Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The body of St Catherine of Siena, minus her head (which is in Siena), lies under the
high altar, and the tombs of two Medici popes, Leo X and Clement VII, are found in the
apse.
LARGO DI TORRE ARGENTINA
( Largo di Torre Argentina)
A busy public transport hub, Largo di Torre Argentina is set
temples, all built between the 2nd and 4th centuries BC. These ruins, which are among the
oldest in the city, are off-limits to humans but home to a thriving population of around 250
stray cats and a volunteer-run
cat sanctuary
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(
www.romancats.com
;
noon-6pm daily; Largo di Torre Argentina)
.
On the piazza's western flank stands Rome's premier theatre, the Teatro Argentina (
Click here
).
RUINS
MUSEO NAZIONALE ROMANO: CRYPTA BALBI
MUSEUM
( 06 3996 7700;
http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/en/museums/national-roman-museum-crypta-balbi
;
Via delle
Botteghe Oscure 31; adult/reduced €7/3.50; 9am-7.45pm Tue-Sun ; Via delle Botteghe Oscure)
The least
known of the Museo Nazionale Romano's four museums, the Crypta Balbi is built around
the ruins of medieval and Renaissance structures, themselves set atop the ancient Teatro di
Balbus (13 BC). Duck down into the underground excavations, then e xamine artefacts
taken from the Crypta, as well as items found in the forums and on the Oppio and Celian
Hills. For more information on a combined admission ticket, see
Click here
.
TOP SIGHT
CHIESA DI SAN LUIGI DEI FRANCESI
Church to Rome's French community since 1589, this opulent baroque bonanza boasts no less than three paint-
ings by Caravaggio. In the Cappella Contarelli, to the left of the main altar, crowds gather to admire the
Vocazione di San Matteo
(The Calling of Saint Matthew), the
Martiro di San Matteo
(The Martyrdom of Saint
Matthew) and
San Matteo e l'angelo
(Saint Matthew and the Angel), together known as the St Matthew cycle.
These are among Caravaggio's earliest religious works, painted between 1599 and 1602, but they are inescap-
ably his, featuring down-to-earth realism and stunning use of chiaroscuro (the bold contrast of light and dark).
Caravaggio's refusal to adhere to artistic conventions and glorify his religious subjects often landed him in hot
water and his first version of
San Matteo e l'angelo
, which depicted St Matthew as a bald, bare-legged peasant,
was originally rejected by his outraged patron, Cardinal Matteo Contarelli.
