Arrival and the Baths of Diocletian

Friday, October 9, 2015

After an uneventful overnight flight (sleeping almost not at all), we arrived at our hotel in Rome at about 9:30 AM.  We traveled with Marcia and Eric Birken, and although we had requested an early check in, no rooms were available.  We checked our bags at the front desk and sat in the lobby to review our options.  On Google Maps we were able to see the Museo Nazionale Romano was just a couple of blocks from the hotel, and it was open.  We walked out of the hotel and immediately came upon a blocked off street with literally thousands of young people marching with police “protection” in groups, many behind banners and many with signs:

It turns out that this kind of protest parade is an almost daily occurrence in Rome (according to our desk clerk) and the protests are over a multiplicity of things.  We saw Communist flags, signs relating to kindness to immigrants, others about austerity, and we couldn’t translate some.  As best as we can determine, it was sort of a general young people’s protest about the government which, according again to our desk clerk, is so corrupt no one can trust it for anything.  An interesting start to our time in Italy.

After a wake-up coffee from a small café at a table on the sidewalk, we made our way to the museum.  It turns out that the National Museum has a number of locations.  This one is at the site of the Baths of Diocletian, and what an absolute gem.  The buildings date to 300 CE, and are enormous and extensive. 

 In 1561 Pope Pius IV created a church here, with a huge cloister designed by Michelangelo.  Today there is an archaeological museum at the site with an astonishing collection, arranged so that you can still see the baths and the church above them.  At the moment there is a Henry Moore exhibit in the ancient bath site.  Here is one of the many beautiful fountains:

 A line-up of the funerary stelae of the bodyguards of Nero:

One of a number of incredible sarcophagi:

A close-up of the head of a goddess (I forget which—the rememberer isn’t working so well with the lack of sleep):

An Al Chait statue:

The Michelangelo cloister with huge statuary:

And finally part of the Henry Moore exhibit within the baths, set on an incredible mosaic floor:

We had a delightful late lunch at the same café where we had had coffee, and checked into our hotel.  Everyone else is asleep.  Me too soon.