Three nights in Rome, mid-May: delicious seasonal food, lots of art, terrific older waiters at Nino, Giggetto, and Da Fortunato, summerish pre-dinner drinks, always absolute wonder at seeing the Pantheon and the Spanish steps once again, classic Roman street scenes, finding Margaret Fuller and some book buying at a favourite bookshop ... all hard to beat.

The Spanish Steps

The Pantheon

The Pantheon internal shot

Via dei Condotti looking to The Spanish Steps

Roman street scenes from the balcony of my room at Hotel Locarno

Jewish Quarter

Jewish artichkoes, Roman artichokes, proscuitto & melon, Roman tripe and aperitivi

Crispy Jewish artichokes with a delicate heart at Giggetto Al Portico D’Ottavia, tender Roman ones at Da Fortunato Al Pantheon, thinly sliced prosciutto and sweet melon at Nino’s, a plate of seasonal broccoli also at Da Fortunato, aperitivo, the best tasting white wine, tripe Roman style (for those who love it - not me, my fellow traveller!) crunchy small biscotti with fennel-again Da Fortunato, and delicious saltimbocca at Giggetto's and more.

Jewish Artichoke at Giggetto, the Jewish Quarter

Apertivi, Piazza del Popolo

Roman Artichoke, white wine, proscuitto & melon at Nino's

Tripe Roman style (Trippa alla Romana) at Giggetto

Caravaggio, 'La Fornarina' and 'A Lady with a Squirrel'

Caravaggios in side chapels and lots of fabulous art at Palazzo Barberini…even when, hoping to see Raffaello’s enigmatic ‘La Fornarina’ results in momentary disappointment because it’s on loan to the National Gallery in London but, there is something I had never seen before, on loan to Barberini is, Holbein’s captivating, ‘A Lady with a Squirrel’. It is stunning. On loan until July 31st.

Hans Holbien the younger, 'A Lady with a Squirrel'. 1526-1528

Some Roman Details- Margaret Fuller, Cafe Greco, and books

Daytime temperatures rising, courtyard breakfasts, church bells ringing, wandering the Pantheon (Raffaello’s burial place), spotting the name Margaret Fuller high on a palazzo wall at Piazza Barberini and thinking…who is she? (Googled later… an 1810 born American, first female war foreign correspondent, journalist, editor and critic, women’s rights advocate and very keen on Italy -all with a very tragic end),

A drink and granita at Café Greco and watching holiday makers enjoy this centuries old establishment (even though it’s ridiculously expensive) and stopping by the Anglo American Bookshop on via delle Vite to browse and buy some books (in English) – a couple of Japanese titles along with some others. It has so many great books in English.

Beautiful Caravaggios closeby the favourite Hotel Locarno

There are a certain six Caravaggios in Rome on the walls of illuminated (coin operated) side chapels in three very Baroque churches.To view these six is, for me, part of being back in this glorious city and, after three years absence Rome felt so good.

Two are just up the street and across Piazza del Popolo from Hotel Locarno – (a favourite place to stay). Once through Piazza del Popolo, right there in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo (Cerasi Chapel) are-The Conversion of St Paul and the Crucifixion of St Peter in a splendid side chapel.

And the other Caravaggios are not far from the Pantheon.

Conversion of St Paul, Caravaggio, 1601. Basilica Santa Maria di Popolo.

Crucifixation of St Peter, Caravaggio 1601. Basilicata Santa Maria di Popolo.

To get to the others head straight from Piazza del Popolo, in the direction of the Pantheon, towards the Baroque church of San Luigi dei Franchesi. There, three chapel walls are covered in Caravaggios and then just down the street and around a corner in the Church of Sant’ Agostino Caravaggio’s soul stirringly beautiful Madonna del Loreto (Madonna dei Pelligrini) sits on the first left hand side chapel.

An absolute favourite

This Caravaggio is my favourite -the glorious barefooted Madonna, the sheerness of her shoulder wrap, her fingers pressing the plump body of the robust Infant, her generous striking face poised and intent as she receives pilgrims, with dirty bare feet, at her door.

Madonna di Loreto, Sant Agostino 1604-1605, Caravaggio

St Matthew Chapel, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. Caravaggio, The Inspiration of St Matthew, 1602

Caravaggio, Calling of St Matthew 1599-1600. Church of San Luigi dei Francesi

Caravaggio Martydom of St Matthew 1599-1600. Church of San Luigi dei Francesi

Wonderful art at Galleria Barberini Corsini, Diane Keaton and La Fornarina

In Palazzo Barberini (Barberini/Corsini Art Gallery) there is lots of great art (home to Raffaello’s la Fornarina) and there are other Caravaggios including, 'Judith Beheading Holoferenes’ – somewhat unnerving, violent, and yet very powerful. This is (from memory) only my second visit to Barberini.

I was actually prompted to visit this time after seeing a fun instagram post by Barberini about Diane Keaton visiting– I do like her and, art. (I did get to see La Fornarina on one of my early trips to Rome- probably 20 years ago. I loved it then.)

Another viewing of La Fornarina would have been perfect. Next time.