Rome Revitalized
Start with the Roman National Museum, headquartered
at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme (39.06.4890.3500). Here the state-of-the-art
archaeological exhibits include precious frescos from the Empress
Livia's summer villa (14-12 B.C.). The coin collection ranges from
early Greek through the Euro, with magnifiers and pinpoint lighting
for close inspection.
Another section of the National Museum is nearby
in part of the 3rd-century A.D. Baths of Diocletian. Among the prizes
in the sculpture collection are a one-armed Greek Apollo, Aphrodite
of Cirone and the Sleeping Hermaphrodite.
Another attraction on the same ticket is the restored
Palazzo Altemps near the Piazza Navona. Housing more treasures
including the Ludovisi family collection, the palace and its courtyard
provide an interesting peek into Late Renaissance patrician lifestyles.
On a spring day the views from the 17th-century gardens
of the Villa Borghese (39.06.8205.9127; www.villaborghese.it)
are compelling, but not so much as the three museums therein. The
Borghese Gallery, which underwent 20 years of restoration, holds
one of the world's finest collections of Renaissance masterpieces
in a rare setting—a perfect compliment of art and architecture.
Tickets are assigned in two-hour intervals; avoid the 5 p.m. slot
since you'll be rushed at the 7 p.m. closing. Across the park the
Villa Giulia (39.06.322.6571) contains an outstanding collection
of Etruscan art in a former papal summer house and the Museo
Nationale d'Arte Moderna (39.06.322.981).
Shop, shop, shop. With Fendi, Ferragamo and Furla
and their compatriots all over the United States, savvy shoppers
formerly shopped at home. However, if the elegant designer shops
fanning out from the Piazza di Spagna once seemed exorbitant, give
them another try. And remember the city's slogan for the new Millenium
still holds true - "Rome, the happening city!"
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Contact Information
Italian Government Tourist Office
630 Fifth Avenue
Suite 1565
New York, NY 10011
Tel: (212) 245-4822
Fax: (212) 586-9249
www.italiantourism.com
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