Momentary Blindness (Orange Garden of Aventine Hill 5/28)

As I sit in the sun on a surprisingly cold stone bench I can hear the crunch of stones beneath feet and the loud shouts of children passing me, but mixed with those sounds are the soft tweets of many birds.  The loud sounds fade, to be replaced with a bell tolling in the distance, but still the birds remain.  Their sounds come from all directions above me.  I think I can smell a hint of orange in the air, but that might be my mind playing tricks on me.  I can feel a nice cool breeze as well as the paper upon which I am writing gently tapping on my knuckles.  I am now noticing a dull whirring coming from the city behind me; I think it might be sirens, but I'm not sure.  It is soon drowned out by the sounds of Italian being spoken as a group walks by me.  For just a moment after they pass there is silence, except for the birds.  It's very nice.  The bench is still cold as I extend a leg over a fresh section of it.  The wind has picked up and now keeps blowing my hair into my eyes and slightly into my mouth, but it soon quiets down again.  The birds continue their song.  I can now hear the sound of running water coming from a fountain in front of me, something I hadn't noticed before.  In the distance, a loud laugh rings out along with another group of people.  This time English is mixed in with the Italian.  The sun is starting to get hot and it's beginning to bother me.  I strain my ears to hear the birds once more before getting up, but they seem to have gone.

(Orange Garden on Aventine Hill, 5/28, 3:55 - 4:11)

Voyeur (St. Peter's Square 5/27)

To my left stands a Swiss guard.  He knows that, on its own, his outfit would look ridiculous.  He is wearing a poofy blue and orange striped outfit, with a few red strips near the shoulders and a white collar.  However, it instead inspires a deep respect due to the incredible dedication of the people who war it.  In addition to the outfit, he also is wearing a black beret, tilted towards me.  Beneath the hat, his long, clean shaven face stares ahead at Pope Francis.  His entire life is devoted to the protection of this man.  He does not care how long the address will be, he will stand at attention for the entire length of it.  He is almost a statue, with his hands clasped together in front of him.  He is not visibly armed, but very well trained and incredibly ready to act in case of emergency. The heat does not bother him.  He even has trouble remembering if it ever did.  At one point during the address he is approached by a woman.  He breaks his composure to bend his head toward the woman in order to hear her.  He gives her directions very politely and sees her off before resuming his post, staring straight ahead at the pope.  He has lost count of the number of ceremonies he has watched.  They all blur together.  But he doesn’t care; the protection of the pope is all that matters.  The address will eventually end, which will inevitably result in commotion as people try to leave, but he will be ready. 

(10:30 at St. Peter's Square during a papal address)

Giornale 2 at Capitoline Museum (5/26)

For my second Giornale, I had to return to the Capitoline Museum.  I simply didn't get enough time there before.  I decided to brave the bus system to get there, and this time I took the right bus.  However, it started getting too crowded around the Largo Argentina, which is only a few blocks from the Capitoline. So I got off and simply walked the rest of the way.  I ascended the ramp up the hill and stood for a second to look at the statue of Marcus Aurelius.  I then bought my ticket and went inside.  Now that I had more time, I saw the space differently.  I no longer only focused on things I knew, but stopped to appreciate unnamed statues and unfamiliar pieces. In the first courtyard, I looked at a series of reliefs along one of the walls that I hadn't really noticed before, even though I remember staring in that direction.  I saw people, armor, flowers, and serpents captured in the marble.  I continued along the wall until I reached the corner, above which was a portico that covered three statues.  The center one was a statue of Minerva, the other two were labelled as a Dacian prisoner.  The statues seemed identical at first, but upon further inspection, the righthand statue's eyes seem wider.  I wonder who he was.  I climbed the stairs to the main gallery again and arrived in the room full of black and orange Greek pottery.  While I didn't linger here for too long, as there were still many other things I have more interest in, I still gave this room much more attention than I did previously.  I moved on to the room containing the remains of the Forma Urbis Romae.  I'm somehow amazed by how similar this is to a modern map.  While I'm sure that the ancients had a much better working knowledge of the city, it's still nice to know that they wanted to stick up a plan in a public place.  I then wandered over to the room with the fasti, the list of consuls.  When I was here last, Sarah pointed out some famous people on the list.  I spent a bit of time looking around for someone I recognized, but I couldn't find anyone.  Past that, I entered the room with the statue of the runner picking a thorn out of his foot, the name escapes me.  To the right is the green statue of Brutus with striking white eyes.  I still find this statue to be unnerving.  I left quickly.  From here I wandered through the gallery, looking for whatever caught my eye. I eventually came upon something I didn't see before.  Across from the awkward tetrarchs is a small alcovelike room containing lots of Christian iconography.  It was roped off.  I don't really know what it was or what it was doing there, but it felt really out of place.  Moving on, I reached the end of the gallery and a junction that would lead to the courtyard again, the stairs to the paintings on the second floor, or the stairs to the underground epigraphy corridor.  I skipped the paintings floor today.  Instead I headed for the stairs that could take me downstairs to the epigraphy.  But before I made it, I stopped to notice four reliefs at a landing on the staircase.  They're all magnificent.  One depicts Hadrian, the other three depict Marcus Aurelius in battle, in triumph, and performing a religious ceremony.  I continued downstairs.  Here I really stopped to admire the artifacts.  I also tried to read as much of the Latin as I could, and I did pretty well, even though it's starting to get a bit rusty and I didn't have a dictionary.  Lots were dedicated to the souls departed and described who erected the stones.  The corridor was also beautiful itself.  Light seemed to emanate from the two rows of stones that lined the walls; the lights below and out of sight.  Above me was a blue sky dotted with stars.  To top it all off, piano was playing gently in the background.  It all seemed very respectful, which surprised me.  It seemed as if they recognized the purpose these stoned served.  I eventually left to come to the statue of Mars, which I was disappointed to read was not the original, but a copy from the Flavian era.  Oh well, it's still beautiful.  I climbed the stairs to the hall of busts to see more famous people, but that's not quite all that happened.  Determined to see things I hadn’t seen before, I went into a smaller room.  This room seemed to only contain busts without names.  A weird thing happened.  I felt as though I could walk among them as opposed to simply past them.  Their eyes seemed closer and as though they were looking at me, instead of above me.  I felt as though I was close to experiencing something resembling the old city.  It was very cool.  I then went into the room with all the famous people again, and this time into the room with the emperors as well.  I stayed a bit, seeing those representing the glory of imperial Rome before museum fatigue started to hit me and I left.

Personal Journal Day 2 (5/19)

Entry 1
Today's first outing was to the Markets of Trajan.  It was a somewhat surreal experience because the area contained both ancient artifacts and a very modern fashion exhibit.  The two were often right next to each other.  We first entered into a large open hall with rows of brick archways on both sides leading into shops.  We began our walk through the markets by walking through one of the arches on the right hand side.  In this small room there lay a huge chunk of a temple, and to the right was a row of dresses with green vegetable patterns.  This was pretty standard for the place.  Fashion aside, it was a pretty cool place to walk through.  Just when I thought I had found the end of the complex, I would notice a doorway leading to another large set of small hallways and rooms.  It was a little annoying at times that the ancient artifacts seemed to have been moved to accommodate the fashion.  At one point an informational video asked me if I could see a hand on a statue that wasn't there.  But then we reached the balcony overlooking the Imperial Fora and I forgot everything else.  This was the first time that I really felt like I was experiencing the ancient city. I had just walked around a marketplace that was used thousands of years ago, and I'm lucky enough to be able to write this entry sitting in an ancient shop.
Entry 2
Just finished walking through the Imperial Fora.  There is such majesty among the old, crumbling ruins.  I don't really know why some Romans call the columns in the Forum of Nerva ugly.  I think they are just as magnificent as the rest of the remains.  We all found this raised seating overlooking the Forum of Augustus and were able to just sit there and take it all in for a bit.  I was amused by the story of how Augustus was unable to buy one of the houses behind his temple to Mars and was forced to build it asymmetrically.  Poor guy.  We finished with Frini's presentation on the Column of Trajan with its winding, continuous frieze.  The column is absolutely amazing, both in its incredible detail and size, and in the fact that it is so well preserved that it looks like it was finished yesterday.  What an amazing city this is.
Entry 3
I just got back from dinner.  We all took a walk down to this restaurant called al Balestrari.  It was great for two reasons.  The first and most obvious one is that the food was very good.  I had my first pasta dish in Italy, spaghetti with meat sauce.  But the second reason and more important reason is that the meal continued to impress upon me how different Italy is from the US.  Here, everything is connected.  The restaurant just spilled out into the street, and we must have passed at least three other similar places on the walk over.  I really wish life was more like this back home.  There you have such strong barriers between different parts of your day.  It just doesn't flow like in Rome.

Ekphrasis (Borghese Gallery 5/23)

Her fingertips reach toward the gods for help that will ultimately damn her.  Even now the fingers are mixed with the buds and branches of trees.  Below, it becomes clear that what initially appears to be the gnarled branch of a tree is actually the hair of a woman, whose face is turning away and hidden from view, fitting, as there is no consequence for this kind of behavior for a god.  Instead, all one can really see of this woman is her nude torso, extended away from the man obscured by her body, which is slightly bent at the waist.  A hand reaches around and rests upon her stomach.  From this hand extends a beam of rough bark that runs in sharp contrast between her smooth legs and on her waist, slowly engulfing her.  Already, leaves are starting to emerge along the newly formed trunk.  Her feet are nestled among the flowers on the rocks upon which she is standing, but they have not yet changed into them. Connected to the reaching hand is a body obscured both by shadow and by the fleeing woman.  All that is visible is the cloth he is wearing, which has been caught in the wind, an indication of the chase that has led to this.  Also visible is an outstretched leg of a man running.  He will not suffer for his actions.  From here, he is not identifiable.  And all one can make out of her is the anguish in reaction to her fate.   

(Bernini’s Daphne and Apollo, Borghese Gallery)

Space and Place (Palatine Hill 5/21)

As I stood looking up on the Palatine Hill, I thought to myself that it seemed isolated.  That probably had a lot to do with the fence that now surrounds it, but it was tough to see up due to the trees that grow on it.  After we entered, a small and constantly changing group of us began to climb the hill.  As we walked, I found myself forgetting that I was in the middle of a city.  I looked to my left at the remains of a once mighty building.  I didn't know what many of the ruins were, which I liked.  We continued up the path, which narrowed before opening out over a large sunken courtyard, which I learned was the Stadium of Domitian, a non functional race track built by the emperor.  We turned left and came to more ruins, and continuing on reached an overlook to the Circus Maximus.  Even in its somewhat pathetic state, the massive space of the old track is truly awe inspiring.  It must have been incredibly impressive in antiquity, and it is a small wonder that the emperor built his house so it would have a good view of the track.  We turned back into the ruins.  I felt as though I was walking through a maze.  So much of what remains looks similar.  I wonder if it was always like that or if there were ways to identify where you were.  I would have been incredibly embarrassing for the Emperor if he got lost in his own palace.  We kept walking and reached the Baths of Maxientius.  I couldn't tell where different complexes started and ended.  Everything just bled together.  Eventually, Sarah and I found a bench on which to rest for a bit before leaving.  The space was one where I could easily get lost and lose myself, which is pretty cool.


Palatine Hill
5/21/15

Giornale 1 at Markets of Trajan (5/19)

Today's solo outing was to the Markets of Trajan.  It was a somewhat surreal experience.  On one hand, it was full of amazing remains.  But on the other, it was housing a very modern fashion exhibit.  The two were often right next to each other.  On the right hand row of first floor shops, where we began our tour after putting our bags into lockers, there was a huge chunk of a temple, and to the side was a collection of dresses covered with depictions of green vegetables.  This was pretty much par for the course as we continued through the markets.  Overall, the space felt very much like a modern mall, though the entire structure is made of brick .  There was a main open area and on either side were shops, which are a little taller and narrower than modern shops at a mall. At the end of the main area were stairs leading up to the second floor which also contained shops overlooking the first floor.  However, the second floor also led into a larger series of connected rooms.  Navigating this floor was very cool.  Just when thought I had found the end I, I would notice a doorway leading to another set of halls and rooms.  I was a little annoying at times that ancient artifacts seemed to have been moved to accommodate the fashion.  At one point an informational video mentioned a hand on a statue that was not there.  But then we reached the balcony overlooking the Forum of Trajan and I forgot everything else.  On the ground near the curved ends of what used to be the Basilica of Trajan stood some modern art sculptures.  I found that these looked more appropriate than the fashions exhibition.  They were tall and thin enough that one could mistake them for statues if they glanced at them quickly enough.  Most of them were also white, though a few were black.  I stood here for quite a while, overlooking the Imperial Fora, trying to soak it all in.  The view from the balcony was stunning, overlooking the fora.  I could also get a good look at the Column of Trajan.  I still have no idea how this monument can be so well preserved after spending so much time in the elements.  Eventually I wanted to get out of the sun, so I went down some stairs and walked along the path above the basilica and found that it led me back to the other side of the first floor shops.  I went back into a couple shops and tried to imagine how they used to be.  This was the first time that I really felt like I was experiencing the ancient city.  I walked around a marketplace that was used thousands of years ago, and I'm lucky enough to be able to write this entry sitting in an ancient shop.  I’m very excited about what’s to come. 

Day 1 (5/18) Personal Journal

Entry 1

I can't believe I'm here in Rome.  We just finished our orientation at St. John's Rome center.  The flight here was surprisingly ok, though I'm not sure if I fell asleep.  I was definitely close in any case.  Passport control was pretty bad.  I don't know what the problem was, but rather than resembling an ordered line, a vast mob of people fought their way to the front of the queue.  But we eventually made it.  I'm just chilling now until our first excursion.

Entry 2

Today has been quite exciting.  After almost falling asleep in my room, we left and successfully navigated the Roman bus service.  It was very crowded.  Then I found what I always imagined Rome to be.  The narrow alleys in Trastevere are so amazingly beautiful.  I was particularly struck by the wine corks lost among the cobbled street.  Normally, I think litter detracts from a city, but these enhanced it somehow.  We eventually reached the Acqua Paola fountain from the aqueduct.  Sarah gave a wonderful presentation, after which we walked more on the Janiculum Hill and now we are about to eat dinner.  I am looking forward to Prof Curley's walk around the city after.

Entry 3

Wow!  Just wow.  What a truly amazing day.  The pizza we had for dinner was really good.  We ate at this place called Dar Poeta in Trastevere.  It's a small pizzeria and we ate in a slightly cramped room in the basement, but the food made it totally worth it.  But the highlight of the day was definitely the walk.  We saw so many amazing monuments, but the crazy thing was how they were all just there.  The best example was the Pantheon.  We turned a corner into a piazza and suddenly the building was just right there.  I was so caught off guard I stumbled a bit.  It was also a notable sight because Curly might just have performed the greatest photobomb in history, captured in two parts.  That first experience of walking through the twisting streets of Rome is one I hope I never forget.  Also notable was the gelato I had at Giolitti.  Dark chocolate and coffee.  It was a heavenly experience.  I'm still so excited that I'm not sure how I'll get to sleep, but it's time to try.

Introduction

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to make a quick post to explain the nature of this blog.  Its primary function is to be a place to post the writing assignments for the travel seminar, which will be titled accordingly.  However, I will also be uploading my own personal journal that I've been carrying around with me.  Due to some technical difficulties and some forgetfulness, I haven't uploaded anything from the first three days, so I'm going to do that now.

Mark

This is a test post.