Italy: The Ancient Rome

VIA APPIA ANTICA

2009-03-06T07:26:00.008+01:00

I love trees, especially Italian trees :)

Childhood Storybook comes to life

Aquaducts

The +8km walk that day back to Trastevere: wish you were here to walk the walk with me

Tombstones!

LHS of Via Appia Antica: The view across the road

The afternoon walk that changed my life

Perfect timing for sunset!

Life is beautiful.

The virtue of Roman ancient road & stones: I had to ditch my boots at the end of this trip!

The long and winding road...

It was one hell of an experience! Highly recommended.

Ara Pacis Augustae (Campus Martius)

2008-11-18T12:26:00.006+01:00

Both of the worlds

Ara Pacis Augustae is Altar of the Augustan Peace, located in the northeastern corner of Campus Martius, aside to the Tiber River and just the opposite of Mausoleom Augustae. Sculpted from amazing white marble, the altar has been magnificently conserved for its viewer to enjoy its extraordinary carvings on its walls depicting the sacrifition scenes for the God/s. I loved this one, and the architecture of the cover building too. There was something spiritual about this place, it was very... peaceful. The altar of peace indeed. I have never seen anything like that before, truly mind blowing.

The Emperor's Genealogy: The wonderful family of power

Portrait of Augustus
Copy from the original in Capitoline Museums
Age of Augustus, 27 B. C. - A. D. 17

The cover building designed by US architect Richard Meier

Ostia Antica: Baths of Neptune (Terme di Nettuno)

2008-11-18T02:32:00.005+01:00

Room 4 Mosaic of Neptune, seen from the south-west

The mosaic of Amphitrite in Room 3

Ostia is a beautiful ancient town located at the mouth of the Tiber river (about 30km from Rome) and it dates back to its earliest in 1400 BC. Ostia is the Latin word for "mouth" hence the mouth of the Tiber. It was a port city, utilized as a point of goods delivery as it was close to the harbor. In the Imperial Period, they added two more harbor to the north of the town, and this district was then on called Portus, which was the Latin word for "harbor". It was then ruled over by many different settlements and Emperor interchangeably making Ostia a fully functioning and developed small town. Temples, offices, theatres, baths, housing, gym - and many more, are within the compound. It would probably take you around 3 hours to walk the whole town from end to end. It's a very fascinating place and I love the idea of the small compact town that is walkable all around. No traffic jam!!! Ostia has beautiful mosaics in some of their compounds, awesome black and white graphics! (Sorry, I have this fetish with floor mosaics!)

Baths of Neptune is one of the compounds existed in Ostia Antica. From the current day entrance, Baths of Neptune is one of the first compounds you find on the right hand side.

The Baths of Neptune is well known for its Antonine black and white mosaics. This compound has a dimension of 67 x 67 metres and it was excavated by Lanciani in 1888 and Vaglieri in 1909 and 1910. The complex replaced baths from the late first century A.D. and it was financed by the Emperor Hadrian and Antonius Pius.

Sculptures by Kan Yasuda at Trajan's Market

2008-11-17T11:29:00.008+01:00

Kan Yasuda - the Japanese artist was exhibiting his sculptures at the Trajan's Market (Mercati di Traiano). The Exibition was titled "Touching the Time" and it was an extremely unique and interesting exhibition as it merges both the antiquity and the modern world in the same space. In fact, this was the first time I saw any contemporary modern art pieces throughout the entire trip! At the beginning I found it a bit weird, because perhaps I was already getting used to the classical environment, and to suddenly have modern art pieces showing up here and there was quite the mindtrip. However, I came to analyse the meaning of the exhibition and appreciate the combination of both worlds. Yasuda's sculptures are mostly constructed of white marbles and stones painted in silver, all sculpted in various natural, simple earthly shapes - scattered around the compound marking its presence all over and inviting the viewers to leap through form, time and dimension. Nice.

Fisheye Skate Shop, Trastevere

2008-11-17T09:15:00.008+01:00

Ever since the first day we hit Trastevere, I have been eyeing the stuff that they have in this shop. Luckily it's only 5 minutes walk from where I was staying so it was very convenient :)

Boys hoodies, jackets, shirts

Fisheye Skate shop carries (of course) the usual skate wear brands such as DC, Fenchurch, Addict, Element, etc. but they also have their own brand named Trustever which was launched earlier in the year. As a loyal fan of hoodie jackets, I can't help but raid their collections. Yep, they have nice collections for both girls and boys - jackets, shirts, sneakers, skates, hats, all those. Not too much for girls though I managed to bargain 3 jackets for 50EU each from Fenchurch, Addict, and an Italian designer label (Thanks for the discount boys, I will never forget you all, winter time in Europe with those jackets was definitely more endurable!)

Kali and Andra

I ended up hanging out with the boys at the shop from time to time. It was awesome coz only one of them speaks English, and the rest was talking to me in sign language. They gave me a taste of Italian red wine (I swear I have never seen red wine stored in a big gallon of glass before) and they took me out for a Chinese dinner, which was dreadfull (DO NOT EVER eat Chinese in Italy, yep! Thought I gave in just for a try but they couldn't even do a proper spring roll, and don't get me started on the fried rice!) The boys gave me a taste of Italian weed which had a weird taste and after effects but enough to get me lost on my way back home to the hotel. The skate shop is literally 5 minutes away from my hotel but it was dark and I must have took the wrong turn, plus kinda not sober, and I forever curse Italian alleys. (I got so lost and had to ask two tourists to borrow a map, turned out that they were Australians and it was their first day in Rome too. What a nightmare!)

Me and Skilo Spaghetti (yes, his name is Spaghetti!)

Anyways, the shop is awesome. You should come and check it out when you hit Trastevere. It's right on the main street and drop by their website. It was tons of fun hanging out with the boys, some of them are pro skaters and designers. Yes, Italian boys can be yummy (if they shower!) but in short, great sneakers & jackets collections: I wish I was a boy in this shop :(

Shopoholic Series #1

2008-10-18T15:58:00.012+02:00

Via del Corso

The famous strip to hit the shops would be Via del Corso. Find Piazza Popolo in the map and Via del Corso is the middle road out of the diverged three. Shops from world famous brand are amongst the trading line on this 'beware pickpockets' street, a few boutiques here and there but nothing really special. Affordable shopping, Italian local brands, and watch out for gypsies definitely! Shops closes around 6-7pm sometimes later during sale seasons. I was there in January, during the big sale seasons - incredible bargains!

One of my favorite shops for stockings, socks, leggings, tights, everything! - is CALZEDONIA (they are in almost every corner of Rome, so don't worry if you couldn't find one because there is one outlet at the International airport!) I bought nonsense amount of everything. I didn't realize it until I unpacked everything. But I had my reasons: finding the perfect winter stockings aren't that easy, my dear. I love thick stockings for winter and because European winter is much colder than Australia's - they have much higher standards of winter under garment... Plus at that time it was sale packages (5 stockings for 20EU, etc.) so it was a total bargain for sure. They also have a nice line of fashion stockings - rockin' fishnets, awesome colors, nice patterns, lotsa sexy and kinky stuff too.. Hmmm lingerie! Totally recommended for those whose got the fetish like me... A good local brand, I wish there's one here in Australia!

TAD oo187 Roma Via del Babuino 155/a tel.+39 32695131 http://www.taditaly.com

If you aren't too commercial and would like something more boutique-y kinda shop, then head to Via del Babuino - which is located just to the left of Via del Corso (the far left from Piazza Popolo.)

Via del Babuino
Surprisingly, I found many cute little boutiques on this street! I had more fun here than at the Corso... Not that I bought anything from these boutiques because most of them are the super high end kinda out of my budget stuff. In short, it's the stepford wives alley. It's really fun window shopping from one boutique to another! Each boutique was very unique with their own Italian architecture style. There are a lot of shoe shops here, Italian leathers in specific.

Eleonora
00187 Roma Via del Babuino, 97
Tel +39 06 67.93.173 Fax +39 06 69.38.08.66 info@eleonoraboutique.it
www.eleonoraboutique.com
Gotta say, this is quite a boutique! 5 stars from me.. This is the place for fashion freak: All the way from Dolce & Gabbana to John Galliano. They have a cute cocktail bar in it too with nice maroon velvet big couches (in case you are planning to spend the day in that store shopping all your money away, there's a place to lay back and rest for a while haha!). Boutiques in this street have fascinating layout, not the usual square plan but kind of a zig zag entering - with each space gets bigger as you go through the halls... First of all I was greeted by the beautiful shoes at the entrance of the boutique. The small corridor was decorated with to die for pump shoes in a certain way that makes me want to know what kind of dress selections they have inside. By the way, the shoes were GREAT. Man, it was such a torture to see... then on you go further inside the boutique, another alley and a much bigger space that leads you into the very inside and the core of the boutique. A gorgeous red glass chandelier lights up the room, and then I realized - damn, they got nice clothes too. Ugh.... I could only weep. And then left feeling like a loser.

Plus, what gets me even more sad was the fact that they line up all the colorful Apple laptops and the red iPod Nano!!! Sons of bitches, huh.

I forgot to bring my Press pass that day so I didn't take many pictures as I'd look too snoopy and might get me into trouble. But that's just another reason for you to go and check it our yourself because this shop is worth stripping out :)

Designer boutique such as Valentino - whose other boutique is also present at Via Condotti, the street that leads to the famous Spanish Steps.

Valentino - Via del Babuino, 61 - 00187 Roma - Italia tel.+39 06.36001. 906 - fax +39. 36001. 930 Boutique.Roma.Babuino@Valentino.it

Obviously I can't recall all the cool boutiques I went to one by one, but one of my habits is snatching business cards at the boutiques I considered as fashionable and nice, or at least had some good stuff in it. So when you're in the neighbourhood, check out these shops coz it's damn fine... Don't know why but Italians are pretty behind with their websites!

ADRIANA ROMA - Via del Babuino, 59 - 00187 Roma, tel. 06-3227486 FABRIZIO

BULCKAEN CALZATURE - Roma Via del Babuino 158/A, tel. 063222343

DAVID MAYER 55/a Via del Babuino Rome 06.36.01.04.01, babuino@davidmayer.com www.davidmayer.com Nice stuff for the boys...

GENTE Via del Babuino, 80-81-82 ROMA tel. 3207671 - 3207684

After a long stroll at Via del Babuino, eventually the road meets Via Condotti at the Spanish Steps landmark - so there you go: Shopping Route Day#1 with a lunch intermission taking pictures at the Spanish Steps and then close the day by raiding the leftovers at the Condotti :)

Sunset at the Spanish Steps

Via Condotti is yet another shopping strip with worldclass fashion designer brands from end to end. Funny thing is, it was dominated by the Japanese tourists... haha rich bastards!

Valentino at Via Condotti

La Perla at Via Condotti

Gucci at Via Condotti - The Spanish Steps series

Damiani.... the place to pick your wedding ring.

Don't forget to check out Louis Vuitton boutique at Condotti and I guarantee you'll find their stairs very amusing... Funny how lots of people are standing around in front of the boutique watching the stairs and taking pictures/videos (including me) instead of actually going to the boutiques shopping! And again, the store was raided by the Japanese anyway.

I think that's enough shops for a day. Just remember whilst shopping, keep an eye of your belongings - I almost got mugged whilst in Zara (luckily enough I kept my wallet at the other side of my backpack pocket, the gypsy opened the wrong zip, haha!)

End of shopping day 1.

The Toy Store: Al Sogno

2008-10-17T16:01:00.004+02:00

Just around the corner of Piazza Navona... it is truly one of the cutest and most happening toy store I've found in town. I love their carnival masks - all handmade from leather from Venice. I wanted to buy one of them but realizes that each costs more than 200Euros... ugh. Maybe someday!!! Their window displays are also thematic and it's sooooo cute. They have various kinds of toys and dolls, for the girls and boys, for the kids and grown ups. I love this store!!!!!

Piazza Navona, 53 00186 Roma (RM), Italy +39 06 68133091

The famous bakery in town: Panella

2008-10-17T15:48:00.002+02:00

One note: they close the shop right on time so again, be there before the closed time stated on the door because they will not open the door for you and they WOULD let you droll OUTSIDE the window glass even though you have given them your best frown and begging look. Trust me, it didn't work - all 20 of us frowned and stayed for ten minutes in front of the bakery and they didn't care.

But we got back again the day after and ughhh.... couldn't stop myself from munching at this place..... ahhhhhhhhhhhhh hungry now!!!!!

Panella L’Arte del Pane
Via Merulana 54, Roma - Italy
(a stroll away from Santa Maria Maggiore and the Colloseum)

Galleria Borghese

2008-10-17T14:59:00.004+02:00

Villa Borghese at the Pincian Hill, fascade after restoration in 1997

It was the last day of our two weeks and I was so over antiquity. But my lecturer was saving the best for the last, Galleria Borghese was our last destination. As early as 8am on a Sunday morning we dragged ourselves there in hope for an early start. Yep, 8 o'clock departure for a museum and yet by the time we got there there half an hour later, there were people lining up for the entrance. It was a freezing morning and we waited until the gallery opens at 9am. To my surprise, this gallery is extremely strict (as with the rest of the galleries and museums in Rome) - xrays, lockers for bags, no camera, no cell phones. The only thing permitted is your wallet and a sketchpad, in case you are an artist. But I was amazed to know that even in the early hours on a Sunday morning, there are a bunch of people lining up for entrance already. So if you are interested to go, book your tickets in advance (required, ask your hotel concierge and maybe they have a special deal with the Gallery and able to sort you out with tickets) and get there as early as you can. The beauty of traveling with a school group is that everything is taken care of for us :)

Approximately 1030am: this is what I mean by get there as early as you can.

As I have mentioned in my previous essay, the Borghese family is one of the noble and prominent 17th century court family. This particular Villa is made for Scipione Borghese, the Cardinal Nephew of Paul V and becomes his place of residence in which he carries his diplomatic tasks, which includes 'tea party' with his international counterparts. Cardinal Scipione himself is a true art buff with class and elegant taste. He was Bernini's first patron, endless of important and priceless artworks produced under his patronage. Villa Borghese housed some of the most impressive artwork of the world and if I could recommend someone a gallery to go to in Rome, Galleria Borghese is indeed the place. I have never liked sculptures but my visit to this gallery changes everything. I found myself staring at Bernini's Rape of Proserpina's sculpture and nearly cried because it was so beautiful, I had shivers down my spine and goosebumps all over. Not to forget Antonio Canova's Paolina Bonaparte's sculpture that was currently on loan from the Louvre - truly amazing. (Paolina Bonaparte is the sister of France's very own Napoleon, she was married to a Borghese.) Paintings were awesome too with collections from Raphael, Carravagio, Rubens, and friends. What impressed me the most are its ceiling paintings - unfortunately there are no pictures of them, the books doesn't even have them (only in black and white!) which is annoying because I love the colors and illusion on those works. I remember all I wanted to do is lay on the floor with a pillow and stare at the ceiling all day - the clouds, the cherubs, the potrayal of heaven and the glorious after life is too beautiful that my imaginative mind couldn't stop wishing that I can live in that gallery, even as a security officer. As long as I get to stare at the ceiling the whole day :)

Borghese Garden: walking towards Santa Maria del Popolo

It is a very large compound and I didn't get to see the whole lot :( We only had so much time and it was time to move to the next destination. The beautiful garden is very serene, and its paths lead to the city. I had a nice walk back from the Villa towards Santa Maria del Popolo. In conclusion: 1. One of the best galleries I have visited EVER 2. Glad I went 3. Truly recommended Don't forget to book your tickets here!

Seventeenth Century Roman Papal Court: Patronage of Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli Borghese

2008-06-02T08:37:00.001+02:00

This paper will focus on the architecture and artistic patronage of Scipione Caffarelli Borghese^¹ during the seventeenth century early modern Rome papal court in which he served as the Cardinal nephew to his uncle Camillio Borghese, who became Pope Paul V in 1605 and remained in office until 1621. As the Pope’s most trusted man, Scipione’s loyalty as a Cardinal nephew was divided between serving the papacy and the family. Apart from engaging in Papal State political matters,^² the Cardinal nephew’s main responsibility was to establish and elevate the Borghese family's status and power within the ecclesiastical rank and throughout Roman secular aristocracy. Such position was extremely crucial and necessary for the household as the families were not of Roman origin and thus it was essential to found their prestige within Rome and ascend the family’s reputation to the peak of Roman nobility as a way to reinforce their political and divine authority over the Papal States. As foreigners, the family needed to earn trust and respect from the Roman elites and maintain good relationships with its international counterparts to uphold their power as the possessor of St. Peter's throne.

It was a common practice in the seventeenth century for papal families to exploit their wealth in order to reach such objectives and certainly with no exceptions, the Borghese did apply such manner into reality. Cardinal Scipione as the most entrusted member of the court indeed was the perfect candidate for this important task as his passionate interest in the arts and architecture lead him to be the connoisseur of the family. Art has always been the elite’s prized obsession ever since the time of antiquity as it indicates one's status and power within the society.^³ Art was too the one area of expertise that Scipione was infamous for and his art collections are the most significant medium that reflects not only his exceptional taste of art but ultimately the family's wealth and prestige image throughout the secular nobility of early modern Rome. His patronage has influenced the development of Baroque Rome as he consequently elevated many artists' reputation into another level, in particular Bernini. The Borghese Villa at the Pincian Hill or better known as the Galleria Borghese in Rome is one of the most important villas of the family which was built solely under Scipione's patronage. The significance of this villa is exceptional as it was the first hallmark of the family within the city of Rome.

Galleria Borghese is one of the evidences of Scipione’s extravagant taste in fine arts, antiquity, modern art, and architecture. Situated outside the Porta Pinciana in Rome, the villa currently is still one of the world’s foremost museums which houses vast amount of infamous antiquities sculptures and Old Master painting collections of Cardinal Scipione. Designed and built between 1612 and 1613 by the Borghese’s family architect, Flaminio Ponzio, it was built solely under Scipione’s patronage.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, Rome as described by Michel de Montaigne^⁴ was “a true papal court.” After the return of Papacy from Avignon in the early fifteenth century, Rome became the international center of religious and political significance. The city was instantly invaded by many international representatives not only from the major European powers but also from Persia, Japan, Armenia, Ethiopia, and the Congo. There were continuous social and political activities within Rome at that time and wealthy Roman patrons, such as the Borghese strive to display their artistic taste to embark their social status by decorating their palaces and gardens with valuable antiquities. The Pincian Villa was not merely a place of residence for him and the household but was also purposely built as a palace to execute his diplomatic responsibilities such as hosting diplomatic banquets^⁵ to entertain the foreign princes during their political visit to the Holy See. Regular functions were held in the villa as a part of Scipione’s role who was responsible for international and ceremonial relations of the papacy. As Paul V hosts banquets at the Vatican, Scipione would host his diplomatic functions at the Pincian Villa.

The Cardinal sacrificed enormous amount of his wealth to ensure that the Pincian Villa is to be at its utmost appearance. Not only it was important for his noble guests to experience luxurious comfort during their visits, it was expected that the grand architectural compound, the garden and the Cardinal's art collections could reflect the family’s prestige and enabled guests to capture its greatness. One must understand that Scipione’s long journey on collecting art is not limited as a leisure pursuit but was a way of exhibiting the family’s wealth through the architectural and artistic projects that he commissioned for the Villa. Scipione accrued many of the finest items by the seventeenth century European great masters such as Bernini, Carravagio, Guido Reni, Carravagio, Raphael, and many more. Such extensive expense may seem bourgeois by nature; nevertheless, it was the necessary procedure and rather sophisticated way to attain the reputation and status from the secular nobility.^⁶ His patronage exposed these artists’ works to a broader range of elite audience and thus expanded their viewers scope as the displayed works in the Villa are viewed not only by the family but Scipione’s courtiers, nobility and diplomatic guests.

Villa Borghese has an architectural design of Neoclassical and late Baroque style. Its rational and balanced design of the villa radiates light which blends the concept of taste and recreation into harmony. Inspired by the ancient suburban Roman villas, the design truly amplified Roman magnificence thus serves the Cardinal's objective of exhibiting the grandeur appearance needed. It welcomes its guest with its spacious forecourt and a façade that is decorated with antique relief and Doric orders. The pale cream color of the structure presents the luminescence of white marble which heightens the villa's presence. With its two towers, portico, and large entrance hall, the Pincian Villa resembled that of the Frascati suburban villas; nevertheless the family architect Flaminio Ponzio certainly did several things differently. The villa is built to be more confined which intended to create a dynamic relationship between its front and side facade with the upward projectile of the towers. This purpose is further enhanced by the arrangement of the windows and the doors on all four sides enabling access to the garden avenues.^⁷ The zoological garden filled with rare imported plants from Holland and the Indies completed Scipione's 'Theatre of the Universe'. The villa is divided into a lower ground level and currently is utilized for the museum's services and amenities; the ground floor which has a portico, an entrance hall, a chapel and eight exhibition rooms^⁸; and the first floor which has a terrace, an entrance hall and twelve exhibition rooms^⁹. The ceilings and walls of the rooms are richly decorated with paintings and stuccoes by the most prominent Italian and foreign artists at that time.^¹⁰

Amongst the endless account of priceless collections displayed in the Villa Borghese, the most significant and highly regarded of all are those early works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini that were made for the family. Displayed on the ground floor of the villa are the infamous three life-size groups sculptures^¹¹ carved on white marble exemplify Bernini's excellence as a young sculptor of the period. Of all the three magnificent sculptures, the 'Rape of Proserpine' in particular, which was carved between 1621 and 1622, truly reflects his immaculate techniques of proportion and illusion. Based on the classical myth as told by Ovid in the Metamorphoses (book V, vv. 385-408),^¹² Bernini illustrates the conflict of brutal lust and anguish between Pluto, king of the Underworld, and the young maiden Proserpine. He emphasizes the contrast feelings of the two characters by various compositional subtleties;^¹³ the struggling Proserpine is held tight in Pluto's athletic and imposing posture. Viewed from the front, on the right hand side, Proserpine struggles to free herself from the God. She pushes her hand upwards against Pluto's face and her body arches in effort to escape from the rape. However, Pluto is reluctant to let her go thus reinforces the opposing forces in two different directions causing their bodies to form two semicircles paralleled to each other. On a closer observation, Proserpine's face is wet in tears as she turns away from Pluto's voracious look. She is naked with her dress barely covering her bust. Whilst their limbs entangled to each other, the god's hand is sinking into her flesh creating the illusionary effect on her thighs, still persisting to capture her in his arms. This particular detail of the sculpture is the result of Bernini's ingenious composition and mastery with the tools of trade. He is able to translate the elasticity of the skin and muscle onto the white marble which makes the sculpture seems extremely real. With Pluto's left leg bent forward, Bernini illustrates the gravitational weight pulling him downwards in attempt to restraint Proserpine. Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the realm of the dead is positioned below Proserpine's elevated body. This sculpture is only one of the many proofs on how much of a fine artist Bernini is.

Discovered by Cardinal Scipione^¹⁴ at a mere age of seventeen, Bernini's relationship with the Borghese initiated his later success and since then has diversified his works into the world of architecture. His style greatly influenced the history of European sculpture naming him as one of the greatest artist alive. Although his life was monopolized by the Cardinal for several numbers of years, it is under his patronage that Bernini was aided as a starter and Scipione succeeded to locate his name within the aristocratic circle. Bernini himself is a deeply religious man and a devout Catholic who was able to comprehend and represent the Counter-Reformation image that the Papacy had wanted for the Catholic Church. Bernini truly was a worthy asset for the Borghese and the patronage indeed was a fair trade to the family. It is proven that apart from the fine taste of art and his objectives on elevating the family’s status and power through art collecting, Scipione’s patronage had influenced the movement of Baroque Rome by allowing the ‘new emerging artists’ such as Bernini himself their chances to develop and master their craftsmanship.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The “Rape of Proserpina”

1621-1622

White marble, 255 cm.

Galleria Borghese, Rome

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The “Rape of Proserpina”

1621-1622

Pluto’s hand detail

White marble, 255 cm.

Galleria Borghese, Rome

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The “Rape of Proserpina”

1621-1622

Cerberus, the three-headed dog

White marble, 255 cm.

Galleria Borghese, Rome

References:

Ehrlich, T. L. (2002) Landscape and Identity in Early Modern Rome: Villa Culture at Frascati in the Borghese Era. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Fiore, K. H. (1997) Guide: Galleria Borghese. Roma, Italy: Gebart s.r.l.

Miglione, M. R. (2007) Galleria Borghese: 10 Masterpieces. Roma, Italy: Gebart s.r.l.

Wittkower, R. (1981) Gian Lorenzo Bernini: The Sculptor of The Roman Baroque. Oxford: Phaidon.

Zanella, A. (ed) (2007) Bernini: All his works from all over the world. Roma, Italy: Palombi & Partner s.r.l.

Images:

Artchive: http://www.artchive.com

1 Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli Borghese was born in September 1577 and is the son of the Pope’s sister Ortensia Borghese who married Francesco Caffarelli. His mother passed away when he was twenty one years old and was then adopted by the Paul V as his protégé. He studied philosophy in Rome and law in Perugia and after the election of Paul V, Scipione was called back to Rome as he was appointed to cardinalate on 18 July 1605. He was awarded the Borghese name and coat of arms (which was represented by a dragon and eagle) and since then became a significant authority figure in the Roman papal court.

2 Scipione was given a considerable amount of influence over the state administration and state policy and international relations thus reinforce his direct and high involvement within the papacy. Paul V remained as the commander of decision making though Scipione is the key player at the papal court, hence underlined his active and field participation and authority over the court.

3The subject of most prominent paintings and sculptures throughout art history are centralized on mythical and religious themes. Art was specifically directed to the upper layer of society, the elites who were the educated intellects who could translate the complex symbolism and allegories of the artistic pieces.

4 Montaigne was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance. (Ehrlich, 2002: 15)

5 The costs of such diplomatic banquets were covered by the Apostolic Chamber of the Church. (Ehrlich, 2002: 30)

6The enormous expense of building the villa itself gave negative connotations to the public and since then the papacy was known to be of nothing but courtly extravagance. Nevertheless, such lavishness was necessary to satisfy the family’s representational needs as it also satisfied those of the papacy. During this time, Scipione was torn between his loyalty to the Church and the family. To be humble and modest is certainly the church’s way to counter attack the rise of the Protestant regime at that time but as a secular prince Scipione was expected to utilize his wealth in order to elevate the family’s status. He demonstrated his obligations of a secular ruler through artistic and architectural commissions and the excessive display of status through clothing, carriages, and the size of his household staff. (Ibid).

7 Not only built to house the Cardinal's art collections, the villa administered a large farm with vineyards, vegetable gardens, hunting grounds, stables, barns, dovecotes in the towers (whose entrances are still visible), a large aviary, an ice store, a wine cellar and even silkworms. (Fiore, 1997: 10)

8 The eight exhibition rooms are (1) Pauline, (2) David, (3) Apollo and Daphne, (4) The Emperors, (5) Hermaphrodite, (6) Aeneas and Anchises, (7) Egyptian, and (8) Faun. (Fiore, 1997: 20)

9 The twelve exhibition rooms are (9) Florentine School 16^th century, (10) Italian Mannerism 16^th century, (11) Ferrara School 16^th century, (12) Siena, Lombardy and Veneto Schools 16^th century, (13) Florentine School 16^th century, (14) Gallery of Lanfranco 17^th century paintings, (15) Ferrara, Veneto and Brescia Schools 16^th century, (16) Florentine Mannerism 16^th century, (17) 17^th and 18^th century pantings, (18) 17^th century paintings, (19) 17^th century paintings in Rome, and (20) Veneto School 16^th century. (Ibid.)

10 Amongst the numerous number of artists who were involved in the decoration of the villas are Mariano Rossi, Domenico de Angelis, Tommaso Conca, Cristoforo Unterberger, Anton von Maron, Gavin Hamilton, Pietro Antonio Novelli, Domenico Corvi, Giuseppe Cades, and many others. (Fiore, 1997: 9)

11“The conoscenti were startled by his output and genius: three life-size groups, illustrating classical subjects, came from his studio in quick succession, the 'Aeneas and Anchises', the 'Rape of Proserpina', the 'Apollo and Daphne', and in addition, the figure of David.” (Wittkower, 1981: 3)

12 “While Proserpine is gathering flowers with her companions in the woods near Enna, Pluto 'sees her, desires her, and abducts her'. The young maiden struggles to free herself and cries to her friends and her mother for help. Eventually the latter, Ceres, agrees to allow her daughter to spend six months with him in the Underworld on the condition that she spend six months with her on the earth. This extremely ancient myth is associated to the cult of the earth, fertility, life cycles and the seasons; indeed, upon Proserpine's return, nature awakens covering herself with flowers and fruits (spring and summer), and when Proserpine goes back underground, she strips herself bare and sleeps (autumn and winter)”. (Miglione, 2007: 21)

13Wittkower, 1981: 4

14 Whilst Bernini's father was engaged with the Santa Maria Maggiore family chapel project with Paul V, Bernini himself became affiliated with Cardinal Scipione and since then the Cardinal was his first and most important patron in his career.

Mausoleum of Augustus

2008-04-15T13:03:00.007+02:00

Mausoleum of Augustus

The Mausoleum was known to be the Augustus’s family tomb where many of his family Members and him self was buried there. However, apart being the Emperor’s Mausoleum, it never attained such reputation as it was seen as an advertising of Augustus’s governance, power, and wealth due to its luxurious structure made out of white marble and the promenade behind it. Tacitus mentioned the Mausoleum as “The Tomb of the Julians” which refers to the Julio-Claudian Emperors Tiberius and Claudies that died after Augustus. Suetonius accounted the funeralProcession of Augustus and illustrates its location within the Campus Martius between Via Flaminia and the mouth of the Tiber river portraying its central and significant setting.

The Inscription of Augustus’s achievements Res Gestae may seem somewhat narcissistic, however, Reading along the list of his accomplishment, one might wonder how he did it all. An intriguing Theory suggested that the Mausoleum was similar to that of Alexander the Great’s in Egypt. The main purpose of the building has always been as Augustus’s family tomb. Among those who passed away before the Emperor itself was his nephew Marcellus in 23 BC, his sister Octavia, The son in law Agrippa, and both of his adopted sons Lucius and Gaius. The Mausoleum has a dimension of 40-45 meters high with a 300 meters diameter and often compared to the size of Tomb of Mausolos in Halicarnassus.

Augustus Tomb

Mausoleum of Augustus is known to be the largest tomb in the Ancient Roman world and it is declared as his early building projects during his sixth consulship in 28 BC. Strategically located within the sacred Field of Mars Otherwise known as the Campus Martius, the site went through several changes starting of the Middle Ages. Firstly it was converted into a fortress by the Colonna Family C15, it was then bought by the Soderini family in C16 and they built an ornate garden within the compound. However, in the C18 the area was used for bullfights before used for theatrical performances And as a circus in C19. Finally, during 1907-1935 it was reconstructed to be a massive concert Hall which could occupy 3500 people, namely ‘Augusteo.’ The original groundfloor was then Excavated in 1937 and the compound now is still going through stages of excavation, most of The concrete ruins and tufa remains are visible.

We only managed to see the site from outside the tall big gate and the tomb was very much far away from where we were which was disappointing as I thought we were able to come inside. It was difficult to imagine what the structure would have been like though judging from the site That we visited alone, the tomb was very spacious and secluded thus giving the overall sense of Privacy which was perhaps the Emperor’s point of building such family tomb. We walked Around the block across Ara Pacis where the Mausoleum would have stood and I have to admit that Augustus picked a big enough spot for a family tomb.

Ostia Antica: Theatre

2008-04-15T13:01:00.006+02:00

Apart from building the structure solely as a place of entertainment for its people, the theatre was Also described as personalized monuments of the emperors. The permanent stone theatre has its Advantages compared to the temporary wooden theatre as it becomes easier to monopolize the Public space by exhibiting statues or building inscriptions in honor of the emperors. Establishing Governance has been the main goal of every emperor who had reigned Rome thus evidently Inscribed within the structures that they build. It is after all “part of the duties of the lesser Magistrates to provide shows and games for the people, and the same policy was followed in Colonies and municipalities. The expense was borne party by the town treasury, but the magistrate Was compelled by statute to contribute and expected by custom to contribute generously.” (Meiggs, 1973: 421) The theatre was essential for politics as it becomes a place where the public Would come and watch the shows, thus an indirect way of the emperor on ‘educating’ the society Through arts by performances of tragedy, comedy, and the Roman/Greek classics. The historian Dio accounted the ‘recitation, singing, and various forms of spectacle’ that happened On the stage of the theatre.

“Significant monument built at an expense in a permanent stone forms into kingdoms to whose architectural and cultural traditions the building and its activities were alien.” (Cooley, 1999: 178) There was a significant increase of theatre construction during the Augustan period, including the Construction of the theatre at Ostia. Certainly, theatres were built as a public place for Entertainment ranging from ludi (public shows), ludi scaenici (drama), pantomime, dance, and later Aquatic shows. These forms of entertainment were important for to win the votes of many thus Theatre construction became one of the political agenda of Augustus as an alternative way to Maintain the moral behavior of the Roman families through legislations. As a place of where the Public congregates, similar to the Colosseum, these cultural events become an opportunity for the community to show their support or complains to the emperor or the local magistrates. Thus, the Significance of the theatre enhanced as it becomes a part of political campaign. Other events such As religious festivals were also held at the theatre, and public ceremonies to honor the emperor Are held here too otherwise known as ludi saeculares in 17 BC which relates to the overall Construction of the theatre

Based upon the foundation and the fragmented inscriptions of the structure the theatre it is Confirmed that it had 3 main phases of development. The main debate concerns about the dating In which the theatre was originally built as some scholar believes that it was built under the Augustan period between 18-12 BC. This is argued against the two fragments of Inscriptions of Agrippa’s name that were found on the structure of the scaena which dates back To 27 BC. The inscription was then compared to those of the Pantheon’s entrance.

However, A third inscription fragment of the letters ‘PO’ was found in the hyposcaenium. The letter ‘PO’ Are thought to be a part of the phrase tribunicia potestas, this marks Agrippa’s tribunician power In 18 BC. Scholars then believed that Agrippa may have sponsored the building in 18-17 BC Before he left to the East in 16-15 BC. The question then remains as whether Agrippa was just A benefactor or was the theatre built to commemorate a certain event. As the inscription and the Dates of when Agrippa depart from Emeritus does not match, the original date is then Unknown, nevertheless it is believed that the theatre was built in approximately 18 BC. The Theatre has a capacity of 4,000 people after it was rebuilt in the 3rd century. Around the 4th century modification was done as aquatic shows were introduced to the theatre. Two rooms on the either sides of the central entrance were converted to cisterns for the purpose Of collecting water to flood the orchestra for the shows. “Doorways were blocked, walls, and Floors were lined with cement.” (Meiggs, 1973: 425) This medieval invention were created for Water storage as the ‘demands on the aqueduct exceeded supply’ (Ibid). The inside of the theatre was first excavated in the 1880s by Lanciani in which he discovered the Scaena, orchestra, and the cavea. In 1910 the theatre’s outer façade was uncovered by Vaglieri And Calza supervised the 1920 reconstruction of the theatre.

Refer to this site for a further detailed topographical analysis of the theater.

It was my very first time visiting an ancient theatrical site of this particular amphitheatre style and I must say it was unforgettable. I was expecting a bigger one like the Greeks but this would do. The permanent stone structure was impressive , it is a beautifully conserved theatre and Sufficient for a small town as such. Several members of the group performed on the central stage and the outdoor did not seem to Disturbed the acoustics in the theatre. All of us stood on different levels and scattered Throughout the whole theatre though it seems that the sound waves travels beautifully within the compound. This proves that it supports theatrical shows such as musical and dramatic plays. The level of seating raises up in altitude on an ascending angle which enables the audience to gain An undisturbed panoramic view of the stage as well as the view of the Temple behind the theatre. I did not notice the cistern or any of the reconstruction made to the theatre for the aquatic shows. A source I read mentioned about the watermarks on the seats but it did not seem to come to my Attention at that moment. I was very much preoccupied with the beautiful theatre and tried to Imagine a full house theatre where everyone come to enjoy the talents of many for the sake of politics or leisure.

Colosseum

2008-04-15T12:58:00.003+02:00

Ancient Evidence Consulted:
Inscription
Suetonius, Vespasian 9.1 and Titus 7.3
Dio, History 66.25 and History 79.25.2,3
Imperial Lives, Severus Alexander 24.3
Ammianus, History 16.10.14
Seneca the Younger, Letters 7, selections

The inscription confirmed that the Colosseum is Vaspasian’s project as his triumphant monument to commemorate their win of the Jewish war in AD 70. The writer Suetonius confirmed that it was also built for public entertainment where gladiatorial combats were held as one of the Emperor’s political agenda to win the public votes “Titus gave lavish and expensive games.” This denotes the political aspect of the project as it serves the public and promotes congregation within the public space as an opportunity for the community to support or mock the Emperor during the gladitorial combat events. The writer Dio wrote elaborately on the public ritual of animal slaughter which involved both men and women. Dio illustrated the Colosseum as a place of blood bath as Titus encourage the violent ‘sport’ by bribing the audience with worthy prizes “the prizes including food, clothing, vessels of silver and gold, horses, mules, cattle, and slaves.” The Colosseum was strucked by lightning in AD 217 and its fire caused extensive damage on the entire upper ring and the lower arena. Gladitorial combats had to be moved to Domitian’s Stadium as the structure was reconsructed due to the fire. Emperor Alexander Severus (C. AD. 230) financed the reconstruction of the Amphitheatre by charging tax on prostitution and uses its income to help restore the structure’s damages. The Colosseum must have been an impressive structure as Ammianus described in History 16.10.14 “framed in travertine” as it truly impressed Constantius II on his first visit to Rome in AD 357.

Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre; the Colosseum had its name from the Colossus next to it (the statue of Nero which has disappeared.) The valley was drained and raised 10 meters above the ground to build the Amphitheatre. As mentioned before, it was originally built as a triumphant monument to mark the Vespasian victory over the Jewish war in AD 70 by the first Flavian Emperor Together with his son Titus and Domitian. It eventually became a place where gladiatorial combats are held for public entertainment. (Gladitorial combat was the trend at that moment and it was the Emperor’s ‘genius’ idea to build an official public place for it.) The Colosseum is truly the symbol of the Roman Empire.

Before the Colosseum was build, gladiatorial combats were held at the Pompey’s Roman Forum. It Was then moved to the Colosseum and combats were held there until a specific period of time before It ceased: animal combats in 523 AD and human combatants in 434/5 AD. As a public place where people congregates, the Colosseum not only serves combats as entertainment but the combat itself was a way of showcasing the exotic animals from Africa to the public at large. There was still no zoo at that time and most of the animals were shipped into Rome for the combats. It became the public’s amusement point when the animals are exhibited in the arena as it would be the first time for most of them to see such live wildlife creatures. The Colosseum has withstand through fire and earthquake over the span of 2,000 years. It was closed in AD 217 and reopened again in AD 240 after the reconstruction. It was once served as a churhc and on another different period of time, it provided shelther for the rich and poor and used as markets for trading. During the 15th and 16th century, the two outer rings and marble seating were reconstructed, however some of its travertine blocks were reused to decorate St. Peter’s Facade. In 1675, the Colosseum was declared as a sacred Christian ground to commemorate the martyrs. The Colosseum is one of Rome (apart from St. Peter’s Basilica) and the world’s finest landmarks. It generates millions of tourists yearly and it is still used today for musical concerts (broadcasted) as well as exhibitions. The structure is by far the largest amphitheatre of the Roman world with a measured dimensions of 189 meters in length, 156 meters in width, and 48 meters in height with an outer perimeter of 525 meters.

Approximately 100,000 meters cubic of travertine were thought to be used during its construction and 300 tons iron clamps to hold the blocks together. The Colosseum architectural style and design became a template of many stadium or amphitheater up until today, as it is estimated to have the capacity of 50,000 to 87,000 spectators. The unique Microclimate within the arena when it was excavated highlights the botanical world achievement in identifying 420 types of flowers and plant life which was found in the Colosseum. The outer south side of the structure collapsed due to an earthquake in 1349. Interior were then reinforced in 1831,1846, and 1930s after the site was excavated.

My first visit to the Colosseum was more than ten years ago when I visited Rome for the first time With my parents. As I visited the site again a decade later I tried recollecting the memories from The past. The structure is still as magnificent and empowering as ever, amazingly still standing after Thousands of years against earthquakes and fire. Evidently, the Colosseum is one of the world’s most famous landmarks and aside from its exceptional structural engineering of the Amphitheatre, it became an architectural template for many public entertainment structures. The oval shaped arena gave the sensation of entrapment within the overall space, it was literally a stadium that was build to kill. The 360° view gives the spectators an undisturbed view. The allocation of seating (seat level divisions) also gives fair panoramic view for all the audience within their assigned social groups enabling the authorities to regulate and maintain order during the events. As I try to imagine the blood bath of the gladiatorial combats in the past, I felt shivers down my spine and tried to imagine a civilization whose idea of entertainment was killing each other (or against animals). What is more intriguing is that it became a public ritual and everyone engaged in it that the Emperor eventually made an official public place for homicide. Whether it was just a gimmick or an alternative way of one’s political campaign, the Colosseum is indeed a spectacular mega structure. I try hard to imagine it when it first got built, it must have been bright, shiny, elegant, massive, and literally deadly.

Size DOES Matter

2008-01-11T06:35:00.003+01:00

Largo Argentina: This is where the cats hangs out!

Now: Residential compound, Then: Pompey Theatre

The Roman Forum: You haven't been to Rome if you haven't been to the Forum!

Capitoline Museums... Landscape view of Rome from the Museum's rooftop

One of the most elegant and amazing museums in the world that I have ever been to.
Seriously. Getty is nothing compared to this mega structure.
Definitely worth the visit but please have your memory card and camera battery ready (bring spares!) because if you are a photography freak like me, you will never run out of objects and landscape view to practice upon and bring your talent to life. I was never much a big fan of Roman artifacts except its architecture but nevertheless, impressive is the word of the day for Capitoline Museum. Five stars rating from me.

Apart from its magnificent and jaw dropping architectural design by the legendary Michelangelo, it has an impressive amount of collections on display (and those in the vault). Along with the Vatican Museum, Capitoline's coins and medallion collections are also one of the biggest and most famous. You will enjoy walking around the compound, through its many alleys and stairs and as you walk out to the big arches terrace overlooking the Forum from the Hill, I guarantee you'll have one of those Kodak moments within your mind. No wonder the Romans worked so hard to build this for the Gods, if I were a God, I'd want to live there too. Nothing can beat that terrace view from such altitude. I can't even find the words to describe it.

Cafetaria at the Rooftop: the perfect wedding brunch place!

Capitoline Hill VS Capitol Hill = hmmmmm...... the place to be for sunset.

Unfortunately, my camera battery died on within the first 20 pictures I took from this Museum. I was severely broken hearted, but I will return on my day off here to repeat the serene experience I had when I walked around this museum - mostly in silence as I let myself immersed in the silent conversation I had with every piece of collection and the walls of Capitoline Hill.

When in Rome, use Times New Roman

2008-01-08T17:32:00.001+01:00

Giulio Cesare a.k.a. Julius Caesar

This morning I was widely awake from 2-530am because I (think) am still jet lagged but apart from that, I spent the whole 3,5 hours doing this blog! So I slept for about an hour and woke up around 8am to have breakfast. Had the most disturbing headache and took my favorite drugs of all (that is, Panadol) then all ready to go for our museum trips for today.

It is 11pm at night and I am super exhausted. I had a great day, and took 347 pictures in total! But I need my rest, so details are coming up when I have the time to write it down.

Tomorrow is another big day:
Walking tour of Largo Argentine, Marcellus' Theatre, Forum Boarium, Circus Maximus and forum + Capitoline Museo + Lecture: Living Life in Public Gaze

Museo della Civilta Romana...

Entrance: gigantic columns and teeny tiny me!

Archaic Map of Rome

Constantinian era Map of Rome: Urban Planning at its best!

Villa Giulia Etruscan Museo...

NOT EVEN DEATH will part us up: the tomb of two lovers... Classical Romanticists?

Lunchtime at the beautiful garden. Quiet, serenity, palm trees, and fresh air.
It doesn't get any better than this...

Montemartini Museo...

Advertising and Property Ownership at its utmost: Hardcore Branding...

S.P.Q.R. everywhere!
S.P.Q.R = Senatus Populusque Romanus
(Senate and the People of Rome)

Temple of Apollo remains (Triangle upfront)

Original VS Remains

Someone's big foot! Constantine's?

Day 1: Orientation Day

2008-01-07T21:37:00.001+01:00

First day of arrival in Rome, Italy for my scholarship on

Classical Rome Archaeology and Ancient History Summer School
ANHS 3611 Research in Roman Studies (Roman Topography) and
ARPH 1002 Roman Classical Archaeology
with University of Sydney and University of New England JANUARY 2008
Hosted by Kathryn Welch (USYD) and Bronwyn Hopwood (UNE)
with The Academy Travel

The flight arrived on time at Rome FCO Airport at 0600 hours when all of us were striving hard to fight our jetlag against the excitement that follows in the next two weeks we will spend here studying history and archaeology. I don't know why but Thai Airways stewardess kept on talking to me in Thai. I do get offended when people think that I am Thai simply because 50% of Thai women are transsexual, the other 30% are prostitutes, and perhaps only 20% of them has pure ovarian cells. Some thought I'm Japanese. Iie, watashi wa Indonesia jin desu. Then the next question they ask would be, "Why do you have an American accent?" DEAR LORD!!!

The main purpose of this course is to learn and investigate Roman Topography during the Ancient times. I won't go into details as it will perhaps bore the crap out of you, but the moment when I saw cars racked up on top of another on the freeway has instantly reminded me of the Europe trip I did back in 2000 with my Dad.

Filthy, condensed, and gloomy are the three words I picked to describe this city within a glance. I can't imagine how it was like to live in Rome back in the Ancient times. As much as it is fascinating to walk around the extremely confusing blocks and alleys, we came to appreciate every beauty and scar that lies behind the terracotta walls. And yes, I got lost within the first hour I got separated from the group. Not knowing any Italian doesn't help either, and this poor old lady was trying so hard to explain the way back to the hotel to me in this foreign language I have completely no knowledge of. After a while, I realized I wasn't lost. I was just walking in circles... hehe.

TRASTEVERE

I am staying at a district called Trastevere, the new part of the new city that could be legally said to be outside of Rome's jurisdiction. This area indeed is a place where it is impossible to spot youngsters hanging out on the streets.

I haven't decided yet whether I like the area or not as it is quite messy here.. but then again, that's about everywhere in Europe.

Sleazy Italian boys on the streets calling out each time we walk pass but at least the food has been pretty impressive, and I guess that's about the only thing that is important to me?

There are abundant historical sites and architecture remains from the Ancient world here, as well as one of the most important churches beautifully preserved in every corner of the district (or shall I say, those freakin' HILLS!!!) Trastevere is the elite area of the town, a lot of diplomats live around the area and government compounds are scattered around the hills. Big, nice, neat, and super expensive houses... Hmmmmmmmm. (I've picked mine out just in case! Hehe..)

We spent the whole first day walking around with both of our lecturers, Kathryn and Bronwyn, doing orientation and sightseeing, as well as hiking the hills of Trastevere to check out several sites and churches. We hiked our way up to the most beautiful look outs and here I can see the magnificent view of Rome, imagining that it would be nice to just spend the afternoon watching the sunset there. Definitely one of the nicest places I've been in this planet.

Take a sneak peek into this keyhole ...

Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta: walk up Rome's Aventine Hill and you'll find an old green gate which is the entrance to the headquarters of the Knights of Malta. Peer through the key hole down a path. At its end, you'll see framed by foliage, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica Via di Santa Sabina, Rome. I couldn't capture it through my lousy camera but I would say it is something to be seen by your eyes only. Peeking through this keyhole has got to be one of the most beautiful moments I have ever had. As recommended too by Vogue UK Dec 08 Dreamy Destinations.

CULINARY EXPEDITION

Emily and our 1kg of pizza for lunch!
(We both shared and finished the whole thing!)

I have found myself an eating buddy, Emily. This half Chinese half Australian chick (also studying History at Sydney Uni) has an appetite close enough to be my competitor. Emily and I ran away from the group and stuffed ourselves with 4 x @250grams pizza! Yum, yum, yum. I was so hungry and ready to start my conquest on finding the perfect Mushroom Pizza, Gnocchi, Arabiata, and Tiramisu. Dining out can be quite an expense here. I do not mind paying for the food but what makes it expensive is the service charges. Clearly, labor here isn't a cheap thing and being served is a damn expensive privilege.

Had an amazing dinner at a restaurant nearby. Almost fell asleep during dinner but the second course was so yummy, I stole Emily's potatoes and filled myself with carbs. Do I care? Not really. I plan to eat every thing whilst I am here... Tiramisu, Tiramisu, where are you yummy Tiramisu...

HOTEL

We are staying at Casa di Francesca Romana at Trastevere - a beautiful compound owned by the Vatican that I swear it has the weirdest floor plan and fire exits. It was a monastery back in the days and when Santa Francesca passed away, it was bought by the Vatican and maintained as a hotel. I must quite say that the place has got a weird floor plan but it has beautiful chapel hidden on the second floor. The stairways are the extreme, guaranteed you will take twice time as needed to figure out how to get downstairs or upstairs. It also has the world's smallest elevator that it is impossible to fit more than 2 people in it. Rooms are clean, bed is terrible, shower head is the worst. But better than nothing at all. Not a bad place at all actually.

Room 223 : My little corner for the next two weeks

Tomorrow we will start visiting the Museums.
Breakfast starts 0730 hours and we depart daily 0845 hours to wherever destination according to schedule. A super tight schedule I may say.
Coming back to hotel in the afternoon as lecture starts after dinner.

Enough about the first day. Tomorrow should be more exciting. And the next day, and the next day, and the next day... until I found the perfect Tiramisu!!!!

Benvenuto in Italia!!!
(To me, at least! Hehe..)

The Piazza near the hotel in front of Santa Maria Church, Trastevere