Time for an Italian renaissance?

摘要

Entering the Rome headquarters of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei is a quintessentially Italian experience. Housed in a Renaissance palace purchased and extended in the 1700s for the family of Pope Clement XII, the country's national science academy is located on the south bank of the River Tiber. Visitors may climb the building's grand marble staircase without challenge from the porter. Reaching the top, you wander through a succession of empty rooms, their ceilings frescoed, their walls ornately papered and hung with paintings. The large windows, which look out over the botanical gardens of Rome's La Sapienza University, are framed by heavy brocade curtains. Only thegentle creaking of ancient floorboards breaks the silence.