Day 13: Capitoline Museums

Just across the Tiber bridges close to our apartment is the Theatre of Marcellis 

Theatre of Marcellis

(son of Octavia who died young) (looks like a mini Colosseum) and The Portico of Octavia (Augustus's sister). We had walked around them a few times but today had a tour through the ruins.  I think both these areas are equal to the Roman Forum in interest and the later is currently undergoing lots of restoration. The Portico of Octavia was turned into a fish market and, of course, had mandatory churches built on it. We also stumbled on the Jewish quarter that adjoins these ruins.

There is a long history of Jewish people in Rome since 2nd Cent BCE and they have usually been poorly treated including by many Popes (shame! JPII made apologies for this treatment). We passed the spot where 2000 Jewish people were rounded up by the Nazis on 16/10/1943 and sent to Auschwitz (only 16 made it back).

The Capitoline Museums are so impressive I would say they are breathtaking - you know I am not prone to exaggerated praise! I took some pics of some masterpieces that I have added but have a look at the website which takes you through the galleries. Two things before I show you some pics - the museums flank the Piazza del Campidoglio designed by Michelangelo with the bronze of Marcus Aurelius on horseback in the centre. This is a superb setting for the museums. Secondly the first thing you do when you enter the Capitoline museum (on RHS facing bronze) is go into a courtyard that contains reliefs from the Temple of Hadrian and the remaining bits of a huge marble statue of Constantine (~12 M high) that was originally in the Basilica of Maxentius (Emperor before Constantine) in the Roman Forum. The first impressions are of the enormous breath and depth of the artistic and cultural heritage that is here.

Constantine - Don't argue!

Constantine's foot

Bernini  

: Superb Marble Statue of Pope Urban VIII (1635-1640)

Boy with Thorn, also known as Cavaspina
a young man removing a thorn from his foot (1st C BCE) 

Lupa Capitolina bronze- 5th Cent. BCE with infants added 1509

Original gilded bronze of Marcus Aurelius ~180 CE

Large Bronze Constantine: 4th C CE

Statue of Cupid and Psyche  2nd C BCE

Dying Gaul

Marble Capitoline Venus 

(4th century BCE)

Torso of wounded warrior Discobolus - 1st C CE

I saw some of pieces that were on my must see list and many more - unfortunately we missed out on two Caravaggio's (The Fortune Teller, St John the Baptist) and the bust of Medussa (Bernini) which were on loan.


After a long tour finishing around 7pm we made our way back through the Jewish quarter and stopped for some dinner at a kosher restaurant - a special way to end to the day