Rome Where You Want To - Part 3

Rome, the last day!

 

Since today was going to be our last day, and technically we only had "half" of the day since our plane departed at 7pm and I wanted to make sure we got to the airport in plenty of time, so I booked only one official stop for the day:  The Gallery Borghese.

 

The gallery is actually the former mansion house an eponymous prominent Roman family.  His family's personal art collection is quiet impressive.  It had a great reputation, so much you have to schedule your visit in advance, so I thought it would be worth it.

 

Unfortunately, the gallery wouldn't allow photos inside (why? am I stealing the painting's soul???), but at least I got a couple snapshots outside of the impressive building.  Keep in mind, this was some guy's house!



 

OK, I know they didn't allow pictures inside, but this technically isn't of anything in the Gallery except a tired boy after his 500th Roman art collection.  Hang in there, David!

 

 

There was one sculpture inside that was perhaps my favourite in all art work we saw on this trip:  Apollo and Daphne sculpture.

 

I didn't' take this picture, of course, but hopefully you can get a feeling for why it's so amazing. I saw a lot of marble sculptures on this trip, but nothing like this.  The flow, the physics, the emotion, the texture right down to Daphne's leaves growing out of her fingertips.  Just a word: Amazing.  Worth the price of admission, right there.

 



 

After the visit at the gallery, we continued to walk around beautiful Rome.  We followed a recommendation in our tourist book for something I wasn't quite prepared for:  The Capuchin Crypt.

Warning:  Religious editorialization ahead.

This was another "art" collection where indoor photography was forbidden, but luckily I have the internet to back me up on this.

So, this religious order puts its members bones in this crypts, and over time, arranges them in all sorts of, uhm, interesting ways.  Go ahead and do a search if you'd like to see more.

It was both interesting and disturbing at the same time.

I personally am religious; I consider myself Christian.  As part of my belief I also believe that the original church that Jesus established was lost shortly after he ascended into heaven and Peter and the other apostles were killed.

As part of this falling away, or apostasy, most spiritual inspiration and all divine authority was lost from the Earth.  To me, this crypt was a monument to that falling away.  Here we have those who ostensibly devoted their lives to Christianity yet had this obsessive, cult-like obsession with death and dying. Shouldn't a Christian order be more concerned with the salvation of the living?

To me, there's nothing in the scriptures that either encourages or condones this unhealthy obsession with death.  To me, true Christians celebrate life, and death is merely a temporary separation from our body until the universal resurrection.  Why obsess over death, dying, and the rotting bones and flesh of the dead?  How is this even close to pursing things "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy"? (Philippians 4:8)

Rant over.

As we explored further, what should we happen upon?  David, this is a sign, today we should go home!

As we boarded the bus to the airport we said ciao to our beloved Rome.  I'm hoping the tradition of Trevi is true because I'd sincerely love to return someday and see more. 

Final scorecard:
Art & Culture: 10 (c'mon, it's Rome!)
People: 9 (super friendly people, even tried to speak English most of the time!)
Prices: 4 (Rome is SUPER expensive!)
Food: 4 (low rating only because we really lucked out in the food department; I'm hoping next time I will plan better to get better establishments and better food!)

Overall: 8 = Excellent trip!

Thanks Rome!