John Fort

Some ideas for special-interest walks and excursions in and around Rome

Alessandro Algardi (1595 - 1654)
Many busts, funerary monuments and chapels by him can be found in Roman churches, such as S. Marcello, S. Maria della Scala, S. Andrea della Valle and others.

Bernini Gian Lorenzo (1598 - 1680) - the lesser-known sculptures in the churches of Rome
Probably the greatest virtuoso marble sculptor of all time. Some of his most famous works grace St Peter's and public collections, such as the Galleria Borghese, but there are also quite a number of sculptures to be found in other churches of Rome, some well-known, such as S. Teresa in ecstasy in the church of S. Maria della Vittoria, and some much less so, such as the fine S. Bibiana, or the angels in S. Andrea delle Fratte, the bust Dr Fonseca in S. Lorenzo in Lucina, the Blessed Ludovica in ecstasy in S. Francesco a Ripa, and others.

Borromini Francesco (Francesco Castelli, 1599 - 1667)
The Borromini trail would include famous works, such as S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, S.Ivo, and also lesser-known works, such as the oratorio of S. Giovanni in Oleo and the Cappella Landi in S. Lucia in Selci.

Antonio Canova (1757 - 1822)
As well as famous sculptures in the Vatican Museums and the Galleria Borghese and large-scale works in St Peter's, there are a number of beautiful and refined funerary reliefs in a number of Roman churches, such as SS. Apostoli and S. Antonio dei Portoghesi.

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi, 1571 - 1610)
Three Roman churches contain a total of six of Caravaggio's finest paintings, hanging in the positions for which they were originally commissioned. There are also very fine examples to be seen in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, the Galleria Borghese, the Capitoline Museums, the Palazzo Barberini and the Palazzo Corsini.

Raphael (1483 - 1520)
Although most of Raphael's work is in the Vatican, two Roman churches contain frescoes by Raphael, and there are fine examples of his work in the Galleria Doria Pamphilj, the Galleria Borghese, and the Palazzo Barberini.

Other sculptors of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Pierre Legros (1666 - 1719), Antonio Raggi (1624 - 1686) and Melchiorre Caffà (1635 - 1665)
These three artists spent most of their working lives in Rome, decorating churches with works in marble and stucco.

Other painters of the sixteenth - eighteenth centuries

Baciccia (Giovanni Battista Gaulli, 1639 - 1709). Frescoes in SS. Apostoli, the Chiesa del Gesù, painting in S. Francesco a Ripa

Federico Barocci (Federico Fiori, 1535 - 1612). Paintings in S. Maria in Vallicella.

Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri, 1581 - 1641). Frescoes in S.Andrea della Valle, Oratorio di S.Andrea (S. Gregorio Magno), the ceiling of S. Maria in Trastevere

Gerrit van Honthorst (Gherardo delle notti, 1590 - 1656). Fine painting in S. Maria della Scala.

Pieter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640). Paintings in S. Maria in Vallicella and Capitoline Museums.

Carlo Saraceni (1579 - 1620). Paintings in S. Maria dell'Anima, S. Maria in Aquiro, S. Maria della Scala.

Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi, 1605 - 1685). Paintings in S. Sabina and S. Clemente, as well as in most of the public collections.

Cloisters
S. Giovanni
S. Paolo fuori le mura
S. Lorenzo fuori le mura
S. Andrea delle Fratte
Il monastero di S. Cosimato
S. Giovanni dei Genovesi
S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
S. Salvatore in Lauro

Christian Mosaics in churches
S. Costanza
S. Agnese
S. Maria Maggiore
S. Pudenziana
S. Prassede
S. Cosma e Damiano
S. Clemente
S. Maria in Domnica
S. Cecilia
S. Maria in Trastevere
S. Francesca Romana
S. Marco

Churches with particularly fine displays of coloured marbles
Gesù e Maria
S. Maria della Scala
S. Maria della Vittoria
S. Andrea al Quirinale

Catacombs
Particularly those of Priscilla, which contain the oldest know portrayal of the Madonna an Child.

Sanctuaries in the vicinity of Rome
There are many sanctuaries or places with particular religious significance all round Rome, such as the monasteries founded by St Benedict in Subiaco, or the Sanctuary of the Santissima Trinità, set in spectacular mountain scenery and woods, the Sanctuary of the Mentorella at Guadagnolo and the Polish Monastery there, and so on.

Other outings of interest in the vicinity of Rome
Tivoli is unique, in that it has three World heritage Sites, the Villa d'Este, Hadrian's Villa and Villa Gregoriana.
Ostia Antica: the port of ancient Rome

Palazzo Farnese at Caprarola and the Villa Lante at Bagnaia: these are grand country residences of popes and cardinals dating from sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with splendid garden and fountains, set in the beautiful wooded, hilly countryside north of Rome.

Anagni and the Cyclopean walls of Alatri. This is south of Rome, towards Frosinone. Anagni is built almost entirely of stone and is one of Italy's finest mediaeval cities; it produced three popes in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and has a world-class Romanesque cathedral, with lavishly frescoed crypt, and many other extremely handsome buildings. The walls of Alatri, built of great stones weighing several tons each, go back to the fourth century BC. Nearby is the vast monastery, the Certosa di Trisulti, dating to the thirteenth century.

Private visits to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
These normally require booking several months in advance, although it is always worth enquiring at short notice in case there is a cancellation. The visit takes place in the afternoon after the Museums close to the public and whoever books has the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel to themselves, their family and friends for a total of two hours.