In writing this, we do appreciate that many of you know Rome well and may have different ideas to share with the group.  The following is simply to provide some personal thoughts on travel to Rome, the district where the studio is located and areas where you may wish to seek accommodations and where we will meet at the beginning of the workshop. 

The Studio

The Anthea Studio where the workshop will take place is in the Prati district not far from the Vatican on Girolamo Savonarola, 9. (Savonarola likely would not be happy with our choice of studio location.  He was the ascetic Florentine friar, perhaps most famous for the “Bonfire of the Vanities” where his followers burned immoral objects like … paintings. Fortunately, at least for the art world, he was excommunicated and burned for heresy in 1498).     

Those of you who have participated in our workshops at the Castello di Petroia or in Spoleto will be familiar with the studio location as it is just around the corner from La Fiorentina restaurant, the pick-up point for the vans on those workshops. Of particular note, the studio is just half a block from the Mercato Trionfale. With 270 stalls, the Mercato is one of the largest markets in Europe. Originally located a few blocks to the east in open countryside just outside of the Vatican walls, it moved to its current location in the 1930s. Although housed in one of the least inspiring buildings in Rome, the Mercato is a fascinating place and will undoubtedly be the source of not just meals but forays to purchase still life objects for painting in the  studio. The market is open Monday through Saturday, 7:00 until 2:00.

The studio is not in a tourist area but a vibrant residential district. As such, there are numerous cafes, restaurants, pastry shops, grocery stores, hardware stores, ATMs and pharmacies within a two or three block radius of the studio. We plan to have access to the studio available from 9:00 am each painting day, when we will provide coffee, tea, juice and pastries, until the end of Bernie’s lesson in the afternoon, when we will offer wine and appetizers.

Accommodations

Unlike our usual format, we do not provide accommodations for this workshop. There are so many hotels and airbnbs available in Rome, many at reasonable off-season prices, it just seemed to make more sense to let everyone choose their own. The historic center of Rome is a surprisingly compact city and you would be hard pressed to need more than an hour to walk from any one point to another. Which means you can stay almost anywhere within the old city and still be within 10 or 15 minutes from the studio by taxi. The subway provides other options and the Otaviano Station is less than a 10 minute walk from the studio.  

Because Prati is not a tourist center, hotel options within 4 or 5 blocks of the studio are limited.  We frequently recommend the Hotel Farnese on Via Alessandro Farnese, 30. It is a mid-sized, mid-priced hotel in a quiet district with excellent restaurants close by and a good breakfast service. It is about a 15 minute walk to the studio and is right beside a subway station. There are a number of other boutique hotels in the historic Borgo district that would be a 20 to 15 minute walk from the studio.  The Borgo district is also a wonderful source for charming airbnbs. We frequently stay there since it is close to our daughter’s apartment.  A word of caution, however. If you don’t like stairs, study the Airbnb add carefully.  Many of the airbnbs in this very old district are located on the third, fourth or even fifth floors without an elevator.

We are staying in an Airbnb we found in the Prati district about three blocks from the studio.  Although only a one bedroom apartment, we are paying a premium for what appears to be a good kitchen, a fairly large living room with separate dining room and a sixth floor view of St. Peters (with elevator).  This still came to less than $200/night.  

Paint Supplies

Winslow Art Center will supply an easel, folding tray, a selection of gouache or oil paints and medium as recommended by Bernie, paper towels and solvent.  Participants will supply their own brushes.  If participants desire additional supplies, there are excellent art stores in Rome.  My favorite is Poggi on Via di Ripetta, 68, close to the Piazza Popolo. We’d be happy to guide anyone interested there.    

Miscellaneous

Most of you will undoubtedly be arriving and departing from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome. Except during rush hour, it is about a 35 minute ride to downtown Rome. We always recommend taking an official taxi from the taxi stand right where you exit customs. The taxi line looks daunting sometimes but moves quickly. You will be approached by private van drivers but take care to set the price in advance. The official taxi price to the downtown corridor is 55 euros and official taxis are required to accept credit cards. A 5 euro tip, especially if you have heavy bags, is about right.

There is no need for carrying large amounts of cash in Rome. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. VISA is most widely accepted.  There are abundant ATMs to obtain cash.  Use only the ones connected to a bank.  Some of the generic ones charge high fees.  

Tipping is still optional.  A few small coins is fine for a coffee or drink.  For a meal in a restaurant, we usually tip 5% to 10%.

You will want to plan on bringing warm clothes.  Snow is rare but not unheard of in Rome, but cold, windy, rainy days are common in mid-winter.  That’s why we’ll be enjoying the city without millions of tourists. 

Meeting at the start of the workshop

We’ll meet at the restaurant Vostrosteria (Via Girolomo Savonarola 7, right next door to the studio) at 7:30 on the first evening of the workshop (January 22). It is Umbrian food with a wood-fired oven.  Dress is casual.