The Borgia Pope, Pinturicchio, and Giulia Farnese

In my mind, there's nothing better then some fabulous art, especially when a bit of mystery and scandal are thrown in. That's why I was practically giddy yesterday to be able to see a long-lost work of art with a shocking past. Back in the 1490s, just around the time a pair of Spanish monarchs sent Christopher Columbus off in search of a new route to India, another famous Spaniard was stepping into the most important shoes in Christendom.

History, ArtTiffany ParksJanuary 22, 2012the borgias, pinturicchio, art mysteries, Renaissance art, Renaissance Comment

The Borghese Gallery and the Fate of an Ill-gotten Collection, Part 1

Visiting the extraordinary new exhibit at the Galleria Borghese, which opens in Rome today, I couldn't help but be struck by the irony of situation. Sixty works of art, mostly antiquities, once part of the Borghese collection, have been temporarily returned from their current location at the Louvre in Paris back to their original home at the Boghese Gallery. But how did they get to Paris?

History, Art, ExhibitionsTiffany ParksDecember 8, 2011art crime, art mysteriesComment

The Pines of Rome

A blog exploring Rome's Art, history, culture, customs, quirks, and curiosities