Museums, Rome

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Museo Carlo Bilotti – Aranciera Villa Borghese
In the 18th Century the Orangery was known as the "Casino dei Giuochi d'Acqua" because of the fountains and g L’Aranciera was once a reception hall where entertainment; musica di camera and grottos there, surrounded by the Garden of the Lake with its spectacular displays. In its sumptuously decorated and furnished halls, the princes of the Borghese family organized parties and social events and water games were performed for the elite.
In 1849, cannon fire from French troops defending the papacy all but destroyed major portions of the building. The palazzo was transformed into a hot house for citrus fruit plants from the Borghese Gardens horticultural collection.
After decades of neglect, the Orangery is now once more a place for leisure and culture thanks to the efforts of Italian-American entrepreneur and international art collector, Carlo Bilotti. His donation of prestigous paintings, sculptures and drawings has found a home worthy of its world-class works. The collection of 22 works includes an important core of paintings and sculptures by Giorgio de Chirico, representing the best-known subjects produced by the painter between the end of the 20s and the 70s - a portrait of Carlo Bilotti in relief by American artist Larry Rivers - a 1981 portrait of wife Tina and daughter Lisa Bilotti by Andy Warhol - Summer by Gino Severini - and Giacomo Manzu's great bronze Cardinal.
To keep the museum open to ever-new themes in contemporary art, spaces have been assigned next to rooms housing the permanent collection.
Photo 1 - The only remaining element from the 16th century is a well-preserved oppulent Ninfeo fountain embellished with a basin bearing the Borghese family heraldry.
Museum Aranciera Carlo Bilotti is the first experiment in Italy involving mutual funding from private and public sectors. Carlo Bilotti was born into a family of noble lineage from southern Italy. In the United States, he studied at Columbia University in 1963 and came to understand and appreciate contemporary art as it evolved within the social changes in the United States - this emotional connection prompted the start of his modern art collection.

There is an entrance directly across from Casina del Lago along the walkway from the Lake - an entrance also on Viale Fiorella La Guardia - NEVER CROWDED

Hours - Tues-Sat 9am-7pm Last admission 6:30 Closed Mondays
Tickets - 4,50 Euro Reduced 2,50 Euro Free to Italian citizens and citizens of EC

The adjacent gardens are not to be missed and astounding when in full bloom. Detailed photos follow in our next tip on Aranciera di Villa Borghese - the Orangery Gardens.

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The Museo Nazionale D' Arte Orientale (National Museum of Oriental Art) has its home in the Palazzo Bracciano. Here you will find a very noteworthy collection of artworks including ceramic neolitico vases from the Qing dynasty and an illustrated history of Buddha. The Palace itself is a treasure to behold and in the ticket office foryer was the first marquetry ceiling I have ever seen. You ascend two majestic flights of red-carpeted marble stairs before reaching the ticket office. Entrance fee is 4 Euro. Photos were not permitted inside the museum but we were able to take a few photos of the exterior and the Palace entrace stairs. The literature on the Museum is in Italian only and only Italian-speaking staff were available.
Address: Via Merulana 248 - 00185 Roma - between Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore & Labicana
Enjoy...........

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In the museum you learn everything about pasta. The history, how the production was developed and advanced, the high nutritive value .... You get headphones which leads you with the explantions through all the rooms.

The conclusion was that Pasta is the best eatable due to its high percentage of carbohydrates. And that their shouldn't been hunger in the world if everyone eats pasta because of it's low production costs.

Click here for an online visit of the museum.

The entrance fee for adults was EUR 9, which seamed to me quite high.

You find the museum in a small street near Fontana di Trevi. Just follow the brown signs with the white writing on it.

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Tucked away in Trastevere's Piazza Sant'Egidio, you will find the Museum of Rome that is dedicated to the main aspects of everyday Roman life in the late 18th and 19th centuries - filtered through the tastes and convictions of the artists and folklorists who described it. Major themes are costume, folk dancing, festivals, and crafts.
The first floor photos depict the rigors of Italy's War of the Nation - 1915-1918.
On the second floor a most impressive collection - the famous series of "Vanished Rome" watercolors by Ettore Roesler Franz (Rome 1845-1907). Franz was certain that many sites he treasured in Rome were about to disappear with development of the city. He went to the sites - took photos - made notes regarding light and which time of day was best - along with many other details that helped him execute these watercolor works - a most impressive collection is exhibited here.
Interspersed among the artworks you will be surprised by 6 rooms which depict the daily life of the period in Italy. These displays are lifesize and the many diverse characters are costumed and situated in settings with every detail in place - I especially liked the pharmacy, wine cart, and the tavern (which occupies two adjoining rooms).
You will also see a collection of personal artifacts from the home of Trilussa.
I was alone here and it was very nice to be unhurried and have such good interaction with the staff. They were very kind and happy to answer questions.

*Suggestion: If you plan dinner in Trastevere, a visit here would be an excellent apertif!

Photos were not permitted but you can preview an excellent slideshow on the website.
The statues you see here decorate the stairways and are reproductions of originals.

Tues-Sun - 10a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday Last admission 7p.m.
Admission: 3 Euro - reduced 1,50 Euro - A BARGAIN!
Free admission Italians and EC citizens

I will have to scan some pics for this tip because when I visited in 2004 I didn't have a digicam.

I thought it was just called the Keats House but oh well. It is right by the Spanish Steps and has a plaque on the wall letting you know who lived (and died) here.
You would have to be keen to want to visit. It costs a few euros and it is tiny, not that much to see. You can go into the room Keats died in, at the front of the flat. But all his furniture had to be burnt, because his landlady, who lived in the room at the back of the flat, reported his death from tb. And that was the law at that time.
It's called a house, but it is a flat - three rooms tops. No kitchen. Apparently he and Joseph Severn, his friend who nursed him through his last days, would lower a basket from the window and a local restaurant would send their meals up.
And no visible bathroom either. Bit tricky that, I would imagine. 'Are they angels?' as a church high up asked as he scanned plans for a church that contained no bathrooms.

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I would never have seen this extraordinary Museum if it were not for the elaborate Danze Storica (working on that tip also) that was held there last Sunday (Feb 8, 2009). Traditional art from various regions - an outstanding carved gondola with leather seats and a privacy hood for those notables (second floor). This museum give you a feeling of the traditional art of the people of the regions from Sicily to Venice - carvings - painted carts of Sicily (first floor) - ceramics (second floor) and don't miss the puppet display (second floor). It is off-the-beaten path but right there in central EUR with ample parking in front. Well worth a trip!
Photo 1 - Friend Rita at Museo
Photo 2 - Gondola
Photo 3 - Gondola
Photo 4 - Looking for the gondolier

Villa Giulia is located close to the park of Villa Borghese and houses some of the most popular Etruscan statues most of us know from history textbooks: one is the the Bride and Bridegroom and another - Apollo of Veii. The exhibition is very good and the setting itself - the villa and garden are perfect. To top it off the Villa sports a nice cafe and a pond with golden fish and turtles.

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In 1606, tortured genius Michelangelo Merisi—a.k.a. Caravaggio—fled Rome after killing a man over a (kind of) tennis match. Behind him he left some of the Eternal City's most striking artwork.

In the church of S.Agostino the painting of 'Madonna dei Pellegrini', in the church of S.Luigi dei Francesi 'La Vocazione di San Matteo', 'Il martirio di San Matteo', 'San Matteo e l'Angelo', in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo 'Conversione di San Paolo' and 'Crocifissione di San Pietro', in the Galleria Borghese 'Madonna dei Palafrenieri', 'San Girolamo', 'Bacchino malato', 'San Giovannino', 'David', 'Giovane con il canestro di frutta'. Works also in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery, in the Capitolini Museums, in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, in the Palazzo Corsini Gallery and in the Palazzo Barberini Gallery.

San Luigi dei Francesi
Piazza San Luigi dei Francesi
Tel: +39 06 688 271
Open Fridays through Wednesdays 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 3:30 to 7 pm, Thursdays 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Sant'Agostino
Piazza Sant'Agostino
Tel: +39 06 6880 1962
Daily 8 am to noon and 4 to 7:30 pm.

Santa Maria del Popolo
12 Piazza del Popolo
Tel: +39 06 361 0836
Mondays through Saturdays 7 am to noon and 4 to 7 pm, Sundays 7:30 am to 1:45 pm and 4:30 to 7:30 pm.