Arts in Rome

This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (April 2019)

This article covers the various places where you can find art and art-like places in the Italian capital city, Rome. These art forms are not only seen in the city's visual arts, but its structures and customs such as ancient buildings and streets. As a center of cultural for many centuries, Rome has gathered its art from distant places and times. There is art everywhere you turn in Rome due to its long and rich history. This article shows many of the artistic parts of Rome.

Architecture[]

Rome has an eclectic cityscape, and the city's architecture includes many styles, from Ancient Roman and Medieval, to Renaissance, Baroque and Fascist.

Palaces[]

Capitoline Hill[]

The Capitoline Hill is the seat of the Municipality of Rome. In the Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo, one can find the Senatorial Palace, the official seat of the Municipality of Rome, the Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo,^[1] headquarters of the Capitoline Museums. The Senatorial Palace was rebuilt on the ruins of the Tabularium (which housed the public records of the Roman state), the Palace dei Conservatori has medieval origins, while the Palazzo Nuovo was designed by Michelangelo but realized under the direction of Girolamo Rainaldi.

Historical buildings[]

Among the prominent palaces in the city are Palazzo Venezia, located between Piazza Venezia and the Via del Plebiscito, which was built on commission by the Venetian cardinal Pietro Barbo (future Pope Paul II), and over the centuries was the seat Papal Embassy of the Republic of Venice in Rome, headquarters of Austria ca and headquarters of Benito Mussolini, which now houses the and the .

, a 16th-century Renaissance building, is located in the square and was built at the behest of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, the future Pope Paul III. is also located in the square, between Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Campo dei Fiori; it hosts the highest courts of the Holy See (the Roman Rota and the Apostolic Signatura). Palazzo Wedekind, located in Piazza Colonna, dates from the second half of the 17th century, but was rebuilt in 1838, and currently houses the headquarters of .

, located in Piazza Santi Apostoli, was owned by the Colonna, Ludovisi, Chigi and Odescalchi households. In the 1660s it was the subject of a significant transformation by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The façade of the building is built in a Renaissance and Baroque style. The Palazzo Altieri, located between Via del Plebiscito and Piazza del Gesu, was the residence of the Altieri family.

Palazzo Colonna, documented since the 12th century, occupies an entire block between Piazza Santi Apostoli, via Nazionale, via IV Novembre and Via della Pilotta. It was the residence of the Colonna family, whose members descended from the Counts of Tusculum. Palazzo Corsini, located in Trastevere, was built by Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini (grandson of Pope Clement XII) in the first half of the 18th century. It now houses the Corsini Gallery and the seat of Accademia dei Lincei; the is located in the garden.

The Palazzo Barberini was built between 1625 and 1633. It is located in the Via delle Quattro Fontane, near the Piazza Barberini. It was the seat of the Barberini family and now houses the National Gallery of Ancient Art and the . The is located in Via San Nicola in Arcione;^[2] it dates back to 18th century and was the residence of the Boccapaduli, Drago and the families .

Institutional palaces[]

Rome is home to numerous institutional buildings because it has been the capital of the province of Rome, Lazio and the Italian Republic. The Palazzo del Quirinale, home of President of the Italian Republic, was built in the 16th century and was the residence of the Pope. Furthermore, the , home to the Senate of Italy, was built at the end of the 15th century and was the residence of the Medici family. Additionally, the Palazzo Montecitorio, home of Lower House, was built in the 17th century and was the seat of Papal Curia and the . Finally, the , seat of the Italian Government, was built in the 16th century and was the residence of the Aldobrandini family, the Spanish Embassy and the Embassy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Interior Ministry is located in the . The Palazzo della Farnesina houses the Department of Foreign Affairs, while the is the seat of the Ministry of Justice. The is home of the , the host the Ministry of Defence, and the is the seat of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

There are also other major institutional buildings. There is, for instance, the Palazzo Valentini, home of the Province of Rome and Prefecture, which is located in Via IV Novembre and dates back to 16th century. Palazzo Koch, home of the Banca d'Italia, is located in via Nazionale, built in a Neo-Renaissance style in the second half of the 19th century. The Palazzo della Consulta, seat of the Constitutional Court, was finished building in 1737. Furthermore, the Palazzo Spada, home of the Italian Council of State, is located in Rione Regola, dating back to 16th century, when it was built for Cardinal Girolamo Capodiferro. The Palazzo di Giustizia, also known as the palazzaccio is the seat of the Court of Cassation.

Villas[]

Rome hosts several villas, public parks and protected areas and the city is the European capital with the highest number of hectares reserved for the green space.^[3] Rome has more than 90,000 hectares of green, about 68% of its territory, 2,000 km of roadside trees and a large number of parks and public gardens scattered throughout the city. A lot of these green spaces are occupied by villas, the oldest dating back to 16th century, but the 'green' tradition in the city has much older roots, and can be traced to urban gardens owned by the prominent personalities of ancient Rome (the horti).

The largest Roman villa is Villa Doria Pamphili, which starts from the Vatican City almost reaching the GRA along the Aurelia; the second largest is the along the via Salaria, once a residence and hunting lodge of the Savoia; third is the Villa Borghese, large central park in which the Pincio, along with the Villa Medici (home of the French Academy), is the section within the walls. Inside is a collection of Renaissance and Baroque art held in the Borghese Gallery, as well as the , the and a zoo.

The Villa Farnesina, in Lungara, houses the Accademia dei Lincei: inside the 16th-century palace are some frescos by Raphael; the Villa Julia, near the Piazzale delle Belle Arti, is home to the National Etruscan Museum; Villa Torlonia, on the via Nomentana, was the Roman residence of Benito Mussolini. It houses three buildings, including two in the neoclassical style and one (the cottage of the Owls) in Art Nouveau. The latter also houses a museum, (), while the is housed in the casino noble).

Theatres and amphitheatres[]

Throughout its thousand-year history, the city of Rome has been home to hundreds of theatres and other show-related buildings ( and amphitheatres).

The main theatres of ancient Rome were the Theatre of Pompey, the Teatro di Marcello, the Theater of Balbus and Theatre of Ostia Antica, still functioning. The major amphitheatres were the , the and the , known as the Colosseum and still occasionally used for theatrical performances and concerts.

The main modern theatres are: the Teatro dell'Opera, the Teatro Argentina, the Teatro Sistina, the Teatro Eliseo, the Teatro Valle, the Teatro Quirino, the , the Colosseum and the Teatro Brancaccio.

Fountains and aqueducts[]

The largest Roman fountains are the monumental ones, most of which were built by Popes in the early modern age: the Trevi Fountain, the (or the Moses), the Quattro Fontane, the , the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, the Fontana del Nettuno and (the latter, however, built in 1901 at the behest of Mario Rutelli ).

There are also numerous ornamental or decorative fountains: the Fontana del Tritone and Fontana delle Api, works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Fontana delle Tartarughe and the Fontana del Babuino, part of the so-called ”Talking Statue” fountains in Rome.

There are also a number of fountains and springs, either huddled outside the walls or along the path of the aqueducts, some 2,500 drinking fountains scattered throughout the city and newly built fountains (the fountain in the new piazza Romana all'Acquedotto Alessandrino, the fountain of piazza Capelvenere ad Acilia, the fountain in Piazza San Cosimo a Trastevere and the fountain of the Ara Pacis).

Since the ancient era an efficient network of water mains was built thanks to the construction of many aqueducts: over five centuries, its total length reached c. 350 km.

Aqueducts built during Roman times include the , the , the Aqua Marcia, the Aqua Tepula, the , the Aqua Virgo, the Aqua Alsietina, the Aqua Claudia, the Anio Novus, the Aqua Traiana and the Aqua Alexandrina. In the modern age, the Popes restored the ancient Roman aqueducts and had more built, such as Acqua Felice. The Acquedotto del Pescheria-Capore and the Acquedotto Appio-Alessandrino were built in the 20th century.

Bridges[]

The first Roman bridges, made after the conquest of the left side of the Tiber, were built in wood, so that they would be ready to be destroyed in case of enemy attack. As a matter of fact, the first bridge in masonry, the Ponte Milvio, was made in the 2nd century BC, and is located in the point where three major northern (the Via Flaminia, the Via Cassia and Via Clodia). The Romans gave the Tiber an almost sacred value, hence its bridges were also specially regarded, so that those who constructed them, pontefices (from pontem facere), had priestly functions (most Roman bridges were as a matter of fact built by Popes) Today there are 28 bridges crossing the Tiber in Rome, while others were built for crossing the river Aniene.

Art[]

Rome has for centuries been one of the most important artistic centres in the world.

The first Roman indigenous art forms, at the stage of the origins and the First Republic, were pretty basic and not very refined. With the contact with Greek civilization, Rome would have an ambivalent attitude towards the "superior" Greek art: appreciate its gradual forms, and will try contempt for authors, artists socially inferior Greeks against Roman conquerors (the same attitude was taken towards Greek philosophers and poets). Over the centuries Greek art will have a growing appreciation, although there are trends indigenous "anti-classic" that will be an element of continuity with the Romanesque style.

The Roman Renaissance was also arguably one of the most important styles in Roman artistic history. The Renaissance period changed Rome's face dramatically, with works like the Pietà by Michelangelo and the frescoes of the Borgia Apartment, all made during Innocent's reign. Rome reached the highest point of splendour under Pope Julius II (1503–1513) and his successors Leo X and Clement VII, both members of the Medici family. In this twenty-years period Rome became one of the greatest centres of art in the world. The city hosted artists like Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Botticelli and Bramante, who built the temple of San Pietro in Montorio and planned a great project to renovate the Vatican. Raphael, who in Rome became one of the most famous painters of Italy creating frescos in the Cappella Niccolina, the Villa Farnesina, the Raphael's Rooms, plus many other famous paintings. Michelangelo started the decoration of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and executed the famous statue of the Moses for the tomb of Julius. Rome lost in part its religious character, becoming increasingly a true Renaissance city, with a great number of popular feasts, horse races, parties, intrigues and licentious episodes. The city's had a fruitful and thriving economy, with the presence of several Tuscan bankers, including Agostino Chigi, who was a friend of Raphael and a patron of arts. Before his early death, Raphael also promoted for the first time the preservation of the ancient ruins.

Rome became one of Europe's major centres of Renaissance artwork, second only to Florence, and able to compare to other major cities and cultural centres, such as Paris and Venice. The city was affected greatly by the baroque, and Rome became the home of numerous artists and architects, such as Bernini, Caravaggio, Carracci, Borromini and Cortona, to name a few.^[4] In the late-18th century and early-19th century, the city was one of the centres of the Grand Tour,^[5] when wealthy, young English and other European aristocrats visited the city to learn about ancient Roman culture, art, philosophy and architecture. Rome hosted a great number of neoclassical and rococo artists, such as Pannini and Bernardo Bellotto. Today, the city is a major artistic centre, with numerous art institutes^[6] and museums.

Rome boasts numerous painters and artists, and as a worldwide artistic centre, numerous artists have visited or resided in the city. Examples include Bramante, (1444–1514), Raphael (1483–1520), Perugino (1450–1523), Michelangelo (1475–1564), Benvenuto Cellini (1500–71), Caravaggio (1571–1610), Bernini (1598–1680), Carlo Maderno (1556–1629), Rubens (1577–1640), Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807), Antonio Canova (1757–1821) and (1770–1844).^[7]

Cinema[]

The Cinecittà studios are the biggest in Italy, and are believed to be the biggest in Europe. Rome's main studios were and still are amongst the most important in the world, hosting some of the greatest films of all time. They were built in 1937,^[7] and they rose to fame as the Neorealist films of the 1940s, for example Roberto Rossellini's Roma Città Aperta, and Vittorio De Sica Bicycle Thieves.^[7] Possibly Italy's greatest film director, Federico Fellini, was often associated with Cinecitta and Roman cinema, with his classic films La Dolce Vita of 1960, and Rome in 1971.^[7] Pier Paolo Pasolini was also a highly controversial director associated with the studios, with famous films such as Il Decamerone in 1971. The studios and the city have also been the settings for several foreign movies, such as Ben Hur, Gladiator, Gangs of New York, Quo Vadis, Spartacus and Roman Holiday.

Music and the performing arts[]

The city is also an important centre for music, and it has an intense and thriving performing arts scene, including several prestigious music conservatories and theatres. It hosts the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (founded in 1585), for which new concert halls have been built in the new Parco della Musica, one of the largest musical venues in the world. Rome also has an opera house, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, as well as several minor musical institutions. The city also played host to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991 and the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2004.

Rome has also held several renowned composers and musicians, such as (1525–94) and Gregorio Allegri, who composed Miserere

Fashion[]

Rome is widely recognized as a world fashion capital. Although not as important as Milan, Rome is the world's 4th most important center for fashion in the world, according to the 2009 Global Language Monitor after Milan, New York and Paris, and beating London.^[8] Major luxury fashion houses and jewelry chains, such as Bulgari, Fendi,^[9] Laura Biagiotti and Brioni (fashion), just to name a few, are headquartered or were founded in the city. Also, other major labels, such as Chanel, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Versace have luxury boutiques in Rome, primarily along its prestigious and upscale Via dei Condotti.

Via del Babuino and Via Margutta are also high-end shopping streets in the city. The Sorelle Fontana have a studio in Rome, which began in the 1930s and became a symbol of Rome's high fashion in the 1950s. Via Frattina and Via Borgognona are also fashionable streets which have a reputation of selling more modern clothes, and leather handbags.

Cuisine[]

Rome's cuisine has evolved through centuries and periods of social, cultural, and political changes. Rome became a major gastronomical centre during Ancient Rome. Ancient Roman cuisine was highly influenced by Ancient Greek culture, and after, the empire's enormous expansion exposed Romans to many new, provincial culinary habits and cooking techniques. In the beginning, the differences between social classes were not very great, but disparities developed with the empire's growth. Later, during the Renaissance, Rome became well known as a centre of high-cuisine, since some of the best chefs of the time, worked for the popes. An example of this could be Bartolomeo Scappi, who was a chef, working for Pius IV in the Vatican kitchen, and he acquired fame in 1570 when his cookbook Opera dell'arte del cucinare was published. In the book he lists approximately 1000 recipes of the Renaissance cuisine and describes cooking techniques and tools, giving the first known picture of a fork.^[10] Today, the city is home to numerous formidable and traditional Italian dishes A Jewish influence can be seen, as Jews have lived in Rome since the 1st century BCE. Vegetables, especially globe artichokes, are common.^[11] Examples of these include "Saltimbocca alla Romana" – a veal cutlet, Roman-style; topped with raw ham and sage and simmered with white wine and butter; "Carciofi alla giudia" – artichokes fried in olive oil, typical of Roman Jewish cooking; Carciofi alla romana – artichokes Roman-style; outer leaves removed, stuffed with mint, garlic, breadcrumbs and braised; "Spaghetti alla carbonara" – spaghetti with bacon, eggs and pecorino, and "Gnocchi di semolino alla romana" – semolina dumpling, Roman-style, to name but a few.

There is also a wide selection of drinks which are associated with the city. The area around Rome is one of the most significant wine-producing areas in Europe,^[12] and its history spans 2,000 years. Today, red wine is drunk along with main meals, whilst white wine is usually drunk alongside desserts. There are also several different types of popular Roman aperitifs and different digestifs, including several renowned coffees.

Bibliography[]

• Eyewitness Travel: Rome. DK. 2006. ISBN 1-4053-1090-1.

References[]