Rome (Roma)

Research Status: Comprehensive Last Updated: 2026-02-10 Diary Coverage: 1876 Italian journey, additional references throughout

Overview

Rome, the Eternal City and capital of the Kingdom of Italy since 1871, was a transformative destination in Marie Bashkirtseff's life. Her extended stay in Rome in 1876 marks a significant period in her development, during which the city of the Caesars and the Popes "acted upon her like strong wine" (as her biographer Mathilde Blind wrote). In Rome, Marie experienced artistic awakening, romantic adventure, and a deepening of her ambitions.

Historical Context (1870s)

Rome as New Capital

Rome had only recently become the capital of unified Italy:

• 1870: Italian troops entered Rome after the withdrawal of French garrison troops during the Franco-Prussian War
• 1871: Rome officially became the capital, replacing Florence
• Papal reaction: Pope Pius IX declared himself a "prisoner of the Vatican" and refused to recognize the Italian state
• Urban transformation: The new government embarked on massive construction projects to make Rome a worthy capital

The Social World

Rome in the 1870s had distinct social spheres:

• The "Black" aristocracy: Noble families loyal to the Pope (Colonna, Orsini, Borghese)
• The "White" aristocracy: Families supporting the Italian state
• The diplomatic corps: Embassies and foreign representatives
• The foreign colonies: British, American, Russian, and German communities
• The artistic community: Painters, sculptors, and writers drawn by Rome's heritage

Religious and Cultural Center

• The Vatican: Despite the political crisis, the Vatican remained a supreme cultural treasure
• St. Peter's Basilica: The center of Catholic Christendom
• The Forum and Colosseum: Classical ruins that drew scholars and tourists
• The Campagna: The wild, romantic countryside surrounding Rome

Marie's Experience in Rome (1876)

Artistic Encounters

Marie's encounter with Rome's art was characteristically independent and bold:

• She visited churches, palaces, museums, and galleries with passionate intensity
• She had a "refreshingly amusing and original fashion of seeing, admiring, and criticizing" the most celebrated masterpieces
• She took nothing on trust and was undaunted by great names
• She famously dismissed some of Raphael's work as "card-board painting" and described Titian's Venuses as "magnificent but stupid"
• She preferred naturalism and truthfulness in art over idealized traditions

Romance

Rome was the setting for one of Marie's notable romantic episodes:

• She became involved with Pietro A____, a dark-eyed young Roman of twenty-three
• Pietro was the nephew of a powerful Cardinal
• Though he had no great career and was dependent on his family, he had charm
• The romance typified Marie's pattern of intense attraction followed by pragmatic assessment
• She was reluctant to let him go, but ultimately her ambitions took precedence

Carnival

Marie participated in Rome's famous Carnival celebrations:

• Masked balls and festivities
• Social gatherings among the foreign colony
• The spectacle of Roman society during the festive season

The Campagna

Marie experienced the wild countryside around Rome:

• Wild rides through the Campagna
• The romantic, untamed landscape that had inspired generations of painters
• The contrast between ancient ruins and rural life

Key Sites

Art and Architecture

• Vatican Museums: Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, classical sculpture
• St. Peter's Basilica: Michelangelo's dome and Pieta
• Borghese Gallery: Major painting and sculpture collection
• Capitoline Museums: Ancient Roman art and artifacts
• Pantheon: The ancient temple, then a Christian church

Ancient Rome

• The Forum: Center of ancient Roman life
• The Colosseum: Amphitheater of the gladiators
• The Palatine Hill: Imperial palaces
• The Appian Way: Ancient road lined with tombs

Social Venues

• The Pincio: Fashionable promenade gardens above the Piazza del Popolo
• The Corso: Main street for the Carnival procession and daily promenades
• Caffe Greco: Historic cafe frequented by artists and writers
• Villa Borghese: Gardens for walking and riding

Churches

• Santa Maria Maggiore: One of Rome's four great basilicas
• San Giovanni in Laterano: The Pope's cathedral
• Santa Maria del Popolo: Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces
• Countless others: Rome's churches as an open-air museum

Significance for Marie

Rome represented several things in Marie's development:

• Artistic formation: Direct contact with the greatest Western art, from classical to Baroque
• Critical independence: She learned to trust her own judgment against received opinion
• Romantic experience: Emotional depth and self-knowledge
• Cosmopolitan confidence: Navigating a complex social world
• Comparison point: She would later contrast Rome's conservative art establishment unfavorably with Paris's dynamism

Related Entries

• #Florence - Another major stop on the Italian tour
• #Naples - Southern Italian destination
• #Venice - Northern Italian city
• #Pincio - Fashionable Roman promenade
• #Paris - Where Marie pursued her artistic career