Category Archives: Architecture

Trani

30 Saturday Sep 2017

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Puglia, Travel

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A crescent shaped port, fishermen selling their catch on the waterfront, a timeless, picturesque centro storico that looks like it could be a movie set, a castle, and a stunning limestone Romanesque cathedral right at the water’s edge where you expect to find a lighthouse.  These are some of the reasons why Trani is one of my favourite day trips.  It is a beautiful, peaceful, uncrowded fishing port on the Adriatic, between Barletta and Bari.  Trani is on the main ‘Adriatico’ railway line so it is easily accessible without a car.

Trani is ancient Tirenum, allegedly founded by Tirenus, son of Diomede.  Trani is famous for issuing the ‘Ordinamenta et consultudo Maris’ in 1063.  This is the oldest surviving maritime law code in the west. The street along the harbor is called ‘Via Statuti Marittimi’.  Trani is also known for Moscato di Trani, figs, almonds and olive oil.

During the rule of Federico Secondo (aka Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II) in the early 13th Century, Trani became an important political center and trading port with the Orient.  Since Trani was on the pilgrimage route to the Holy Land it grew and prospered.  Trani also had a close diplomatic and trading relationship with Venezia.When I got off the train in Trani, I walked about half an hour, straight to the cathedral.  I am a big fan of Romanico Pugliese (Pugliese Romanesque), an 11th-13th Century architectural style unique to Puglia.  Romanico Pugliese includes classic Romanesque features such as tall facades, campanili and rose windows, blended with Byzantine and Islamic architectural details.  In fact, since 2006, the Romanico Pugliese churches in Puglia are on the the UNESCO World Heritage Sites tentative list.  This is the step before becoming a World Heritage Site.The Trani cathedral was built in 1099 out of local tufo, a creamy coloured limestone that almost seems to glow in the sun.  One of the oldest and largest cathedrals in Puglia, it was used as a model for the ones built later. It was named for San Nicola Pellegrino (the Pilgrim), a 19 year old Greek shepherd who died while on pilgrimage in Trani in 1094.  His bones are in the crypt.  Note….this is not the same San Nicola who is buried in Bari and is the inspiration for Santa Claus.  Trani’s cathedral was constructed on layers of history.  It was built over the foundations of a 5th Century Byzantine church, Santa Maria della Scala, which was built over the Roman crypt of San Leucio.  Both of these ‘layers’ are accessible. The beautiful bronze doors are a copy.  The original doors are on display inside.  The 32 panels were sculpted by Barisano di Trani who also did work on the cathedrals in Ravenna and Monreale. The 60m high campanile built in 1239 has square corners and an octagonal spire.  The number of windows increase with each floor. The campanile was being renovated when I was there, so I have included a photo I took in 1994 without the scaffolding.

Trani 1994

Right on the harbour is the Chiesa di Ognissanti, built in the 12th Century by the Knights Templar in the courtyard of their hospital.  Trani was on the route to the Holy Land and the knights had a hospital here for those wounded in the crusades.  It is not open to the public.At the far end of the harbour, the Villa Comunale is a park with benches and a seaside walk.  The breakwater near the Cathedral is a nice place to sit and soak up the sun or go for a swim.

Federico II built the Castello Svevo in 1249.  It has square towers at each corner.  The sea water moat was filled in.  From the 1800’s-1974 the castello was used as a prison. Now it is open to visitors and hosts cultural events.  Admission is €3.

Trani once had southern Italia’s largest Giudecca community or Jewish neighborhood.  It was not a ghetto, as it was not closed off.  There were once 4 synagogues.  The Scolanova Synagogue spent centuries as a church, but in 2006 it was rededicated as a synagogue.

Trani is small enough that you can walk everywhere.  From the Stazione, walk straight out and turn left at Piazza della Repubblica.  There is an info point here.  It is about a half hour walk along quiet streets with beautiful palazzi to the cathedral and port.  Just ask a local for ‘Il Porto’ if you need directions.  Shops are closed from 1-5 pm.

For seafood lovers, the port has many excellent restaurants.  My cousins had given me 3 restaurant recommendations.  It was such a beautiful sunny day I just wanted to sit near the breakwater and enjoy the sea.  I had a mad craving for polipo-octopus.  I ended up getting a take away insalata di polipo and a glass of Falanghina.  It was perfect!

Trani is a great base to stay for exploring several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Castel del Monte, Alberobello and Matera are all about 1 hour away.

Ciao e buon viaggio, Cristina

La Certosa di Padula

27 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Travel

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la-certosa-di-padula-facciataIn August, I attended the Association of Italian Canadian Writers (AICW) 16th biennial conference ‘Italian Canadian Literature: Departures, Journeys, Destinations’ where I read my first short story in public.  38 speakers, AICW members and friends came from across Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom.  The conference presentations were amazing and an anthology will be published next year.

View from Conference Room

View from Conference Room

The conference was held in Padula (Salerno, Campania) at La Certosa di Padula, a Carthusian Monastery built in 1306 and added onto over the next 450 years. Dedicated to San Lorenzo, the style is mostly Baroque and it is the largest monastery in Italia. Chiostro Grande is the largest cloister in the world, surrounded by 84 columns.  The place is huge with a total of 320 rooms! In 1998, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano and the archeological sites of Paestum and Velia.  I have now been to all of them except Velia.padulachiostro

The Certosa site is made up of spaces for contemplation -the cloisters, library and chapels, and spaces for work -the kitchen, cantina, laundry, stables and gardens.padulafrescocloister

While I was there, due to restoration work the upper floor was not accessible. This meant I was not able to see the monks’ cells or take the white marble scala elittico to the large biblioteca (library) which has a Maiolica tile floor from Vietri sul Mare and 2000 remaining manuscripts. I was also not able to see the last construction added to the site in 1799, the famous Scalone Elicoidale –an ornate double ramped, double helix shaped staircase in an octagonal tower with 8 large open windows overlooking a garden.  The Scalone spirals incorporating the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Section, which I find fascinating.  It connects the upper floor to the Chiostro Grande and was used by the cloistered monaci for their passeggiata settimanale –weekly walk. Being a lover of staircases, books and libraries, the closure was disappointing, but luckily there was still a lot left to see. padulasanlorenzoMost of the chapels are Baroque and very ornate, with the largest collection of Scagliola work found anywhere. Scagliola (sca·LYOH·lah) is a technique for painting stucco columns, sculptures, and other architectural features to look like inlays in marble and semi-precious stones, such as madre di perla. Those monaci were frugal and talented!  Now I know what to call the areas of my house that I have painted to look like Carrara marble!padulacucina2

The Monastery kitchen, renovated in 1742, could have been the perfect setting for ‘Masterchef: Medieval edition’. It is brightened by yellow and green Maiolica tiles which look completely out of place.  The colours were chosen to keep the flies away- at least that is what the guard told me!  padulacucinaThe most striking feature in the cucina is an enormous cappa or hood, on a furnace with an antique boiler and a base covered in maiolica tiles.  The inside of the cappa is blackened from hundreds of years of use.  Stone work tables are in place and on the back wall is a large fresco, painted in 1650, obscured by time and smoke.  This part of the cucina with its barrel vaulted ceiling used to be a rectory before the 1742 reno. The cucina has its own cloister and small garden, with the cantina and laundries next to it.

Chi lava i piatti?

Chi lava i piatti?

The monaci ate frugal, meatless meals in solitude in their cells, except during special occasions. The refettorio (rectory) hall with 61 stalls carved of walnut wood is where they sat at meal times on feast days and during Lent.  The 1749 fresco is of Le Nozze di Cana.  refettorioOccasionally the cucina was used to prepare rich meals for visits by important guests, most famously the one organized for Emperor Carlo V on his return from Tunisia in 1535.  The monaci prepared him a frittata with 1,000 eggs.  My first night in Padula, August 10th, was the annual Festa della Frittata di Mille Uova, recreating this event. The modern contraption used to make the frittata was made in 1996 and looks like a colossal pizzelle iron that flips over and rolls across a massive fire pit!  Unfortunately we don’t know what the monaci used to make their frittata.

Frittatta di mille uova making contraption!

Frittatta di mille uova making contraption!

In 1802, the monaci had to abandon La Certosa, and Napoleonic troops took away any treasures that were cartable. They returned a few years later, but abandoned La Certosa for the last time in 1866.  20 years later, it was declared a national monument. During the 2 World Wars the complex was mostly abandoned, being used briefly as a prison camp, and as a children’s holiday camp.  Padula received funds for restoration in 1982.view-from-hotel-certosa

Padula is a very nice town of 5,000. Getting there without your own car is extremely difficult.  Padula is on the A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria road, exit Buonabitacolo.  The closest train station is Sapri on the Cilento coast. There are a couple of buses a day from Napoli, which make stops in every town along the way. Although very out of the way, Padula is worth the detour!  The drive there from Paestum was stunning.  Admission to La Certosa di Padula is €4 for adults. Make sure you have at least 4 hours to visit. There are 2 very nice, affordable hotels in Padula, Grand Hotel Certosa and Villa Cosilinum. padula

Buon Viaggio!

Paestum

10 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Travel

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tempiodinettuno2The first time I saw Paestum I was 11 years old. Even then, I was an archeology and mythology nerd and was fascinated by the wonders of this place.  It took many years, but I finally went back to Paestum this year! It was every bit as enchanting as it was then-maybe even more!paestumforum

Paestum was founded around 600 BC by Greek colonists from Sybaris, a Greek colony in Calabria. They named it Poseidonia, after Poseidon, Greek God of the sea. Poseidonia became a prosperous trade center in Magna Grecia, the Greek colonies in Southern Italia. They even minted their own coins.  The Lucanians took over around 390 BC and called it Paistom.  In 273 BC, the Romans conquered, Latinized the name to Paestum, and constructed more buildings. Paestum was partially damaged by an earthquake after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.  In the 5th Century AD with Christianity came a Paleochristian church and a Bishop.  Deforestation and other factors led to conditions that brought malaria.  The malaria plus Saracen attacks caused the abandonment of Paestum by 877 AD.  The inhabitants retreated to higher ground at Capaccio, 6 km away.  Overgrown by forest and buried by swamps, Paestum remained hidden and forgotten for almost 900 years. In 1748, the temples were rediscovered by road builders, who apparently kept ploughing right through.la-basilica

Paestum is in a quiet, idyllic setting in the countryside, surrounded by farmland. 3 well-preserved majestic Greek temples rise up out of the plain. La Basilica is the oldest of the temples, built in 550 BC and is actually a temple to Hera.  18th century archeologists mistakenly identified it as a Roman building used as a meeting place.

La Basilica

La Basilica

Right next to it, the Tempio di Nettuno (Neptune is the Roman equivalent of Poseidon) resembles the Parthenon.  It was built in 460 BC and is the best preserved Doric temple outside of Greece.  It is almost intact, with only the roof and a bit of the inside missing. You can actually walk inside both of these temples!

Tempio di Nettuno

Tempio di Nettuno

A bit farther away from the other 2 temples is the Tempio di Cerere (Temple of Ceres/ Demeter) which was actually a temple to Athena.  18th Century archeologists must have been very confused. It was built in 500 BC and the architecture is part Doric, part Ionic. At some point, it was used as a church and has 3 medieval tombs in the floor.  The inside of this temple is not accessible.

Tempio di Cerere

Tempio di Cerere

The remains of the ancient city also include a Roman Forum, paved streets, the foundations of public buildings and many residential Roman houses, an amphitheater, and a swimming pool/gymnasium. Walking through the overgrown areas provides some of the best views and glimpses of some mosaic floors.  paestumforum2The city walls, almost 5 km long, are mostly intact with 24 towers and 4 gates.  Only 20% of the site has been excavated.  80% of Paestum is still buried under agricultural land, most of it privately owned. A road cuts the site in 2 and has a few restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, a small piazza, the Paleochristian church, an information center, and the museum.  The amphitheater is only half exposed as the road was enlarged in the 1930’s and buried the east half of it!paestummatrimonio

The Museo Nazionale contains all of the items found in tombs in and around Paestum and the Metopes from a temple 9 km away. There are also Giovanni Piranesi’s etchings of the site, printed in 1778. The most amazing thing in the museum was on loan and I did not get to see it!  It is the 470 BC Tomba del Tuffatore, tomb of the diver, a fresco painted on the underside of a tomb which portrays a young man in mid-air diving off a cliff into water.  It is thought to portray the harmonious passage from life to death.paestumtempiodinettuno

The Archeological site of Paestum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Cilento coast, Vallo di Diano National Park, the archeological site of Velia and the Certosa di Padula.   Today, Paestum is a Frazione or hamlet of Capaccio in the province of Salerno.  It is accessible by bus or local train from Salerno (30 minutes), but the best way to get there is by car.  The drive is spectacular and it is worth going out of the way for.  Even on a ‘busy’ summer day, the site is not crowded.  Staying the night is a great idea, as you can visit the ruins just before sunset.  A combination ticket to the site and museum is €9.

Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Santa Maria di Siponto~ Art reconstructs time

21 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Puglia

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santamariadisiponto1Santa Maria di Siponto is just off the SS 89 Garganica highway, 3km from Manfredonia. The church was built in 1117 over an existing early Christian structure.  The architectural style is Romanica Pugliese, Pugliese Romanesque with Byzantine and Islamic influences evident in its pure, simple lines and geometric patterns.  The building is unusual as it is square and there are 2 independent churches; the upper church and the crypt below, with an external staircase.santamariadisiponto5

To the left of the church is the Parco Archeologico di Santa Maria di Siponto. Until March 2016, this consisted of the ruins of a Paleochristian basilica (250 AD) with a semi-circular apse and mosaic pavement, and the partially excavated remains of Ancient Roman Sipontium.  Now the space once occupied by the basilica has been transformed into a magnificent sculpture titled ‘Dove l’arte riconstruisce il tempo’ which means ‘Where art reconstructs time’. The permanent installation took 3 months to construct and is built right onto the foundations of the archeological remains.santamariadisiponto2

The installation/sculpture is made of layers of wire mesh that overlap and intersect, interpreting and reclaiming the space and volume once occupied by a structure that no longer exists. The lightness and transparency of the material makes it look like a hologram of the original church…it is there, but it is no longer there. The site is also illuminated at night, creating a ‘ghostly’ effect.  Contemporary art and archeology intersect to form a link with the past. 14 m high and weighing 6,000 kg, this is probably the largest structure in the world made entirely of wire mesh.santamariadisiponto6

I have been to Santa Maria di Siponto many times since I was a child. I am a total archeology nerd, and I was excited to see this construction breathing new life into this small archeological site, relatively unknown outside of Puglia. It feels like the basilica has been resurrected from the ruins.  I have not seen anything like this before and it is already a distinctive landmark, especially since it is visible from the highway. In 5 months it has already brought 100,000 visitors to the site and contributed to the local economy.

The artist, Edoardo Tresoldi, a 29 year old set designer and sculptor in Roma, is known for his monumental metallic wire mesh sculptures, integrating into their surroundings.  His website is still under construction.  He must be too busy making great art!santamariadisiponto4Santa Maria di Siponto is definitely worth a visit.  If you have plans to visit the Gargano area, especially Monte Sant’ Angelo, San Giovanni Rotondo, Manfredonia or Mattinata, it is fairly close by. It is definitely easiest to get there with your own vehicle, although it is possible to get to Foggia, then Manfredonia by train or bus and then taxi to the site. Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Il Pantheon

08 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Architecture, Art history, Italia, Photography, Roma

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Piazzadellarotonda500 years ago, Michelangelo entered the Pantheon and stated that it looked more like the work of angels than humans. The Pantheon is an architectural masterpiece and the most well-preserved building from Ancient Rome.  This is probably because it has been in continuous use since it was built.  The original use of the Pantheon is not known.  Many think it was a temple to all the gods, since ‘Pan-theos’ is Greek for ‘all gods’, although Ancient Roman temples were dedicated to single gods.  ‘Pan-theos’ might also refer to the heavens, the territory of the gods.  According to legend the site is where Romulus, the founder of Roma ascended to the heavens.  IlPantheonMarcus Agrippa, Augustus’ commander in chief built the original Pantheon on his own land, so it may have been a private building.  This building burned down in 80 AD and then was struck by lightning and burned again in 110 AD! The Pantheon standing today was completed around 126 AD by Emperor Hadrian.  He kept the original inscription under the pediment ‘M.Agrippa.L.F.Costertium.Fecit’ (Made by Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius in his third time as Consul) which caused confusion about the construction date.  The Pantheon was given to the Pope in 609, and it has been the Church of Santa Maria dei Martiri ever since, but it is usually still called the Pantheon.Pantheonfontana

From the outside, the Pantheon looks like a Greek temple. It is actually a round building (rotunda) with a portico of eight 12m (39 ft) high granite Corinthian columns up front and 8 more in behind. These columns are each a single 60 ton piece of stone quarried in Egypt.  Imagine the journey these huge stones made to get here….they were dragged through the desert, barged down the Nile to Alexandria, shipped across the Mediterranean to the port of Ostia, barged down the Tevere to Roma and then hauled overland to the site of the Pantheon!Pantheon oculus

Enter into the Pantheon and it is immediately clear what Michelangelo meant. Overhead is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world-still after almost 2,000 years! The Romans invented concrete, using a mixture of volcanic ash and soil from Pozzuoli, lime and rocks, but they did not have rebar, so this is amazing! The 8 m wide hole in the roof is the oculus and the shaft of light coming in from the sun moves slowly throughout the day like a sun-dial.  When looking up, the dome feels like it could rotate. The oculus and front door are the Pantheon’s only sources of natural light.  Concrete walls 6m (20 ft) thick support the dome, which is 6m thick at its base but narrows to 1.2m (3.9 ft) around the oculus.  Lighter materials, such as tufa, pumice and even broken terra cotta pots were used towards the top to further lighten the load.  The oculus also lightens the load at the very top, acting as a compression ring where the roof would be its weakest. Rainwater coming in through the oculus is drained off through holes and a drainage system under the slanted marble floor.

Is it a mask for Carnevale? No, these are drainage holes in the floor right below the oculus!

Is it a mask for Carnevale? No, these are drainage holes in the floor right below the oculus!

The height of the oculus is 43.3m (150 Roman feet) and the diameter of the building is also 43.3m. A perfect 43.3m sphere would fit inside the building. For another visual, if the dome was flipped upside down, it would fit perfectly inside the rotunda.

The perfect mathematical proportions of the Pantheon invoke harmony and symbolize the earth and the heavens. The Pantheon has provided inspiration to architects including Brunelleschi and Michelangelo for almost 2,000 years.  Public buildings throughout the world are modelled on the Pantheon’s ‘portico and dome’ design.Pantheonchapel

In the 17 the Century, the Barberini Pope Urbano VII removed the bronze ceiling from the portico and melted it down to make cannons for Castel Sant’Angelo. The outrage prompted the saying ‘Quello che non hanno fatto i barberi hanno fatto i Barberini’ (What the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did), implying that the Pantheon had survived numerous barbarian invasions, only to be looted by the Barberini family. In addition to functioning as a Classical Masterpiece and a Church, many notable Italiani are buried in the Pantheon.  Some of these include Vittorio Emanuele II, Umberto II and his wife Margherita di Savoia, Rafaelle Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael) and his fiancée Maria Bibbiena.

Il Pantheon from Il Vittoriano

Il Pantheon from Il Vittoriano

‘La Pioggia delle Rose al Pantheon’ (the rain of roses) is on my list of things to see. This takes place on Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter.  At noon, right after Mass, Roma’s Vigili del Fuoco (fire fighters) climb to the top of the dome and drop thousands of rose petals through the oculus as choirs sing.  The rose petals symbolize the Holy Spirit coming down to earth.  Even Michelangelo would be impressed!

The dome and oculus, viewed from the roof of Grande Hotel de la Minerve

The dome and oculus, viewed from the roof of Grande Hotel de la Minerve

Il Pantheon from Piazza de la Minerva

Il Pantheon from Piazza de la Minerva

Il Pantheon is also featured in my post ‘Un Giorno a Roma’.

©2016 http://www.unpodipepe.ca

 

Centrale Montemartini

15 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by in Architecture, Art, Art history, Culture, Italia, Photography, Roma

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Centrale Montemartini is an amazingly awesome, undervisited museum and a stunning example of 20th Century industrial archeology.  Built in 1912 in Art Nouveau style (Stile Liberty), it was the first public electric plant in Roma, providing power for the surrounding area until it was abandoned in 1963.  Luckily the amazing architecture and historical importance saved it from demolition!

Amazon warrior in front of a diesel engine

Amazon warrior in front of a diesel engine

In 1997 during the Capitoline Museum renovation, Centrale Montemartini was used for a temporary exhibition ‘Le Macchine e gli Dei’ (The Machines and the Gods).  In 2005 it became a permanent space for part of the Capitoline collection, with all of the original thermoelectric equipment left in place.  Now you can visit a unique display of classical sculpture against an industrial  backdrop of steam boilers, diesel engines, catwalks twisting pipes and gauges.  It’s a blend of ‘vecchio e più vecchio’ (old and older), a stark contrast of ancient and industrial, art and science.  Antique white marble appears translucent against the blackness of the machinery.  The space is immense and silent, with high ceilings and tall windows providing natural light. The works of art are carefully chosen and placed so there is space to appreciate their beauty while you walk among them and contemplate the passage of time.Centrale Montemartini Sala Macchine3

The 400 pieces include ancient Roman sculptures, rare Greek originals brought to Roma, and Roman copies of Greek originals. They date from the 5th Century BC to the 4th Century AD and were found in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Most of the works are on the upper floor in 2 massive rooms.

Partial female head, discovered in the garden of Villa Rivaldi in 1933 during construction of Via dei Fori Imperiali

Partial female head, discovered in the garden of Villa Rivaldi in 1933 during construction of Via dei Fori Imperiali

In Sala Macchine (Machine Room or Hall of the Machines) 2 hulking diesel engines are surrounded by Roman replicas of Greek statues.  At one end, a reconstruction of the pediment of the Temple of Apollo Sosiano depicts a battle between Greeks and Amazons.  These pieces are Greek originals found in the 1930’s near the Theater of Marcellus.  Above this installation hangs the old ‘carroponte‘ (Gantry crane).

Centrale Montemartini, Sala Macchine

Centrale Montemartini, Sala Macchine

Centrale Montemartini Apollo Sosiano

Other ‘meraviglie’ (wonders) include a bust of Cleopatra and the giant head, right arm and feet of an 8m high statue of the Goddess Fortuna found near Largo Argentina.  Her feet look very modern with their ‘infraditi’-thong style sandals!piedidifortuna

Sala Macchine. Bust of Cleopatra (to the right of the large statue)

Sala Macchine. Bust of Cleopatra (to the right of the large statue)

cleopatraSala Caldaie (Boiler Room) is named for its 15m steam boiler and features a large mosaic of a hunting scene found near Santa Bibiana.  The mosaic is surrounded by sculptures once adorning lavish Roman homes.Centrale Montemartini Sala Caldaie

PolimniaI especially like the statue of Polimnia, muse of poetry and dance.  She has her elbows resting on a pillar and her shawl casually wrapped around her.  My other favourite in Sala Caldaie is the Sphinx Frieze, which seems to glow against the red brick wall.

Sala Caldaie. Sphinx Frieze with Acanthus Spirals. This was part of the Gardens of Sallust and likely represents the victory over Antony and Cleopatra.

Sala Caldaie. Sphinx Frieze with Acanthus Spirals. This was part of the Gardens of Sallust and likely represents the victory over Antony and Cleopatra.

There were only 4 or 5 other people in the museum both times I visited.  One of the staff told me that from October to May they have a lot of school groups visiting through their educational program, but June to September is not very busy.  This is opposite to most other museums!  I definitely recommend this amazing place, especially if you want to get away from crowds and lineups and see something truly unique. Even people who don’t like museums will appreciate this one-or at least find it oddly fascinating!Centrale Montemartini WarriorTorso

Centrale Montemartini is in the Ostiense area on the left bank of the Tevere.  It is south of Roma’s historic center but very accessible by Metro B line Garbatella stop.  When leaving the metro stop, you will cross a pedestrian bridge and then reach Via Ostiense.  Bus 23 goes along Via Ostiense and Stazione Ostiense is also nearby.

The view on exiting Garbatella Metro Stop. Via Ostiense is in front, where the yellow building is. Il Gasometro is behind it. Centrale Montemartini is just to the left.

The view on exiting Garbatella Metro Stop. Via Ostiense is in front, where the yellow building is. Il Gasometro is behind it. Centrale Montemartini is just to the left.

The Basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura is walking distance, one metro stop away.  In between the Basilica and Centrale Montemartini is one of the oldest restaurants in Roma, Al Biondo Tevere at Via Ostiense 178 www.albiondotevere.it  serving Roman cuisine overlooking the Tevere.

Centrale Montemartini

Centrale Montemartini

www.centralemontemartini.org  Via Ostiense 106, open Tues-Sun from 09-19.  Admission is € 7.50 for adults or €16 for the Capitolini Card (valid 7 days).  The Romapass can also be used.  Don’t forget your sketchbook!

Ciao, Cristina