Our Last Day in Roma

Thursday, 5 October 2017 
One might expect to see awesome deli's in Roma, but have a close look at the price of the Tartufo Bianco (white truffles).  No, that's not €560 a kilo, it's €560 per 100g.  That works out at about AUD$8,360 per kilo.  

Our final bit of Roman art culture and history was a visit to the Villa Borghese. Built in 1605, by Cardinal Scipione Borghese who was a patron of both Caravaggio and Bernini. 

Bernini’s Rape of Proserpina, 1621. Depicts Pluto kidnapping Proserpina with his three headed dog Cerberus. Bernini was only 23 years old when he did this. What a little shit.

Here is the Tre Putti Dormienti, or in common parlance, Babies on a Plate.

And a room full of Caravaggio's.  To the left you can see Boy with a Basket of Fruit c. 1593, St John the Baptist (John in the Wilderness) 1610, and Caravaggio's St Jerome 1606.

Madonna of the Palafrenieri, ca. 1606. Mary teaches the young Jesus how to kill a menacing serpent, a symbol of heresy and evil. The painting was heavily criticized for its alleged lack of decorum and dignity.  To the right of the Madonna you can make out another Caravaggio "David with the Head of Goliath".  It is believed that the head of Goliath is a self-portrait.

Close up of Caravaggio’s St John the Baptist.

Dancing Satyr.

Statue of Venus Victrix. The model was Pauline Bonaparte sculptured by Antonio Canova 1805.

Bernini’s David 1623.

Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne, 1625.