I went to the Borghese Gallery today which houses some of the best art in Rome. The gallery is housed in the former residence of a Roman cardinal so the grounds were immaculately kept. I made a mental note to return tomorrow to enjoy the fountains and well kept grass, but in the meantime I purchased my ticket and went into the gallery. I had always been a big fan of Bernini, but seeing his works in person was absolutely amazing. No other sculpture can compare to the movement and emotion he captures in his works. I wandered around the sculpture gallery trying to avoid the huge Japanese tour group that arrived, then I went up to the picture gallery where I saw Raphael’s Deposition. I have seen so much art while in Italy it is weird to think that I just walked past this Raphael like it was any other work of art.

I spent the afternoon sleeping, ever since our arrival in Rome, my sleep pattern has reversed. The heat makes it nearly impossible to do anything during the day, so sleeping during the hottest hours and staying out late seems to be the best route to take. Back at the hostel I made plans to go out with our roommate, Anthony, and Hannah showed up a little while later. Anthony hadn’t seen Rome at night so I decided that we should walk by all the major highlights. First we went down to the Coliseum and walked around it then we went to the Forum, which usually stays open late but because today was the day of the Assumption of the Virgin it had closed early. I don’t think Italians are really that pious, I just think they like an excuse to get off of work, and boy do they have a lot of excuses.

 

The Trevi Fountain is much more beautiful at night--sans crowds.

The Coliseum is breathtaking at night.