Blog Two- Days 4 and 5

The last two days have been all the more interesting and informative, I think, because of their extreme differences in time. Yesterday, we visited Tarquinia and the necropolis there, sites that are part of the Etruscan roots that eventually grew into Rome. Today, by contrast, we looked at the late Republic- Largo Argentina, the Forum of Julius Caesar, and Centrale Montemartini. 

I admit that I'm rather biased towards the Forum as one of my favorite sites, given that I had to research it prior to leaving on this trip. But bias or no, the work and goals Julius Caesar worked towards in his vision for Rome were truly admirable. There's a reason history remembers the man so vividly- his motives for making a decision seem to be always nuanced, filled with double or even triple purposes. His forum, for example, certainly worked into his goals for an extension for the ever-growing people of Rome. But it also allowed him to create a temple that honored his rival's favorite goddess, currying her favor before his opponent could, while simultaneously honoring the goddess that his family allegedly stemmed from. It was showing off in a remarkably practical way, with the added benefit of thumbing his nose at his rival- who wouldn't respect a man like that, at least a little? 

The Senate doesn't count.

The necropolis was nothing short of fascinating for me, especially with a trip to the catacombs of Paris under my belt. There weren't any skulls piled into the shape of a heart in Italy, but what people chose to have painted in their tombs was nothing short of gorgeous. Occasionally grotesque or somewhat alarming, in the case of the Blue Demons or the lewd tomb that would make a satyr blush, but beautiful all the same. To see these paintings of people dancing, or picking olives, or fighting brought their desires home- these paintings, usually commissioned by a Greek artist (originally, anyway), remain to help the deceased be remembered. Perhaps they can no longer be remembered by their descents coming to visit and eat with them, but they're far from forgotten with students crowding down staircases to peer into their tombs.

Entering the Centrale Montemartini was certainly an experience- the museum is an unexpected combination of the industrial world mixed with the ancient. You climb up stairs to see pipes and clunky machinery to better see a mosaic or the set of statues of Heracles preforming one of his 12 Labors; trying to claim the girdle of the Amazonian Queen herself. 

The blend should have been jarring, you'd think, and yet somehow it works. One of the signs coming in explained that the building is a harmony of mythology- the mythology of technology and the mythology of Rome, essentially. And in this context, they compliment each other. The building doesn't detract from the headless Medusa, or the multiple Athenas, or the snake handled cup, etc. Instead, the ancient brings out the machinery and vice versa. 

Blog One - Days 1-3

Part of my fascination and appreciation for Rome that's certainly come further to life here as we explore the city is the relationship between the mythology of Rome, the history of Rome, and the reality of Rome. 

As a culture, we've built this city as an ideal, as a relic in and of itself- a living place where love can be found- just ask Kristen Bell when she did the movie "When in Rome." We expect a city that is full of attractive men on scooters or women on the beach, we expect all the mythology of romance that's tied to Italy in general. But we can also expect instead the history and the mystery to be found in a city that's seen bloodshed for centuries upon centuries- as can be seen or read in books like Angels and Demons. Perhaps these are silly images that we believe Rome should be, but it's there all the same- perpetuated when Rome is featured in games like Assassin's Creed, or as a place to heal and eat as in Eat, Pray, Love, or a place for a struggling director to search for inspiration as in Nine. 

Through Hollywood and literature still today, we are contributing to this mythology of Rome, which in many ways compliments the reality of the city. There are less stellar aspects, maybe, that we don't hear as much about- the heat, for one, but that is very likely just me being a wimp and I admit that. Pickpockets are another, or the ease in which one can get lost in this labyrinth of a city. But, to me at least, I think these only add to the wonder of Rome- I think it helps that I, for one, wasn't expecting to go wading around the Trevi Fountain (which, for the record, I would be shocked to ever find /not/ busy) and pick random things up to have people magically fall in love with me. 

What I am loving about this city is the marriage of all those centuries upon centuries, rebuilds upon rebuilds, damage and reconstructions. Looking out from the Capitoline Museum over the Forum and across the rooftops, you would think all the different styles of architecture, the mix of "old" and "new" (both of which are extremely relative terms) didn't mix. And you would be entirely wrong. Do the cobblestones and marble and dust sometimes lead to ankle twists and falls and general irritation with how in the world people can walk around in this and not be annoyed to some degree? Well sure, but man, it somehow still comes across as charming and almost magical. Walking along to see things like tourist shops, then ruins, then the very modern pharmacy or gelato place is an amazing experience that makes the ridiculous heat entirely worthwhile. Especially when you can find places like the church we visited today, where you could still see the columns from the original temple on the side. 

[pictures to be edited in later, for those interested. Sorry for the delay, but no usb port on an iPad!]