Ostia Antica by Janine Reeves

Last Friday I joined a group of Architectural students with their Professor to spend a day at Ostia Antica. I was very excited about going on this trip as I'd never been before.

Ostia Antica is a huge site which used to be the busy working harbour city of ancient Rome. It was founded in 4th Century BC it became a great port town and later a strategic centre for defence and trade. Barbarian invasions and the outbreak of malaria led to the abandonment of the city in the 5th century AD.  It was slowly buried under many feet of river silt, up to 2nd floor level.

There were 20 baths at one time in this city.  The population was quite large and there were probably travellers passing through.  Hot baths, medium and cold, used in order to open up the pores of the skin to release dirt - then gradually close them up (no soap).  I hadn't realised that the walls were all heated too.  Pipes remain and you can see them inbetween the brick of the wall and the marble.  Many slaves were needed behind the scene's to keep the fires going to heat the water while those above relaxed in the warmth and used the baths as a social meeting and commercial centre to do business. 

The beautiful mosaics which remain are stunning.  The splendor of the city is really easy to visualise as you walk through the streets.  Doorways, shops, the baths, temples, a theatre, columns, you can even explore some of the apartments which open onto a courtyards of gardens, each replicating the other, not so different from today.

My favourite buildings included the bar (complete with fresco of menu, bar, garden with fountain and mosaic flooring.  Fabulous, just empty of contents, what a shame!) and a beautiful villa with marble walls and fountains, and coloured mosaic flooring which I will definitely go back and paint, and the very necessary toilet areas.

Of course I had to ask - were these toilets segregated, apparently some were and some were not. I used the moment to have a rest and use (not literally) the facilities. Very comfortable - a smaller hole for sitting on, and an interesting trough on front of your feet - No, not for gentlemen to use but to bend down and use the running water in the trough, to wet your sponge to wipe your intimate areas (no toilet paper in those days).

This really is a wonderful site, and yet probably nearly half of it has still not been excavated.  This city built of brick has very unusual intricate patterning which may indicate that the bricks would have been left exposed rather than covered over. 

It was a cold, drizzly day with a wind that ate into you but I was in my element.  I loved the trip and my whole being felt as if I was there back in time.  I really felt the elegant splendor of the city and the buzz of the trades people as they went about their daily business.  The beauty, stature, administration and organisation of the Romans, they integrated all types of people and religion into their culture are elements that we can perhaps only wonder at now, as we continue struggle with racial tensions and religious conflict in our own culture.

Hadrian's Villa by Janine Reeves

Last Friday I went off on another site visit; this time to the southern olive-clad slopes near Tivoli, as a guest of the Pantheon Institute. This trip was planned as an architectural analysis of the site led by Professor James Cooper who I hope was delighted to have me tag along - after all - to be an artist you have to understand the planning or the skeleton before you can create the skin or the form to portray or create art.......

The weather forecast, I have to say was wet, heavy rain and cloudy - and it was! In fact during the day apart from the students I went with, we saw a total of four other people over the whole massive site, obviously most people decided not to be out in the open site all day with no shelter or cafeteria to hide in!

So, I know you are thinking its just a villa: but this is Hadrian's Villa built by Emperor Hadrian, starting from 117A.D., as an imperial palace far away from the city of Rome. It covers at least 80 hectares, more or less equivalent to Pompeii.So it was not just the Emperor who would stay there but most of the senate, guard and all the slaves needed to work the villa and heat the baths etc.

So layered up with numerous t-shirts, jumper and at least two pairs of socks, off I go with my paints and sketch pad -

I have to be honest, I was really apprehensive about joining architectural students from Penn State University, what do I know about Architecture, but it was absorbing and I really loved learning about how advanced the Roman architecture was - the loading for the support systems and beautiful elegant arches - so rather than looking at a lot of ruins - I was virtually transformed into this beautiful vista of elegant marble villas, beautiful cascades of fountains, sun drenched windows, startling coloured flooring and hot baths (I was most definitely NOT thinking about the cold or tepid baths today!)

From a brief passage of the writer Aurelio Vittore, it can be deduced that the Emperor took part directly in the design of the Villa, confirming another piece of information claiming Hadrian was both architect and mastermind behind the complex.

My favourite site was the Water Court (Piazza d'Oro) - a complex of areas for formal occasions. Professor Cooper refers to it as "one of the most extraordinary constructions of the Villa with its varied and articulated plan and architectural structure.Access to the building is by way of an octagonal shaped vestibule with alternating rectangular and semicircular niches. The roof consists of a cupola as sections supported by arches on ledges, ending in a circular, central opening...."

I felt very peaceful here as I sat on top of a wall and did a quick watercolour sketch using colour to portray an expression - it had already stopped raining by now and the sun was starting to break through...the silence of the site from gangs of tourists or traffic made me realise how much our lives are dominated by noise and we do not give ourselves time or space to think in silence and simply "just be in the moment"

Hadrian had taken this thought and created his own circular island villa (Maritime Theatre) within the complex - a circular canal of water  surrounded a small island on which a miniature villa was constructed, complete with a curved vestibule, a central fountain, annexed rooms and small baths with an apodyterium, frigidarium, calidarium and latrine.(Thats the tepid, cold, hot baths and toilet)

Now I would like an island escape like that - space to be creative.....maybe I will just have to settle for less.

I have learnt so much about the Romans in the last two weeks - and I really feel it is helping me understand the grandeur with which the period evolved, both from a political and administrative means, as well as an artistic appreciation which the Romans took from the Greeks and have given us today such splendor to look back on.

Rome experience by Lori Ambrusch

 

It is hard to choose a specific story that represents my experience in Rome.  I have found that my time here has not been made up of individual memories, but rather it has been one running dialogue that continues to become more complex daily with different tangents entering the conversation.  When I first arrived, I followed my map.  After a couple days, I would put the map away while walking with friends.  A week later I would venture out by myself, and from there I started wandering down paths as they called to me without being concerned about getting lost. 

I now speak with locals in the little Italian I know, greet the “gelato man” by name, and pick up groceries as needed while passing by shops and markets.  Now that I am fully comfortable with the routines of everyday life, I can focus on exploring more of the city and participating in the countless cultural events without having to be concerned about whether I will find my way or be able to communicate.   

Some of my favorite Italian outings include eating on outside patios, walking through the parks and rose gardens I find during my travels, and enjoying a coffee in the crisp morning on my terrace as the sun rises.  I have grown so comfortable here that it is hard to believe that I am still a relatively new visitor.  When I return home to “what I know,” I feel that it will be a shock to see just how much my patterns have changed.  While I may not be able to stay in Rome forever, I will certainly never forget the time I have spent here nor the lasting relationships I have made. 
                              
                                                                                                        Lori Ambrush


Thanks to Lori for her story about Rome. She enjoyed the free breakfast that everybody can win writing a story for our blog and she sent us a picture of that delicious experience.

Saint Valentine’s Day

We have to go back to the Roman Empire to discover the origins of Saint Valentine’s Day. At the time, on February 15th, the Romans celebrated Lupercus and Fauno who were the gods protecting the harvest and the cattle, as well as wishing prosperity and fertility. On the evening before the feast all the girls of marriageable age used to put a card with their name inside a jar. Every young man would draw out a name which he would have to pair with in the sense of dancing and singing together her for the whole of the celebrations Many, inevitably, fell in love and married.
On 496 A.D. Pope Gelasio cancelled this pagan rite replacing it with a day commemorating St. Valentine. Valentine had been a bishop who accepted marrying young couples even if they didn’t get the permission from the Emperor.
Saint Valentine himself, bishop and martyr is the patron of the city of Terni, Umbria.
Many anecdotes linked with Saint Valentines explain well the reason way he has been chosen later by the Church as the patron protector of lovers. An episode says that one day Valentine saw two lovers arguing next of his garden, therefore distracted by their voices, Valentines went up to them and gave a rose asking to hold it together without sting. The two lovers made peace and were so happy that wanted Valentine itself to celebrate their marriage. After them, many other couples went to St. Valentines intercede for their love. So he determined to dedicate the 14th of every month to receive pairs in love.

In Italy and Rome some events took place on Saint Valentine’s day, among them: “For Valentine’s Day Fall In Love With Art”, thanks to this initiative couples can enter state monuments and museums paying just one ticket.
Since this year Valentine’s Day falls in the middle of Carnival, the Roman Carnival organized a Grand Ball in Piazza del Popolo.
In Italy the single people’s day is celebrated as well. Several years ago a group of Italian single tired of being in the shadows for St. Valentine's day celebrations, have proclaimed their own saint and feast day: February 15th, Saint Faustino’s day.

Even though Saint Valentine, the patron of lovers, was an Italian bishop, in Italy there is not much celebration of Valentine's Day as in the United States.
The Pantheon Institute decided to celebrate it, offering to our students a light snack with heart-shaped biscuits and some drinks, we hope that our students appreciated it!

Let it Snow in Rome

When on Friday we looked out the window of the Pantheon Institute Office we were very surprised to see so many snowflakes falling: it was an unusual and amazing sight for us!!!

As you can guess, this weather was somehow unusual for Rome, that is usually blessed by a moderate climate. The Italian capital had not experienced the heavy snow falls for a long period of time, 1986 was reported to be the last heavy snowfall that has dropped in the city.
Our students had the opportunity to assist to a historic event on Friday—the first heavy snowfall in Rome in 24 years!!!

The snow caught Rome unprepared, as a matter of fact it caused some problems: some museums and historical sites, including Colosseum, were closed so as schools and public offices, cars without tire chains were ordered off the road, many houses were without electricity, thousands of people were trapped on trains throughout Italy.

Despite the many practical problems, the general delight of the citizens was palpable. People had snowball fights, snowboarded at the Circus Maximus, made snowmen in the piazzas and contemplated with renewed curiosity and appreciation the many ancient wonders of Rome under the snow.

Surely seeing a white and soft blanket covering the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and Navona Square is a worthwhile experience, so our students are very lucky to be here in Rome now!!!

Welcome to spring semester students!

Spring semester has begun at the Pantheon Institute in a rather unusual day: January 6^th, the Epiphany, which is in Italy the day of “La Befana”, the Good Witch of Christmas who flies over the rooftops of Rome on her broom, and brings gifts to the good children: so the Befana brought us forty-three marvelous new students!

Since their arrival students have been attending orientation sessions, acclimating themselves to life in one of the most exciting cities in the world thanks to the great help of our Italian Professors Barbara and Maurizio, who showed the most important areas of Rome and gave them some useful tips on local life.

The Academic Orientation was on Friday, January 13^th , and Professor Sabatello introduced all our faculty and staff. There was the chance also to try a real Italian breakfast and the delicious Roman cornetti (croissants).

Besides the required academic courses, our students could choose among several interesting elective subjects, such as: Italian Culture, Art, Archeology and Digital Photography (more information on our website page: http://216.14.127.190/spring.php). They will also participate in several field trips, and have already gone to Villa Adriana and Ostia; soon they will visit beautiful Italian cities such as Florence, Venice and Pompeii.

The Pantheon Institute student services staff organized also the first extra-curricular activities, among them a bowling night: some of the students went with Elisa to the bowling alley and spent there a nice evening! Other interesting and enjoying activities will follow, among them cooking class, meetings with Italian students, nights at the theater and concerts.

With Rome as a background, no way to get bored: and the Pantheon Institute will make its best to make also this semester a great experience for all our students!!!

Keep in touch Pantheon Institute!!!

November 3rd was the first day of my internship at the Pantheon Institute. I was pretty anxious that day, because it was the first time I tried this kind of experience and, as every time you under take a new activity you are riddle with doubts. I was especially worried about my English. I hadn’t practiced it for ages and I didn’t feel confident at all, but no excuse, this time I had to try it! Today, when the experience is about to end, I can say that my early concerns have turned now into the feeling that time has run too fast here. But let’s start from the beginning!

During my stay at the Pantheon Institute I had to carry out different tasks, such as checking the information on the student handbook, filing, writing brochures of tourist information. Leafing through the pages of travel guides and navigate through the tourist websites, I found out about amazing places in my country I knew very little about before doing this research. Now I am an expert in beaches, local food and public transportation of the places I made a study on, and I am ready to take up a career as a tourist guide. Joking apart, that was a very pleasant task to carry out. By the way, I apologize for any language mistake you could come across reading the brochures!

The language tandem with American students was a very nice experience too. Organizing the event and joining it was really fun. It gave me the opportunity to practice the language and, least but not last, to meet American guys!

Another thing I was asked to do, was that of making sure that the discounts to local partners offered by the Pantheon Institute to the students, were still valid. That meant having to walk for hours through the shops of Trastevere, as a tourist in my own city. What’s better? I have always loved my city, especially Trastevere.

Living it in the early morning, when the air smells of freshly baked bread, old men meet for their coffee and newspaper, and you wander through the alleyways and the ancient buildings, made me feel so good and inspired! Not to speak about the feeling I used to have at the beginning, every time I walked out the door of the school and found myself surrounded by music and foreign voices speaking out loud. I felt I was on holiday in my own town!

If I had to describe this experience in just one word, I would say “journey”. A journey through Italy while writing the tourist brochures; a journey through the ancient Rome; and a journey through my “English world”, realizing thanks to the several jobs I did here as an intern, what I know and what I still need to improve at a linguistic level. And in this short journey I have been together with very nice people who have warmly welcomed me since the very beginning of the training, making the job easier than I thought it to be. Defenitively a positive experience! Keep in touch Pantheon Institute!!!