Michelangelo's Moses & San Pietro in Vincoli

Today we saw another one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, Moses, which he considers his greatest work. In seeing the extreme grandeur and shear size of the Sistine Chapel, this may be hard to believe, but this sculpture is powerfully moving and emotionally compelling. Every feature of Moses is fully detailed and rife with symbolism. There are many interpretation of the exact moment of the scene where he descends from Mt. Sinai to behold the Israelites worshipping the golden calf.He is either rising from his seat in rage, ready to smash the Ten Commandments, or he has just tempered his anger and is returning to his seat, which means Michelangelo has taken the liberty of rewriting the Bible. In the analysis we read by Freud, he sees it this way. To analyze Moses’ demeanor, his hands and eyes are especially telling. His fingers gently stroke his long flowing beard of wisdom in deep contemplation, while his arms are fierce and tense with pulsating veins, as if his temper is boiling. Further evidence to prove Freud’s point is that the tablets are securely tucked under his arm, showing how his anger had not gotten the best of him. His monumental body is fearsome, but his eyes do not burn with rage. Instead his eyes and mouth show an intense hurt and pain of betrayal. In this, Freud’s analysis seems to hold greater weight, even though it implicates that Michelangelo did in fact seek to rewrite history. Reading into this then sheds light on what Michelangelo’s was attempting to communicate with this piece.
It becomes very important to note both the artists intentions, as well as to understand the patrons role. Here it can be inferred that Michelangelo was making a statement about his rocky relationship with the patron, Pope Julius II, in parallel to Moses’ anger and tempered contemplation.
The church, San Pietro in Vincoli, we saw this in was more unique than the others we visited. The central nave is much more disproportionately wider than the side aisles and the frescoes in the apse are not as heavenly as others. The church is prominent though, for it not only holds Michelangelo’s Moses, but also the vincoli, or chains of Peter from when he was jailed in Rome. These relics seem very powerful and are said to heal anyone who touches them. Once separated, with one pair in Constantinople and the other in Rome, they are also said to have miraculously linked together when united back in Rome.
We were also suppose to see the Coliseum, but it was closed. Oh well, it was still a fascinating day and great learning experience.

Danny Neuman

The Vatican (dun dun duuuun!)

Today we went to the Vatican!

We hopped on our favorite 23 bus and got in line to go in (it was kind of reminiscent of Disney Land, the line, that is...full of excited faces and anticipation but minus the little kids).

When inside, instead of opting to go straight to the Sistine Chapel (where everyone else goes) - although technically you -have- to go through the other rooms to get there - we stopped and examined many a beautiful piece from artists ranging from Giotto (very early Christian) to Caravaggio. From paintings, to frescos, to Renaissance statues, we saw a TON of art...and Lisa tells me that only about 10% of the Vatican's art collection is actually on display - that's crazy! Here's one of the hallways we had to go through to get to the Sistine...it in itself is a work of art:

We also heard from Ema about the return to Classicism in the Renaissance, in terms of the technique used by Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, etc. We talked about the Laocoon piece in particular:

and had a lively discussion about the placement of his right art, the competition that went along with it, and some dilemma associated with it - "should one be allowed to add to ancient statues, even if they don't know what it looked like to begin with? What if the artist's intent is robbed? But do we really want to look a broken statue?"...good questions to ponder.

Around 3 or so hours after wandering through museums, we finally got to the Sistine Chapel (apparently we even took a short cut...there was another 2 hour detour we could have wandered through, the modern museums and such...sooo many museums!). I must say, I didn't quite expect it to be like that. For one, the colors are brilliant - in many of the paintings, the characters are wearing bright orange or purple robes, and they just seem to pop out at you. Its interesting to note that for many years, a lot of people had thought Michelangelo had used more dark and somber colors to paint with, but a cleaning of the ceiling showed just how vibrant they really were...and how dirty the ceiling was. There were still a few unclean patches that they left so one could see what it was like before it was cleaned. Very dark, almost creepy. Although, from what we learned about the artist and how he complained that he hated painting (not to mention the uncomfortable position he had to paint in), it probably would've made more sense to see dark, depressing, moody colors. Its funny to hear how such amazing artists can be so temperamental.

After the Sistine, we found our way out (after spotting some Swiss guards and giggling at their crazy outfits), hit the gift shop, and caught the bus home. We were back by 1pm. Sounds like a short day, but the Vatican leaves you completely drained. Room after room, countless master pieces (including the Prima Porta statue of Augustus that I didn't get to see! The room was closed! grrr...), it leaves one in a mystified stupor, trying to take it all in. Needless to say, being the good honors kids we are, because we didn't get to see everything, I am certain we're all going back.

Ci vediamo a domani!
Shayla

Goodbye, Florence

For our last day in Florence we visited Palazzo Vecchio, the National Museum of Science and tried several Italian foods at the market.

The Palazzo Vecchio (literally “Old Palace”) is located in the heart of Florence. Standing next to Italy’s most venerated museum, the Ufizzi, and the city’s most storied town square, Piazza della Signoria, it overlooks the city in both a symbolic and literal sense. The Palazzo Vecchio has served as Florence’s town hall since the 14th century and still houses the Mayor and the city council. For the purposes of our study, the Palazzo Vecchio is most significant because it was home to Cosimo I de’ Medici, known for restoring the glory of the Medici during the mid-16th century.

The Palace is huge and after a strolling through two courtyards we found the entrance to the section designated as a museum.



The first room we visited is the known as “il Cronaca” or The Chronicle and is one of the largest rooms in Palazzo Vecchio. It has been home to the 500 members of the Grand Council as well as a court for Grand Duke Cosimo I Medici. Georgio Vasari is the artist behind many of the room’s paintings.

The Medici commissioned Vasari and not surprisingly, all of the paintings glorify Florence. Many of the paintings depict the military victories of Florence over its rivals of Siena and Pisa. A number of statues line the walls, including Michelangelo’s Genius of Victory. Most students of the Renaissance will be fascinated (and perhaps saddened) by the fact that Michelangelo Buonarotti and Leonardo da Vinci had unfinished wall paintings destroyed when Vasari enlarged the room.

The second floor of the Palazzo Vecchio has smaller rooms but no less impressive artwork. The variety of rooms had diverse purposes such as studies, apartments, courts, and offices. One room of personal interest to the students in our group was the “Hall of Geographical maps” that includes a number of maps and globes from the 16th century. Most of us were surprised to learn that at that time California was actually an island, not a part of the continental North America as it is today. Just kidding.

After leaving the Palazzo Vecchio we visited The Institute and Museum of History and Science. The museum is home to a number artifacts that signify the scientific advances of the Renaissance. Aristotle sought refuge in Florence (with the Medici) when the church questioned his research. His compasses and astrolabes are housed here.

In the afternoon we traveled to the central market of Florence to taste balsamic vinegar, olive oil and truffles. The balsamic vinegars ranged from three to twenty years old. The older ones are typically sweeter and thicker. The taste of a truffle was new to many of us and it was not as well received as the balsamic vinegars.


This marked the conclusion of our official studies in Florence. Many of us spent the remainder of the day wandering Florence and observing, and even experiencing, the exceptional artifacts of the Renaissance. A large group of us climbed up the “Duomo” (the large dome constructed by Brunelleschi). It took over 400 steps to ascend the Duomo but everyone was very pleased with the rewarding view of Florence and Tuscan hills.


-Schuyler Dunphy

Getting Intimate with the Medici...

We had an early start today because us lucky ducklings not only got to wander through the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, but we had an appointment to view their personal chapel: capella dei Magi at 9am. Here we are out front, anxiously waiting for the guards to let us in:
The outside may not look like an extravagant palace one would imagine that the Medici family would posses—it looks like a giant cube made of rough, rustic bricks and the only fancy decoration is the cornice at the top (which you unfortunately cannot see in the pic). We learned that this was part of Cosimo il Vecchio’s shrewd plan to project a powerful and important image of his family without flaunting pride and prosperity.

The inside, however, is a different story. We had fun traipsing about the lovely, open courtyard and extravagant ballroom:

The chapel was like a tiny-quiet-mystical-jewelbox-panorama-other-worldly-Adoration of the Magi, which included portraits of the Medici and their friends (one is a portrait of the young and handsome Lorenzo on horseback).
Next we went to the Museo Bargello and saw Michelangelo’s Drunken Bacchus and argued about if we really thought that he was actually drunk or not. We also saw Donatello’s David and the ACTUAL competition panels for the baptistery doors in Santa Maria del Fiore. Ghiberti’s is on the left and Brunelleschi’s is on the right. If you don’t know which panel won, tell us which one you think did or should have and why. We all already knew the answer by the time we saw them and discussed why we thought the winner was chosen.

After lunch we met Michelangelo’s David and discussed which one we liked better—Don’s or Mike’s (although the marble David is monumental and rather beautiful, I like the bronze statue because it’s just so sassy, with his little hat and haughty attitude). We ended our day by viewing the not-so-somber funeral monuments of Lorenzo and Giuliano and discussed Michelangelo’s statues of the two Medicis and Night & Day and Dawn &Dusk. Some of us mustered up enough energy to go shopping or visit an internet café before working on our quest assignment.

The Lovely Lorenzo...

Ciao ragazzi!

Firenze is fantastic, and today we learned all about our favorite Medici, Lorenzo, and visited the best museum in all of Italy. It was a slightly mind-boggling day...

We began the day at Santa Croce (shown on the left), where we toured the Pazzi chapel (we don't like them much - they were rivals of the Medici). Seems like everyone had it out for poor Lorenzo - the Pazzi, Savonarola... But he definitely managed to pull through with flying colors, and the man definitely had an eye for genius. One of Lorenzo's chosen artists was Michelangelo, and we saw his tomb here at Santa Croce (shown on the right). It was a magnificent tomb, certainly suitable for a man of such talent, but we did have some discussion about whether or not Michelangelo would have actually liked his tomb. Apparently, he had a bit of a temper and was awfully particular, so chances are, he would have had something to say about it...

We visited the Uffizi museum in the afternoon, and saw all of Lorenzo's favorite artists - Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo - along with paintings my many other famous artists, from the Medieval era all the way to the Baroque. It was really helpful to walk through the museum, since the art is basically arranged in chronological order, so it's easy to see the progression of styles and the development of ideas as time goes on. We were not allowed to take pictures (molto yelling involved from the guards when this was attempted) so you'll have to imagine all the incredible works of art we saw. A few of my favorites, though I obviously cannot speak for the group, were Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and Leonardo da Vinci's unfinished paintings of the Madonna and child. I took the picture on the left from the window at the end of the Uffizi (they didn't catch me with my camera this time), and you can see the tower at Palazzo Vecchio in the background and the long hallways of the Uffizi, as well as the reflection of the window behind me. It was a beautiful building with Medici history all over it, and by the time I walked out the doors, I was beyond words on how to describe the genius I had just seen inside.

After class tonight, Lisa took us out to the leather shops to find out what this Florentine handmade Italian leather jacket business is all about. I would say it was a successful trip :)

A presto, ragazzi... ciao ciao!

- Nicole

Wooooooooo Firenze!

Much excitement. Tuesday was the day when we finally got to go to Florence. We hopped on a bus with all our luggage (with difficulty,) then on a train (with slightly less difficulty.) The train was a Eurostar, so it got us there nice and fast and it was quite relaxing. Good thing too, because once in Florence there was way too much to do. We took a quick coffee before jumping right into learning all about the Medici family, the "Godfathers of the Renaissance." Tuesday was the day to ponder Cosimo the Elder, not to be confused with Cosimo the First who was really the Second. Anyhow, because we enjoy looking at gorgeous things so much, we took a spin around the church Orsanmichele to see the guild statues and the nifty altarpiece to Mary.



We also took a quick look at the Campanile and Brunelleschi's Duomo before breaking for lunch at Lisa's favorite restaurant , Mario's. Words cannot describe the wonderfulness. Pollo arrosto is the best thing ever. After lunch we went to San Lorenzo church to see the tomb of Cosimo de Medici and to learn about the Medici crest which we would forever after notice everywhere in Florence.

After all that learning, and also after settling in to the so called "2 star" hotel, (it was actually quite nice,) we all headed to an authentic Tuscan restaurant for a group dinner. (If anyone has a good picture of the dinner, they should put it in this entry and delete this line. Yes.) I had the best rice I've ever tasted, and I ate a bunny. Ha. Anyway, it was a good time. Overall, Firenze had made an excellent first impression.
-Julia

Churches Continued...

A quick bus ride took us to Santa Maria Maggiore where one can find the largest campanile (bell tower) in Rome. Entering the doors we were instantly awed by the gold adorning every crevice of the ceiling and walls. The ceiling of the church was supposedly gilded with the first gold brought back from the New World. Under the alter is a very ornately decorated container enclosing part of the manger.

A short walk away is the church of Santa Prassede. Prassede and her sister, Pudenziana, were converted to Christianity by St. Peter. Prassede hid persecuted Christians in her house but when they were slaughtered in front of her she mopped up their blood and placed it in a well where she was later also buried. Upon this spot her church was build by Pope Pascal I. Pascal’s mission was to bring back the remains of saints to Rome for safekeeping. He even brought artists from Constantinople to decorate the church using the lost art of making mosaics. The Eastern features are evident in the apse mosaic and the art adorning St. Zeno’s chapel, about which we heard during Ema’s presentation. Nearby is a part of the column on which Jesus was scourged.

From Schuyler we learned about the different levels of relics. The most valuable relics are object which played a direct role in Jesus’ life. Lower down are the body parts of saints and the objects associated with them before their death. Lower still are objects that came in contact with the remains of a saint after death.

Another short walk away we came across the church of Santa Pudenziana where the gatekeeper took us upstairs where we could get a closer view of the apse mosaic and the church’s brick stamp collection.

Following the afternoon break we headed to the conference room to see Christina’s presentation on the catacombs of Priscillia. Many of the symbols she described we could see on the façade of the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere where inscriptions from the catacombs adorn the building. Julia’s presentation enlightened us about how the church was founded on an oil spring that was supposed to foretell the coming of the Redeemer.

Another short walk away and we came across the peaceful church of Santa Cecilia. Her church is situated over the steam room where the Romans tried to execute her. When that failed they tried to decapitate her, but poorly, and she eventually died of her wounds. A statue of her by Maderno can be seen below the alter depicting her in the position in which she was found.

Returning from Trastevere we stopped at a forno for a sweet treat after a long day.

- Kristin

Medieval Churches: San Clemente & Santi Quattro Coronati

Today we started our hurried trek through some of Rome's oldest and most brilliant churches. From all the gold and rich opulence of art and marble you can definitely see why they call it the Kingdom of God. These churches were more lavishly extravagant than palaces. Jewel encrusted mosaics graced the central apses with images of Jesus and his travels. Gold was used not as an accent, but as the primary canvas for rich coffered ceilings.

San Clemente was the first church we visited, dedicated to Pope Clement I, a first century convert. From the street no one would be able to tell what magnificent history this place held inside. We walked up into a beautiful courtyard where the sun shone through palm trees onto the sparkling fountain. Inside held much greater sights, as well as 2000 years history as we delved deeper into the buried churches below. San Clemente is very unique in that the current basilica is built on top of not only a 4th century early Roman church, but also a 2nd century Mithraic pagan temple. Rome is amazing, as it seems there are buried ruins and ancient treasure under ever cobblestone.

Santi Quattro Coronati is another richly adorned church neatly tucked into a non-descript Roman side street. We first were let into a small side chapel by the smallest little nun you will ever see. The key she was holding was almost bigger than her. The frescoed walls of this intimate chapel told the life story of Constantine and the rise of Christianity as the dominant religion of the day. Inside the main basilica, named after and devoted to four anonymous martyrs and saints, was also richly adorned. We were a little disappointed though that we couldn’t see the cloister, however.

Today was a great day, as we saw some of the more hidden riches of Rome.

A makeshift day

We all awoke bright and early, eager to board the bus that would take us to the Catacombs of Priscilla and hear Christina's presentation about the early Christians. After a 40 minute ride, we hopped out and walked the few blocks it took to get there. Imagine our surprise as we approached the door, and instead of walking inside, we stared at a sign that informed us (in Italian, of course) that the catacombs were closed until the end of January for renovations. Because we were too far away from any of the other catacombs (and quite outside of the Roman city walls), we wandered the streets for a while and then took a bus back home. To the left, we have a lovely shot of our Madeline-esque way of walking. We've found it's quite easy to tell when we're missing someone, for our two straight lines are just not even.

Everyone took a different path for their afternoons. Several of us went to the Pantheon, hoping to catch it when it was raining (as it had been doing most of the morning). Unfortunately, it was barely drizzling while we were there. Others went for walks in Trastevere or relaxed in the apartments.

In the evening, we had another group dinner – this time a potluck in Lisa’s apartment! It’s amazing how much food our group manages to put away. We spent hours sitting, talking, laughing, and, of course, stuffing ourselves to a point we didn’t know was possible. We divided up courses, and each room outdid the other in the selection of antipasti, insalata, e dolce.

Above you see our group as we gather around the table, relaxing and enjoying the company of everyone. Below, you see what happens after our meals - it is almost physically impossible to get up, much less walk all the way down the hallway to our own rooms.

- Mandie Tollefson

Italian Class and a Respite

Today we took a breather.

Our day began at 8:45 as we gathered at the Portone to meet for Italian Class. With books and pencils in hand and an eagerness to learn, we took the three minute walk across the Campo di’ Fiori to ItaliaIdea, our language school.

When we arrived at ItaliaIdea our teacher (“insegnante” in Italiano) Agnesi (pronounced On-Yay-Say) greeted us with several “Buon Giornos”. This is the photo of our group:

As you can see, there are only eight of us in the class. Two members of our group, Danny and Shayla, are in an advanced class. Both of them have taken Italian classes at the University of Washington, Seattle Campus.

Because this is only the second week of Italian class, we are still working on the basics. Last week we learned the essentials of ordering food.

For example, “Vorrei un cornetto e un caffe” which means “I would like a croissant and a coffee.” Today we learned how to conjugate verbs in the present tense. For example, “Io sono di Madrid” which means “I am from Madrid. Another example is, “Parlo dodici lingue” which means “I speak 12 languages.”

Lisa gave us the afternoon free and all of us were most grateful. Many of us took naps, recovering from the previous day’s “Long Walk.” Others went grocery shopping, clothes shopping or got their hair cut. And everyone caught up on journals, creative writing assignments, research for presentations. We also read extensively on “The Rise of Christianity,” the theme for this week’s study.

"The Walk"

The morning air was very cold and we anxiously awaited our heat-generating walk. Our promenade started at the Jewish Ghetto where we attempted to see the Fontana delle Tartarughe (Turtle Fountain) through the restoration scaffolding. Passing Teatro Marcello we continued on our tour of medieval churches, but not without first circumambulating one of the oldest temples in Rome, the Temple of the Fortuna Virile. The church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin contains the Bocca della Verita, or Mouth of Truth. Stick your hand in the mouth and say goodbye to your hand if you utter a lie.

Up the Aventine we stopped at the orange tree-studded Parco Savello where we witnessed a spectacular view of Rome. Next door was the church of Santa Sabina where the wooden doors bear the first known image of the crucifixion of Christ. Before meandering back down the hill we peered through the keyhole of the headquarters of the Knights of Malta. After strolling through the peaceful lanes of the Protestant Cemetery it was time for some uplifting Nutella pastries and doughnut holes from the Testaccio market, courtesy of Lisa.

After lunch at a pizzeria we strolled into a cheese, meat, and chocolate specialty store. The men there gave us samples of everything and after purchasing some cheese and chocolate sent us home with some more free chocolate and pound cake. Of course they were proud to show us their collection of magazines and cookbooks in which their store was mentioned and a picture displayed. Our spoils of the day were served at a group dinner cooked by Nicole, who bravely took on preparing artichokes.

- Kristin

The ancient city of Ostia

Today we were out and about by 10, taking a bus and a graffiti-covered train to get to Ostia Antica. At the gates of Ostia, Lisa attempted her usual free-ticket-getting methods, but there was nothing for it. Better luck next time, Lisa. We all walked down the ancient cobbled main street to the heart of the old city, passing mosaics where the market stalls used to sell their wares. Here we were warned extensively about the ugliness of the idea of picking up the tesserae. No stolen antiquities for us, no sir. We also took a look at the theatre that used to seat thousands of people in it's day, then we retired to one of the homes where a large family would have lived to be educated by Mandie on the ways of the ancient Ostian.
In the second century CE when Ostia was at it's peak, over 50,000 people lived there. The wealthy and influential families lived in large houses with indoor gardens and open rooftops supported by pillars. To actually be able to see these houses somewhat intact and feel the immense distance of time was beyond description. There was a marble floor that had been miraculously preserved that was gorgeous, and there was even a house with a little indoor latrine still intact.We saw one of the huge public baths where every day the men of Ostia would spend a good portion of their time bathing, exercising, and conducting business. We also dropped by the tall apartment complexes where the poor would live. These offered a great view of the city from the top that we enjoyed before we called it a day. I very much enjoyed the experience, and many of us are planning to go back to the city because there is still so much left to see there.

-Julia

Class, Capitolini, and Cooking

The first thing on Thursday’s agenda was Italian language class. Not one hour through class, our professor, Agnese, noticed that we were in dire need of caffeine. At a caffe near our building we were able to use our newfound Italian skills. “Io vorrei un cornetto con cioccolato e un caffe latte,” could be heard projecting from eight mouths over the clatter of the spoons, saucers, and cups. We happily made our way back to class in time to receive our list of homework.

A quick bus ride took us all to the Musei Capitolini at Centrale Montemartini. Here we observed ancient sculptures recently excavated juxtaposed with the heavy machinery that remained from when the building was used as a power plant.

On the gates that enclose the front door of the museum were the letters S.P.Q.R. We learned that it stands for the Latin phrase Senatus Populusque Romani, translated as “The Senate and the People of Rome.” Today these letters can still be seen on buildings and potholes and represents anything that is sponsored by or funded by the State.

Later in the evening the lovely Anna Bazzi taught us how to prepare (and eat!) a traditional Roman meal. For antipasto we had a variety of cheeses, including marscapone and gorgonzola, with meat, olives, and artichoke hearts. The primary course was pasta and gnocchi followed by salad and broccoli. For dessert our handmade tiramisu, sour cherry tart, and nutella pie made everyone forget how full they were from dinner.

- Kristin

Trajan's Forum and Pantheon

Buongiorno! Today began with a nice treat…sleeping in! Class--I still have a hard time considering traveling around and taking in all the breathtaking glories of Rome class--began in the pomeriggio. Our destination was the Forum of Trajan and the Pantheon. The topic of the day was Imperial Propaganda. From magnitude and opulence of these two sites it is easy to see how these were extravagant tools to encourage loyalty and pride in the Empire. Trajan’s Column is loaded with symbolism and images of power, wealth, and fear. One striking feature for me was the engravings of shattered armor and weapons of conquered Dacian armies being trampled upon by the magnificent column of Trajan stretching up to the gods. The 100 foot marble column was then engraved with highly detailed scenes of the victorious Roman army in battle. This is interesting to note in itself, as much of the knowledge we have from Roman battle tactics comes from this. Also gracing the sides of the column are resounding images of Trajan in similar fashion to the very popular and god-like Emperor Augustus. The propaganda power of comparing oneself to Augustus speaks for itself. The top of the column was adorned with an enormous bronze statue of Trajan, which has since been replaced by Church with St. Peter.

We then proceeded to the Pantheon to learn from Sky about “Hadrian’s Building Program” and especially the Pantheon. On the way though we had to stop at Tazza D'Oro, which is a Roman caffé institution. The best cappuccino I have ever had.
Professor Sky gave the history of Hadrian’s rise to power from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most influential and expansionist emperors. He extended Rome’s borders all the way from the Middle-East to Britain. Included in this expansionist program was the building of the Pantheon, which was a pagan monument and temple to “all gods.”












Other than this not much is known about its use. The great marvel of the building is if for no other reason than its engineering. How did they have the technology and construction skills to build such a giant, perfectly symmetrical dome? Until the Kingdome was built in the 1970s, the dome of the Pantheon was the largest one in the world. Amazing for something constructed by an ancient civilization.

To wrap up the day we had a reception for all the programs studying at the UW Rome Center. It was nice to meet the other students from UW communications program and Catholic University that we will be sharing the building with for the next few months. Following this was a showing of the Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holliday and tiramisu making.

Buongiorno Ciao Ciao!

Greetings from Roma

Today was the first day of Italian class. Starting at 9 o’clock, our insegente (instructor) Agnes taught us pronunciation, greetings, the alphabet, numbers, verb usage, informal/formal usage, masculine/feminine usage and other grammatical skills. One greeting that we learned was: Ciao sono Chritina, e tu come ti chaimi? Translation: Hello, my name is Christina, what is your name? A response to this would be: Mi chiamo Julia. Piacere! Translation: My name is Julia. Nice to meet you! We continued to learn until 11:00 pm. Overall the first day was benissimo!

The next stop of the day was the Museo Nazionale Romano. Here we learned about and looked at frescos, mosaics, and portraitures (sculptures). First Lisa talked about what is a fresco. A fresco is a fresh water plaster applied to a particular surface. The painter most quickly apply colors before the plaster is to dry. Frescos painting could be found usually in dinning rooms of wealthy home owners. Next, Whitney Frank presented on what is a mosaic. A mosaic is a conglomeration of tesserae, which are little square pieces made of glass sometimes gold or silver. The tesserae are placed in a specific pattern to make an image. The mosaics could be found in the floors of houses, basilicas, and tombs.

Finally, Sheylia Miles presented on the statue of Caesar Augustus. She explained to us the characteristics that can be found in all of his statues. He is presented with a youthful eloquence, while fostering a confident and determined demeanor. Unlike his counterparts of the time he embodied youthfulness which can be thought of as taking on a state of immortality.

To wrap up the day most of the group decided to dine at a Chinese restaurant that reminded us of home.

The Forum, Creative writing workshop and wine tasting, oh my!

Today was a very eventful day indeed!

First we headed up to the Palatine hill for Danny's presentation on the Mythical Foundations of Rome:

We learned about Aeneas, the son of Venus, founding Abla Longa, and his decendant, Rhea Silva, who bore two twin sons. Like most heros in mythology, they were abandoned, raised by a shephard, and then came to power in their youth. The brothers fought, however, about which hill the city should be located on. Romulus won in the end, and founded Rome (with the help of the Sabine women an neighboring tribes).

Next we ventured down into the Foro Romano:

where Lisa talked about various monuments. We also heard from Ema about the differences between the res publica and the Empire.

We then ventured up to the arch of Titus and the arch of Constantine:


Kristen talked about the arches, how they marked the route of the procession, as well as the intracate imagery displayed on the arches themselves.

Next we headed to the Forum of Augustus, where we saw the remains of the temple of Mars Ultor, a copy of the Prima Porta statue of Augustus, and heard from Shayla (me!) on the history and moral agenda of Augustus:



After a very long morning we then walked back to the Campo (after Lisa had generously bought chestnuts for all of us - molto bene!) and broke for lunch.

At 3pm we met in the conference room for our creatve writing workshop with Sheila Pierce, a very bright writer/journalist who gave us some fabulous tips on what to write in our journals, postcards, and creative writing assignments.

Later on that evening, around 6, we met and walked to a nearby ristorante/wine shop for wine tasting. The gentlemen there, Massimo, gave a wonderful speech on the different varieties of wine, and explained how to test wine by looking, smelling, and tasting. We also had a wonderful plate of cheese, meat, bread and other goodies to go with our very delicious wine. Needless to say, we all left very happy and much more informed about wine drinking.




After a very long day, we all left to eat (a wonderful Italian dinner), do homework and sleep to prepare for yet another busy day tomorrow in Roma!

Tarquinia

After spending our first few days in the city, on Friday we traveled off to Tarquinia to see the painted tombs of the Etruscans. We took the train to get there and walked through the streets of the city to the Necropolis. It was a beautiful day outside, perfect for meandering between the little huts sheltering the underground tombs. I am not sure what I was expecting to find, but the tombs were nothing like I had ever seen or imagined. We walked down stairs into a dark room where we pushed a button on the wall to illuminate the tomb behind the glass wall. The walls inside were painted brilliant colors, like deep red and dark yellow, and many were in surprisingly good condition. The tomb of Hunting and Fishing was one of the most vibrant tombs, and we could still see many of the painted birds and animals decorating the walls.

We walked back to the main streets of the city, and found a fantastic restaurant for a very long lunch. We ordered in Italian (our waitress told us we spoke wonderfully!) and absolutely stuffed ourselves. It was fun to eat and hang out together, and I think everyone ordered something they had not ever tried before, so it was a good way to try some new Italian dishes. We were so full by the time we finished, we basically had to drag ourselves down the street to the museum...

The museum was amazing. We started out looking at the sarcophagi, carved from stone or terra cotta and showing how the person wished to be remembered. In some of the other rooms, we looked at artifacts taken from the tombs, like pottery and jewelry and other surprisingly detailed trinkets. It was a great experience to see such an ancient part of Etruscan history right up close in such detail.

-Nicole