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Federica's BLOG

In Praise of Slowness: The Ancient Necropolis of Portus

8/31/2022

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​While vacationing on a small island near Puerto Rico, I found a funny sign on a fruit stand.  It read, "Opened some days, closed others."  The ancient Roman cemetery of Portus management shares this philosophy, as it is only open four days a week and only upon request.  Let me tell you. I don't always share this laid-back, Roman attitude.  Lately, it's been getting on my nerves.  But, after suffering the sweltering, high-season Vatican crowds, this place looked like Eden.
 
I quickly booked our reservation by mail the day before the visit, and on a sunny day in November, a friend and I arrived at this peaceful oasis, a mere 6-minute drive from the International Airport Leonardo da Vinci.  The guard and his two dogs welcomed us warmly, and we could wander the ruins of this ancient cemetery for hours, escorted only by one of the pups.  No one else was there.  Nobody stopped us from entering every single tomb.  In complete solitude, we marveled at the beauty of the decorations and the stories they told of the lives of those buried there.
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The main street in the Necropolis of Portus
​This necropolis (city of the dead) was built in the first century A.D., following the growth of the city of Portus, the new port built by Emperor Claudius and developed by Emperor Trajan.  This port, a hexagonal basin, was built by Trajan to protect the ships from storms and the harbor from the encroaching sands of the river Tiber. 
 
The Necropolis of Portus was discovered in 1925, and about 150 tombs were dredged from the silt since the fall of the Roman Empire.
 
Most of the tombs are red brick family tombs.  The ones most capturing my imagination tell the stories of their inhabitants.  In one, an elegant stucco shows the deceased’s passion for wine, depicting him riding his horse in reverse in his inebriated state.  In another, a midwife is pictured helping a woman in childbirth while a doctor dresses another patient’s leg.  Some other tombs depict the trade of the deceased,  one an artisan, another a miller.  Many have intricate mosaics and a welcome stone mat for visitors at their entrances.  Some more exotic decorations, crocodiles and hippopotamus, are reminders of the deceased’s travels and trade with the African provinces.
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Useful tips: You need a car to reach Rome city center in about 40 minutes. Otherwise, if you have some hours before your connecting flight, you can take a taxi from the arrival of Leonardo da Vinci International Airport of Rome. From the Airport it is only 6 minutes by car.

You can have a seaside lunch in the town of Fiumicino.
 
You can also visit the port's nature park and the docks' ruins.
 
Nearby is also the ancient Port of Rome, Ostia Antica, one of my favorite places in Rome.

​If you need any further information, contact me at [email protected]
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Palatine hill: the bearable lightness of being

8/30/2022

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Fountain in the Domus Augustana, credit to Erik Hagreis through Flickr.com
Yesterday my clients, a lovely family of six, told me that on the first day in Rome, they wandered around the whole archaeological area for miles to find a high vantage point to take pictures. They didn't know that Palatine hill was the best place to take photos, and we covered it the day after doing the Ancient Rome tour.

The Palatine is the most important of the seven hills of Rome, chosen by Romulus to found the city and later turned into the site of the Palaces of the Emperors.
The hill is accessible with the same ticket as the Colosseum, and, in my opinion, it is the most important of the three sites included: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine.
That's because you can see the entire archaeological site from a high point and the whole city.
Moreover, it includes the visit to the Palatine Museum, which gives an idea of the astonishing decorations which once adorned the palaces and shows the history of Rome from its foundation to the emperors.
​The best-preserved part of the palace will be the so-called 'Stadium' which was the personal chariot races track of the emperors, part of the Domus Augustana built by Emperor Domitian for his private quarters. ​From the same palace, you'll have the chance to view from a high vantage point the Circus Maximus, the oldest and biggest circus for chariot races in Rome, and to visit the remains of the central palace is, the Domus Flavia, still holding the ruins of the dining room and the throne hall of the Emperors.
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The Stadium or Ippodrome in the Domus Augustana on the Palatine hill, credit to Erik Hagreis, through Flickr.com
​On the other side of the hill, from the Domus Tiberiana, built by the emperor Caligula and later transformed by Pope Paul III Farnese into a botanic garden called 'Horti Farnesiani,' you will find the best view of all over the city of Rome and the Roman Forum.

Tips:
If you come from the Colosseum, you can access the Palatine hill from via di San Gregorio, just behind the Arch of Constantine, or from the Arch of Titus.
In spring, I took my mum up on the Palatine. I brought some panini (sandwiches) and had a great picnic on the benches of the Horti Farnesiani. So you can do the same if you like. Don't get too complicated, and don't bring too much stuff; the guards might not appreciate your professional picnic style. Remember that you are in a 2000 years old archaeological area, in any case.
There is not a cafeteria on Palatine hill or in the below Roman Forum, but you can find public fountains (called by the Romans big noses) if you are thirsty. The water is fresh, always running, and safe.

If you are lucky as my tourists three days ago, you will meet black rabbits in the bushes of the Horti Farnesiani.
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Panorama from the Palatine Hill
#palatine #touristguide #Rome #Mylovelyrome
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The Borghese Gallery: Pride and Nepotism

8/17/2022

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The Borghese Gallery in Rome, credit to Eric Martin through Flickr.com
We should thank the Papal visceral love for their family if we can enjoy many art collections in Rome, such as the Borghese Gallery. Nepotism, a word that every Roman knows well, was used for the Popes who gave power and offices to their nephews, 'nipoti', lacking marriage and children, at least legitimate ones.

Unfortunately, most visitors find out too late that  Borghese Gallery needs reservation and miss this marvelous treasure of Rome.
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The Rape of Proserpine by Gianlorenzo Bernini, credit to Larry Miller through Flickr.com
The Borghese Gallery lies at the edge of the peaceful and luxurious Borghese Park, in the heart of the posh Parioli district, close to the shopping area of the Spanish Steps and luxury hotels street via Veneto. This intimate collection was created by the Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the XVII century, who had a strong passion for art and a conspicuous fortune to cultivate it. What couldn't be purchased with money was grabbed with the power of his position. Raphael's Deposition of Christ or Caravaggio's David with the head of Goliath has been obtained thanks to the immense power derived from being the nephew of Pope Paul V.

The gallery's highlights that I prefer are the sculptures of a young Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Rape of Proserpine and the Apollo and Daphne, the serene beauty of Canova's Pauline Bonaparte, beloved sister of Napoleon, and the sublime perfection of ancient statues.

For those who will find their way to the second floor, the magnificent Profane and Sacred Love by Titian will be an oasis of elegance and peace from the drama of Baroque but will tell you a more recent story about the decline of the Borghese family, while irreverent and distant pagan gods stare at the visitors from the ceilings
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Fauns of the ceiling of the Borghese Gallery, credit to luca skill through Flickr.com
Tips: You must reserve and pay for your Borghese Gallery tickets. Tickets run out quickly. Check on their reservation website: http://www.galleriaborghese.it/eng/galleriaBorghese.html
You can walk to the Borghese Gallery if you are close enough via Veneto, or you could take bus 53 from piazza Barberini.
The admission time is every two hours: 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17.
The visit lasts 2 hours.
Enjoy a walk after the tour through Borghese park, where you can rent a bike, a tandem, or a rowboat.
You can find other museums in the same area, such as the Gallery of Modern Art and the Etruscan Museum. If you are with children, next to the Gallery, there is Rome Zoo.

If you need any further information, contact me at [email protected]
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Rowboats on Villa Borghese Lake, credit to Fabio Stefano Alla through Flickr.com
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The Free and Easy Museum of the Walls

8/4/2022

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The inferior patrol path of the Aurelian Walls provided with loopholes for the archers
​Erecting walls might seem an original idea, but the Ancient Romans had already built them all around the Mediterranean area to keep their cities safe from the incursions of enemies. Although they were quite unable to keep 'the others out, they were built with skillfulness and art, so they are now a beautiful and charming attraction of Rome. ​​​The Aurelian Walls are the longest and best preserved Ancient Walls of Europe, and out of the original 19 kilometers (12 miles), 12 kilometers are still intact (8 miles).
They were built by Emperor Aurelian and later reinforced by the Eastern Emperor Honorius to keep the Goths out. Honorius doubled the height of the walls to 11 feet thick and 24 high. Every thirty meters, there was a watch tower with a ballista, 381 in total, with 18 main gates flanked by smaller and 114 latrines. 
The Museum of the walls,  surprisingly free of charge, is located inside the imposing Porta San Sebastiano, once called Porta Appia, facing the Appian Way, the most important consular road built by Appian Claudius the Blind in the fourth century BC.
Later the gate took the name of a soldier who suffered martyrdom, St. Sebastian. The Museum opened in 1990, even if already in 1940-43 underwent some significant restorations to become the alcove of the fascist secretary Ettore Muti. ​
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Gate St. Sebastian where the Museum of the Walls is located
​The black and white mosaic on the first floor connecting the two towers dates back to his time. The view from the windows of the first level is already worth the climbing: on one side, the Arch of Drusus, part of an Ancient Aqueduct (Aqua Antoniniana) that once fed the Caracalla's Baths, and the villas on the Appian Way on the other side. 
Despite their solid appearance, they could not protect the city. Most of the time, the Barbarians entered through the opened gates, showing the military inefficiency of the decaying Roman Empire.

In 1327 the gate became a scene of struggles between the two parties supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the king of Naples (Ghibellines). When the Papal party won, the Archangel Michael defeated a dragoon engraved in the inner part of the central gate.
From the first level, a slight draft door will take you to the fascinating part of the walls: the ancient covered walkway with arches lined in unique geometric perfection.
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View over the Regional Park of the Appian Way
In one of the watchtowers, you will find a fresco of a Madonna, apparently a memory of a romitorio, the simple refuge of a hermit. The walls suffered collapses and damage for the erosion of elements, and some of the steps were restored with ancient recycled marbles. From the top of the walls, you can taste a fantastic view over the roman countryside part of the Regional Park of the Appian Way.

Tips: The bike is the best way to taste this part of Rome, especially on Sunday when the Appian Way is pedestrian. Always bring a U-lock to tide the bikes to a tree or a road sign while visiting sights along the way.
Bus number 118 is the bus which will take you here from the Colosseum.
The Museum of the Walls is open every day except Monday from 9 to 14. It is free of charge.
You can also visit the Catacombs on the Appian Way, the Caracalla's Baths, Villa of the Quintilii.

​If you need any further information, contact me at info@mylovelyrome
​
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The garden of delights: Villa Medici

6/19/2022

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Villa Medici, Academy of France, gardens, credit to Jean-Pierre Dalbéra through Flickr.com
If you need some calm and peace from the chaotic life of Rome, here you can find it. Villa Medici is a 1500s villa built by the Medici family of Florence and then purchased by Napoleon for a piece of cake, to become the Academy of France in 1803, still hosting the artists who won the Grand Prix de Rome. They have the privilege to live in the Villa and study, paint, and sculpt their works inspired by the beauty of Rome and by this piece of heaven.
The gardens, which are unarguably the most beautiful part of the Villa, have been recently chosen as one of the locations of the Great Beauty, the film by Paolo Sorrentino, which won the 2014 academy award for the best foreign movie, as well as for a recent costly and upper-class wedding party.
The Villa is at the top of the Spanish Steps, just a few feet away from the most famous sight of Rome, and it occupies a grand estate which goes from the Pincio hill to the ancient Aurelian walls and offers an astonishing view over the city of Rome.
In ancient times, the Romans had already discovered the delights of this place as the ruins of the old Villa belonging to Lucullo and then to Messalina, the unfaithful wife of emperor Claudius prove.

The part of the garden that I prefer is towards the edge, on the walls, where in 1576 Ferdinando I de' Medici transformed one of the guard towers into a love nest. Here even if he was a cardinal, he could meet his lovers far from indiscreet eyes.
The prince, which had refined tastes, transformed his bachelor pad into an elaborated painted garden populated by a multitude of birds work of Jacopo Zucchi, a pupil of Giorgio Vasari, recently rediscovered under a more recent layer of plaster. In it, you can see the first representation of a turkey, a native of the Americas.
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Studiolo of Ferdinando de Medici, Villa Medici, credit to Jean-Pierre Dalbéra through Flickr.com
Ferdinando, made cardinal when he was 14, later abandoned the ecclesiastical life, for which he didn't have a real vocation, to succeed as Grand Duke of Tuscany his brother Francesco who conveniently died, followed by his wife, after dinner with Ferdinando.
Tips: you can reach the Villa with the subway line A reaching the Spagna stop. English-speaking tours are usually at 12, but try to arrive in advance because they run out quickly of places available.
Enjoy a drink in the quiet café of Villa Medici and the modern art exhibition held in the basement. The Académie de France has a very intense cultural life and organizes exhibitions and film festivals.
If you reach the next-door Villa Borghese, you can rent a bicycle and explore the central park of Rome or rent a boat on the central Lake.
A good lunch can be tasted on via Veneto at Eataly Hamburgheria, which offers hamburgers and tasty salads.
You will find the best tiramisù at Pompi in via della Croce at the foot of the Spanish steps.
Small place for tasty pizza at Grano, frutta e farina in via della Croce.

For any further information, contact me on http://www.mylovelyrome.com/contact.html
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Testaccio, the Gourmet District

5/1/2022

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Recently I took a Japanese friend to Testaccio, the southwest district of Rome, set along the Tiber river near the subway station Pyramid, and there we tasted some of the most amazing cheeses and hams in Rome at Volpetti, the historical gourmet shop on via Marmorata, the main street of the quarter.

It is strange how things rapidly change here because Testaccio was once the working-class residential area of Rome, and now it is becoming a sort of ‘Village' attracting gourmet lovers from all around the world.
This transformation was helped by the recent restyling of the fruit and vegetable market and to Eataly, a 3-storey high tech building packed, as we say, 'con ogni ben di Dio' by every goodness of God of Italian food and wine. In between, many modern restaurants and ice cream shops have opened for the joy of the most discriminating tastes, enriching the already generous offer of this quarter.

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Volpetti at Testaccio, credit to jhlab through Flickr.com
Restyling of the fruit and vegetable market, since time immemorial heart and engine of the district, and by Eataly, a brand new 3 storey high building packed, as we say, 'con ogni ben di Dio’, by every goodness of God, of Italian food and wine.

​In the past centuries, thanking the presence of the capital slaughterhouse ‘mattatoio’, the area was slowly filling with simple restaurants offering the poor cuts of the animals’ frattaglie’ and the perfect refrigerated wine kept in the cellars of the artificial mountain of ‘testae’ from which the area takes the name.

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Pyramid of Caius Cestius, credit to Antonella through Flickr.com
For the happiness of beauty searchers, the area is also rich in historical attractions like the nearby ancient Caius Cestius Pyramid, the acatholic cemetery, where Keats and Shelley are buried, the Capitoline Museums in Centrale Montemartini, and the already mentioned Modern Art wing of the Macro Rome, a museum of contemporary art set in the old cattle market of Rome. Moreover, Testaccio is lately attracting many street artists like Blu, which embellish the side of condominiums, bridges, and abandoned buildings with their giant murals. Monte di Testaccio, or as the Romans fondly call it Monte de Cocci, was created in ancient times by broken vases called ‘testae,’ arrived at the river harbor full of wine and oil: the mountain was created by ancient trash.
Moreover, as proof of this new life, Testaccio is attracting many street artists like Blu, which embellish the side of condominiums, bridges, and abandoned buildings with their giant murals.
Tips: Enjoy the icecream at Gelateria Romana via Ostiense 48; triangular sandwiches stuffed with hot roman specialties at Trapizzino in via Giovanni Branca 88; or if you prefer a solid tradition, enjoy the pastries at Andreotti via Ostiense 54; if you are fond of pizza, try Doppio Zero on via Ostiense 68 which is also able to offer you hot dishes if you had enough of carbos.
Rest under the century pines of the noncatholic cemetery oasis of peace and calm.
For any further information, contact me at http://www.mylovelyrome.com
​
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Murals on an abandoner military office in via del Porto Fluviale, credit mauriziosacco through Flickr.com
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Villa D'Este: Home Away From Rome

4/17/2022

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March and it is already spring here in Rome. Therefore people are willing to be in the greenery of parks and gardens. This reminds me of my loveliest clients, Brian and Marina, and their 3 kids, who asked me to take them to a nice place outside Rome. Here is where I took them: Villa D'Este.
I think they considered this place one of the highlights of their trip to Italy, and their kids loved it.

Villa D'Este was created by one of a kind man, the Cardinal Ippolito D'Este, son of that famous Lucretia Borgia, daughter of the naughty Spanish Pope Alexander VI Borgia. The cardinal tried to become pope 5 times in his life, without success. In 1550 he became governor of Tivoli, a town just 45 miles from Rome, and he moved into a convent connected with the church of St. Maria Maggiore. The new residence was inadequate for his high rank, so he sent his architect Pirro Ligorio to study the place.
The result, after 20 years, was the Villa D'Este, a palace decorated by the best artists of that time: Livio Agresti, Cesare Nebbia, Girolamo Muziano, and the wonderful Italian garden with 51 fountains, 398 gushes, 64 waterfalls.
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Neptune Fountain in Villa D'este, credit to Richard Mortel through Flickr.com
​The cardinal created 3 branches from the town's aqueduct to feed his fountains, which use the Aniene river water. A hydraulic machine of 500 liters of water per second still works after centuries.
The most amazing fountains are the Fountain of the Organ, which produced music thanking a subterranean hydraulic system that was recently restored. The Fountain of Ovato with a waterfall under which I used to walk when I was a child.
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The 100 fountains in Villa D'este, credit to Riccardo Cuppini through Flickr.com
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Ovato Fountain in Villa D'este, credit to Neo_II, through Flickr.com
The one hundred fountains which show strange faces of animals. To end with the scenographical Fountain of Neptune the most photographed fountain of the villa, viewed from the great fishing ponds used once to provide the Cardinal with fresh fish.

The interior of the villa is also a paradise for the art lovers and the decorations and grotesque were painted to delight the eye of the visitor.
The masters involved in the frescoes are the same that can be admired in the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums. Every inch of the interiors is decorated with grotesque, and in every corner, the family symbol of the cardinal, the lilies, and the eagle can be found as well as the symbol of the grandfather of the cardinal, the bull  Borgia.


Practical information: You need to be determined to arrive
in Tivoli by public transportation as the train doesn't run too often here. You will need to walk a while to reach the villa from the station.
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Interior decoration representing River Gods, in Villa D'este, credit to jnshaumeyer through Flickr.com
If you take the bus, like I did many times, you need to be patient because you will find a crowded fauna of commuters. The villa is worth this labor of Hercules, though.

With the bus: Reach Ponte Mammolo with the B line of the subway. Here you find the beginning of the buses. They go via a highway or via Tiburtina street. It is only known by God if you will see less traffic on one or the other way.
The 'hidden ticket area' to purchase your 'Cotral' bus ticket is below the bus station, near the bar, just at the subway station. Grab your return tickets and wait for the 'Caron' bus. Trying to find an available seat will be a challenge. I would recommend moving after 10.
I did it several times, and I was alone, so I'm sure you can make it!
If you wish to visit Hadrian Villa, buses leave from the gardens at the city entrance near piazza Garibaldi. If you have to choose, I would always go for the Villa D'Este, but this is a very personal choice.

If you need any further information, contact me through http://www.mylovelyrome.com
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View from the top of the Neptune fountain towards the fishing ponds, Villa D'Este, credit to Neo_II through Flickr.com
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Villa Farnesina: The Luxury Retreat of a Bank-man

4/17/2022

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The wedding of Psiche and Love, by Raphael, in Villa Farnesina, credit Nicolas Vollmer, by Flickr.com
If you are searching for a beautiful museum to visit on Monday morning, when all the others are closed to the public, I recommend Villa Farnesina.

The villa was built in 1506-1520 by Agostino Chigi, a wealthy bank man from Siena who financed many popes. Being so close to the Papacy, he could choose the most important painter of its time, Raphael, to decorate his new residence, as he was working in the Vatican Papal Apartments,  Raphael's Rooms.

The result were the stories of Love and Psyche and the amazing Galatea.

The choice of these mythological stories is not random, but it depends on the biography of the commissioner, Agostino Chigi. 
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Galatea, by Raphael in Villa Farnesina, credit to mykaul through Flickr.com
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Loggia of Love and Psyche credit to Charlie Dave through Flickr.com
The 'Galatea' is an allegory of the aristocratic Margherita Gonzaga, which didn't accept the advances of Agostino, which was not noble.
Therefore in Raphael's painting, Galatea, symbolizing Margherita, is escaping far from the ugly giant Polyphemus, painted by Sebastiano del Piombo, which depicts Agostino. Anyway, the bankman didn't lose too much time with the spoiled Margherita and found the love of his life in Venice.

In the central loggia overlooking the gardens, the paintings about 'Love and Psyche' represent the love and wedding between the bank-man and a poor young Venetian lady, Francesca. 

Other famous masters worked in the villa, the Venetian Sebastiano del Piombo and the Sienese Baldassare Peruzzi, which was also the architect of the villa, and painted a gorgeous ceiling representing the fortunate day of the birth of Agostino Chigi through astrological figures and Sodoma which decorated Agostino and Francesca's bedroom.
The Villa which at the beginning was named Chigi, was later purchased by the Farnese family and this is why it is still named 'Farnesina'.
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Villa Chigi, called Farnesina, credit to Charlie Dave through Flickr.com
Tips: The villa stands in a beautiful district, Trastevere, on the right bank of the Tiber river. This is a gourmet district where you can find many places to eat or have a gelato. 
There is a baroque collection in front of Villa Farnesina, Palazzo Corsini. Just behind Palazzo Corsini, you can find an oasis of peace and relaxation in the botanical gardens' green.
Consider that Villa Farnesina is open from Monday to Sunday from 9 to 2 pm. It is usually closed on Sunday, except on the second Sunday of the month when it is open from 9 to 5 pm.

If you need any further information, contact me through http://www.mylovelyrome.com
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    Che Buono! My Favorite Roman Dishes
    Desperately Seeking Bathroom
    PalatineHill
    Portus Ancient Necropolis
    Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
    Streetcar 19
    Testaccio
    The Borghese Gallery: Pride And Nepotism
    The Free And Easy Museum Of The Walls
    Villa Dei Quintili
    Villa D'Este
    Villa Farnesina
    Villa Medici: The Garden Of Delights

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