English
On number 26 of the vibrant Piazza di Spagna there the so called Casina Rossa, a place where calm and serenity rule and where the English poet John Keats spent the last months of his life.
Considered one of the greatest British poets of romanticism, the melancholic Keats had a short. Struggling with tuberculosis, he travelled to Rome on medical advice along with the invitation of his friend Percy Bysshe Shelley, the English poet married to the writer Mary Shelley. Shelley lived in one of the apartments in Casina Rossa and that´s where Keats went, along with his great friend the painter John Severn. It was November 1820 and Keats, who was 25 years old, spent only three months in that house
Despite the beneficial Roman climate, the days in the Taverna della Lepre on Via Condotti in the company of his friends, the sadness due to the distance from his beloved Fanny Brawne and the bad critics towards his poems made him even more depressed. Keats, who had studied surgery, sensed his end was coming and he eventually died in February 1821, in a small room with a view of the Piazza di Spagna. A year later, Shelley also died in Italy, by drowning. Severn decided to continue his days in the capital and ended up being a British consul. The three of them rest in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome, where Severn asked to be buried next to his friend.
In the early 1900s, the house was practically in ruins and, thanks to the American poet Robert Underwood Johnson, the Anglo-American Society bought the house and began its restoration. The museum was inaugurated in 1909 and it had the presence of King Vittorio Emanuele III. During the Second World War, all the objects of value were hidden outside the house and they erased the plaques on the façade, to avoid it being bombed.
Today, the museum is also dedicated to Lord Byron and the poets of romanticism, as well as literary figures who resided in Rome. It has one of the best libraries in the world dedicated to romanticism, to which they constantly add items. The original furniture from Keats´ bedroom was burned due to his illness, but has been restored to the last detail and the room maintains the floral drawing on the ceiling that the poet cited in his last few hours. Also, you can see manuscripts, paintings, sculptures and other interesting objects.
The museum actively participates in Rome´s cultural life and it regularly organizes exhibitions, poetry recitals, conferences and other events. You can check the programme on their website http://www.keats-shelley-house.org/en/news.
Timetable: From 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm, Mon-Fri. From 11am to 2pm and 3pm to 6pm Sat. Sun closed.
Prices: 4.50€ for adults, 3.50€ for over-65s and for U18s.
Address: Piazza di Spagna, 26
Metro: Línea A, Spagna
If you love literature, don´t miss out on visiting this museum. Book now one of our apartments in Rome in the old town and you can do so without worrying about transport or timetables.
