“When you are in Rome, you can literally walk through different periods of time – from the Renaissance to the Baroque, to ancient Rome and then mediaeval. It's an open-air museum.”
My Favourites:
Exploring beyond the icons
“When people come to Rome, they want to see the Vatican and the Colosseum. But Rome has a lot of amazing museums. One of them is Centrale Montemartini, it's a former electric power plant which has been converted into a museum and exhibition space. It’s filled with incredible statues, mosaics and sculptures. And another one is The National Roman Museum which is filled with great masterpieces of the ancient Roman world, such as sculptures, frescoes, and my favourite - The Boxer at Rest - bellissima. But the one I go to most is the National Gallery of Modern Art, and my favourite painting there is La Pazza by Giacomo Balla – it’s beautiful, colourful and has amazing movement. He was born in Turin but moved to Rome and his house is now a museum."
Bernini’s legacy and hidden artistic treasures
"Palazzo Colonna is one of the most beautiful noble buildings that we still have here in Rome. The Colonna family still lives there so it’s only open on Friday and Saturday mornings, but we can arrange a private visit on other days. They have the most wonderful gallery covered in beautiful paintings and frescoes, a Baroque jewel, and Princess Isabella’s apartment is a gilded treasure trove.
Otherwise, I would also recommend an exclusive visit to Galleria Borghese, which holds the world’s largest collection of sculptures by Roman artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It’s a small museum and going in the evening, on your own, is something really incredible."
Unveiling sacred Roman history
"Some of the most impressive art is in Roman churches, not just museums. People might not go to a church, so it's quieter and you get to be closer to the paintings. One of the most breath-taking is Santa Maria del Popolo, it is two minutes’ walk from the hotel, and it is covered in beautiful frescoes by Raphael and Bernini and has two Caravaggios. The Church San Luigi dei Francesi has three Caravaggio paintings and then, there is the Basilica of Sant' Agostino which holds my favourite Caravaggio, "La Madonna di Loreto".
Another amazing church is the The Basilica of San Clemente which shows us a full picture of Roman history, all the way from the 1st-century through incredible mosaics and frescoes."
Through the Aventine keyhole
"There are so many lovely walks in the city and one of my favourites is to go past the Colosseum, to the Circo Massimo, an ancient stadium, and then take a walk through the Rose Garden. There are over 1000 species of roses there, so in the spring it’s really magical. Then you walk up the Aventine Hill to reach the Orange Garden, which has an amazing view over the river, and to the Basilica of St. Peter. Then, stroll through the Cavalieri di Malta Square where you can look through the Aventine Keyhole - this door holds the most amazing view over the city with St. Peter’s dome in the centre."
A true Roman luminary between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, the classical and cosmopolitan come together at Hotel de Russie.
Phone Number*
Address
Via del Babuino 9
00187 Rome, Italy
Rome
00187 Rome, Italy
Rome
A true Roman luminary between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, the classical and cosmopolitan come together at Hotel de Russie.
Phone Number*
Address
Via del Babuino 9
00187 Rome, Italy
Rome
00187 Rome, Italy
Rome
A true Roman luminary between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, the classical and cosmopolitan come together at Hotel de Russie.
Phone Number*
Address
Via del Babuino 9
00187 Rome, Italy
Rome
00187 Rome, Italy
Rome