Ciao For Now

So what have the Romans ever done for us? For those of you who are big Monty Python fans (like myself) you will have recognized my whimsical title since the beginning. But as I draw the conclusion to my Roman adventure I would like to reflect on this question; specifically what has Writing and Reading Rome done for us. Prior to this trip I had never left the United States before, I had never been on a plane for more than two and a half hours, I had never tried to speak Italian, and I had never had a nutella croissant! (The horror). This experience changed me in more ways than I thought possible. It not only enhanced my critical academic skills but it also broadened my horizons. During the academic semester our class essentially studied the entire history of Rome. We had been adding layers to the city during our course, levels of time, religion, art, and social constructs, but the thought of all this accumulating in the modern city was something I just could not wrap my head around. But when we took our first walk around Rome on the Janiculum hill, I noticed so much more than just the stunning architecture: I understood the layout. Everything began to click. It wasn’t that I needed to remember every fact, that was never the point, but all the overarching themes came together. As the days passed I felt more and more attached to the city, I was not tourist. I knew to when to walk, even if it looked like cars were coming, I knew how to use the metro like a pro, and I knew that nutella-flavored gelato was heaven.  Leaving the city was incredibly difficult for me, as I had become a part of the ancient site in a way I never thought I would. When I was walking along the Tiber on our last day I realized this was my opportunity to say, not goodbye, but see you soon. After this event I knew that traveling has to become a part of my life.

            I knew a decent amount of the students who were going on the seminar with me, but I never could have imagined the bond that developed between all of us. From day one and everyday after, we had these huge group dinners – family dinners. Thanks to our phenomenal peer mentor, Sarah Breitenfeld, we had delicious meals and became comfortable ordering in Italian. I laughed so much with everyone I think I added ten years to my life. Seeing students in an academic setting can only bring friendships so far, but being thrown into a foreign city connects you like nothing else. I can honestly say I learned new things about my friends everyday, and not an hour went by that I didn’t smile. I am going to miss the seniors so incredibly much it hurts, but I know that our paths will cross again soon. Who knows maybe we will have a reunion in Rome one day!

            This trip hit every point on the spectrum of emotions, from pure unadulterated joy (presenting at the Ara Pacis) to vivid infuriation (waiting in line for Saint Peter’s Basilica – in a thunderstorm). And even though my feet ached like never before, never once did I want to complain. Throughout the entire journey I felt like one of the luckiest people alive, I was in Rome with 24 friends for crying out loud! Our two professors were experts (one in Classics and the other Religion), and our brilliant peer mentor had lived in Rome. We had so many resources at our disposal it was insane. This opportunity allowed me to engage Rome in a way not many people are able to. Between the knowledge we acquired in class to our professors endless wisdom to our own experiences I was able to see the Eternal city in a new light. Rome, and Italy for that matter, was no longer some faraway land that I only read about in textbooks – I lived there for almost three weeks! It felt like a fantasy to me, but now I was a part of the story. Rome was no longer a place to study history, but a part of my personal history.

            So what have the Romans every done for us? Other than the obvious: roads, education, aqueducts, and wine. It personally gave me another place of the world that I was able to call home, if only for a short amount of time. Rome has given me life long friends, exceptional professors, and unparalleled memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. And the best part is, this adventure is only the beginning.

            “Ciao”

Fertility Through the Ages

I was not aware before today that the Vatican Museum houses a vast variety of modern art. While the Museum is known for holding Renaissance paintings, aka the Sistine Chapel, and ancient sculptures, there is another layering of time in the structure. As we walked through the collection of modern art I was struck by immense intrigue, I had never experienced religious modern art before and most of the time I do not fully understand the concept of modern art itself. But as I turned a corner a very simple piece grabbed my attention and refused to let go. It was a painting by Henri Matisse entitled La Vierge a l’Enfant from 1949.The backdrop to the painting was a light beige that appeared like wood, and the only other color was black. Across the entire piece, which was grand in scale, were black outlines of leaf bundles, each forming the shape of an ‘X.’ In the center there was an outline of woman holding a child. While they did not have any faces, merely the shape of a head, the woman’s feminine attributes were heightened; namely her hips. The entire piece was hypnotically fluid as a result of the light brush strokes and how the mother and child’s bodies seemed to be so inter connected.

One of the things that immediately struck me about the painting was the obvious theme of fertility, which is one of the overarching themes of my site piece: The Ara Pacis. For those of you who are not as in love with the Ara Pacis as I am (visit Rome and you will be) here is a brief summary: the Ara Pacis is an altar from the Augustan age that illustrates the cycle of life and death. Matisse’s female figure paralleled the woman on the Tellus relief of the Ara Pacis, as Tellus (a pagan goddess) is holding two children as they suckle on her breasts. She is the epitome of fertility and illustrates peace, and in Matisse’s painting this symbol of a fruitful woman and the child continues. The imagery of a woman and child became a main symbol of the Catholic Church as a result of Mary and the baby Jesus; Matisse is most likely depicting these two holy figures. I realized as I stared at the La Vierge a l’Enfant, how the icon of a woman and child has existed for thousands of years, it is only the faces that change. Matisse strategically left his piece without faces as if leaving a spot for the next generation to place their thoughts. The concept of fertility has always been an inspiring concept as it gives hope towards the future. From the Augustan age where it promoted procreation with sculptural reliefs on a pagan altar to the Renaissance where this icon perpetuated the Catholic agenda to the 20^th century where a faceless woman and child forces the viewer to contemplate how this symbol will continue to evolve in the name of religion.

A Serene Adventure

After scanning the ticket my path is already determined for me as there is only one road. As a result my journey is very structured at the archeological site of Ostia Antica. While the ruins are magnificent they do not intimidate me, which is different from most of the monumental ruins in the heart of Rome. I feel like a welcomed guest after my first few steps. The surrounding area appears very utilitarian, as I see a Piazza on my left and baths on my right. Although the space is pragmatic there is underlying sense of wealth and even luxury. The mosaics from the Baths of Neptune illustrate beautiful mythic themes while being surrounding by barracks and stores. There is the sense of relaxation and intrigue throughout the space. I believe this is what the architects planned, to give this area realms of entertainment and wealth while still demonstrating its purpose: residency. This gave off a very different vibe than Rome because this space felt lived in and down to earth. It was also very interesting to experience the transition between the ancient world and the modern one while still remaining at the archeological park. In the back of the site there is a café and the moment I entered it the tone and mood around me changed dramatically. I was no longer relaxed or a guest, I was just a number in line. Everyone was moving quickly and was very annoyed from what I witnessed. The peace and gradual pace I had been enjoying for the past hour had evaporated on the modern concrete. When I was finally able to detach myself from the contemporary ambiance I was once more transported back in time. I then took my time sitting on the steps of the theater and attempted to absorb the ancient relics the past left for us to find.

Ostia Antica

May 31^st

International Chaos

Talking. Whispering. Yelling. I hear them all at once but do not understand a word. The rapid-fire sentences coming from the people around me seem to range from French to Spanish to Italian. There is a light ‘ding’ from a bell in the immediate area, suddenly the pebbles beneath my feet begin to shake as people shuffle behind me. A group must be passing by. There is the echo of traffic in the distance; I can make out honking car horns and an ambulance alarm. The manmade world is not the only one at play though. There are nearby birds sing proudly from above me. I feel the hot sun caressing my face, while the shade on my back keeps me from overheating. There is a constant breeze that envelops me and makes me smile. All of a sudden I hear rapid clicking from a camera to my right; the pebbles are shifted once more as what sounds like a large group of people enter the space. Through out all of this a faint smell of oranges permeates the air. I hear urgent shouting between individuals, not in angry tones but excited ones. A loud ‘gong’ shakes through the air and reminds me I am in the presence of a church. Everything is moving except for the bench beneath me. The stone is hard and cold but its stability is reassuring among the chaos. Female voices speak with curious tones, almost as if they are exchanging gossip as they pass by me. The voices dissipate into the background and I am left in silence, but not for long. The sound of someone coughing is growing louder and louder until it feels like there are right next to me. As I break my visionless trance I search for the source of the coughing: Mary.

The Orange Garden

May 28^th  

The Little Red Stroller

Back and forth and back and forth: the pattern was endless. Among the crowd of hundreds at Saint Peter’s Square who were listening to the Papal address was a woman who never stopped moving. She appeared to be in her thirties with a short pixie haircut and a gray t-shirt (not the best fashion choice considering the blistering sun that morning.) The reason for her constant repositioning was the little red stroller she was pushing. While the baby did not appear to be making any noise, it was clear that the woman feared if she stopped moving the child’s relaxed state would crumble. Even though she was visibly exhausted she did not slow her pace, she was dedicated to hearing the Pope’s message and keeping her child happy. Considering the baby’s tiredness, it is possible that he or she had refused to sleep through the night, and thus also kept the mother awake. This all probably took place in an uncomfortable hotel room. Now they were both fatigued to the extreme and surrounded by clusters of noisy enthused Catholics. As a result the child could not be lulled to sleep – that is, without the constant motion of its mother. The woman appeared to be a devote Catholic herself, as she tired to turn her head towards the Pope at every opportunity she could. Considering she was alone during her many laps through the throng of people maybe she is a single mother. This would be especially poignant considering the theme of the Pope’s message that morning was the purpose of engagement and truly getting to know and understand your partner before marriage. Perhaps she was previously married and fell out of love with her spouse, they had changed as individuals over time and no longer understood each other. This could have been her first major trip alone with her child, once again discovering who she is as a woman and a mother. Whoever she was her love and commitment to her child was obvious as she continued to travel around Saint Peter’s Square through the swarms of bodies.