Vespa Tunes XXIX - Autogrill, Francesco Guccini, 1983
Earlier this month Francesco Guccini died, aged eighty-six.
Understanding Rome's Newsletter
All things Rome
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August's Postcard from Rome
All photos taken on 2 August 2026
Extravagant Eclecticism: Glimpses of Quartiere Coppedè
Just outside the Aurelian Walls, pretty much equidistant from three delightful parks (Villa Borghese, Villa Ada, and Villa Torlonia), and firmly ensconced in the natural habitat of a tranche of Rome’s
A Vermeer in Rome: The Woman Reading a Letter at Palazzo Barberini
At present there is an exquisite Vermeer on display in Rome, on loan from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and gleaming in the quietly atmospheric gloom of the Room of Landscapes just off the Oval Hall at Palazzo Barberini.
A newly accessible Etruscan treasure: The François Tomb at Villa Giulia
All photographs taken in July 2026 unless otherwise specified
July's Postcard from Rome (and Ponza)
Last month I briefly fled the torpid heat of Rome for a Pontine foray in the company of Gillian Knows Best (because Ponza is one of many places of which she does indeed Know Best).
"The Pinecone of St Peter's in Rome"
If you have visited the Vatican Museums you will almost certainly have noticed a giant bronze pinecone, one can hardly miss it.
Some of my favourite views of Rome
13: the Pyramid of Gaius Cestius
Piero di Cosimo's Santa Maria Maddalena, and the ineffable appeal of material history
La Maddalena di Piero di Cosimo: Arte, Storia e vite di donne nel Rinascimento Fiorentino, Palazzo Venezia, until 5 July 2026
June's Postcard from Rome
Last Tuesday Italy celebrated the Festa della Repubblica, a national public holiday commemorating the referendum held on 2 June 1946.