di Rienzo.
As I mentioned in my Italy tips, it's customary to order a whole pizza per person unless sharing as an appetizer. No problem - many Italian pizzas tend to be thinner and less overloaded than American versions. If traveling with companions, it also allows you to sample more than one type. When we told our waiter we'd be doing that very thing, he cheerfully offered to bring our orders pre-halved. Nice! As is also the custom in Italy, your pizza will likely be served uncut - as it was here.
A couple nice glasses of wine and we were happy campers. They also serve appetizers, salads, calzones and main dishes. Great place - check it out if in the Prati/Vatican area. Pizza. We had a 4-cheese (quattro formaggi) and I can't remember the other kind but they were both yummy.
Heavy. old and respectfull
by solopes
It could be a lie, but it isn't. Of course it’s old. Two thousand years…? With such architecture?
Let me collect some details from internet:
"The portico consists of three rows of eight columns, 14 m (46 feet) high of Egyptian granite with Corinthian capitals. They support an entablature facing the square, which bears the famous inscription in Latin, attributing the construction to Agrippa, although the extant temple was rebuilt later by Hadrian.
The dome has a span of 43.2 m (142 feet), the largest dome until Brunelleschi's dome at the Florence Cathedral of 1420-36.
The interior volume is a cylinder above which springs the half sphere of the dome. A whole sphere can be inscribed in the interior volume, with the diameter at the floor of the cylinder of 43.3 m (143 feet) equaling the interior height.
Five rows of twenty-eight square coffers of diminishing size radiate from the central unglazed oculus with a diameter of 8.7 m (29 feet) at the top of the dome.
The dome is constructed of stepped rings of solid concrete with less and less density as lighter aggregate (pumice) is used, diminishing in thickness to about 1.2 m (4 feet) at the edge of the oculus. The dome rests on a cylinder of masonry walls 6 m (20 feet). Hidden voids and the interior recesses hollow out this construction, so that it works less as a solid mass and more like three continuous arcades which correspond to the three tiers of relieving arches visible on the building exterior. Originally, these exterior walls were faced with colored marbles."
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Pantheon.html
Watching such an harmonious building...would you believe?
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What a cool site !!!!
me in front of the Colosseum
at Pulcino della Minerva obelisk
Street music in Venice
