Bramante's Tempietto, Rome
On vacation last month my number one destination whilst in Rome was a pilgrimage to one of the most fascinating and influential buildings known to architects; Bramante's Tempietto. Overlooking Rome from high upon the Janiculum hill, San Pietro in Montorio is a 15th century church supposedly built on the site where Saint Peter was crucified (which replaced an earlier 9th century structure). Works by Michelangelo, Vasari, Raphael, and Bramante originally decorated its' halls; a veritable who's who of the Renaissance. I can tell you it was a pilgrimage as the walk up this hill is brutal; bring your climbing gear! But the reward at the end of the slog is one of the masterpieces of the High Renaissance which would inspire architects for centuries to come including Palladio who included it in his Quattro Libri (and don't miss the astonishing views of Rome!). Once inside the museum ( The Spanish Royal Academy ) one weaves through cloisters and exhibition spaces to come to ...