Barracco Museum

Between the Piazza Navona and the Campo di Fiori you will find this 16th century palace 

housing an intimate collection of classical sculpture and art.

The Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barrocco was assembled by Baron Barracco in the 19th century.

Photos in this entrance hallway show the sculptures as they appeared in the Baron's home.

The first room features classical sculptures from a variety of periods. This Ephebos, is a Roman copy of a 5th century BCE Greek original.

 I liked this Head of a youth, another Roman copy of a 5th century BCE Greek original

while John favoured this 1st century CE Head of Athena wearing an Attic helmet in Archaic style.

and this Roman copy of Phidias' Head of Apollo.

In the Egyptian room we loved this powerful basalt Lion Head, a New Kingdom work from about 350 BCE.

How about this Mesopotamian Statue of Bes, from the 1st century CE?

or this earlier 3rd century BCE relief of the same god -- Bes was clearly not to be trifled with!

Gaze into the sympathetic eyes of the so-called Wounded Bitch 

a Roman copy of a Greek original tucked amongst a group of Roman portrait busts.

Find beautiful reliefs -- a Roman copy of a Greek Horseman

and a Greek original of Dancing Maenads (late 5th century BCE).

An exotic-looking Roman Head of Priapus in the Archaic style.

This 5th century Greek painted limestone Chariot with two riders looks like a toy to me.

The last room of the collection contains, among other treasures, this 3rd century CE Roman Fragment of a fresco with hermaphrodite

and a 12th century CE Byzantine mosaic.

We hope that you get the idea of the interesting variety and quality of the Baron's collection. Let's end with this Roman Female portrait, 2nd-3rd century CE.

and head back into the street. It's time for lunch.