Villa Giulia: The Birds

The ostrich egg at the end of an earlier post was a clue.  When we went to Villa Giulia, it was a spring day, and birds were singing in the gardens.  As we walked though the beautiful loggia, we noticed birds everywhere in the fresco, which depicted a trellis covered with vines.

A proud rooster

 

A little parrot

 

A heron of some sort

 

A bird eyes the grapes

 

Yet another bird, about to eat a fish

 

Another heron-like bird, waiting for his fish

 

A raptor of some sort

 

A peacock

Apparently, the ancient Etruscans liked their birds too.  As we walked through the museum,  I was struck by how many of the ancient Etruscan objects depicted birds.

A simple painting of a bird

 

Swans grace a ceramic vessel

 

A white swan on a black background

 

A large bird in flight, over a sea creature

 

A small bird, ready to take off

 

A long-necked bird, dwarfing the human figure in front of it (an ostrich?)

 

A lovely little bird sculpture

 

A ceramic swan

 

An adorable duck vessel

 

A bronze swan, wings out stretched

 

And, a bronze chicken, or pigeon, perhaps

In Italy, like many places, being pooped on by a bird is a sign of good luck.  Well, despite the birds out singing that day, we were not blessed with this kind of good luck omen.  However, we did enjoy all the birds at Villa Giulia.

Published by spanishstepsapartment

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In the heart of Rome's Historic Center, between the beautiful Spanish Steps and the famous Trevi Fountain, this luxury two bedroom, two bathroom apartment is surrounded by fine dining and fabulous shopping. It is within walking distance of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and many other historic sites and museums, and near the subway, taxi stands, bus stops, and bike rental. Located in a traditional Roman palazzo, the apartment was fully renovated in late 2010 and is now available for vacation and short-term rental.