Across the River (Roma part Sei)

Across the river from the Aventine Hill is the area known as Trastevere.  Tevere is Italian for the Tiber River that flows through Rome.

The neighbourhood used to be a bit down-market, working class area, but it’s coming up in the world.

A poster in nearby Testaccio caught Scott’s eye:  

an exhibit at the WeGil gallery in Trastevere of “Warhol and Banksy”, an interesting juxtaposition of two opposite personalities: one the most photographed artist in the world and the other anonymous; but both icons known the world over.

We happened upon another Warhol exhibit, this time in Padua, back in 2022:

Of course we had to visit this one in Rome:

Yes, it's his favourite shirt

I’d forgotten how depressing both Banksy and Warhol are. These two, flanking Scott, are some of the more wistful ones.

After our visit, we wandered over to the Piazza San Francesco d’Asissi to have lunch and visit the church of San Francesco a Ripa, for an altogether different kind of art: Bernini

This church is nothing special, except the one statue tucked away in a side chapel at the back. I consider it one his most sublime, and perhaps the last one he did alone.  “Ecstasy of Beata Lodovica Albertoni”, from 1674. (I won't say it looks more like 'Orgasm of ...') She was a noblewoman who became a nun after her husband died, and who herself died in 1533. The sculpture was commissioned by Pope Clement X, more than 100 years later.  (Apparently he was especially fond of one of her descendants.)

After the small church visit, we repaired across the piazza to a little joint with chalkboard menu, red checkered tablecloths, for an excellent lunch. Mine was ossobuco alla Romana - pretty good, especially because of the tasty tomato sauce (the Romana part) and a generous bone marrow.  Scott was equally pleased with his rigatoni with clams.

Trattoria da Paolo

One other restaurant had been highly recommended and we tried that one earlier in the week, because it was 'off the beaten tourist track' (according to something Scott read) and accepted no reservations: Trattoria Da Enzo al 29. While the food was actually excellent, the place had become overrun with tourists and they were already selling T-shirts and baseball caps. 

That's what happens when someone finds a great little place and spreads the word online.