Piazza Della Rotonda-The Pantheon

Here is a piece I wrote for another class here in Rome, but I'll post it on here as well.
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Piazza Della Rotonda. Home of the mighty Pantheon, a Roman temple to “all Gods.” The whole Piazza is centered round a great fountain, one of Rome’s best. Tourists and locals alike converge here. Conversations occur in every direction, in every language.
The “click” of camera shutters signals the death of many a moment, for that is what photography is. Omnius Paratus. Ready for anything. Backgrounds differ from the mighty pillars of the Pantheon’s entrance, to the fountain at its center, and to the small cafes placed ever so gently around the Piazza, as if to invite you to sit, sip wine, and enjoy the company of those around you. A picture of The Virgin Mary hangs from a wall on the east side of the Piazza, as if to watch over those who came before, those that will come, and those that are presently there.
Birds fly in front of the large pillars, playing with human eye. The depth of field in this space plays tricks. The pillars are so large and the birds are so small. It looks as if they will simply collide with the ancient pillars, but in reality they are nowhere near one another.
The Romans stroll through the piazza on the hottest of days in full Armani suits, as if the heat does not affect them. They sit in the sun, sharing a bottle of wine with their closest colleagues and friends. Business and pleasure do not mix well in America, but in Rome they are often one in the same.
Next to the fountain a television crew sets up, shoots a story, and tears down in a matter of minutes. It is as if they did not want to mix new technology with the views that can take many back to ancient times. There surely is not better backdrop for a news story than the mighty Pantheon.
The location of this space is interesting. It is a giant among gentiles, a king among peasants. Its central location draws attention that otherwise would not be afforded to a space such as this. Would the feelings about this mighty space be the same if it were placed near the Colosseum? Surely not. It is the old among the new(er), the rich among the poor. It has proved itself time and time again, from century to century.
A young man of Indian descent plays the violin near the fountain. Singing and smiling, he draws attention from all those around him. Tourists and locals alike. Competing for this much wanted attention are young accordion players, whose skills do not match that of the young violinist. Each one plays with their own uniqueness, and one cannot help but appreciate their song.
It seems surreal. As if this space were simply dropped from the Heavens and placed in Rome. But this place would fit in no other city but Rome. The cobblestone streets act as a mosaic. Each one telling a story of a time before. Of a business affair pursued on that spot, of a life lost on the next one.
As one strolls away from this space, they can’t help but wonder at what point in the day does this space gets a rest. Without question the streets around the Pantheon are tired from years of being treaded on. Does this place ever quiet? Well surely not, the Eternal City does not sleep.

The Spanish Steps at Night

Last night, June 5th, Kevin, myself, and a few of the girls from another program headed down to the Spanish Steps around 11:00pm or so, just to see what was going on. It was a really breezy evening, and rather cool. We arrived at the steps and picked out our spot among the young Italians who had been planted there for hours playing guitar, drinking wine, and socializing as if they had never seen these people before in their lives. A while passed and a group of about 8 students came and sat on the ledge behind us. They were all speaking German and couldn't have been any older than 18. They heard us talking in English and so they began to speak in rather broken, but coherent, English. This would be the start of a rather long conversation dealing with the perception of Americans from a European viewpoint. I won't go into huge detail about the evening, because that could take hours, but they made a few points which I feel are worth sharing. They began by saying how rude Americans were. The one girl said she had studied for 6 months in The United States and had lived in Washington state with a "religious" family who wouldn't even tell her what their "religion" was. She had also traveled the east coast to cities like Philadelphia (which she thought was hilarious that we call it "Philly"), New York, Boston, D.C., and Baltimore. She said she was treated rude in every city and the only place she loved in the U.S. was San Antonio, to which we told her Texas wasn't really a part of the U.S. but it's own country (just kidding Texas).
She also thought our politics were awful and asked: If Bush is so unpopular then how did he get into office? Our answer: The younger generations were not able to vote in the past two elections, which would have allowed for a fresh of breath air in the States. She said Obama is the best candidate and that Hilary "stinks". She also said our gun laws are absurd and she doesn't understand how we can just go around "shooting each other, bang bang". We explained to her that what she's seeing about crime in the U.S. is happening in large cities, and that it is, sadly, just how it is in the cities.
As our conversation ended we said our goodbyes and parted ways. As she was walking away she looked back and told the five of us to make a change in America. We said we would, and that was our encounter with the German students in Rome. It was a real eye opener because Europeans do really have negative views of us. It's sad. A few rotten people ruined it all for us.


*The picture above at the Spanish Steps was taken previously.

The Fountain at St. Peter's Square

A while back when I visited the Vatican I was immediately drawn to the fountains on either side of St. Peter's square. They were perfectly symmetrical to one another, and to the surrounding area of the square. The interesting thing about these two centerpieces is that, although they are exactly alike, they were built some 60 years apart and for two different Popes. As you enter the square, facing St. Peter's Basilica, the fountain on the right of the square was built first. It was constructed by Carlo Maderno for Pope Paul V (1605-1621). It was said that whenever "His Holiness walked in the direction of Paul V's great fountain his eyes continually turned toward it." To that end, Maderno's nephew Carlo Fontana constructed the fountain on the left side (south end) of the square to be an exact replica of the one on the north side. The water that feeds these two fountains comes from the Acqua Paola, which is found on the Juniculum hill right behind where my apartment is this summer in Rome. The height of the Juniculum hill and the distance from the hill to St. Peter's Square allows a large amount of pressure to be built up on the trip down the hill. This great pressure is what allows the central jets of the fountains to shoot up a magnificent sixty-four feet. As is the case with most Roman fountains (these two included), two water lines are used from each water source as to ensure a continual flow of water in the case of accident to one of the lines. For that reason, these fountains (and others all over Rome) have been flowing for very long periods of time, thanks to the amazing work of ancient Roman architecture.

All information in this Blog was found at this site: Fountains of Ancient Rome

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere is a little gem that is tucked in behind the apartment buildings and shops of Viale di Trastevere in Rome. The piazza is named for the church that stands at the piazzas west end, Santa Maria in Trastevere. We ventured to this piazza on the night of June 2nd for dinner, and we were shocked. We have been living in Trastevere for almost a month and have not been to this piazza or seen all the fun that is in this area.
As we entered the Piazza from the east side our eyes were immediately attracted to the high chapel of the church Santa Maria in Trastevere, which was built in the 8th century on the site of a private house of worship for Christians. These private houses for worship are called tituli. The frescoes of the church date to around the 12th century, which is considered a time of intense building in Rome and the surrounding area.
At the center of the piazza is a fountain by Carlo Fontana that dates to 1692. Like many of the other piazzas in Rome, this one turns into a social gathering spot in the evening with restaurants, pubs, bars, and shops that open up from what otherwise look like boarded up buildings. The octagonal base of the fountain was loaded with teenagers and adults alike, all shining in the floodlights that are placed atop of Santa Maria, as if to keep a watchful eye on the sacred piazza. The police also had a large presence in this piazza. All in all I would compare this pizza to Camp di Fiori which is located across the river.
The most amazing part of the evening, at least to me, was the accordion player that we saw on our way back out of the piazza later in the evening. He was a younger gentleman, probably around 23 to 24 years old. The thing that made him stick out from the other accordion players we’ve seen and also from the other musicians in the piazza at this time was his intense love for the music he was playing. He of course had his case open for money but his eyes never opened once while he was playing. He rocked back and forth violently and sang at the top of his lungs in Italian. I never thought that the accordion could be played this way, but I was surely wrong. He was tucked in a small corner of the piazza next to a pub, but he drew a crowd nonetheless. I would have tossed him some money, but I had nothing but large bills on me. If I see him again I will surely donate to this gentleman.
Ciao!

Photo credits: www.Sacred-Destination.com

Termini Station to The Capitoline Museum/Campidoglio

Start out by exiting the train station and heading directly left through Piazza Cinquecento until you see Via Cavour. Follow Via Cavour until you reach Via A. Depretis and then turn right. Continue straight on this road as it turns into Via di Quattro Fontane. On your left as you stroll up this street you will see the current Presidential Palace. When you come to Via. D. Tritone, turn left. Continue down Via D. Tritone until you reach a "T", at which you turn left. This is Via Del Corso. Look quickly to your left and you will see Piazza Colonna with its huge obelisk in the center. Continue down Via del Corso until you reach Piazza Venezia. Directly in front of you is the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. Walk straight across the Piazza, keeping the monument to your left, until you reach the large marble staircase. Turn left up the stairs until you reach the square at the top. Welcome to The Capitoline Museum and Campidoglio!

This area is the seat of the powerful local authorities in Rome. The Staircase you would have just walked up leads you to the square, which was designed by Michelangelo, with the Capitoline Museum on either side. Directly in front of you, behind the large fountain, is the Roman Forum. The best views of The Forum can be found inside the Capitoline Museum, which has balconies that overlook the Forum. Perfect for taking pictures and people watching.

Termini Station To Viale di Trastevere

To get from Termini station in Rome to Viale di Trastevere exit the station and you will find yourself in Piazza Cinquecento. Cut left and go down through the Piazza until you reach Via Cavour. Follow Via Cavour pass the magnificent Santa Maria Maggiore until you reach Viale di Fori Imperiali, which is the main road along the Tiber River. Turn right and follow Viale di Fori Imperiali. As you walk along Viale di Fori Imperiali you will notice such sites as The Colosseum and The Roman Forum, two of Romes greatest sites. Continue down Viale di Fori Imperiali through Piazza Venezia until you reach Via Arenula. Turn left on Via Arenula and cross the bridge. On the opposite site of the road Via Arenula turns into Viale di Trastevere. Welcome to Trastevere!

Trastevere literally means "across the Tiber", as that is where it is located in reference to downtown Rome. This area is full of shops, restaurants, street vendors and caffe after caffe of lovely espresso and cafe latte. Trastevere is said to the part of Rome that is not touched by tourism. By simply walking around through its narrow cobblestoned streets, you can see why so many present day Romans love to call this quaint neighborhood home.

The EUR: Esposizione Universale Roma

This new suburb south of Rome was built as a tribute to Fascism. It was constructed in the 1930's and the exhibition was planned to take place in 1942 but was delayed because of World War II. The sight was never used as it was intended but now holds several museums and government offices. Visitors today can expect to see examples of Fascist Architecture. This includes striking use of white marble, large fountains, and large scale monuments to the old style Rome. The dominating building in this space, the Palazzo della Civilta del Lavoro, resembles the style of the Colosseum. Although it is a taller square building, the Fascist architects kept the traditional style of arches throughout the structure. Another noteworthy building in the EUR is the Museo della Civilta Romana. This structure is actually two buildings linked by a portico, which is meant to represent ancient Roman history and the development of architecture. Inside the museum you will find a large model of ancient Rome, as well as a planetarium. Further to the south you will see the large Palazzo dello Sport which was built for the Olympics in 1960.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. but call ahead of time to double check and expect a moderate entrance fee.

To get to the EUR start from Termini train station. Take Linea B metro line to one of three stops. You can get off at EUR Magliana, EUR Palasport, or EUR Fermi. If you are not much for trains, take a bus. From Termini you can take the 714 bus to EUR.

Contributing group members: Brian McDonald, Shane St. Esprit, Dom Cifelli, Josie Moore, and Jenny Biedendorf