I had decided that I would go to the Borghese too, and afterward walk around the park. I hadn't explored the park much before, other than to walk in and back out. There was more greenery beyond the Villa that serves as the museum. The weather promised to be decent, and it might be the last time I would be able to do this without chattering teeth.
My entrance time was for 11:15, along with those folks in my group opting to go today. I've written before and posted photos of some of Bernini's amazing statues that can be found here. This is my favorite place for sculpture anywhere. Anywhere! Cardinal Scipio Borghese (he was not religious, by the way, just the nephew of the Pope – so he got a church title. Yay 17th century nepotism!) was the one who built the palace; he was a major patron of the Bernini family of artists, and collected works that other patrons rejected and refused after artists completed them. These post-Renaissance artists wanted his patronage and created works with a little more flair and “one-upmanship” to catch his eye, creating the Baroque age of art as we know it today. Don't like what Caravaggio painted for you – is it not beautiful enough? Borghese'll buy it. Is that Pinturrichio disappointing? Or that Raphael? Or that Perugino? Borghese will take that off your hands for a good price. There are Roman and Greek pieces from as far back as 4th century BC, wall friezes, floor mosaics and trompe l'oiel ceilings. He amassed an amazing collection in his own day and even two hundred years later, when his progeny were now titled as princes they still caused stirs, shocks and uproars with their additions to the collection. Prince Camillo Borghese in 1808 commissioned a piece from the sculptor Antonio Canova – he wanted something featuring his wife Paolina Bonaparte (yep, Napoleon's sister) but when the piece was revealed to be Paolina nude and reclining on a sofa as Venus AND the marble sofa was on a mechanized rotating wood pedestal for better 360-degree viewing, let's just say there was a lot of talk. Camillo forbade Canova from ever seeing the piece again, or his wife for that matter. What happened in that studio we may never know, but Paolina was comfortable enough to pose... when asked by a nosy friend about how she could bear to do it Paolina is said to have snapped back with the retort that “the room wasn't cold, the studio was heated.” Ha!
After the museum I wandered around the park admiring the hilltop views of Rome. There was a lunch cart with sandwiches and short order grill, so I stopped and had a panino and fruit salad. I was the only customer and the cart guy took it upon himself to sit with me while I ate, attempting to flirt with me the whole time. Guh. Go away. I must have a weirdo magnet imbedded in me somewhere. It was enough to make me stop enjoying my relaxed afternoon and get back to the hotel.
While hanging out in the huge salon at the Excelsior I had three clients approach me about the “Bickerson family.” One of them mentioned wanting to buy duct tape, which made me stifle a laugh and a smile. While I don't like that they have made people uncomfortable, I am so glad that it's not just me who gets bothered by them. I told them I had spoken with them already and that I would approach them again. As it turned out, I didn't have to.
A few hours later, as we were touring the Vatican, right there in the Sistine Chapel as two Bickersons were sniping, one of the clients (and it wasn't even one that had spoken to me that afternoon) very loudly, emphatically and clearly said,”Would. You. All. Just. Shut. Up?!” And the guards shushed everyone, as they usually do when things get above murmurs there.
We finished and stepped out into St. Peter's Square and the brave client, a tiny woman in her early 70s here with her sister said to the group, “I am sorry for my outburst, but I am TIRED of listening to how these people speak to each other. You don't see that we don't like to hear your mean comments to each other? We were in a religious place and you couldn't stop yourselves. You are making me regret spending the money for this trip, which I saved for a long time. Would you please just respect EVERYONE around you?” Eyes got big all around and things got really quiet. Damn. She did it much better than I could.
The bus ride back was rather quiet.
1 comment:
Good for her! I hope they take her chastisment to heart, as it would be a dreadful shame for her to regret the tour. Especially after saving up for so long. Here's hoping the rest of the trip is snipe free!
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