Saturday, February 16, 2019

Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri

where: Via Sant'Anna, Vatican City
getting there: short walk from Saint Peter's to the corner of Via Porta Angelica and Borgo Pio
open: 6:45-12:00 & 16:00-19:00
information: Swiss Guards will turn you back if you try to walk further than the entrance to the church

Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri is a small Baroque church just inside the Sant'Anna Gate of the Vatican City.
The inside is beautifully decorated with stucco, gilding and faux marbles, with four Baroque frescoes by Austrian artist Ignazio Stern showing the Life of Saint Anne.
In 1605 Caravaggio had been commissioned by the guild of Papal grooms who owned the church to paint the Madonna dei Palafrenieri for the main altar. 
The confraternity was unhappy with the realism in which Caravaggio painted the altarpiece and especially since he used a prostitute as his model for Mary and rejected the painting after only one month of it being on display. The guild then sold the painting to Cardinal Scipione Borghese for his collection in the Galleria Borghese where it can be seen today.

main altarpiece Arturo Viligiardi 1926


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Helpful Hints

Getting Around

I found walking Rome was the best way to see everything.

The metro, trams and buses are also an easy and cheap option.

Buses and the metro can get crowded. Tickets must be bought before boarding and validated.

Beware of pickpockets.

Buses 40 (express) and 64 start at Termini and end near Saint Peter's, traveling past places of interest, returning the same way.


Some stops along the 64 route are:

Repubblica

Piazza Venezia

Via Nazionale

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II


Bus 75 takes you past the Colosseum to Trastevere

Bus 910 takes you to Villa Borghese


Ticket Options

€1.50 B.I.T (Biglietto Integrato a Tempo) is the standard ticket valid for one metro, unlimited tram or bus rides within 100 minutes.


€7.00 B.I.G ( Biglietto Integrato a Giornaliero) is a daily ticket valid for unlimited metro, tram, bus and train travel within Rome.


Purchasing Bus and Metro tickets.

Newsstands, train stations, metro stations, kiosks with the ATAC logo and tabacchi shops sell tickets for the metro, trams and buses.

Large fines apply to travelers not holding or validating their ticket. Tickets once validated start from the time they have been stamped.



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These are a few of my favourite books about Rome

The Cardinal's Hat by Mary Hollingsworth
This book tells the story of one of the sons of Lucrezia Borgia who became a cardinal during the 16th century.

The Tigress of Forli by Elizabeth Lev
I love this book telling the story of Caterina Sforza who was fighting against the Borgia pope to retain the rights of her land and her freedom.

The Popes by John Julius Norwich
A detailed but easy and enjoyable book to read about the history of the papacy and the popes.

The Pope's Daughter by Caroline P Murphy
This book describes in beautiful detail, the life and times of Pope Julius II daughter, Felice della Rovere.

The Families Who Made Rome by Anthony Majanlahti
I love this Book! It explains the families who made Rome what it is as we see it today and also looks at their triumphs, scandals and failures.

Rome by Robert Hughes
This book explains Rome from its beginning and expands on the Renaissance and Baroque until present times.

The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
Another of my favourite reads about a lost Caravaggio painting and the search for its provenance.





other sites I trust for information on Rome are:
Rome Art Lover
Churches of Rome wiki