Not ready to leave the Borghese

The following will be of interest to art lovers, especially, since Rome’s Borghese packs one of the strongest punches of any museum in Europe.

I visited the Borghese Gallery (Piazzale del Museo Borghese, 5, 00197 Rome; phone 39-06-328-10) in April of 2003. Admission cost €8.50 (near $10).

Now, you are probably aware of how Italy falls on the process-oriented versus goal-oriented scale of societies; that is to say, you will find that Italians generally are not so concerned with being on time. This attitude will influence you when you plan your itineraries for visiting the sights in Italy.

However, do NOT let this lackadaisical attitude influence you at the Borghese! More specifically, when they say you have only 30 minutes to visit the Picture Gallery (the upper floor where most of the famous paintings are), you really have only 30 minutes. This may not sound like a big deal now, but once you are there you will see just how easy it is to lose track of time.

Any art lover knows how important it is to see all of the important paintings. The Borghese Gallery is located in a huge, beautiful park, but all I could think of as I exited the museum through this picturesque park were the beautiful pictures I missed.

BRADWELL JACKSON
Tampa, FL