Again this month I would like to bring to your attention the Museo del Folklore e dei Poeti Romaneschi (MF&PR) and its treasures... Rome used to be such a different place just one-hundred years ago. There are places in which you can still at least get an idea of what Rome looked like at that period. For example there's a little square or court-yard which you can reach by taking Via del Pellegrino from P.zza Campo de' Fiori and walking through the arcade you'll find on your left after only about 50 metres (Arco degli Acetari). 

There you'll get the impression of being in a village out of town especially because of flights of steps situated along the outside walls of the houses, like those you can still find in a village like Barbarano Romano and which were quite common in ancient Rome. It's worthwile having look at the Casa Particappa at the Portico d'Ottavia and on Via del Portico d'Ottavia (between doors number 8 to 13) notice houses of the 15th and 16th centuries. In my opinion you can get a very good idea of 19th century Rome by looking at the paintings collected at the MF&PR situated in P.zza S.Egidio in Trastevere. Twenty-seven Ettore Roesler Franz Watercolours are collected there. The rest of his work is in the Museo di Roma which is at present closed for restoration. You can find books with all his works and photographs either in any good book-store or at the library of the MF&PR. You can make an appointment with the librarian by calling 589-9359 or 581-3717. 

Also at the library you can find a lot about 17th-19th century Rome. So, that's the idea for a "watercolour itinerary": I know a place where you can find post-cards made from Roesler Franz watercolours. This is the book-shop situated in the pedestrian arcade leading from Pl.le Flaminio to P.zza del Popolo. There, maybe because not many people are in the know, they sell for only 1.000 lire per three cards!. Once you have got them all for about 5-6.000 lire you can start your "Watercolour Itinerary" by trying to find the places shown on the cards (you will find the exact location written on the back). 

By comparing today and yesterday you'll take a trip back in to the past in your imagination...but we do it more often in our heart...