Jill Biden makes surprise trip to Rome’s Borghese Gallery after wrapping up her time in the G20 spotlight with final spouses lunch
- First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise trip to the Borghese Gallery in Rome Sunday night
- She was guided through the grand galleries looking at classic sculptures and paintings and modern pieces by British artist Damien Hirst
- ‘It took your breath away, didn’t it?’ she said after the tour
- Earlier Biden attended a farewell luncheon with the other spouses of the G20
- Biden was dressed in a green floral dress paired with heeled black over-the-knee boots, later she changed to a more casual outfit
- She greeted Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s wife Maria Cappello at the top of the stairs on the Piazza del Capidigolio
- On Monday, she’ll split off from President Joe Biden and head south to Naples instead, where she’ll visit a DOD-funded high school
First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise trip to the Borghese Gallery in Rome Sunday night, after spending a final lunch with the G20 spouses.
FLOTUS, dressed casually in an olive jacket over a cream top, leather pants and black over-the-knee boots, paired with a blue scarf and a black face mask, roamed through the grand galleries looking at classic sculptures and paintings and modern pieces by British artist Damien Hirst.
‘It took your breath away, didn’t it?’ she said after the tour.
Museum director Francesca Cappelletti played tour guide, as tourists who recognized her were heard excitedly saying, ‘first lady!’
‘Is that all from one piece of marble?’ FLOTUS asked about a grand female nude sculpture, Antonio Canova’s Portrait of Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, which dates back to 1805-1808.
First Lady Jill Biden (right) walks through the Borghese Gallery and Museum in Rome Sunday night with director Francesca Cappelletti (left). Here she takes in Antonio Canova’s Portrait of Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix
The trip hadn’t been on Biden’s schedule. For the tour she dressed casually in an olive jacket over a cream top, leather pants and black over-the-knee boots, paired with a blue scarf and a black face mask
Biden marveled at one of several of the museum’s Berninis, an influential Italian sculptor
‘Is that all from one piece of marble?’ FLOTUS asked about a grand female nude sculpture, Antonio Canova’s Portrait of Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix
She marveled at some busts that dated back to the 18th century that were a unique brown color and spent several minutes admiring a large sculpture of two humans and a three-headed dog.
Biden was able to see several of the museums prized Berninis, and admired hieroglyphics in a room that included a modern interpretation of King Tut’s mask by Hirst.
In the next room she said ‘it’s bright, right?’ when looking at the painting, ‘boy with a basket of fruit’ by Caravaggio.
As she exited she gave an ‘of course’ when asked if she had fun with the other G20 spouses, who she lunched with earlier Sunday at the Capitoline Museums.
There she greeted Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s wife Maria Cappello, the host of partner events, at the top of the stairs on the Piazza del Capidigolio.
For the fancier affair, she wore her black boots with a green floral dress.
She was captured holding court with Spain’s Begona Sanchez and Joachim Sauer, the husband of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
On Monday, she’ll split off from President Joe Biden – who’s headed to Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate summit – and head south to Naples instead, where she’ll visit a DOD-funded high school.
At the G20, Biden spent time with both French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, as the U.S. tried to repair relations with its oldest ally after the submarine row.
First Lady Jill Biden (right) is spotted on a balcony speaking with Begona Sanchez (left), wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, at the farewell luncheon for G20 spouses on Sunday
First Lady Jill Biden (center left) speaks with Begona Sanchez (left), wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, at a farewell event for G20 spouses held Sunday afternoon at the Capitoline Museums in Rome
From left: Joachim Sauer, husband of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Begona Sanchez, wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, First Lady Jill Biden, Fabiola Yanez, partner of Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez and Kim Jung-sook, wife of South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in
First Lady Jill Biden (center) speaks with Joachim Sauer (left), husband of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s wife Maria Cappello (right)
First Lady Jill Biden speaks to a group of young women as she departs Sunday’s farewell luncheon for G20 spouses
First Lady Jill Biden is seen greeting Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s wife Maria Cappello on the stairs of the Piazza del Capidigolio
She stunned in a sparkly lilac fitted dress by Ralph Lauren at Saturday night’s G20 dinner, which took place at the 16th century Quirinale Palace in Rome.
The leaders and spouses were split up at the dinner, which was hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
So Dr. Biden sat next to the French president, while President Joe Biden was seated next to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Dr. Biden and President Macron previously bonded when they represented their respective countries at the opening ceremony at the Tokyo Olympics in July.
The first lady and the French president watched several sporting events together after the ceremony.
At dinner Saturday, the G20 leaders and their spouses were served a menu of marinated salmon, risotto with pumpkin and white truffle, roasted artichoke, seabass and vegetables.
First Lady Jill Biden (center left) wore a sparkly lilac fitted dress by Ralph Lauren at Saturday night’s G20 dinner. Here she poses with (from left) Maria Serenella Cappello, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, President Joe Biden, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and daughter Laura Mattarella
Jill Biden (upper left) was seated at the G20 dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, who she spent time with in July when they both represented their countries at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games
President Joe Biden (third from right) was seated next to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) during an official dinner at the G20 Saturday night in Rome
Earlier Saturday, Jill Biden joined the other G20 spouses Saturday for a private lunch at Villa Doria Pamphilj, looking friendly with U.K. Prime Minister’s Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie as they walked through the grounds.
Biden and Johnson, who bonded at the G7 in Cornwall, England in June, walked side-by-side, Biden in a brown blazer and camel dress, Johnson in a bright red Zara blazer and floral dress, as they concluded taking a group picture, according to the first lady’s spokesman.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife Begona walked nearby.
A number of the spouses were seen touring Rome’s Colosseum on Saturday, however the American first lady didn’t attend.
On Friday, Biden spent time sipping Chardonnay at a restaurant in downtown Rome with French First Lady Brigitte Macron.
First Lady Jill Biden (fifth from left) joined other G20 spouses for a closed-door luncheon at Villa Doria Pamphilj on Saturday
First Lady Jill Biden was spotted chatting with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie (in red blazer) after a spouse luncheon at Villa Doria Pamphilj on Saturday. The two spouses walked behind Olga Khromchenko, a member of the Russian delegation
The G20 spouses walked around the grounds of Villa Doria Pamphilj on Saturday, where they took a group photo
First Lady Jill Biden is seen walking into a spouses luncheon Saturday at Villa Doria Pamphilj, a villa surrounded by Rome’s largest public park
Dr. Biden wasn’t photographed among the G20 spouses who visited the Colosseum on Saturday including Carrie Johnson (center in red), Italian prime minister’s wife Serenella Cappello (sixth from right) and French First Lady Brigitte Macron (fourth from right)
Carrie Johnson is photographed taking in the Colosseum in Rome on Saturday with other partners of G20 leaders
Carrie Johnson (left) and Brigitte Macron (right) speak at the Colosseum in Rome on Saturday
(From left) Brigitte Macron, Carrie Johnson and Italian prime minister’s wife Serenella Cappello at the Colosseum in Rome on Saturday
The two first ladies were practically twinning, as the petite blondes both wore navy suits paired with navy heels.
Both petite blondes wore navy suits paired with navy heels.
They got together at a restaurant called Il Marchese, ahead of their husbands’ first meeting since France was blindsided by Australia pulling out of a submarine deal to join a security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom.
Afterward, Biden, 70, standing alongside Macron, 68, said the time spent together was ‘wonderful.’
‘It’s nice, two friends together, just like sisters,’ she cooed.
The two women sipped Chardonnay and ate small bites.
When asked about what they ate and drank, Biden played coy.
‘Well,’ she said, pausing. ‘Practically nothing.’
‘It’s nice, two friends together, just like sisters,’ First Lady Jill Biden (right) said after sipping Chardonnay with French First Lady Brigitte Macron (left) at Il Marchese in Rome
First Lady Jill Biden (left) and French First Lady Brigitte Macron (right) both sported navy suits and heels for their get-together at Il Marchese, which happened as President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron held a bilateral meeting in Rome early evening Friday
Biden waves at reporters staged outside Il Marchese, a restaurant located near the Tiber river in Rome
The French first lady arrived after Biden. She and the American first lady spent time together at spouses events in June at the G7
French First Lady Brigitte Macron (left) and First Lady Jill Biden (right) spoke with reporters after spending time together – while their husbands met – at a restaurant in Rome on the sidelines of the G20
Jill Biden’s meeting with First Lady Macron is part of the first lady’s packed schedule over four days in Italy.
Biden, whose family is from Italy, spoke glowingly about this year’s G20’s host country.
‘We’ve come here so many times. I love Italy, Brigitte loves Italy. Who would not love Italy? There’s nothing that we couldn’t love about it right?’ she said.
The Bidens, after the death of son Beau in 2015, even spent Thanksgiving in Rome, staying at the U.S. ambassador’s residence, CNN reported Friday.
As she arrived at the restaurant, located on a narrow street near the Tiber river, Biden was asked about her earlier meeting with Pope Francis she attended alongside President Joe Biden.
‘It was wonderful, he was wonderful,’ she told the reporters staged outside the restaurant’s door.
Macron, who arrived second, nodded in affirmation when asked if she was excited to meet with Dr. Biden.
First Lady Jill Biden (right), arriving in Rome early Friday morning alongside President Joe Biden (right), has her own packed schedule while in Italy through Monday
First Lady Jill Biden (center) speaks to children’s theater performers at a G7 event alongside Carrie Johnson (left), the wife of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Brigitte Macron (right), who she’ll meet with in Rome Friday afternoon
First Lady Jill Biden (second from right) and Brigitte Macron (right) stand side-by-side at a spouses event in June, which was part of the G7 in Cornwall
She and Macron had spent time together at a spouses event at the G7 in Cornwall in June, which marked the Bidens’ first overseas trip since the president was sworn-in in January.
Earlier Friday, Biden had tea with Cappello at the Chigi Palace, while President Biden met with the Italian prime minister.
After a weekend of private spouse events, the first lady will do a solo trip to Naval Support Activity Naples on Monday, where about 8,500 U.S. troops work.
There, the first lady will visit Naples Middle High School, which is a school operated through the Department of Defense, meeting with high school students and teachers and then delivering a speech.
The event will marry Biden’s ‘Joining Forces’ initiative, which she started with former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2011 and restarted earlier this year, and her career as an English teacher.
Joining Forces provides support to military members, veterans and their families.
First Lady Jill Biden (center right) speaks with Uberto Vanni d’Archirafi (center left), the Senior Official of the Diplomatic Protocol of the Italian Republic, on the tarmac at Rome Fiumicino International Airport early Friday morning
First Lady Jill Biden (left) ushers President Joe Biden (right) toward the Beast as they arrive in Rome, Italy to participate in G20 events through Sunday
First Lady Jill Biden (center) hugs Sarb Edmund (second from left) the 89th Airlift Wing Senior/Training Protocol Specialist, as she and President Joe Biden depart for Rome from Joint Base Andrews Thursday
First Lady Jill Biden (right) and President Joe Biden left for Rome early Thursday afternoon. They will split up Monday with the president traveling to Scotland for COP26 and the first lady heading to Naples to visit a Defense Department-funded high school at a U.S. base
Biden continues to teach community college classes – making her the first, first lady to ever hold an outside job.
Biden had a similarly busy schedule on her first solo trip abroad – representing the United States at the opening of the Tokyo summer Olympics.
There, the first lady held court with then Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his wife Mariko, watched the Olympics with French President Emmanuel Macron, attended an event with heads of delegations at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace and hosted an Olympics watch party for American diplomats at the ambassador’s residence in Tokyo.
She stopped in Alaska and Hawaii to do COVID-19 vaccine advocacy.
In Honolulu, FLOTUS also attended a barbecue for military members and their families as part of Joining Forces.
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