Capitoline Museum & Campidoglio

I had been here in Central Italy for over a year and had yet visited the Capitoline Museum in Rome. Check! Yesterday, I headed down to the Campidoglio and spent three hours in the museum. I have become SUCH a classicist and have such an amazing appreciation for sculpture, much more so than painting, but still, I'm a huge geek now.

Although this is just a model, it shows how the Campidoglio is laid out. Designed by Michelangelo, physically it faces AWAY from the forum and metaphorically AWAY from ancient world and TOWARDS the renaissance. The buildings on either side are the Palazzo dei Conservatori (right) and Palazzo Nuovo (right). Both of which house the Capitoline Museum. The building in the center is the mayoral seat of Rome. The statue in the middle, Marcus Aurelius.

This 10 foot high frieze was removed from its original location and is now in the museum. I love these scenes. Here we have Hadrian (bearded on horse) giving clemency.

Brutus, yes, that Brutus!

The Capitoline She-wolf! The wolf itself is thought to have been created in Etruscan times (remember they were great bronze workers). Later on, the two babies were added to complete the myth that the twins, Romulus and Remus who were abandoned by their mother and eventually to found Rome, were raised and sucked by a she-wolf. This is the symbol of Rome.

Bernini's Medusa

This HUGE bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius is the only one to survive to the present. It's only because the church thought it represented their benefactor, Constantine.

I like this bust of the Emperor Commodus because it actually should have been destroyed. He was subject to "Damnae Memoria" where all references to him and likenesses of him were to be erased and destroyed. But this one survives!

An ancient Roman game, rules and objective unknown.

There is an ENTIRE ROOM in the museum dedicated to the busts of Roman Emperors. The two males on top are Nero and Agrippa (not an emperor actually). Juxtaposed below is Septimius Severus who centuries later displays the fashion at the time, beards and long hair.

The Dying Gaul, which I studied in Art History last year. Intense emotion of a warrior, obviously strong, accepting death. Hellenism, baby.

The light in the room was perfect, so I snapped him from all angles.

As I was walking out of the Campidoglio, I saw this up in one of the open windows. It's the statue of Cupid and Psyche kissing. I think its great that the curators have such a sense of humor to put it right where everyone can see it through the window.

I left the museum and it was a gorgeous day, so I paid the 7 Euro to take the elevator up to the top of the Vittoriano right next door. It's totally touristy, but for this view, it's worth it.

Looking west to the Pantheon, Castel San Angelo and the Vatican.