SPQR Fellowship

There were several evenings throughout my time in Rome when I went exploring after the sun went down. I am fascinated by the way spaces are used during the day versus at night. Is the area still active? How has it changed? Who are the users? How is the space perceived with daylight as compared to artificial lighting? These are just some of the questions that I tried to answer when I spent time different piazzas, on various roads, and around the major sights.

To analyze these similarities and differences, I visited some of the most popular spots in Rome during both the day and night. I went to attractions such as the Pantheon, Capitol Hill, the Piazzas, and more. I found that in general, most areas were just as busy at night as during the day. Though the museums and sights were closed, the restaurants, piazzas, streets, and other areas were filled with people. For example, the Pantheon and Colosseum would close before sunset, but people gathered in the piazzas and spaces surrounding them long after they closed their doors. The restaurants, cafes, and bars would spill into the piazzas and streets, filled with people enjoying the scenery and each other’s company. There was hardly a restaurant that I would walk by that wasn’t brimming with people. Art vendors would keep their work up on the streets and piazzas, and music would fill the air.

Lighting was also an interesting factor. One of the main roads, Via Dei Fori Imperiali, was lined with important sights such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Imperial Forum, Capitol Hill, and Piazza Venezia. When the sky was dark, the monuments and ruins would be lighted to showcase the ancient columns and stones. It even went so far as to have the busts of different emperors projected on the Senate building of the Roman Forum.

The city takes on a different character throughout the day, and it is constantly changing. I enjoyed seeing how people would gather and use the spaces – moving to the shaded areas during the day, and gathering near the fountains, monuments, and restaurants at night. It seemed that no matter what time of day or night, Rome was alive and bustling!

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I began Monday rising before the sun. The birds were chirping outside my window, and I was ready for another glorious day in Rome. One of my favorite ways to experience a city is to watch the sunrise and the city come alive. I enjoy the way the quiet and still of the morning gives way to the activity of the day. The streetlights changed from blinking yellow to their regulating operation, the metro unlocked its doors, and the deep blue night sky changed colors as the sun rose above the Roman skyline.

It was a great morning. When I first began my walk, there were some on the road, but very few people out walking. It was so different to see places like the Colosseum and Capitol Hill, which are normally surrounded by hundreds of people, completely empty. As I was finishing my walk the cafe bars and tabacchi shops began to open, the city workers began cleaning the streets, and Rome prepared for another day in history.

Next on my agenda was to visit some of the important churches of Rome. I walked to San Giovanni in Laterano, which was Rome’s first Christian church after Christianity was legalized in the city. My next stop was the Church of Santa Prassede to see their incredible mosaics, and then to Santa Maria Maggiore. That was one of the oldest churches in Rome as well, and contained beautiful mosaics, relics from Jesus’s manger, and the tomb of Bernini.

To continue my day I strolled down Via Nazionale, window shopping and going into an occasional store. I also walked around some neighborhoods that I hadn’t yet explored before following the Italian lead and taking a nice midday break for lunch. Since most of the churches and shops close for a few hours everyday at that time, I thought this was justified!

Then I made my way to the Church of St. Peter’s in Chains. This church holds the actual chains which held Peter when he was in the Mamertine Prison. One of the interesting things about Rome that I have been discovering is how everything is linked together. I had just been in the Mamertine Prison the day before and seen where he was chained. Another example was how the main entry doors to San Giovanni in Laterno were originally from the Senate building in the Roman Forum, where I had again been inside the previous day. That is one of the greatest benefits of getting to really explore Rome – I am having the opportunity to see how the buildings, ruins, and all of history are connected in the incredible city.

The other main attraction at St. Peter’s in Chains is that it has the unfinished work of Pope Julius II’s tomb, which holds Michelangelo’s Moses sculpture. The tomb was supposed to be a grand work of art with almost 50 sculptures and statues, and Michelangelo worked almost 30 years on it. The tomb was never finished according to the original plan, but what remains is still of a grandiose scale. It was incredible to see the Moses sculpture. The detail of his beard, the tension in his fingers, and the precision of his muscles was astounding. I read that if Moses were standing he would almost be as tall as Michelangelo’s David sculpture. It was another incredible day in Rome!

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Saturday was quite a day: busy, tiring, and beautiful. I made my way through the classic ancient Roman sights, the Mammertine Prison and viewed the Imperial Forum and Trajan’s Column from the exterior. With the Roman sun beating down on me as I wandered through the outdoor sights, I had to stop and marvel at the history surrounding me. I saw the birthplace of Rome, the center of Roman civilization for a thousand years, incredible architecture, and more. It was a lot to take in! I did my best to stop, observe, and breath in the ruins around me and the paths on which I was walking.

I began my day in the Colosseum. I had been there about a week before with my family, and we took an excellent guided tour, so this time was more about slowly making my way through and just observing. This amazing feat of architecture and engineering was inspiring to see, and I spent a lot of time looking at the different materials that had survived and the details of how the materials came together.

Next, I went to Palatine Hill. This was another one of the quiet respites from the Roman traffic and tourist chaos. The birds were chirping, dust was blowing in the air, and beautiful trees provided the backdrop. One of the most interesting sights of Palatine Hill was the Huts of Romulus. It is said that Romulus and Remus were brought there and raised in that spot after being discovered by a shepherd.

Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum are connected, so as I finished my explorations of Palatine Hill I was perfectly placed at the entrance to the Forum. I was glad I had an opportunity to return here as well, because, like most of the sights in Rome, one time is not enough to truly appreciate everything they have to offer. (I’m beginning to think that two times isn’t usually enough either, but one could truly spend a lifetime exploring Rome.) The amount of history that is in the Forum is astounding, and I enjoyed walking through and learning about the ancient way of life.

Again, the central location of the sights allowed me to exit the Forum about five meters from the entrance to the Mamertine Prison. I did not know too much about this sight – the descriptions in my guidebooks were quite limited – except that it is where the Saints Peter (and possibly Paul) were prisoned. It was quite an experience. We got to see the place where Peter and Paul were imprisoned. There were originally no walls into the cell, and prisoners were lowered in through a hole in the roof, which is still visible. After that, the tour included several different rooms where we watched interpretive videos on things such as water, rocks, and Christianity. It was a different and interesting experience.

To finish out the sights around the Capitol Hill area I viewed the Imperial Forum and Trajan’s Column from the exterior.

My next activity was a walk through the Trastevere neighborhood. It was a perfect end to the day. To get there, I walked along the Tiber River. It is an interesting situation because the river is completely walled off. Unlike other cities where the river is a main attraction, Rome has completely separated themselves from the river.

Trastevere is said to be the more “Roman” part of the city.  As I wandered the quieter streets dusk settled in, and I came to areas that were more lively, with both tourists and locals. Restaurants, jewlery vendors, and more filled the cobblestone streets. It was a lot of fun to make my way through the streets, not looking at the map, and happen upon different areas. It was a great evening.

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Saturday was dedicated to the Pantheon and three nearby churches. What is go great about visiting the churches is that one gets to see such incredible artwork it the place for which it was originally intended. It is definitely the best place to view the incredible art in Rome.

The first church I visited was the Church of San Ignazio. Inside, there was an incredible wooden model that was composed of many smaller churches. The description was in Italian, but it seemed to me that they were different churches from all over the world. As an architecture student, I always appreciate looking at models, and this one was extraordinary! The church itself is known for its beautiful frescos over the walls and ceilings. The church lighting was different than what I had seen before as well. There were many smaller candles that framed the center painting around the altar, as opposed to overall lighting as in many other churches.

The Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva is the only Gothic church in Rome, and it had a sculpture by Michelangelo, Christ Bearing the Cross. I am still astounded by the fact that you can walk into just about any church in Rome, and chances are great that there is a piece of art by one of the great masters – Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravvagio, etc. The churches are truly a place to contemplate how art and architecture depend on each other. Instead of being created separately they seem to become one piece in its entirety, where one is not complete without the other. It’s always fascinating to discover what treasures are behind the church walls.

The third church, San Luigi, had work of Caravaggio. One of the chapels had three of his paintings, including his first large scale work, The Calling of St. Matthew. The paintings were incredible, and the way that theybecame so vivid with the correct lighting was quite a sight. As much as I wanted to stay and appreciate the paintings, it was difficult to admire them. Space was limited and it was completely crowded! One could hardly move. It was almost like going to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre -the line to see the paintings is almost as much of a spectacle as the artwork itself!

My next stop was the Pantheon! I was able to spend more time inside than before, and I just sat in amazement and watched the shadow of the oculus change. It was such an experience to see a bird fly over and observe how the shadows change within minutes! While is was great to see, this ever-changing quality made it difficult to sketch the shadows of the coiffers. As can be seen in the sketches below, I originally tried sketching overall shadows, but then focused on smaller details as the image changed so quickly. I was completely fascinated as I sat there and sketched the magnificent architecture!

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Wow! That expression alone is basically all that is needed to sum up my day in Tivoli! I had been waiting so long to see Hadrian’s Villa, and I was very excited to make the day trip from Rome to see it’s splendor. Each of my guidebooks recommended going to Villa d’Este as well, and though I didn’t know much about it, I went there as after Hadrian’s Villa. It was a wonderful surprise!

To get to Tivoli I had to ride one of the metro lines until one stop from the end, then take an hour bus ride. Once in Tivoli, it was another bus ride and walk to get to Hadrian’s Villa. After almost three hours total, I finally arrived in Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa)!

I rented an audio guide and had a map to guide me through the space, but the experience was one of discovery through the ruins. Floor remnants, broken columns, entire walls, and much more enveloped me as I wound my way through the expansive villa.

Learning about something in a textbook and seeing it in real life are so different. It was almost magical as I walked the ruins and thought about Hadrian walking the same paths and entering the same buildings that I was. It didn’t quite seem real.

Toward the end of the tour there was one ruin that was a little farther out. I was trying to go quickly so that I would have enough time to explore Villa d’Este, so I thought about skipping it, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. This was a lookout (scholars still debate is exact use, perhaps a place for Hadrian to view Rome, possibly an observatory, etc.), and when I got to the top, all I could do was say “Wow!” It was an incredible view. Poppies and other wildflowers painted the fields to my left, Rome was in front of me, and Tivoli sat in the mountains to the right. It was incredible. What was also so unique about it was that it was a large, open space, and I had it all to myself. The other panoramic views I have experienced from bell towers, cupolas, etc. are all small spaces, only about a meter wide, and they are crowded to the max with people. This was the total opposite, and the experience was stunning!

Villa d’Este was the palace of Pope Alexander VI’s grandson, and its splendor comes from the hundreds of fountains in the gardens. There is incredible as well, with each of the walls in almost every room covered with beautiful paintings and frescos. The pictures I had seen of the fountains were intriguing, so I went to the gardens first. The fountains were astonishing! They were all powered from the Aniene River, which is interrupted to power the fountains, and then forms again after the villa. As I strolled through the gardens and fountains, the sound of rushing water was interspersed with quiet breezes and birds chirping. Beautifully manicured lawns, shrubs, and flowers framed ramps and stairs leading to other parts of the gardens and palace. Views of the mountains and town of Tivoli provided the perfect backdrop. It was an extraordinarily beautiful visit and entire day!

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The Borghese Gallery contains an art collection that rivals all of the top museums. It is a wonderful treasure of Rome showcasing Caravaggio, Bernini, and the Baroque Rome. I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Rome!

In order to ensure your entrance, you have to collect your ticket 30 minutes before your scheduled entrance time. There are two parts to the gallery – an upstairs painting gallery, and the main, ground floor gallery with paintings and sculpture. You are only allowed 30 minutes upstairs, and two hours maximum in the gallery. Everyone was lined up well before the entry time, and it was like we were kids in line at the candy store. It was quite exciting!

I was amazed when I entered. The specifics about timing and trying to allot yourself the correct amount of time in each room without missing anything was somewhat nerve-racking at first. Rick Steves recommended starting in the painting gallery, and I did just that. I saw an incredible Raphael painting, Deposition, as well as several Caravaggios. I was enthralled by the way that Carvaggio used light in his paintings to really create a dramatic effect. The audio guide that I used also mentioned one painting in which Caravaggio was said to have painted by moonlight. Apparently, it was an old thought that painters did their best work this way. Again, the way that light was used as a tool and method were quite inspiring.

The upstairs was wonderful, and the ground floor was icing on the cake. There were several Bernini sculptures, and they were magical. My favorite was Apollo and Daphne, where Daphne begins to turn into a tree as Appollo chases her. I marveled at the way the thin leaves were sculpted – it was hard to believe that they were made of stone. The entire sculpture was an entrancing, 3D experience. It begged the viewer to move completely around the sculpture to truly appreciate everything that Bernini was trying to communicate.

My other favorite sculpture was Bernini’s David. You could feel the expression on his face, and I remember being amazed at the rope detail from the sling which David is carrying.

I was quite moved by everything I saw. Two hours is definitely not enough to see everything. Everywhere you look, on every wall, floor, ceiling, there is something incredible to see! Two hours covers only the highlights, and the highlights were sculpture that I will never forget!

(I have no images for this post – cameras were not allowed inside and since we were only allowed 2 hours, I used the entire time to try to observe as much of the artwork as possible)

Yet again, I was truly amazed by all that Rome has to offer. I left my day (Tuesday) slightly unplanned, except for the last activity – the Borghese Gallery. Reservations are mandatory for entry, and each entrance is only for two hours. I had an evening reservation and a wonderful day leading up to that exciting culmination for the day!

I began by walking along Via del Corso, one of the main thoroughfares of Rome. Along the way, I found a couple treasures, such as the beautifully detailed second-century column in Piazza Colonna, and across from it, the 19th century mall. I browsed a couple of stores along the way as I headed for my first destination – the Spanish Steps. It was a wonderful area for enjoying the afternoon and people watching.

The Spanish Steps are a place where you can see just about everything. There are people young and old, shops, dining, and activity abounds. Just sitting on the steps and observing everyone was a wonderful way to pass the time. The means transportation are also interesting. People filled the streets and sidewalks, moving only when a car was right on their heels. Taxis and horse-drawn carriages shared the streets, awaiting their next customers, as mopeds whizzed by. The fountain at the bottom of the stairs drew people to its water to cool off in the sweltering hot mid-afternoon sun.

It was interesting to observe how people used the steps. It was about mid-day, and there was not a cloud in the sky, so it was hot! The few areas of shade were a hot commodity. Planters divide the steps into three parts horizontally, and given the sun and time of day, people organized themselves into convenient areas for leisure and passage. (See diagram below) Where there was shade, people filled the areas entirely. The middle area was moderately populated, and the side opposite the shade was very sparse with people sitting – it mostly consisted of people moving up and down the stairs.

After leaving the Spanish Steps I made my way toward Piazza del Popolo. I was slightly disappointed with my experience in that Piazza because it was filled with temporary scaffolding and structures that were in the process of being taken down. It was noisy and there were not many people. However, I climbed the stairs to get a view of the piazza from a higher vantage point, and that was beautiful, despite the clutter. I climbed further and entered into the Villa Borghese. I had read and seen on the map that it was a large, beautiful park, but I was not prepared for how wonderful it was – a place of refuge among the bustling city. The park provided panoramic views of Rome and countless tree-lined paths throughout gardens, lawns, and monuments. Being there emphasized how important it is to have areas of respite in cities, and how wonderful the parks can be. My map was not very specific, so I spent the next several hours wandering the gardens and heading towards the Borghese Gallery. It was a wonderful stroll. As it started to sprinkle, the time for my reservation was near, and I got ready to enter one of the very best art collections in the world. To read more about my thoughts on this visit, please visit the next blog post, Borghese Gallery.

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