Museums of Rome [antikvár]

This second edition of the boolc «Museums of Rome» offers a detailed, up-dated and enlarged overview of the museums of Italy's Capital and its surrounding area. Such a guide must naturally keep up with all the exceptional new developments and recent exhibitions, especially in terms of archaeological museums and collections of modem art, in addition to brand-new collections. The first category includes the Capitoline Museum, whose history covers five centuries. It was founded in 1471, under Pope Sixtus IV, who donated to the Roman people the bronze works around which the collection of the world's oldest museum developed. The second category regards the Museum of Modern Art, where new acquisitions and donations continually modify the existing lay-out, making it necessary to rearrange the exhibits on short notice. Museums always offer their visitors strong emotions, and this is especially true in Rome, whose collections — consisting of authentic evidence of history and art, as well as the works of mankind — are kept in «containers» which themselves represent works of art. The sites in question include not only archaeological structures, such as the Baths of Diocletian, with its splendidly restored Octagonal room, but also historic villas and palaces, such as the Etruscan Museum in the Villa of Pope Julius II and the former palaces of the Barberini, Doria Pamphilj and Colonna families — to name just a few — where the charming settings heighten the enjoyment of the art works. The collections in the Pamphilj and Colonna palaces, as well as those in the palaces of the Spada and Pallavicini families etc., date back a number of years: they were established during the 17th and 18th centuries in the wake of a costly art-collecting fad which swept up Roman noble families both large and small, allowing them to demonstrate not only their wealth, but also their patronage of the arts and their level of culture. The number of galleries — with the Vatican collections being a case apart — was significantly enlarged between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, by which time the City had firmly established its role as a depository of incalculable artistic and historical resources of interest throughout the world. Both the quantity and quality of these works is endless. Indeed, the problem for visitors in a hurry is precisely this embarassment of riches. For those with more time, we should point out that the municipal museums are open both morning and afternoon on certain days of the week, while the Capitoline Museums offer pleasant Saturday-evening sessions from April to September. The National Gallery of Modem Art (except for Mondays) and the Pigorini Museum are open non-stop until 7 p.m., while the works of the Borghese gallery can be admired at the San Michele a Ripa building on weekday mornings and afternoons. All the other museums are normally opened in the morning. Bruno Piattelli President of the Rome Provincial Tourist Board