The Sacred and the Sexual, a visit of Palazzo Barberini

The Sacred and the Sexual Tour, a visit of Palazzo Barberini.

Discovering this art collection we will focus on the development of European taste in matter of nudity, sexuality and love.

Palazzo Barberini, via delle Quattro Fontane, 13.

Strolling through the streets of downtown Rome literally means being surrounded by beauty. Streets, squares, churches, museums, sun, colors are an ode to beauty. The concept of beauty is a pillar of the classical Greek-Roman art and often shows sensuality and eroticism; just think of the various female and male classical nudes visible in the museums of the city.
But, as the reader would rightly think, "religion is something else". Nevertheless, sometimes, walking through museums and churches - almost without realizing it, perhaps because unexpected - all sorts of nudes jump out at us as we wander by. Naked flesh of the Saints and corporal ecstasy, the breasts of a Madonna nursing the Holy Baby, and often even the groin of the child Jesus unveiled! All of a sudden we stop dead in our tracks thinking "Hey wait, but, what did I see?". Is this Christian art, is this the Roman Catholic Church? Wasn't nakedness sinful, embarrassing? The sense of it exists and is connected to the innermost part of the Christian faith.

Itineray:
We will enter the Barberini Palace built for pope Urban VIII around 400 years ago. It is an extraordinary palace and hosts the National Collection of Renaissance and Baroque art with masterpieces of artists like Raphael, Caravaggio, Bernini and Pietro da Cortona.

 

 

• Meeting point: Palazzo Barberini, via delle Quattro Fontane, 13
• Duration: 1.5 hours
• Max group size: 6
• Do you want to know more? Read my essay The Sacted and the Sexual  on the subject