Entry 1
It is so incredible to be here in the pantheon. I don't think I'll ever get used to turning the corner to see it standing right there, almost as if to greet me. Walking through the massive doors is an amazing experience, though diminished somewhat by the sigh saying "beware of pickpockets". The domed roof is so impressive with its coffers that it almost doesn't look real. It somehow seems too perfect. I also love the spot of sun that shines through the oculus and onto the roof. The colors on the walls and floors are also very striking. The walls are covered in marble, but it isn't white. Some parts are black, others are green, and still others are a sandy color tinged with black. The floor is also marble. Here it is white, but also maroon and sand colored. It is so beautiful. Statues stand in apses along the round wall. The Christian altar at the front and the tombs of the Emanueles look very out of place, but I realize that if the space wasn't consecrated by the church, it probably wouldn't be here. The tomb of Raphael is ok though. He seems to fit here, in such an artistic achievement.
Entry 2
The Pantheon was only the beginning of what ended up being a pretty long day. After we left, we all went over a street to Tazza d'oro, a really good coffee bar. With everyone happily refueled, we set forth for the Piazza Navona, but first we stopped in a little church to see Caravaggio's St. Matthew paintings. These are treasures that one could easily miss, as there is no fanfare outside the church. We had to pay some money to turn on the lights in the back right corner of the church where the paintings hang, but it was worth it. These are my favorites of all the paintings we looked at over the semester and they did not disappoint. They are much bigger in person than I had imagined them. They all look amazing, though as they adorn the three walls in an alcove, they are hard to see if there is a crowd, but I got a good look at all of them. We then proceeded to the Piazza to hear about the Fountain of the Four Rivers and a talking statue before breaking for lunch. We went to a cute little restaurant that had some seating outside near the road. After getting some gelato, the whole gropu met up near the statue of Giordano Burno in the Campo de' Fiori. We heard a little about it before setting off to the metro. We got off at Termini and stepped outside to see some remains of the Servian wall. While it isn't too impressive today, it's still very cool to see such an incredible ancient expression of power. We kept walking into a seedier part of the city. As we approached Helen's site, a woman nearby had her purse snatched, though I missed it. This put me on edge for the entire time we stood listening to Helen talk about the Porta Maggiore. I felt as though some people were giving us too much attention, though I might have been overreacting. Regardless, I was happy when we moved on. I was looking forward to our next site, St. John Lateran, but I was honestly a bit disappointed by it. It didn't seem any more impressive than the church we saw on the Capitoline hill. If anything, I liked it less. The colors of the paintings that covered the walls seemed washed out and dull. The ceiling was covered with too much gold, to the point that it looked gaudy. The cheap, plastic chairs that stood in place of pews were also very underwhelming. However, the statues that stood along the sides of the center aisle were very impressive. I sat in the back for a while before heading home.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Personal Journal Day 7 (5/24)
Entry 1
Today was relatively uneventful. I almost went to the Pentecostal Mass this morning (the one where they drop rose petals from the oculus of the Pantheon), but I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to make it worse. So I stayed in bed. I was honestly a bit out of it for most of the day. I found my way over to the Spanish Steps to hear Mariana's presentation on them, which was good. It is a very tall and impressive staircase, though I would prefer to see it less packed with people, but I doubt it ever is. We then moved on to the Horologium of Augustus, a great obelisk that functioned as some sort of sundial or meridian marker. We also saw the Column of Marcus Aurelius, which was inspired by the Column of Trajan. After hearing some presentations on those and on two of Sarah's talking statues, we walked over to the Largo Argentina. Emily gave a really good presentation on the republican temples in it, and I enjoyed how it is now a cat shelter. We could even see some of the cats walking among the ruins. I then took a nap when we got back to St. John's. I got up to go to dinner at a pizzeria and had a great time with some friends. Kristen makes the most amazing expressions. We then got some gelato and went back. I'm pretty tired now.
Today was relatively uneventful. I almost went to the Pentecostal Mass this morning (the one where they drop rose petals from the oculus of the Pantheon), but I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to make it worse. So I stayed in bed. I was honestly a bit out of it for most of the day. I found my way over to the Spanish Steps to hear Mariana's presentation on them, which was good. It is a very tall and impressive staircase, though I would prefer to see it less packed with people, but I doubt it ever is. We then moved on to the Horologium of Augustus, a great obelisk that functioned as some sort of sundial or meridian marker. We also saw the Column of Marcus Aurelius, which was inspired by the Column of Trajan. After hearing some presentations on those and on two of Sarah's talking statues, we walked over to the Largo Argentina. Emily gave a really good presentation on the republican temples in it, and I enjoyed how it is now a cat shelter. We could even see some of the cats walking among the ruins. I then took a nap when we got back to St. John's. I got up to go to dinner at a pizzeria and had a great time with some friends. Kristen makes the most amazing expressions. We then got some gelato and went back. I'm pretty tired now.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Personal Journal Day 6 (5/23)
Entry 1
Today has been pretty amazing, as usual. We started our day by going to the Villa Borghese Gallery. I had never heard of this museum and didn't really know what to expect. I was blown away. It isn't quite as incredible as the Capitoline Museum, but it's close. For one thing, it's much smaller (though that isn't necessarily a bad thing). It's so small that your ticket is only good for two hours, after which they kick you out. So you have to make the most of those two hours, because there are many wonderful sculptures. Taking Alessandra's advice, we started on the second floor to avoid the crowd. This was predominantly full of paintings depicting religious figures, which I don't find terribly interesting. however, there were some paintings that I really did like. I walked into one room and saw Barocci's Aeneas' Flight from Troy. I then turned around to see Domenichino's Diana. After walking around for a bit, I went downstairs to the statures. This is where the museum really appealed to me. It was mostly full of depictions of antiquity. I entered the floor to see Bernini's Rape of Persephone right in front of me. And if that wasn't enough, Bernini's Aeneas was in the next room. I then moved on to see his David and finally his Daphne and Apollo. It was all so incredible. After leaving the museum, we walked to the Piazza del Popolo to hear Patrick give a really excellent presentation. We then took a break for lunch and a few of us went to a really cool stationary store called Vertecchi. After that we went to see the Ara Pacis. It is an amazing monument. I was astonished by how much of it is left. I also loved the way that it was presented. From a distance, the altar looks complete, giving a good idea of what it would have looked like. But when you get closer, you can clearly tell the difference between the restored and the ancient parts. It was all housed in a beautiful, modern building which really complimented the altar with lots of air, windows, and open space. After that, we saw the Mausoleum of Augustus, which was a bit disappointing but still cool. We then broke for the day and I rested until dinner, when went back to the wonderful narrow and winding streets of Trastevere. We found a really good restaurant called Cornucopia, where I had some of the best lasagna of my life. Also notable was Kristin's meal. She was unaware that her pasta would come with two prawns that would be staring at her. It took her a while to get over this, and she even named them Buster and O'Neil. It was pretty hilarious to watch. We then walked back after we finished and called it a night.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Personal Journal Day 5 (5/22)
Entry 1
Today has been a day of extremes. It started out incredibly. We took a bus over to the Capitoline Hill and stopped for a moment to acknowledge the cloaked statue of Cola Di Rienzo on our way up to the museum. The museum itself was mindblowingly amazing. It might honestly have been the best museum I've ever been to. We approached it on Michelangelo's entryway which led to a square between three buildings with a copy of an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in the center. We then entered the museum and came into a courtyard which housed fragments of a colossal statue of Constantine. The fact that only a small amount of the statue remains adds to the sense of awe I get from it. I can only imagine how massive it used to be. We went up the stairs to the main gallery. This place was a maze. We were put into groups and assigned themes which we needed to find representations of in the gallery. My group found a green marble dog to represent luxury. As we wandered through the museum, I was struck by how many pieces I recognized. I reached the end of a long room and suddenly I was looking at the statue of Commodus as Hercules. I also saw the awkward tetrarch hug. The presentations were all really well done. Each group gave the assignment a lot of thought. Along the way we saw the original of the statue of Marcus Aurelius that was in the square. We also saw the foundations of the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill, over which I think the museum is built. The significance of the ruins only became apparent when I noticed a miniature of clear plastic, inside of which were small stones representing the foundations in front of us. The temple must have been beyond huge. After we finished with the main area we, we walked underground and to the adjacent building. We then found the good view of the forum and took some pictures before doubling back to the building across from the entrance. The first thing we saw was the statue of Mars Ultor that probably stood in the temple in the Forum of Augustus. It is an absolutely incredible piece of sculpture. We then heard Sarah D's first presentation about the talking statues. After she finished, a few other people and I went up to the second floor to see the gallery of busts that Florence Nightingale mentioned in her letters. This floor is what truly made the museum amazing for me. I know that the sculptures would have been painted, but the almost uninterrupted whiteness of the heads and bodies, combined with the offwhite colors of the walls, somehow made me feel as though I was cut off from the outside wold and that all that existed was the art in front of me. It was an experience unlike any other. I spent a long time looking at the heads. I was extremely happy when I found my favorite sculpture of Cicero. I could barely contain my excitement. After a while, I went down to the main entrance, after buying a book, to discover that it had started pouring. Here's where the day took a downturn. I really don't like the bus system in Rome. We ran out into the rain and had a tough time finding the right bus. After getting soaked, we got onto a bus we thought would take us back to St. John's. However, I checked my phone and saw that we were going the wrong way. We had a bit of trouble deciding whether or not to get off and to try to find a metro stop, which I had much more confidence in, or stay on and hope it would loop around. Eventually, I got off with Sarah D; I could barely breathe on the bus. I felt bad as the bus drove away with Ally and Elyssa still on it. We soon found a metro stop and got back without further incident. However, when we got back, the headache that had been brewing for a while got really bad and I had to rest for a few hours until dinner, which did the trick. I felt much better. After listening to a small talk by Prof. Curley's friend, Allesandra, we went to eat. I ate the best meal I've had in recent memory. The two waiters we had were also excellent. I ordered gnocchi with a white truffle sauce for the first course, breaded veal cutlet for the second, and a chocolate and cream concoction for dessert. After dinner, a mistake was made and we got on the wrong bus, but Victoria came to the rescue and asked the driver how to get back, which we eventually did without any serious problem. I'm just resting in my room right now. What an interesting day.
Today has been a day of extremes. It started out incredibly. We took a bus over to the Capitoline Hill and stopped for a moment to acknowledge the cloaked statue of Cola Di Rienzo on our way up to the museum. The museum itself was mindblowingly amazing. It might honestly have been the best museum I've ever been to. We approached it on Michelangelo's entryway which led to a square between three buildings with a copy of an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius in the center. We then entered the museum and came into a courtyard which housed fragments of a colossal statue of Constantine. The fact that only a small amount of the statue remains adds to the sense of awe I get from it. I can only imagine how massive it used to be. We went up the stairs to the main gallery. This place was a maze. We were put into groups and assigned themes which we needed to find representations of in the gallery. My group found a green marble dog to represent luxury. As we wandered through the museum, I was struck by how many pieces I recognized. I reached the end of a long room and suddenly I was looking at the statue of Commodus as Hercules. I also saw the awkward tetrarch hug. The presentations were all really well done. Each group gave the assignment a lot of thought. Along the way we saw the original of the statue of Marcus Aurelius that was in the square. We also saw the foundations of the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill, over which I think the museum is built. The significance of the ruins only became apparent when I noticed a miniature of clear plastic, inside of which were small stones representing the foundations in front of us. The temple must have been beyond huge. After we finished with the main area we, we walked underground and to the adjacent building. We then found the good view of the forum and took some pictures before doubling back to the building across from the entrance. The first thing we saw was the statue of Mars Ultor that probably stood in the temple in the Forum of Augustus. It is an absolutely incredible piece of sculpture. We then heard Sarah D's first presentation about the talking statues. After she finished, a few other people and I went up to the second floor to see the gallery of busts that Florence Nightingale mentioned in her letters. This floor is what truly made the museum amazing for me. I know that the sculptures would have been painted, but the almost uninterrupted whiteness of the heads and bodies, combined with the offwhite colors of the walls, somehow made me feel as though I was cut off from the outside wold and that all that existed was the art in front of me. It was an experience unlike any other. I spent a long time looking at the heads. I was extremely happy when I found my favorite sculpture of Cicero. I could barely contain my excitement. After a while, I went down to the main entrance, after buying a book, to discover that it had started pouring. Here's where the day took a downturn. I really don't like the bus system in Rome. We ran out into the rain and had a tough time finding the right bus. After getting soaked, we got onto a bus we thought would take us back to St. John's. However, I checked my phone and saw that we were going the wrong way. We had a bit of trouble deciding whether or not to get off and to try to find a metro stop, which I had much more confidence in, or stay on and hope it would loop around. Eventually, I got off with Sarah D; I could barely breathe on the bus. I felt bad as the bus drove away with Ally and Elyssa still on it. We soon found a metro stop and got back without further incident. However, when we got back, the headache that had been brewing for a while got really bad and I had to rest for a few hours until dinner, which did the trick. I felt much better. After listening to a small talk by Prof. Curley's friend, Allesandra, we went to eat. I ate the best meal I've had in recent memory. The two waiters we had were also excellent. I ordered gnocchi with a white truffle sauce for the first course, breaded veal cutlet for the second, and a chocolate and cream concoction for dessert. After dinner, a mistake was made and we got on the wrong bus, but Victoria came to the rescue and asked the driver how to get back, which we eventually did without any serious problem. I'm just resting in my room right now. What an interesting day.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Personal Journal Day 4 (5/21)
Entry 1
Palatine Hill and Roman Forum today. After a presentation about the Arch of Constantine, I stood looking up at the Palatine Hill and found myself thinking that it seemed isolated. That probably had something to do with the fence that surrounded the hill, but it also was tough to see through the trees. After we entered, a small an constantly changing group of us began to climb the hill. As we walked, I forgot we were in the middle of a city. I looked to my left at the remains of a once mighty building, now just a series of brick walls and arches. I didn't know what many of the ruins were, which I liked. It gave the place a sense of wonder. We continued up the path, which narrowed before opening out over a sunken courtyard, which I learned was the Stadium of Domitian, a non-functional racetrack built by the emperor. We turned left and came to more ruins, continuing on to reach an overlook to the Circus Maximus. Even in its somewhat pathetic state (it is now just a field), the massive size of the old track is awe inspring. It must have been incredibly impressive in ancient times. We then went back to the ruins, which began to feel a bit like a maze. So much of what remains looks similar. I wonder if it was always like that or if it was easier for the emperor to find his way around. I had a hard time telling where one complex ended and another began. Sarah and I found a bench to relax on and then went off to make a quick stop at the Palatine Museum, which is on the hill, but not before almost losing her phone. There was some great sculpture on the second floor of the museum. We then went of to get lunch. I had a mediocre pizza, but the place was cool. After that we went over to the Forum. We wandered through the remains of the Basilica Fulvia and then I gave my presentation on the Curia Julia in spite of some very rude tourists. After I finished we walked up the sacra via, following the old triumphal route before continuing on to Victoria's presentation on the vestal virgins. It was good and we even got to go inside the house of the vestals, which was very exciting as it is usually closed. We also saw the massive Basilica of Maxentius/Constantine which dwarfs everything else around it, even though only a fraction of it remains. Just three massive apses. We finished the day by going to the temple of Venus and Roma to take a group picture in front of the Colosseum.
Palatine Hill and Roman Forum today. After a presentation about the Arch of Constantine, I stood looking up at the Palatine Hill and found myself thinking that it seemed isolated. That probably had something to do with the fence that surrounded the hill, but it also was tough to see through the trees. After we entered, a small an constantly changing group of us began to climb the hill. As we walked, I forgot we were in the middle of a city. I looked to my left at the remains of a once mighty building, now just a series of brick walls and arches. I didn't know what many of the ruins were, which I liked. It gave the place a sense of wonder. We continued up the path, which narrowed before opening out over a sunken courtyard, which I learned was the Stadium of Domitian, a non-functional racetrack built by the emperor. We turned left and came to more ruins, continuing on to reach an overlook to the Circus Maximus. Even in its somewhat pathetic state (it is now just a field), the massive size of the old track is awe inspring. It must have been incredibly impressive in ancient times. We then went back to the ruins, which began to feel a bit like a maze. So much of what remains looks similar. I wonder if it was always like that or if it was easier for the emperor to find his way around. I had a hard time telling where one complex ended and another began. Sarah and I found a bench to relax on and then went off to make a quick stop at the Palatine Museum, which is on the hill, but not before almost losing her phone. There was some great sculpture on the second floor of the museum. We then went of to get lunch. I had a mediocre pizza, but the place was cool. After that we went over to the Forum. We wandered through the remains of the Basilica Fulvia and then I gave my presentation on the Curia Julia in spite of some very rude tourists. After I finished we walked up the sacra via, following the old triumphal route before continuing on to Victoria's presentation on the vestal virgins. It was good and we even got to go inside the house of the vestals, which was very exciting as it is usually closed. We also saw the massive Basilica of Maxentius/Constantine which dwarfs everything else around it, even though only a fraction of it remains. Just three massive apses. We finished the day by going to the temple of Venus and Roma to take a group picture in front of the Colosseum.
Personal Journal Day 3 (5/20)
Entry 1
This morning/afternoon is going to be tough to beat. We started out by taking the train to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is the first thing that seemed proportional. What I mean by that is that its size and slight separation from the surrounding area make it seem like a separate monument. The inside was incredible. It reminds me of Fenway Park, but on a much greater scale. We had a tour guide who did a good job of hitting all the high points of the history of the building. The tour itself was short, but fun. She focused quite a bit on the labyrinth of passageways below the arena. I can only imagine how hot and uncomfortable it must have been during the games. It was too bad we couldn't go down and see them up close. We only stayed for a little while in the Colosseum , but it was enough for me to get slightly lost. This is one of the prices of modernity. In ancient times, the Colosseum could be filled and emptied in minutes because there are so many entrances and passageways laid out in a clear way. Now, many are blocked off to keep people from sneaking in. It's a shame. From there we proceeded to the Church of S. Pietro in Vincoli by way of the street where Tullia ran over her father's body. The church/basilica was magnificent. It was surprised at how few pews were in the church and also by the imagery containing the angel of death. I was also surprised how close were able to get to the chains of St. Peter and the sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo. Now, after I've finished eating, I'm sitting in the Forum Romanum. This is just amazing. I've been strolling the same streets Cicero used to walk. I've gotten as close as I could to the place where he gave so many amazing speeches, though the comitium area is closed. I feel so immersed in history right now. I think I'll stay a little while longer.
This morning/afternoon is going to be tough to beat. We started out by taking the train to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is the first thing that seemed proportional. What I mean by that is that its size and slight separation from the surrounding area make it seem like a separate monument. The inside was incredible. It reminds me of Fenway Park, but on a much greater scale. We had a tour guide who did a good job of hitting all the high points of the history of the building. The tour itself was short, but fun. She focused quite a bit on the labyrinth of passageways below the arena. I can only imagine how hot and uncomfortable it must have been during the games. It was too bad we couldn't go down and see them up close. We only stayed for a little while in the Colosseum , but it was enough for me to get slightly lost. This is one of the prices of modernity. In ancient times, the Colosseum could be filled and emptied in minutes because there are so many entrances and passageways laid out in a clear way. Now, many are blocked off to keep people from sneaking in. It's a shame. From there we proceeded to the Church of S. Pietro in Vincoli by way of the street where Tullia ran over her father's body. The church/basilica was magnificent. It was surprised at how few pews were in the church and also by the imagery containing the angel of death. I was also surprised how close were able to get to the chains of St. Peter and the sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo. Now, after I've finished eating, I'm sitting in the Forum Romanum. This is just amazing. I've been strolling the same streets Cicero used to walk. I've gotten as close as I could to the place where he gave so many amazing speeches, though the comitium area is closed. I feel so immersed in history right now. I think I'll stay a little while longer.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Stay Tuned
The journey may be over, but the blog is not! Stay tuned as I post my daily journals that I simply didn't have time to while in Italy.
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