6 Bernini’s Beautiful Broads and the Galleria Borghese

YOUD THINK THE ARTIST WHO SCULPTED the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, the Triton in the Piazza Barberini, and Saint Peter’s flamboyant altar would have been a wild man. But actually Gian Lorenzo Bernini took on his masterpiece work like a monk, sculpting seven hours a day, up until his death at eighty-one. He poured all his passion into his creations—sculptures of figures caught in theatrical moments that absolutely define baroque Rome.

Bernini did have one enticing affair, with Constanza Bonarelli, the wife of one of his assistants. Things heated up when Constanza started to fool around with Bernini’s younger brother. Bernini flew into a violent rage, threatening to throw acid on Constanza’s face. Then he turned to beating up that younger brother, until the Pope stepped in to put a stop to the whole deal. Bernini’s Constanza bust is in the Bargello in Florence. With her lips slightly parted and blouse unbuttoned, it seems as though she was sculpted just a moment before she and Bernini jumped into bed for a good time.

Bernini calmed down after Constanza, married at forty-one, and fathered eleven kids. His daily routine was morning mass at the Gesu, work-work-work, and then back to church where he prayed with the Jesuits.

Unlike Michelangelo’s sculptures (such as the Pieta and David) that have a powerful meditative style, Bernini’s creations seem to be formed in wax. Their robes flow, they laugh, scream, sigh, and pulse with vitality.

On the Ponte Sant’Angelo you’ll be surrounded by the dramatic angels he designed. And in these sculptures, you’ll see how Bernini captures women in climactic moments…literally:

Galleria Borghese: 8:30-7:30, closed Monday, 06 841 3979 (www.galleriaborghese.it)

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Golden Day: Plan on a picnic in the Borghese Gardens before or after your visit to the Galleria Borghese. You can gather your own goodies at an alimenatri, deli—there are good places near Campo dei Fiori, such as Roscioli (Via dei Chiavari 34, www.salumeriaroscioli.com), or to have it all done for you, go to GiNa, right near the entrance to the Borghese Gardens, where they provide you with picnic baskets and a delicious selection of panini and salads. (Via San Sebastianello 7/A, 06 678 0251, www.ginaroma.com)

TIP: Reservations for the Galleria Borghese are a must; you can make them easily by phone or online. This turns out to be a good thing, because you get to browse without crowds.

RECOMMENDED READING

Bernini’s Beloved: A Portrait of Costanza Piccolomini by Sarah McPhee