Capitoline Museum & Campidoglio

I had been here in Central Italy for over a year and had yet visited the Capitoline Museum in Rome. Check! Yesterday, I headed down to the Campidoglio and spent three hours in the museum. I have become SUCH a classicist and have such an amazing appreciation for sculpture, much more so than painting, but still, I'm a huge geek now.

Although this is just a model, it shows how the Campidoglio is laid out. Designed by Michelangelo, physically it faces AWAY from the forum and metaphorically AWAY from ancient world and TOWARDS the renaissance. The buildings on either side are the Palazzo dei Conservatori (right) and Palazzo Nuovo (right). Both of which house the Capitoline Museum. The building in the center is the mayoral seat of Rome. The statue in the middle, Marcus Aurelius.

This 10 foot high frieze was removed from its original location and is now in the museum. I love these scenes. Here we have Hadrian (bearded on horse) giving clemency.

Brutus, yes, that Brutus!

The Capitoline She-wolf! The wolf itself is thought to have been created in Etruscan times (remember they were great bronze workers). Later on, the two babies were added to complete the myth that the twins, Romulus and Remus who were abandoned by their mother and eventually to found Rome, were raised and sucked by a she-wolf. This is the symbol of Rome.

Bernini's Medusa

This HUGE bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius is the only one to survive to the present. It's only because the church thought it represented their benefactor, Constantine.

I like this bust of the Emperor Commodus because it actually should have been destroyed. He was subject to "Damnae Memoria" where all references to him and likenesses of him were to be erased and destroyed. But this one survives!

An ancient Roman game, rules and objective unknown.

There is an ENTIRE ROOM in the museum dedicated to the busts of Roman Emperors. The two males on top are Nero and Agrippa (not an emperor actually). Juxtaposed below is Septimius Severus who centuries later displays the fashion at the time, beards and long hair.

The Dying Gaul, which I studied in Art History last year. Intense emotion of a warrior, obviously strong, accepting death. Hellenism, baby.

The light in the room was perfect, so I snapped him from all angles.

As I was walking out of the Campidoglio, I saw this up in one of the open windows. It's the statue of Cupid and Psyche kissing. I think its great that the curators have such a sense of humor to put it right where everyone can see it through the window.

I left the museum and it was a gorgeous day, so I paid the 7 Euro to take the elevator up to the top of the Vittoriano right next door. It's totally touristy, but for this view, it's worth it.

Looking west to the Pantheon, Castel San Angelo and the Vatican.

Gnocchi

Here was dinner the other night. GNOCCHI, made from scratch. First, boil potatoes and them mash them.

Knead with dough! As I have learned, the potatoes in gnocchi replace the eggs of pasta.

Roll and cut.

Boil and five minutes later, I'm eating! Another typical night at Anna's house!

Friday Night Bridge

About a month ago, one of the host Mom's found out I was a bridge player. She invited me over to play with her family one Thursday night and I accepted. Little did I know that I was being tried out to come and play with her Friday night bridge club. Apparently, I passed because the next Friday night, I walk into a large room with over 20 tables, each of them numbered, and each with a bidding box. On one wall is a large screen television which reports scores of the tournament being held that night. These people are SERIOUS. By the way, at 40 years old, I am clearly the youngest person in the room and one of two non-Italians.

On my first Friday night a few weeks ago, I was AGAIN being tested. Lucilla, the host mom, has a regular partner Ida. The usually play together. Lucilla and I each played half the time with Ida. We did ok. Apparently, I passed another test because the second Friday night I played, I came to the game "stag." Lucilla set me free. I was paired with another guy, Peter, who is a Welshman who has retired to Italy and speaks perfect Italian. Before we started he bombarded with me about strategy. Do I play the Stayman convention (WHAT??????) how do I respond to his opening of 1 "senza". It took me a while to figure out that "senza" means "No Trump".

I returned again to play last night, this time Lucilla and I played together. I'm not sure how the scoring works, but we finished third in the tournament. And, as what happens, people recognized me and I chat with Franco and Tito, in Italian of course. But, I generally get lost when chat turns to bridge or the rehashing of hands. The other thing I find funny is when married couples play together and start bickering at each other. I just sit there and enjoy the show.

This bridge thing is fun. I definitely need to practice and be more aggressive in my bidding. It's hard work on Friday nights to be upping my game in Bridge as well as trying to do it in a foreign language. But, it's AWESOME and something I will definitely remember as a highlight of living in Italy.

Calcata

The hill town of Calcata 50 km North of Rome

It's got an interesting history. Essentially it was condemned in the 1930's by the Italian government because of its precarious location on soft tufa stone. (Come on now, seriously? These cities have been located on this kind of stone for hundreds of years!) So the residents were moved to a newly built town and this one abandoned. In time, artists and squatters moved in and it's now a hipster artist community. You can read about it in this New York Times article.

I actually thought it was not NEARLY as charming and interesting as Civita di Bagnoregio. I found Calcata much too touristy and no one spoke Italian. I guess I'm become jaded, or at least annoyed by tourism, of which you find none here in Viterbo!

Geman Host Family Meets Italian Host Mom

Uli (my German host brother from 1986) and his family came to visit Italy for a week. On their last night, Anna and I invited them over for dinner. Uli, not understanding that if you have a clean plate in an Italian home, it means that you will be served MORE food, ate too fast and ate the equivalent of two entire four course meals! That's called experiential learning!!!

My role that evening was to translate between Italian and English. At the end of the night, Jonah, Uli and Alex's son, said he thought Anna was always angry with me because she was always yelling. The boy needs to learn something about Italian mothers and the way they communicate!

Caligula's Boats

Sometimes you just go along with something and you get something cool. This past weekend was a family trip to the Castelli Romani area, just southeast of Rome. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but sometimes cool stuff just comes ones way.

From the top of Rocca di Papa, this is Lake Nemi, in the crater of an old volcano. We had a hike down to it and ended in the town of Nemi.

The trail was on a pre-Roman empire sacred path. This is something fun!

So why is Lake Nemi so fascinating historically? Back in the 1st century AD, the Roman Emperor Caligula built two ENORMOUS boats that floated on this lake. One was a pleasure palace and the other a floating temple. Due to his "damnae memoriae" (that itself was controversial) everything associated with him was destroyed, or in this case sunk. The boats sat at the bottom of the lake for 1800 years.

In the late 1920's, Mussolini, in an attempt to associate himself with the grandeur of Rome had the ships removed from the water BY DRAINING THE LAKE!! The boats, or the structural remnants of them were in decent shape and historians were able to get a sense of the purpose and engineering. Then a museum was built to house the ships, right here on the shores of Lake Nemi.

Each boat filled this Facist era (style) this size. There are two halls, one for each boat. However, in 1944, either retreating Germans set fire to the boats or squatters set an unfortunate fire and the boats, as well as much of the building was destroyed. The boats we see here are 1/5 the size of the ones that were lost.

Myself and Gabi C. standing in front of what is called Boat 2. The black part is the boat itself and then you can see the brown cross planks. It was upon this platform the temple stood. How cool is that?

Istanbul

This weekend, a three day weekend, and it was off to Istanbul.

Landed at the alternative airport, got dropped off at Taksim Square in the new, modern part of town, and then walked into the old town. This is the view as you cross the Galata Bridge.

The Hagia Sophia is built right on the highest point on the spit of land that juts into the Bosphorus. Built in the time of Justinian, at the height of the Byzantine Empire, it has been a Christian Basilica, an Orthodox church, a mosque and now is a museum.

Mosques have minarets. I learned that they were used for the call to prayer. Today, it's done through speakers and microphones. The buttresses were added on later to help support the building.

The Hagia Sophia is meant to be absolutely stunning, and the size and grandeur does take your breath away.

I find that inside is a "puzzle" as there are half domes within half domes.

A later addition to the interior are these large "medallions" attached in the corners with the names of Islamic religious leaders. The Hagia Sophia has been a multi-purpose building.

Because in the Muslim religion, there are not to be representations of people, the original mosaics have been plastered over. However, some of them were removed during the "iconoclastic period" when religious leaders felt that portraying the divine in picture form made them "idols/icons."

Some survived.

This one is from a later time.

I notice that the quality of details of the face were better. Improvement in artistic technique. I have to admit, that I actually am starting to like Byzantine art.

Ok, I admit that I am a bit of a photo geek and take my share of photos. But some people take it to far. I have to take a picture of this man, who is taking a photo of a photo exhibit. Really?

Right across the street from the Hagia Sophia is the cistern that was built in the 6th century AD during Justinian's reign. 336 columns in the area of two football fields to hold 27 million gallons of water. AWESOME.

In 1741, the sultan built the Cagalougu Hamam as a gift to the city.

This is a picture from their website, but I had to show it. Sauna room first, then I laid on this heated slab of marble in the middle of the room and got worked over and then scrubbed down (HARD). My guy, Myron, was peeling these balls of black dead skin. I was a bit embarassed. Then an awesome soap bath.

The Sultanahmet (AKA The Blue Mosque) sits next to the Hagia Sophia. They don't actually face each other, but are side by side. In both, they were designed to you enter facing east.

The courtyard to the Sultanahmet with the main entrance for those entering for prayer.

Ablution, the ritual cleaning of feet.

We visitors (as well as those coming for prayer) are required to take off our shoes. So much of Islamic life is lived with bare feet. I couldn't do it.

When I travel, I don't go to the fancy restaurants, but I like eating food of the street. I love the fish sandwiches.

So, I've always wondered why kebabs are always "doner". Doner means "spin." And I've never seen the kebab before it was cooked before. Here it is. Who knew?

The grand sights of Istanbul are in the Sultanahmet district, across the Golden Horn is the "new district". Historically, this is where foreigners lived and it's where all the embassies are located, but most of them have moved to Ankara as that is now the capital.

The Galata Tower is built on the highest point of the new district. It was built by the Genoese during the period when they were given ownership of land and waterfront on the other side of the Golden Horn.

The Bosphorus is a busy waterway. I took a cruise up the Bosphorus and this tanker followed right behind us.

There are two bridges that cross the Bosphorus. Bridges that connect Europe and Asia.

At the north end of the Bosphorus, at the opening to the Black Sea!

Looking south down the Bosphorus towards Istanbul.