So maybe you've been to Rome several times, or maybe you want to see something away from the typical tourist path, or maybe you're a jewelry-lover like myself and seeing historical jewelry is a must on every trip.
The National Etruscan Museum (click here for more details) hits all those notes. This museum is mostly about Etruscan history and houses fantastic Etruscan artifacts. What's interesting about this museum is that it doesn't advertise that it also holds one of the most important Roman jewelry from the 1800s. This family of jewelers, the Castellani, were masters of their time and their legacy spanned over several generations. Each generation specialized in a specific goldsmithing technique but they are most remembered for their dealing and recreations of ancient Etruscan jewelry.
From what I've read they were able to handle authentic Etruscan jewelry and from that, they not only repaired Etruscan but recreated pieces almost exactly. This exploded in popularity and is some of the most unbelievably crafted jewelry you'll find in a museum.
If you go to this museum, the Castellani section is like a hidden gem within this hidden gem. You have to ask a guard where to find the room as it is separate from the rest of the exhibits. When you enter the room what's really cool is that the authentic Etruscan collection is displayed directly across from the Castellani work so you can go back and forth between the two and see how the Castellanis drew inspiration to create their designs.
Below are examples of the Castellani jewels.
Have you ever been here? Are there any hidden gems in Rome that you've seen? Comment below and let me know. I love sharing tourist information on all platforms.
Thanks so much for reading. Until next Thursday.
Mil abrazos (many hugs),
Caitlin