Philadelphia without stepping on the Liberty Bell
** THE BARNES COLLECTION : 181 RENOIRS IN MY LIVING ROOM**
Unknown to many in Europe, but one of the most important private art collections in the world . Dr Albert C. Barnes had a good time with the main painters of the 20th century and did not leave a piece free on the market. The foundation of him, in a clean and relaxed Japanese-inspired building, opened in 2012, and hosts a vast legacy difficult for the viewer to assume and that leaves Tita Thyssen aside.
In the foundation, the pieces are exhibited just as Mr. Barnes arranged, in the same order, without information posters and simulating the interior of a large mansion from the fifties of the bourgeoisie of the state of Pennsylvania. there you will see 181 pieces by Renoir, 69 works by Paul Cézanne, 7 originals by Van Gogh, 6 by Seurat, 59 by Matisse, 46 works by Picasso (including drawings that do not appear in the books) and 16 pieces by Modigliani, among others. But not only that, Barnes also collected furniture, African sculptures, jewelry, Mexican religious sculptures... A waste of collection to walk through, with free audio guide in hand, to say that "when I grow up I want to be like Dr Barnes".
One of the most important private art collections in the world, in Philly
** JIM'S STEAKS : STEAK SANDWICHES AND COLA**
Not too crispy, with a strong cheese flavor and the meat not well done. So are the 'philly cheesesteak' , the famous sandwiches of this region of Pennsylvania. A product that queues for an hour, that is not usually cooked at home and that is healthier than many would believe. People come to Philadelphia for this too, although the best known are Jim's Steaks, the restaurant with up to four locations throughout the city, for which entire families, teenagers en masse and even basketball stars line up.
This place is an institution in the city , a space where on weekends it also serves as a meeting point in front of one of these sandwiches that you can also accompany with mushrooms and, of course, lots of tomato and a half-liter cola. In its endless waiting line, it will give you time to see the gallery of images of famous locals, politicians and athletes who have set foot in Jim's Steaks, and when you get to the bar you will see that the beef they use is of quality and that they barely use fat. It may even be healthy...
The meat and fast-food institution of the city
** MÜTTER MUSEUM : BONES AND CHLOROFORM**
Bones and chloroform in the showcases, fetuses with two heads, human skin and thousands of skulls . The Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia is a sanctuary, never better said, of cadavers and medicinal experiments from the last two decades. A space, paradoxically always full of people, that seeks to show how we humans are inside.
More than 25,000 pieces, all collected since 1863 by the institution, where experiments and medical oddities are shown, with a didactic and somewhat morbid vision . It even preserves the 'Soap Lady', the mummified body of an unknown woman from 130 years ago , with a contorted face and blond hair, who was found in the city and whose flesh, due to an unknown chemical reaction, has been transformed into a soapy substance called Adipocira. But here there are also bags made from human skin, real skeletons of giants and, for those looking for the more traditional side of a museum, a series of historical drawings and illustrations on medicine. It is recommended to go without breakfast.
Mutter Museum: Bones and Chloroform
** EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY : THE OLDEST PRISON IN AMERICA**
From 1829 to 1971, this jail was open and today is one of the biggest attractions in Philadelphia. not just because its architecture was an example for hundreds of subsequent prisons , if not for the inmates who did penance here. Its structure, based on seven cell arms emerging from a central core, allows control of each and every one of the cameras from a single point. A pioneering control system that was exported around the world almost like the 'philly cheesesteak'.
The tour through its corridors is disturbing, and at the same time allows us to know that there were inmates who lived better than others; such as Al Capone , who was imprisoned here for several years with all kinds of luxuries. But the old Philadelphia jail is also a very interesting architectural complex , with towers that resemble medieval castles, and other rooms that allow you to discover the penitentiary benefits that were granted at that time: exit to the patio, prayer room, area for families... Many of the claustrophobic cells Today they also house contemporary art installations.
Al Capone cell
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART: A GARDEN OF SCULPTURES AND SOUTHERN RECIPES
Until you get to this museum, you will not realize the large amount of work that painters like Miró sold in the US decades ago . Today he is one of the greats exhibited here, but there are also Picasso, Van Gogh, Renoir... And a gigantic piece of Chagall that there is no museum that has similar walls to exhibit it, except this one.
The building stands tall in a sculpture park from which you can enjoy the whole city, the Anne d'Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden It is a giant garden ready to warm up your social networks. Here are pieces of Sol LeWitt, Thomas Schütte or Ellsworth Kelly , among many greats of contemporary art of the last 50 years. Although the secret of the art center is in its restaurant, with a careful and sober decoration, excellent prices and some southern stews to know that cooking has always been an art.
Philadelphia Museum of Art entrance