Neverending Maze

On Saturday night I decided to take a walk throughout the city. I started out in Trastevere, but sadly my shoes gave me such blisters that I had to buy a new pair right then and then I just felt the need to go home. However, I wanted to walk to Piazza Navona and try a famous dessert, tartufo, at Tre Scalini. I decided to walk along the Tiber until I reached Via Vittorio Emanuale. From there I walked for a bit until I saw a sign for Abbey Theatre, a bar I'd been to, and Piazza Navona. Perfect, I thought.

Not perfect. I seemed to have had short term memory loss and forgotten that the streets of Rome are never easy to navigate. I turned where the sign said to, and then proceeded to walk around a block and end up right back where I began. By this point, I just wanted to be home, so I comforted myself with gelato and started walking home, when I ran into the unattainable Navona. Of course this would happen after I had given up.

Moral of the story is that no matter how many times one has been to a place in Rome, it's not always the easiest to get back to it. These "roads" that connect everything have no true rhyme or reason and one really has to just get lost in order to be able to find where one's going.

Fountain of Facts

I am straying from my usual blog about fountains of water to focus on my TA, Una Kimokeo-Goes: Fountain of Facts. Sometimes Una just randomly spits out these ridiculous things that I never in my life have heard of, and I sit there in awe wondering how she knows them. Una has said it is because she took part in debate competitions throughout school, and I give that a lot of credit, but I also believe it is because she is just a curious person and will follow through when she thinks of a question.

Una will research anything that pops into her mind, whether it is five minutes or five days after she thinks of it. It has helped her to identify some of the things around Rome, which in turn helps us to learn a bit more about the city we've spent so much time in. I can honestly say will not forget some of the things she has told me so, thanks Una!

Won't Take No for an Answer

As I was walking through Piazza Navona today, I stopped by the first place I ever tried gelato to see the name of it. I saw that it was Mariotti and proceeded to walk away but the man working there wouldn't let that happen. He asked me if I wanted ice cream, and I replied no because I'd already had some. He grabbed my hand and ushered me inside, telling me to at least taste the cioccolato, since it was named the best in Rome. In fact, there was even an award featured prominently on the wall that verified his claim. I took a scoop and said ciao and was off on my way.

Sometimes, to generalize, Italians can get very pushy to the point where it's annoying. However, I loved this interaction. The gelateria man was extremely nice and just trying to garner some business, and for some reason I separated it from the other times I felt the servers were trying too hard. I don't think I cared because he wasn't asking for my money, he just wanted me to try the best chocolate. These are the little things I'm going to miss when I leave Rome in a week and a day, and I'll be counting down the days until I return once more to Roma.

Rome on the Silver Screen

Rome has been the setting for many movies, so for our self-created walks I decided to hit some of the places seen in movies such as Roman Holiday, Angels & Demons, and La Dolce Vita, among others.

• Start at Piazza Navona. Right in the center of the piazza is the Fountain of the Four Rivers, which plays a critical role in the new movie directed by Ron Howard, Angels & Demons, based on the bestselling book of the same title by Dan Brown.

When facing away from Sant' Agnese in Agone (the big building with the grand facade that takes up most of the piazza) and the fountain, walk down the little nameless alley and make a left onto Corso del Rinascimento. Cross the street using the crosswalk and stay straight on Via Salvatore. Make a right onto Via Del Dogana Vecchia and walk a little bit to then make a left onto Via Seminario.

• The Pantheon will be straight ahead. This spot is relavant to the Italian NeoRealist film Umberto D. In this movie, Umberto is down on his luck and is forced to ask for spare change, but he runs into an acquaintance and acts as if he was just passing through. It's a sad time for Umberto because he feels like he is losing his dignity along with his pensione.

From the Pantheon, continue down Via Seminario, which turns into Via Caravita. Stay straight and you run right into Via del Corso. Make a right and follow this street all the way until you come to the mouth of Piazza del Popolo.

• In Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck spend the day on Via Babuino, another road that leads directly to the piazza. This is an fun experience for Hepburn, since it continues the excitement the two shared the previous night.

From the piazza, walk down Via Babuino, one of the three roads extending from del Popolo. If you continue for a few minutes, you will run right into Piazza Spagne and the Spanish Steps.

• It was here that inThe Talented Mr. Ripley Matt Damon pretended to be his former friend and crush while on a date with a woman, when in reality he had really killed Dickie and only sought to inherit his fortunes.

From Piazza Spagne, walk to the left where the road splits onto Via Due Macelli and turns into Via Trafuro. At about the fourth street on your right, make a right onto Via Arcione. This turns into Via Lavatore and leads you directly to the Trevi Fountain.

• This is probably Rome's most famous fountain, and it is the setting for what many people wish they could do. In La Dolce Vita, Sylvia and her companion Marcello wander the streets around the fountain and happen to stumble across it. She immediately jumps in, calling for him to join her, but as he does the water shuts off, effectively ending the fun night they were having.

Here is the end of the walk, so make sure you throw a coin in the famous fountain to guarantee your trip back to the Eternal City for hopefully many more walks!

1. "In Italy Online - Rome in the Movies." In Italy Online - Hotels in Italy, Villas in Italy, Lodgings in Italy, Traveling to Italy and Information about Italy. 17 June 2009 .

King Tritone

Il Fontana del Tritone in Piazza Barberini is yet another piece of work by Bernini. Commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1642, King Triton kneels and blows water out of a conch shell. He is located at the foot of the Via Veneto in the middle of the busy Piazza Berberini.

Pope Urban VIII came from the Barberini family and had the fountain built after his family palace was completed. On the tails of the dolphins, Bernini carved the Barberini coat of arms, the papal seal, and the keys of Saint Peter.

Although The Fountain of Triton isn't nearly as popular as the Trevi or the Four Rivers, it is still relevant to the landscape of Roma. People don't necessarily hang out there at night because it's in the middle of a busy intersection, but they'll use it as a meeting place or a place to sit for a few minutes. We got paninis from a bar close to the fountain one time and the barista asked my friend to meet him at the fountain later, effectively combining two very Roman traditions - going afer young Americans and rendesvousing where there's water.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Sant' Agnese in Agone

The giant facade that takes up most of Piazza Navona is that of Sant' Agnese in Agone. Borromini created this massive structure after he replaced father/son architects Girolama and Carlo Rainaldi, who were commissioned to build it by Pope Innocent X. Borromini mostly followed the former architects' plans, but he strayed in that the facade is concave, in order to emphasize the dome.

The church was built over the site of a brothel where Saint Agnes was stripped naked in order to make her renounce her faith. She wouldn't and miraculously her hair grew long enough to cover her exposed body. St. Agnes was also martyred there, which is another reason why a church to honor her is suitable.

Sant' Agnese in Agone is just one example of the many scattered throughout Rome with specific ties to a saint. This is one thing I like a lot because it gives people a chance to learn the history behind the saint and what they stood for and how they lived their lives.

Hollywood Navona

Before I had even read Angels & Demons, I was learning about Piazza Navona in my architecture class. I loved it then and longed to see it, and after I read the book I wanted to even more so, if only to get a better picture of the setting.

I haven't seen the film yet, but I know Navona plays a crucial part in the climactic moments of the plot. The movie pulls into it all the elements of Piazza Navona one loves, specifically the Fountain of the Four Rivers. I think it would have been interesting to be here while filming was going on to see how the drew worked their way around the famous piazza without disturbing its charm. However, I also think I'm better off without having seen the filming, because then I can just enjoy Piazza Navona the way it is, a pretty oval filled with arts and food.

Botanical Gardens

The other day we went to the Botanical Gardens after class, where we took a long walk among the very green garden since most of the flowers are out of season and finished blooming. However, it was still pretty and serene walking though it.

As we were getting ready to head out, we stumbled upon a fountain which had not had the best upkeep. It reminded me of many other fountains in the city. The Trevi Fountain and the Fountain of the Four Rivers and all the other well known fontanas are mostly always clean and ready for pictures. But many of the other fountains around Rome are so small, unknown, and old that they don't seem to warrant as much attention.

I think this is part of the appeal of the fountains of Rome. If one wanted to see a prefectly white, gleaming piece of art than one could just look in a book. However, seeing the fountains which have aged and weathered ages Rome and reminds us that it isn't today how the city once was.

Cittá dei Ragazzi

Instead of having a discussion in class today, we took a field trip about a half an hour outside of the city. We took the public buses, which led us to Cittá dei Regazzi, or Boys' Town. Boys' Town of Italy is a place which houses close to 60 orphaned boys from countries all over the world. It was founded in 1945 by Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing, an Irish priest in the Vatican Diplomatic Services. It became incorporated in 1951 and is recognized as an American Charity with service abroad.

It was a really interesting place to go; it's sort of like a city within a city, but the boys run where they live. The orphans are responsible for certain chores, such as cleaning their rooms and keeping the main road clean, and also for governing themselves, running the kitchens and shops and keeping themselves organized. The boys go to school and also learn to work with computeres, ceramics, glass, etc.

While we we getting a tour, we met with the mayor of Boys' Town, a 17-year-old from Afghanistan who had been living in the community for two years. He was elected by his peers for a term of two months. Once elected, the mayor gets to choose his cabinet as well. The mayor explained in Italian some of how thier government worked and we got a pretty good translation and picture from our tourguide.

Even though it was extremely hot walking from building to building, I really enjoyed going to see Boys' Town. I think it's a great place for kids to come and learn responsibility and still be able to have fun. It gives them a chance to interact with other young men from similar backgrounds and gives them a chance at a better life than what they most likely would have had.

1. Boys' Towns of Italy, Inc. 14 June 2009 .

Fontana in Firenze

Last weekend we took a trip to Florence to get a look at another major city in Italy. After traveling all day through Siena and finally to Florence, we were pretty tired. We showered and ate dinner and proceeded to share a bottle of wine, but then we split up. Joe, Jackie, and I took to walking around the city since we didn't feel like going back to the hostel just yet. Somehow we ended up in Piazza della Signora staring up at all the statues strewn around us, including a replica of Michelangelo's David.

Right next to Palazzo Vecchio is the Fountain of Neptune. It was created by Bartolomeo Ammanatti in 1565 for the wedding of Franceso I de' Medici to the grand duchess Johanna of Austria. The face of Neptune apparently resembles that of Cosimo de' Medici and the entire foutain is supposed to be "an allusion to the dominion of Florentines over the sea."

It is a pretty fountain, but oftentimes these pieces make me scratch my head. This one in particular made me wonder, because it seems as if a child is right under Neptune's naked body. If one looks closely, the child looks to be handing something to Neptune, but I am still unaware of the significance of it and why it had to be carved into the precious marble.

1. "Palazzo Vecchio." The Museums of Florence. 14 June 2009 .

Living in Navona.

Some of our friends in the Architectural Engineering program were fortunate enough to be assigned the apartments overlooking Piazza Navona. I have no idea how this happened. All I know is I'm a little bit jealous. The AE kids get to look down on a beautiful piazza bustling with activity for the same price every had to pay, even those living far off in Trastevere.

People can rent the apartment fitted around the outside of the piazza, but the prices can get pretty steep. However, if I were ever to somehow someway make enough money, when I come back I would definitely look into staying in a place like this.

Domus Flavia

High up on Palatine Hill is where many of Rome's most famous characters lived. The best preserved buildings are the House of Augustus and the House of Livia, his wife. Apparently, Augustus lived a frugal life but the following emperors disregarded his example and created extravagant lifestyles for themselves and their families. The extensive ruins are those built by Domitian, Domus Augustana and Domus Flavia, the two wings of his palace.

When we walked throughout Palatine, being able to identify the ruins helped a lot when seeing them, as opposed to just standing there looking at really old buildings. Two unique things that are part of the ruins are fountains contained in the Domus Flavia, the official wing of the palace. One is in the shape of an oval, located in a spot where it could easily be seen from the dining hall of the palace. Up close, it actually reminds me of a ship for some reason, but one can definitely tell it could have been a source of beauty. On the other hand, one wouldn't know that the octagonal fountain in the courtyard was a fountain, just by looking at it today. It seems very shallow and not what one would expect.

Seeing the dried up fountains reaffirms the fact that they have been part of the aesthetics of Rome for centuries, not just the more recent creations like the Trevi Fountain or the Fountain of the Four Rivers.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Protestant Cemetery

We held class outside the Sede today, and on the agenda was the Aventine Hill area. We went to the top of the hill and got a beautiful view of the city, the Roseto Comunale - a rose garden in the shape of a menorah because it was built over an old Jewish graveyard, and the Knights of Malta priory, which has a keyhole that shows a miniature view of St. Peter's dome lined by trees. All of these were beautiful and definitely worth the walking, and I don't think I would have ever seen these had it not been for our class.


But the first thing we stopped at was really interesting. Right across from the Piramide Metro station is the Protestant Cemetery, where centuries of non-Catholics have been buried. Walking through the cemetery is a very peaceful experience, with birds chirping and room to walk along all of the numbered rows, housing hundreds of headstones. Cats are everywhere; the cemetery is yet another cat sanctuary in Rome, the other being right near Campo de' Fiori. Many of the epitaphs tell of people who were born elsewhere but came to Rome and wanted to rest forever here. I really liked this quote from Longfellow, which pretty much sums up many people's feeling about the city:

"There is the centre to which all gravitates
One finds no rest elsewhere than here.
There may be other cities that please us for a while,
but Rome alone completely satisfies.
It becomes to all a second native land by predilection,
and not by accident of birth alone."

The old cemetery is right next to the new one, but it doesn't hold nearly as many graves in the shadow of the Pyramid that is the memorial to Caius Cestius. It's path weaves in a distorted circle around a central grassy area, and in the upper left hand area is the grave of famed English poet John Keats, whose epitaph reads "Here lies OneWhose Name was writ in Water."

We got to spend about thirty minutes walking throughout the damp grass of the cemetery, and it made me really appreciate my family and the life I get to live everyday.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Gotcha!

Today, I decided to just relax and do some people watching in Piazza Navona. I grabbed a panini and strolled through the artwork displayed in the center, constantly amazed at how beautiful these handmade creations were.

When I first walked into the Piazza, there was a noticeable quiet-the water from Il Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi was absent, and the fountain dried up. I'm still wondering why this was; maybe it was time for a cleaning? However, it didn't tear at me too much so I neglected to ask anyone. Instead, I took a seat on a bench and enjoyed the beautiful weather and crowds of people.

Naturally, there were some peddlers around offering sun umbrellas and hats. One such man didn't forsee what he got today; two policemen taking him in, most likely for a fine. Watching the scene play out was actually pretty comical. At first, he ran away and just went to the other side of the piazza. His mistake was to just take a seat right there, for the officers saw him and decided to stalk him like prey until they jumped behind him. All I know was that afterwards they walked him somewhere, and when they were walking back he had none of the goodies he was hawking earlier.

In our three weeks of being here, that was the first time I have seen a peddler get any kind of reercussion for their actions. I guess the polizia were just trying to keep the beautiul piazza free of any kind of blemishes.

Festa della Republica

This year, I'll get to celebrate two countries' birthdays! In just over a month, I'll be home for Fouth of July barbeques, beach trips, and buddies. But today, while in Rome, we celebrated the 63rd year of Italy as a reublic. In 1946, the citizens of the country voted for a republic over a monarchy by nearly 2,000, officially ending the 85 year monarch.

Instead of going to class this morning, we headed to to Via dei Fori Imperiali to stake out a good spot for the parade. Jackie, Aimee, and I were able to get a view from up on a hill and watch the goings on down below. All different segments of the military marched during the parade, some showing some very unique formal attire.

Although this was the official parade day, the girls and I got a sneak peak Friday night while walking home from Piazza Navona. At around 3am, the main road was closed and we stopped to ask the esercito what was going on. Here, they were having a practice for the main event that took place today. When we walk by security personnel during the day, sometimes they look pretty scary; Friday we were laughing and joking around with them. The carabinieri even pulled us aside for a picture.

I wish the cop who pulled me over in May would have liked to laugh a little bit.

1. "The “Festa della Repubblica” is the Italian national holiday." Welcome to Italian Week 2009 in Brisbane - THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL. 02 June 2009 .

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.

The other day we did a field exercise, where were split into groups of two and had to lead the class to a fountain somewhere in the city. Eric and I were partners and we decided on Il Fontana dei Tritoni. It's located in Piazza della Bocca della Veritá, and the little garden/park area it is situated in also houses the Temples of the Forum Boarium, Hercules and Portunus. The fountain was created by Carlo Bizzaccheri in 1715. Bizzaccheri was apparently strongly influenced by Bernini in the creation of Fontana dei Tritoni, because of its "theme and position."



After we succesfully navigated the cobblestones of Trastevere and crossed the Tiber to our fountain, Mia let us know what was around us: Bocca della Veritá. It was pure coincidence that we had discussed this just the day before. Legend has it that this "Mouth of Truth" would slam closed if a liar put his hand inside. Of course we all wanted to give it a try, and luckily none of us lost any appendages, but it would have made for a more interesting story if that mouth had closed ...

1. "Fontana dei Tritoni, Rome MyTravelGuide.com." Travel Guides and Hotel Reviews MyTravelGuide.com. 03 June 2009 http://www.mytravelguide.com/attractions/profile-78381605-Italy_Rome_Fontana_dei_Tritoni.html.

2. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.