Page 445 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

ROME : FUR THER AFIELD  443

A circular Temple of Diana Borghese, husband to
folly lies between the Porta Napoleon’s sister Pauline,
Pinciana, at the top of Via unfortunately sold many of the
Veneto, and Piazza di Siena, family paintings to his brother-
a grassy amphitheatre that in-law, and swapped 200 of
hosts Rome’s international Scipione’s Classical statues for
horse show in May. Its umbrella an estate in Piedmont. These
pines inspired the composer statues are still in the Louvre
Ottorino Respighi to write and, as a consequence, the
The Pines of Rome (1924). remaining antique Classical
The open-air opera season collection is less interesting
is also held in the park. than it might once have been.
To the northwest of the park However, the hedonistic
is the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte cardinal was an enthusiastic
Moderna, and the Orangery patron of the arts and the
is now home to the Carlo sculptures he commissioned
Bilotti Museum. from artists such as the young
Bernini now rank among their
most famous works.
The eight rooms of the Detail of Rape of Proserpina by Bernini
ground floor of the Villa (1622), Museo Borghese
Borghese are set around a
central hall, the Salone. The own. In the next alcove is the
most famous statue is one of Villa Borghese’s most infamous
Bernini’s finest works, Apollo and work – a sculpture, executed in
Daphne (1624) in room 3, which 1805 by Canova, of Pauline
shows the nymph Daphne with Borghese as Venus Victrix (Venus
bay leaves sprouting from her the Conqueror). The semi-naked
outstretched fingers, roots Pauline reclining on a chaise-
growing from her toes and longue shocked those who
rough bark enfolding her saw it and Pauline’s husband
smooth body, as she begins to kept the statue locked away,
metamorphose into a laurel even denying Canova access
tree to escape being abducted to it. The next room holds a
by the god Apollo. Abduction is selection of antiquities, notably
also the theme of The Rape of a Roman copy of a plump
Proserpina, again by Bernini, in Bacchus by the 4th-century BC
room 4. Depicting Pluto, the Greek sculptor
god of the Underworld, Praxiteles, and
Sacred and Profane Love by Titian (1514), carrying Proserpina, daughter fragments of a
in the Galleria Borghese of Ceres, off to be his 3rd-century AD
mosaic found on
2 Museo e Galleria bride, the sculpture is a one of the Borghese
virtuoso piece in which
Borghese Bernini contrasts the estates in Torrenova,
taut musculature of showing gladiators
Villa Borghese, Piazzale Scipione
Borghese 5. Tel 06 328 10. @ 52, 53, Pluto with the soft battling with
116, 910. v 3, 19. Open 9am–7pm yielding flesh of wild animals.
Tue–Sun (reservations required). Proserpina, whose The Galleria
Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec. & (free 1st thigh dimples in his Borghese, on the
Sun of month). ^ 9 - = 7 iron grip. upper floor, houses
∑ galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it The third famous some magnificent
Bernini piece, which Baroque and Renais-
Cardinal Scipione Borghese’s dates from 1623, is sance paintings.
villa was designed in 1605 as David in room 2. The Works on display
a typical Roman country house, artist captures the include
with its wings projecting into tensed, grimacing Raphael’s
the surrounding gardens. youth the masterpiece,
It was built by Flaminio Ponzio, moment before Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne the Deposition,
Pope Paul V’s architect, and was he releases the (1624) various works by
used by Scipione for entertaining stone that slew Caravaggio, the
guests and for displaying his Goliath. It is said that Pope graceful Danäe by the 16th-
impressive collection of paintings Urban VIII held a mirror up to century artist Correggio, as
and sculpture. Between 1801 Bernini so that the sculptor well as works by Pinturicchio,
and 1809 Prince Camillo could model David’s face on his Barocci, Rubens and Titian.

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