notte dei musei
Last night Rome held it’s annual “Notte dei Musei” — Night at the Museums — where a long list of museums around the city are open from 8pm to 2am, free of charge. I took the opportunity to try to see some of the museums I still hadn’t visited, including the Mercati di Traiano (Markets of Trajan), a part of the Roman Forum.
I also went to see the an exhibit of Poussin at the Villa Medici (Académie de France à Rome), and a show of 100 works from Romanticism, Impressionism, Expressionism, and more from the Stadel Museum of Frankfurt, which was held at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni (let’s just say it was a long night, with a lot of walking). Unfortunately pictures were not allowed inside at either of those! So below you will find some of my photos from the Mercati, which was certainly the highlight of the night, a site that benefits the most from the strange experience of seeing it in the middle of the night.
(Above is a view of the Vatican and another church in Rome, illuminated at night, as seen from the hilltop Villa Medici.)
Detail of an ancient sculpture in Mercati di Traiano.
When my parents came to visit me back in the fall, I took tours of the Coliseum and Forum, but besides that I have not seen too much of the ancient art, except of course that you see it out in the open all over the city (the Pantheon, Largo Argentina, Tempio di Adriano, etc.). The Markets of Trajan are a nice way to see more, because it combines the preserved architecture, with a little bit of ancient art and marble from the original building, with spectacular views of the rest of the Forum from an outdoor terrace, and they often hold events, such as an aperitivo (cocktail hour) or concerts.
As with many of the museums participating in Notte dei Musei, there were short concerts spread throughout the evening, with a great trio (piano, bass, singer/guitar) playing in the main hall.
While the music added an incredible ambience to the evening which was already buzzing with tons of people, couples out on a date, little kids up past bedtime, the best experience was walking out through the exhibits, the music slowly getting softer, to the terraces which overlook not just the market itself, but the rest of the Forum, the famous Column of Trajan, and the Vittoriano (the “new” monument built in the 1800s).
These ruins, the half columns mixed with those quintessentially Roman trees, are always lit at night and I’ve seen them as I’ve walked by, but the view from above, from within the ruins yourself, is much much better.
All in all, Notte dei Musei was certainly popular, an excellent opportunity for the mostly Italian crowd (I believe the event was only advertised in Italian) to see the beautiful sites that are usually so overrun by foreign tourists (well, like me).
