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Modern Attractions in Rome

14 Dec

Many people visit Rome for the history and culture, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some of the modern attractions along the way. Below are just some of the modern attractions in Rome.

Stadio Olimpico

Football plays a huge part in the lives of modern Romans and this stadium is home to the city’s largest clubs, Roma and Lazio. Both clubs are giants in Italian football and have hoards of followers who regularly pack the 82,000 seats. Aside from football the stadium also hosts athletics meetings as well as pop concerts and various other events. The stadium has seen many changes over the years and the museum makes fascinating viewing. A tour of the stadium is an opportunity to see a modern stadium in its prime.

Museo D’Arte Contemporanea Roma (MACRO)

Contemporary art has a fitting home here in the MACRO. The modern building in Rome is located close to the main train station in the centre of the city and the artwork has an edge to it which cannot be found elsewhere in the city. The exhibits are visitor friendly with explanations in both Italian and English. The work on display includes paintings, videos, photographs and sculptures.

Museo D'Arte

Museo D'Arte

Via del Pigneto

This area as a whole is a great place to experience the modern and cosmopolitan side to the city. The pedestrianised street is packed with restaurants, entertainment venues, trendy bars and some of the most happening nightclubs in the city.

The Theatre of Pompey: The Might of Ancient Rome

31 Mar

The Theatre of Pompey was one of Ancient Rome’s largest and most celebrated structures, renowned throughout the empire for a good part of the first millennium. It was instigated by General Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, modelled on a classical Greek design and erected in the central Campus Martius, or Field of Mars, in central Rome.

Theatre of Pompey

Theatre of Pompey

The theatre was simply enormous complex that included temples, sacred areas, a garden, meeting areas, an auditorium with semi-circular seating, a 300-foot stage and spaces for musicians. Pompeius dedicated the Theatre to Venus and added a large shrine to the goddess. There were also four other temples in an area, now known as the Largo di Torre Argentina.

Despite its gigantic size and incredible achievements in engineering, the Theatre of Pompey is also significant for being the site of Julius Caesar’s assassination. On the Ides of March (March 15th), Caesar was accosted by senators near the Theatre and then stabbed by more than sixty men. As most people know, Caesar’s assassination is of considerable historical significance, and marked the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire.

Today, little remains of the Theatre of Pompey. Its original site is now one of Rome’s most congested areas. After serving as a fortress in medieval times, huge chunks were carted away to build housing in the area. Parts of the theatre can be seen throughout the city, particularly the Palazzo della Cancelleria, a Renaissance Palace that has used much of the theatre’s old columns and travertine.

In the context of present day Rome, the site of Theatre of Pompey covers areas such as the Campo Dei Fiori (named after the woman Pompey loved) and the Via dei Chiavari (which means ‘Street of Keymakers’).

Galleria Doria Pamphilj near the Spanish Steps

8 Mar

An art gallery with a history and a rich collection of artwork, the Galleria Doria Pamphilj is located near the Spanish Steps area of Rome. This gallery is home to a treasury of seventeenth century art, collected by the Doria-Pamphilj family of Italy.

The family, whose umbrella name of Doria-Pamphilj embraces the families of Doria, Pamphilj, Aldobrandini and Landi, is an illustrious and wealthy one, with Popes and Princes among its members. The Galleria Doria Pamphilj was once the home of Pope Innocent X, who belonged to the Pamphilj family.

An English heritage line runs in the family and the quarter-English Princess Orietta Pogson Doria Pamphilj and her English husband were responsible for the restoration of the family’s art collection. The collection was opened to the public soon after the collection was restored. Some of the seventeenth century artists represented here includes Annibale Carracci, Jan Bruegel, Caravaggio, Gaspard Dughet, Guido Reni, Claude Lorrain and Guercino.

In addition to paintings, the Galleria Doria Pamphilj also houses fine sculptures by Bernini and Algardi. Some of the sculptures in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj collection date from ancient times; the gallery also boasts interesting antique furniture and furnishings on display. The gem of the collection housed at the Galleria Doria Pamphilj is a portrait of Pope Innocent X, painted by Velázquez.

Some of the other much appreciated works at the Galleria Doria Pamphilj include works such as the:

  • Salome with Head of John the Baptist by Titian
  • Carracci’s Mary Magdalene
  • Saletta del Cinqecento by Raphael
  • Madonna in Adoration of the Child by Reni and St. Joseph by Guercino
Rome art

Rome art

Located off Via del Corso at the Piazza del Collegio, the Galleria Doria Pamphilj is open between 10 am and 5 pm seven days a week. You can also request a private tour of the gallery. Admission costs €9 for adults.

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