Geo: 41.8955, 12.4823From Wikipedia: The site had formerly been occupied by a garden-vineyard of the Sforza family, in which a palazzetto had been built in 1549. It has passed from one cardinal to another during the sixteenth century, with no project fully getting off the ground.When Cardinal Alessandro Sforza met financial hardships, the still semi-urban site was purchased in 1625 by Maffeo Barberini, of the Barberini family, who became Pope Urban VIII.Three great architects worked to create the Palazzo, each contributing his own style and character to the building. Carlo Maderno, who at the time was working on extending the nave of St Peter's, was commissioned to enclose the Villa Sforza within a vast Renaissance block along the lines of Palazzo Farnese; however, the design quickly evolved into a precedent-setting combin... read more

Geo: 41.8919, 12.5113From Wikipedia:The Capitoline Museums (Italian: Musei Capitolini) are a single museum containing a group of art and archeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, facing on the central trapezoidal piazza in a plan conceived by Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1536 and executed over a period of more than 400 years. The history of the museums can be traced to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of important ancient bronzes to the people of Rome and located them on the Capitoline Hill. Since then, the museums' collection has grown to include a large number of ancient Roman statues, inscriptions, and other artifacts; a collection of medieval and Renaissance art; and collections of jewels, ... read more

Geo: 41.8919, 12.5113On August 24, 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted, burying the town of Pompeii in ash and pumice, killing around 3,000 people. The rest of the population of 20,000 people had already fled. The city is preserved in its state from that fateful day. Pompeii is an excavation site and outdoor museum of the ancient Roman settlement. This site is considered to be one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail - everything from jars and tables, to paintings and people were frozen in time providing an unprecedented opportunity to see how the people lived two thousand years ago. There are a myriad of building, homes, shops etc. and, in my opinion, without a guide, this would be too much to take in.I went on a tour from Rome but ... read more

Geo: 41.8955, 12.4823The next few days:The weather has been "iffy" – rain, intermittent rain, etc., etc., so I have used the time to plan some things. I went to the Termini Station and bought my tickets for Florence and figured out the best way to access Vatican City for my tour of the Scavi – the tombs below St. Peters. I also booked a ticket to hear “The Three Tenors” at All Saints Anglican Cathedral – not sure which three tenors will be there but I don't really care. So, I have some things planned. Sat., Jan 14, I headed over to the Vatican. There is new security, not surprising, and it is actually quite well thought out. One way in, one way out. Much easier to manage for the military and Polizia vs. the way ... read more

Geo: 41.8955, 12.4823I have arrived at Rome's FCO many times but this time I am staying for 6 weeks and I am super excited to get to my apartment and explore my new neighborhood. I have a small, one bedroom apartment in the Aurelio neighborhood. It is about 3.5KM east of Vatican City. All of Rome's historic center is very walkable but, this trip, I plan to also learn my way around on the subway. It will be colder than what I am used to with temperatures in the low 60's during the day. Still lovely for walking but I want to go further afield and do more exploring of areas I haven't yet been to. I have a very long list of things I want to see and do plus many sites I love to ... read more