heartofthesouth

Thanks Marija!

WebVisionItaly

We were there in June and it looks to me like the work will last for some time - but Dec 2009 is 18 months away. Maybe it will be done by then...

We love Bernini also, maybe that's why we love Naples so much too. Inside St. Peter's my vote is with Alexander VII.

It is not the four rivers, but how about checking out Borromini's Quattro Fontane, the four fountains. Then we can continue the debate, who is Mister Baroque, Bernini the Neapolitan or Borromini the Lombard?

amyb

Thanks Gang! I was going to try to find a webcam to see...it probably will be though, knowing my luck!

The interesting thing about Bernini's David at the Borghese is that it appears to me that he got the slingshot wrong. I would think if he was about to hurl it the rock would be in his back (right) hand, not forward in his left. Unless I've got my technique all wrong!

As Davids go, I have a soft spot for Michelangelo's personally! ;-)

heartofthesouth

Out of the fountains by Bernini of course the Fountain of the Four Rivers has my vote...but out of lesser known sculture it would have to be Charity on the Tomb of Alexander VII in St. Peters.

While in the Vatican museum you can actually view one of the models that Bernini sculted while perfecting the statue that now graces the tomb...the model to me is one of his best works! I wish he would have stayed with his original design that is in the Vatican. I have a picture of it if anyone wants to see it. It's probably one of my favorite pictures I took while in Rome. Just email me.

heartofthesouth

oh and let us not forget the Baldacchino in St. Peters...absolutely breath taking!

I love the the fact that when Bernini was asked later what system of proportion he had used when relating the scale of the Baldacchino to that of the Basilica, Bernini tersely replied, "my eye." Cracks me up!

Connie

It was still shrouded in July. When I saw it in a documentary about Rome later I was so sad I didn't get to see it in person.

heartofthesouth

Connie I am right there with you...as soon as our driver dropped us off from the airport at our apartment I tossed my bags inside and practically ran over to Piazza Navona to see the fountain. Upon getting there you would have thought someone just shot my puppy in front me...I was heart broken!

lrcarlson

We were there mid-August, and it was still covered.

arteagac

We leave for Rome next Friday. I will post when I get back. I hope it's not.

sherhatfield

Just returned from Rome yesterday, 9/20 and it is still covered.

charnees

I remember from a thread on slow travel that the work was supposed to be finished by May 1 this year. We were there June 1 and it was covered, and considering how things go in Italy, who knows when it will be finished? I too was terribly disappointed.

LAwoman

I was disappointed, too; and also, that the Bridge of Sighs and dome of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice were also covered -

- but, these are very old things, and I'm glad they are being looked after and preserved.

Bert4545

It's a sad fact that, if you go almost anywhere in Europe, you will find that something you wanted to see is under restoration. I particularly wanted to see the Colleone monument in Venice. I went two years running and it was under scaffolding both times. The second time I went (in May 2006), I noticed an information sheet that said it would be finished by 31 December 2005!! The clock tower (Venice) was recently 'finished' and re-opened, but part of it was still under tarpaulin in September.

JeanneB

This reminds me of our trip to Paris last winter. I love Paris' fountains. But on that trip they were all frozen solid!

LOL! They were more like new sculptures.

kybourbon

I got back last night and the fountain is still covered, but I had seen it on other trips. I don't think you can go to Italy without something you want to see being covered up with scaffolding.