Dear mom, oggi siamo andati ai Musei Capitolini Centrale Montemartini

Translation: today we went to the Capitoline Museum's "Centrale Montemartini."
Last weekend we went to the Capitoline Museum, but the collection we saw today is housed at a separate site. This museum is in what was once the first public electric plant in Rome. As you can see from the photos they have taken the old industrial building and transformed it into a beautiful exhibition space. The collection of pieces housed in the museum were all excavated in the same area at the turn of the nineteenth century when the main train station in Rome was built. They are all beautiful representations of Roman art from the Republic up until the Late Empire, and the museum itself creates such an interesting contrast to the pieces.
For some reason it seems like you have to know about this museum in order to visit it, its not just something people talk about. On the outskirts of the city I didn't expect to find such an amazing collection of art housed in an old industrial building, but it was beautifully organized. The exhibition makes you question your definition of art when you begin to notice how detailed an ornate the 40 ft high machines are. I couldn't help from wondering: who was the genius behind that machine?
As the first public electric plant in Rome the building holds a bit of precious Roman history. When the plant opened in the 1890s Rome was lit up for the first time, a night that I imagine would be totally unforgettable to those who experienced it. Although now I don't imagine power plants to be the most elegant places this power plant turned museum is just that. The machines and sculptures display great Roman achievement from different time periods. This thought brought me right back to the idea of the eternal city.
After seeing the museum I went home and started reading a book for class called "The Fires of Vesuvius." We are visiting Pompeii in about two weeks which will be the first time I have left Rome since I've arrived. I am very excited, especially because so far the book is fabulous. So many good adventures to come...