**NEW: You Haven't Seen Rome 'Til You've Seen It With Enrico (Free Access Article)**
This article originally appeared in an issue of Dream
of Italy.
Simply to call him a tour guide
wouldn't do him justice. Enrico
Bruschini is so much more: historian,
art expert, professor,
author, gentleman, lifelong
Roman citizen, Renaissance
man. To see Rome, especially
the Vatican, with this
passionate storyteller is a
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
At the end, you can't
help but feel that you have
a new friend in the Eternal City.
In the introduction to Bruschini's 2001
book, In The Footsteps of Popes
, Cokie
Roberts writes: "Immediately on meeting
this distinguished art historian,
Bruschini -- who has written several
books on Roman art, excavated ancient
Roman sites and directed the restoration
of antique frescoes -- he becomes
just Enrico, your friend."
Bruschini and ABC newswoman
Roberts met through Roberts' mother,
Lindy Boggs, who served as the U.S.
Ambassador to the Holy See
from 1997 to 2001. Bruschini
has close ties to the United
States since he was named
official art historian of the
American Embassy in Rome
in 1984. He later served as
the embassy's fine art
curator until his retirement
in 1998. (In 1989, Enrico was named
the Official Guide of Rome.)
His work at the embassy made international
headlines when it was discovered
that one of the statues that the
embassy owned was actually Venus by
Giambologna, appraised by Sotheby's
at a value of $18 million. After its discovery,
the statue was exhibited at Rome's Capitoline Museums, as well
as the National Gallery of Art in
Washington, D.C. Visitors to Rome can
now see it at the base of the main staircase
of the American Embassy in Rome
on the Via Veneto.
Presidential Pals
Through his work with the embassy,
Bruschini, or Enrico as he asks you to
call him, has come to know a number
of famous Americans; that is to say,
current, former and future presidents
of the United States. Forget the rumors
that George W. Bush never traveled
outside the United States before he
became president, says Enrico, for he
showed Bush and his wife Laura, a
woman of great intelligence, he recalls,
around Rome when Bush was governor
of Texas. In 1990, Enrico played
guide to former President Ford and his
wife Betty. Through the years, he
estimates he has also shown about half
the members of the U.S. Congress the
wonders of the Eternal City.
Yet, from the moment
he first mentions him,
you can tell who
Enrico's all-time
favorite guest is -- Bill
Clinton. Enrico first met
the former president
and Mrs. Clinton in
1994, when he was charged
with showing them the
ancient Forum. The Clintons
took particular interest in
the rostri, where Roman senatorial
candidates gave
political speeches.
The Clintons were so taken
with Enrico that the First
Lady singled him out when
talking to reporters after
their visit. "The first lady
praised their escort for giving
'a wonderful reconstruction of what it [the
Forum] looked like in
antiquity,'" said one press
account.
Clinton promised to
return for a more thorough
visit of Rome and
did so about three years
ago, Enrico recalls. "I
have no memory for
the modern dates," he
laughs. This time
Enrico spent three
days with the former
president and his
daughter Chelsea, and
finally got to show
him the Sistine
Chapel, the corner of Rome for which
Enrico seems to feel the most passion.
Vatican Museums
For those who have limited time with
Enrico, choosing just what to see with
him can be difficult. While Enrico's
rates aren't
cheap, what you get is
well worth the price, but
most of us may not be
able to spend days with
him.
However, if money is no
object, you may want to do
what one American oil
tycoon did. He hired
Enrico for a month
to travel with his
group by private
jet, from Sicily to
Venice, visiting all of the
highlights in between.
Enrico makes the ancient
ruins come alive to such an
extent that you can practically
hear the roar of the
crowds in the Colosseum
and the hustle and bustle
of everyday life in the
Forum. While Rome may
be Enrico's first love,
Italian art is what makes
his heart skip a beat.
If you must choose one
experience with Enrico, go
with him to the Vatican.
He will show you the
works of Michelangelo,
Raphael, Caravaggio,
Bernini and Borromini
as no one else can.
Cokie Roberts
expressed it so fittingly:
"It's hard to believe
he didn't know them
personally."
Enrico knows the Vatican so well that
he was asked by the powers that be to
author the latest official guidebook of
the Vatican. Vatican Masterpieces, published
in 2004, is sold in six languages
at the entrance to the Vatican Museums
and at kiosks throughout the institution.
It's the first Vatican guidebook to
note the author's name on the front.
It's hard not to feel like you're with a
rock star when you accompany Enrico
through the Vatican Museums. During
even a short visit, it isn't unusual for a
handful of guides and sightseers to recognize
Enrico, and to stop to say
hello or compliment him
on one of his books.
Heard while in line to get
into the museums: "Aren't
you Enrico, from the American
Embassy?"
Heard in the Map Room: "I loved your
book."
Heard in the Sistine Chapel, addressed
to his lucky guests: "You are with the
most wonderful scholar in the world.
He's the most important man in Rome
besides the Pope."
The last quote can be attributed to
Brenda Nardone, a Mexican American
tour guide now living in Italy. She
admires Enrico so much that she had
her group buy his book, and then
tracked him down at the entrance to St.
Peter's Basilica so he could autograph
their copies.
The highlight of the museums is
undoubtedly the Sistine Chapel,
restored to its full glory after 12 people
took six years to clean the centuries of
dirt off the walls and ceiling. One of
the themes Enrico emphasizes
throughout his tours of Rome is the
pure genius of many
of the people of
yesteryear. He points
out that those who
cleaned the Sistine
Chapel built the scaffolding
in the same
way Michelangelo
had. "He invented the
solution five centuries
ago," Enrico says.
Enrico had the rare
honor of being invited
to view the cleaning
from atop the scaffolding.
What followed was
one of the highlights of
his life. Since he was
just a foot away from
The Temptation and The Expulsion, he
could see the lips on Eve's face and
how Michelangelo used a tiny brush to
bring out the small vertical lines on her
lips. "We could see how Michelangelo
was painting for himself; no one else
was going to see this detail," Enrico
says.
Even more startling to this art historian
was what he saw in Eve's eyes. Once
the painting was cleaned, he could see fingerprints -- certainly
Michelangelo's fingerprints -- in her
eyes. Enrico touches his heart while
recounting the story. "It was
amazing to see his fingerprints,"
Enrico recalls,
wondering if it was a message
to future generations
who might see the dried paint up
close.
That's another theme in Enrico's tours,
one that art buffs and novices alike can
appreciate: What is the meaning of
these works and does the meaning
change and develop over time?
As much as Enrico enjoys instructing
his clients, he seems to learn just as
much from the
questions and observations
of his guests.
One case in point is
The Creation of Adam,
on the ceiling of the
chapel, which
Bruschini believes
definitely holds "a
message for future
generations."
In 1990, an American
neurologist observed
that the mantle surrounding
Adam is the
exact shape of the
human brain in crosssection.
Bruschini
theorizes this could be
a message from Michelangelo, indicating
that he saw the autopsy of a
human brain. (During the artist's time,
this was illegal in Rome, but he may
have seen it in Florence.)
A few years ago, an American
gynecologist told Enrico that the
mantle resembled a uterus, and the
green cord flowing from it resembled
an umbilical cord. "I've seen a lot of
uteruses. That's my job," she told him.
He has included this theory in his
books.
"These are new discoveries of the original
messages. There are hundreds
more to be discovered," he says
with excitement.
Besides being an incredible
showcase of art, the Sistine
Chapel also serves numerous functions,
the most important of which is
happening this month -- the Conclave
of Cardinals who are meeting in the
chapel to pick the next leader of the
Roman Catholic Church.
The uncle of Enrico's wife, the priest
Fra Alfonso Rossi, was a close assistant
of several popes. During the conclaves, he was charged with
helping the cardinals,
burning the ballots
and helping the new
priest into his vestments.
The priest
accompanied several
new popes into a
room of the Sistine
Chapel in order to
help them dress in their new white
cossack and shoes. Often the new
pope, mindful of the burden now upon
him, would break down in tears.
Fra Alfonso was there to offer him
support.
"Ah, it's not easy to leave the Sistine
Chapel," says Enrico wistfully when it
is time to move on, this coming from a
man who has visited here hundreds of
times.
Ancient Wonders
Enrico is an equally
entrancing guide to
Rome's Forum and Colosseum, places
where it's definitely worth spending
the day with him. History buffs and
children in particular will be riveted by
Enrico's tales of ancient Rome. Too
many people simply walk through
these places, referring to a few passages
in a guidebook, but not really
absorbing all the tales these old stones
have to tell. Even if you're not with
Enrico, do hire a guide -- it's worth it.
Enrico begins his tour of the Roman
ruins from the hill of the Capitoline
Museums, overlooking the Forum.
From the first stories he tells, it is clear
that Enrico believes the ancient
Romans were incredibly gifted as well
as incredibly flawed. These two themes
run throughout his commentary. From
their remarkable architectural and
building skills -- "The Greeks were
better at everything except engineering,"
he notes, -- to their incredible knowledge, -- "They
knew the world was
round," he says, --
Enrico's tales of
Roman accomplishment
are unending.
And they leave many
of his guests with a
new profound respect
for this civilization.
At the Colosseum, Enrico is
clearly moved by the downside
of the Roman Empire,
the violent persecution of Christians.
Thousands of Christians died here at
the hands of gladiators, and at the
mouths and claws of wild animals.
From the 80 elevators in the floor to the
movable roof on the top, the
Colosseum is yet another incredible Roman accomplishment. Yet, Enrico
seems to feel the ghosts of those
Christians each time he brings guests
to this place. While it is a model of
Roman ingenuity, he also emphasizes
the mixed legacy of the Colosseum.
"As a Roman, I am really proud of this
building, but I feel the terror of the
people killed here," he says sadly.
Again, modern lessons creep into the
stories of history.
"[Today] still, we use religion to kill
people," he notes, and he adds one of
the phrases he repeats again and again:
"Nothing changes under the sun."
Pointing to the black soot on some of
the Colosseum's stones, he wonders
how long this monument to history
will last.
"We've ruined more in the last 50 years
with pollution than in the last 2,000
years," he notes.
Whether theorizing on an artist's
message or recounting sad tales of
historical tragedies, Enrico never seems
to tire of showing people the city he
loves so much (99% of his clients are
Americans). Through it all, he shows
impeccable manners. He patiently
answers questions of passersby who
may have heard his commentary or
need directions.
The only distraction he allows are cell
phone calls from his beloved wife
Gianna. Like clockwork, he can never
seem to remember which pocket the
phone is in, before finding it and
answering, "Si, Bella. Ciao."
He wouldn't want to be doing
anything else or be anywhere else.
"The world is beautiful, but Rome &
is Rome."
The Details
Enrico Bruschini can be contacted through
his Web site: www.profenrico.com
His rates for tours start at 450 euros for a four-hour tour.
If you can't take a personal tour with Enrico,
look for his new audio tours this summer.
Enrico's Advice for Visiting the
Vatican Museums
In order to avoid lines, Enrico recommends
individual visitors arrive at the Vatican Museums
after 11 a.m. to avoid the long morning line.
(Guides and their groups can enter ahead of
others.) Saturday is a popular day for locals to
visits. All other Roman museums are closed on
Monday, so expect crowds that day too. The
Vatican Museums have free entrance on the last
Sunday of the month, but Enrico says it is
far too crowded to really enjoy anything.
Enrico recommends looking at the monitors at the
Information Desk to see if the passageway between
the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica is open.
A silhouette of St. Peter's Square in green indicates
it is open. That will save you time.
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