Una visita ai mercati traianali

After a lovely visit to the Palatine hill on Thursday, Gia thankfully provided me with the motivation to visit the Markets of Trajan. Despite my exhaustion and desire to go back to St. John's and nap, I accompanied Gia to the markets and am definitely glad I did. On the way out of the Palatine museum we first strolled over to the Temple of Peace to take some photos. The Temple is completely open so anyone can walk through it, but there was no one around except for us and Daniele; a nice change of pace from all the jam-packed tourist areas we had gotten used to visiting. After spending sometime enjoying our private moment in the Temple, we set off to the Markets of Trajan.

Getting there was... fun. Because of the construction on the Via dei Fori Imperiali, we had to walk around and up a steep side street, but weren't sure if we were going the right way and couldn't find the entrance. The journey took a little bit longer than it necessarily should have, so we were extremely relieved to finally happen upon the entrance to the museum. Entering we were greeted with the refreshing conditioned air of the indoor part of the museum. We walked through the gift shop first in order to get to the “biglietteria,” where we both practiced our Italian and were relieved that the man humored us by responding in Italian rather than pegging us as helpless Americans like so many others do when we’re with the rest of the group.

The exhibit was cool but actually a bit confusing. I expected to see all the classical statues and busts that were on display, but what I wasn’t expecting was another modern exhibit that was happening throughout all the classical stuff simultaneously. There were strange retro outfits on display and I wasn’t entirely sure why or what I was actually looking at. There were some really funky and creative items. My favorites were two handbags, one in the shape of a pug puppy and the other with a vintage rotary phone dial on the front. I definitely enjoyed looking at the eccentric clothing pieces, but I could not let go of how weird it felt to have them juxtaposed with all the classical statues. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what the modern exhibit had to do with the Markets of Trajan.

That being said, there was something extremely special about the outdoor part of the market. We exited the exhibit on the top floor and found ourselves faced with an incredible side view of the monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II and the Fori Imperiali. I looked across to the Basilica Ulpia and found the exact location where I had been standing the other day. In that moment I realized that I am beginning to get a true sense of orientation in this city, which is exactly what I wanted from this course when I applied. After taking a brief respite to soak in the incredible view, we continued down the outside stairs to the bottom level of the market where all the stalls were. It was indescribably cool to see the actual stalls of the market where transactions would take place. I immediately got a strong visual of the market being packed and filled with commodities, sort of like an open-air market today except with more togas and a sepia filter. This was a really nice way to end our little tour; there was such a strong feeling of history in the markets. Thus we concluded our visit and started off on our next journey – to the gelateria!

Q&A: Possible future influences of the Palatine?

Q: The Palatine hill seemed to remind me in an odd way of the Parque Guell in Barcelona. Although the two sites are aesthetically extremely different, the structure of the park rang a bell for me. In Barcelona the architecture is flashier and more modern and the Palatine is obviously older and has a more natural look, but the overall layout made me wonder if the Parque Guell might have been influenced in some way by the Romans. Both parks are labyrinths to first time frequenters (Gia and I would know a little something about that since we managed to get lost during our visit), with staircases in all different directions flanked by tall greenery so that one can't even see where the staircase leads to until they're already at the top; an adventure that should be enjoyed. From both the Palatine and the Parque Guell these mishaps can lead visitors to find marvelous views of the respective city.

A: Although I was excited about this connection at first, it seems as though there was no real Roman influence on the park. I did find that there are some large doric columns in the park which could count as a Roman influence, but in terms of the Palatine my research did not confirm my theory.

A couple of helpful pictures of the Parc Guell:
http://www.aycinena.com/index2/index3/graphics/guell_parc_barcelona_catalonia_2.jpg
http://www.barcelona30.com/photo_gallery/photo_gallery_49d0a7ff9f4445b67a9bc5cc2badcd07.jpg

Commodus as Hercules

The man's perfectly curled ringlets, both on top of his head and on his dignified chin, are carefully carved into the smooth white marble. His face is calm, cool and collected even though he has just committed a feat of extreme bravery in the face of danger. The mouth of a ferocious lion, with teeth exposed and one fierce fang on either side, sits casually on top of the man's head, giving the illusion that the man's face is appearing in the middle of the lion's gaping mouth. Draped over his shoulders and tied around him like a sweater, the lion's defeated paws hang limply like a mocking trophy over the man’s chiseled chest. His right hand is beautiful and delicate although the weapon it holds is forceful and threatening. His weapon of choice is a club that probably knocked the sad beast out with a single blow. His power is in his stillness, his face and torso as cool as the marble from which it was created.

Una giornata nel Foro Romano

This may sound silly, but I felt a bit challenged walking through the Roman Forum. The large cobblestoned pathways required most of my attention in order to assure that I did not let my feet fall into the crevices and wind up falling flat on my face. I wonder if Romans are simply used to cobblestones and can wander through the Forum fearlessly with their head held high, focusing fully on all the ruins that surround them. Maybe all Romans are born with catlike balance, or some kind of Super Cobblestone Sense. Anyway, when I wasn't looking at the ground, I was trying to discern all the different ruins from one another. In Ancient Rome it must have been much easier to find one's way around the Forum, since I imagine that the image of a whole building is much easier to remember as a landmark than fragments of one. For me the Forum seemed larger and emptier than I remembered it. I imagine it would be much more crowded with all of the buildings packed in, but the Forum today gives the impression of a wide open space, with pathways running throughout it like veins in a leaf. The space must have felt very different with all of the buildings still standing; now you can see one end of the Forum from the other. I wonder about the visibility back then. The Forum today seems like it would be a terrible hiding place, but perhaps in Ancient Rome one could avoid unwanted company by ducking into a temple...

Pre-departure travel writing assignment

Since this is the first time Reading Rome has ever been given as a course it was hard to go in with a real set of expectations, especially in terms of the material that would be covered. I went in with an open mind, expecting to gather lots of knowledge about Rome but not really knowing specifically what that would mean. I talked a lot in my application essay about becoming a "Rome expert" and becoming reacquainted with the culture of the city (and Italian culture in general), as it had been a while since I had been there. I felt like that part of my life had been left on the back burner as of late, especially because I was so immersed in the culture of Spain while I was abroad in the fall. In short I wanted to feel like I had stopped "cheating on Italy.” I took this course mainly because I would have jumped on pretty much any opportunity to return to Italy.

Of course, nothing in life ever goes exactly as one expects it to. I suppose, silly me, I didn't realize the scale of how much knowledge there actually is to know about Rome. I was interested in modern-day Rome, the culture of right now and becoming an expert on the modern city, but I had completely forgotten about all the other layers of Rome that completely shape what it is today. This course certainly enlightened me to the fact that Rome has an enormously long history and that each layer - Ancient Rome, the Renaissance period, Mussolini's Rome - are detrimental to understanding the modern city. I was surprised when Ancient Rome alone took half a semester to cover. I guess I was expecting to transition into the modern city much more quickly. When I signed up for the course, I'll be quite honest, I had espresso and gelato (and “Paolo”) in the forefront of my mind. Now I feel like, even though it was not an easy road and I didn't exactly absorb everything I wanted to, I have a fresh perspective on Rome in many ways. I wouldn't consider myself the "expert" I expressed desire to become in my application essay, but I definitely filled in a lot of layers that weren't there before.

Getting to know my classmates has been one of the best things about the course. I love that it's such a diverse group; not just students of all backgrounds, but also with totally different courses of study. Sometimes I feel like I've been hanging around theater people way too much, and bonding with a group of all different majors has been a wonderfully new experience for me. Even though some of the bonding happened because of our Rome-induced frustrations, sometimes the best kind of bonding happens when you're struggling through something all together. I definitely think it took a little while longer than I would have liked for our class to become a real group, but I am so excited to go to Rome with this awesome group of people; it’s clear that this group is going to make the two weeks we share in Rome extremely special.


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And now, a glimpse into the future...
The very first hour of Reading Rome's invasion.
May 23rd, Rome, Italy, mid-afternoon

As we all gather in the lobby of St. John's there is a distinct collective adrenaline rush happening in the room. We were all complaining about how exhausted and drained we were earlier, but at this point all our complaints are but a distant memory. Not only do we not feel tired anymore, we are all acting downright giddy; these Italians must hate us already for being so boisterous. Oh well - they'll only have to deal with us for a few more minutes until everyone is accounted for (for now!).

Everyone has confirmed that his or her roommate is present and we set off, some arm-in-arm, some full-out skipping along, for our first passeggiata in Rome. It has been a few years since I've been in this city (or let alone this country) and I could not even describe the overwhelming bliss that has come over me if I tried. I missed the Italian sun compared to the dreary semester of weather we've had in Saratoga. The day is absolutely perfect; there is not a cloud in the sky, and the sun warms my face and arms, which are exposed by the spaghetti straps of my new floral sundress. -- Oh, how fitting! Spaghetti straps! And we're in Italy. Get it? Ah well... anyway...

I believe there is something different about the sun here. Maybe it's the atmosphere in general adding to the whole effect that just makes me feel like the sky is more blue here or maybe everything actually is better in Italy. Either way, the abundance of flowers, the warm sunlight, and the absolutely perfect temperature are all making this the happiest moment I have experienced in months.

It suddenly crosses my mind that it has been six months since I left Spain - really? Six entire months? It seems like no time has lapsed at all, and yet at the same time it feels like forever ago. Time is such a funny thing. In two weeks I'll probably look back to this moment, the mopeds whizzing by, the aroma of coffee wafting from the charming espresso place on the corner, and think: "it seems like that moment happened yesterday. Where did these two weeks go?" So, at this moment, I make a mental vow to myself that I will live up every single precious moment of these next two weeks.

We walk past the first gelateria we see and of course there is an eruption of "GELATO! YES!" - I mean let's be honest here, this is what we've all been waiting for. Of course Daniele cuts us a break (gelato is ALWAYS a legitimate excuse for a minor detour) and we enter under the gelateria's classic red and white awning. Upon entering it's quite obvious to the owner that we are a group of wide-eyed Americans. Thankfully the owner finds this endearing and begins to show off the few English phrases he knows, which we can only react to by giggling. I respond to his efforts by attempting to show off my Italian, ordering "un piccolo cono di bacio" - in Italian, "kiss" - my absolute favorite gelato flavor EVER. Spanish gelato was great too, but I haven't had actual Italian gelato in years; my excitement simply cannot be captured in words. I recall a time when I was in Italy with my mom when I was younger and I ordered bacio(because, I kid you not, it has ALWAYS been my favorite) and the man working in the gelateria said to me "Ahhh, vuoi un bacio?" ("Oh, you want a kiss?") My mom thought this was hilarious but my young self just giggled embarrassedly. No, grazie. To this day I’d still take a gelato over a kiss any time. Luckily this time the owner doesn't try to pull any moves. On the way out we stop to ask him his name and erupt into raucous laughter when we find out that it just so happens to be PAOLO. We always knew we were destined to meet Paolo... we just didn't know he'd be a jolly 60 year old man who owns the gelateria down the street from the convent.