For my final cultural proof, I decided to do the required one the last week so I could get the time I needed to read the book I picked up for it. During the first two weeks I was here, I scouted out the different book shops around town to see what could be the best place to pick up a book that would add to my experience here in Rome. I went to a couple different shops on the other side of the neighborhood but they didn't have any interesting books in regards to Rome. I didn't want some simple history book about "The fall of Rome" for example. The book needed to add a perspective of the city for me in some way so I could be interested in it.
One day as I was walking home from class, in the corner of my eye I noticed books peering through a window. I couldn't believe I missed this one shop on my first round of checking out book shops! I took a picture of it as posted above. I walked in and peered around for a bit. They had a huge selection of novels pertaining to Roman authors and books about Rome. I found a good selection of literature and grabbed around three books. I sat on one of the seats inside the shop and flipped through the novels to decide which one was the best. I sat their for at least 30 minutes until a man named Aldo approached me and asked,
"You having trouble deciding which one to choose?"
I awkwardly laughed it off.
"Ya, I guess so, do you know about any of these to help me choose?"
"Well, from the looks of what you have, I only have read one of them. The one by Claudia Viggiani is pretty amazing. Are you trying to read this for the joy of reading or for school."
"Both really. I am doing this as a study abroad project but it's self guided, so I get to do things I enjoy."
My interest was peaked. I immediately grabbed the book and closely examined the cover.
"What did you like about the book? I am trying to get a book that helps me connect to the city more."
The man thought for a couple seconds.
"Well, as a local who grew up in the city, it provided a perspective about Rome that I never had thought about before. I always thought of Rome as the city I grew up in, and nothing more. This book allowed me to appreciate where I live and see it through a different set of eyes. I learned to look at things more closely and how to navigate different museums. For you, this might be perfect because it talks a lot about the different landmarks in Rome that your probably interested in. It will also give you a local perspective because I think the author is from Rome. Can I take a look at the book for a second."
Aldo grabbed the book and inspected it. He flipped through some pages and stopped on one.
"Ah! Here, this page. It has one of my favorite quotes from any book I have read. I'll let you find out what it is when you read it."
I took note of the page and grabbed the book back from him. This turned out to be my favorite quote as well.
"I really appreciate it sir. What was your name again?"
"Aldo, and yours?"
"My name is Joe. It was nice to meet you man!"
"You as well!"
This is how the conversation went according to my memory. I expected to grab the book and find some kid in one of my classes to talk to this about but this seemed to suffice. I purchased the book from the shop and took this picture immediately after.
After this, I began to read it over the next few weeks. I read around 30-40 pages a week until I finished up this week. Overall, I have to say that this book really made think. It went outside the box on many ideas I have never thought about before. At the beginning of the novel, the author defines how culture and art is present in Rome. The author points out that museums rapidly become symbols for countries, and are an emblem of their culture. Its a place in which a countries cultural heritage is protected and enjoyed. Museums in cities like New York and London become focal points of cities but the cookie cutter exhibits inside lack other features that characterize Rome. The part that immediately connected me to the author is when she began to say that, "You can wander around Rome for hours without ever going into a museum that charges you an entry fee and find works of ancient sculpture and paintings by artists of Roman, Byzantine and Lombard periods." She also mentions that you can wander around neighborhoods and admire the architecture and the engineering works ranging from the Colosseum to the aqueducts in such a close proximity to one another. As I walk around Rome, I notice this as well. I feel every step I take there is something to admire and look deeply into. If you walk down one street you might find an amazing new church or down another you might find some new ruins that you haven't discovered yet. Just like the mysterious closed doors that line the streets, the whole city is like one giant closed door with so many secrets behind it. Rome just isn't some ordinary old European city and according to my favorite quote from this book, "Rome is its own museum, the museum par excellence, and we should begin to consider it as such."
As the author begins to introduce different locations around the city that she has admired, I just want to note that this author has lived here her whole life. These are carefully hand picked locations that she thinks combines the city with art and architecture. I will go deeply into a few that I thought were very interesting and that I have visited my self. Castel Sant'Angelo for example is talked about in this book. The author actually worked there in the educational department and I like her take on how the fortress is built like a journey through time. As I walked through the structure, I was listening to an audio guide on my phone about the castle like fortress. Its base was built as a tomb of emperor Hadrian during the Roman empire and then it began to be further built as a fortress to protect the city adding its walls and heightening the main column. Lastly, Pope Clement VII built on many apartments and luxury rooms for his stay here as he had to take refuge in the early 1500's. "The journey around its interior is indescribable, particularly you travel through time for hours, from the 2nd century until the present, never failing to marvel at all the many events that have marked it forever and that will remain impressed on our memories," the author explains. When I first went through the structure, I thought of it as one body. However, now I think of it as a layered cake. With many different layers contributing to different parts of history. I appreciate this book for making me think about this building this way. I will post some videos and images I took of me walking through its interior, in particular, the location of where Hadrian was buried.
Video taken inside the room Hadrian was buried in. It was very creepy inside knowing that ancient royalty was buried in the very same room.
Another location that the author goes into detail about is the Pantheon. I really like the way the author carefully explains that paths she makes when walking around different areas of Rome. It really allows me to step into her shoes, and understand what she is seeing without having to guess in what particular spot she is at. For example, I really like the connection I make with her when she says, "Whenever I can, I go for a walk around the Pantheon, for no particular reason. I think its circular shape inspires my movements...I go into the atrium and walk slowly among the columns, zig zagging to and fro. On either side of the entrance are two large niches intended to host the statues of Marcus Agrippa and Octavian Augustus, the later during his lifetime." As I visted the Pantheon the next time, I carefully walked around the exterior a couple of times. I looked and admired how perfectly built the structure is while its round face guided my path. I walked in and tried to notice the niches of where these statues were suppose to be and to my awe they were there. I hadn't noticed them the first couple times. These careful cues allowed me to focus on where I was walking and to take cues of where to look and what to admire, especially the opening at the top. I didn't really understand its purpose until I read this and found out it allows the suns rays to enter and a mortal to ascend to Olympus according to the Ancient Romans. Also, the coffers which offer a perfect on ground illusion actually count up to 28, which was considered the perfect number because it is equal to the sum of its divisors. As a engineering student, I thought this was pretty cool when I read about it!
There are many other sections in this novel that talk about many sculptures around the city. She mentions a lot from the Borgehse Gallery and many in different churches around town. I wasn't particularly interested in many of these sculptures while reading but the way the author described them as being lifelike made me appreciate the art for what they are. She basically attempts to predict the sculptures movements by predicting what was happening before and after the snapshot of the sculpture. She states that a lot people think sculptures are boring because they only think of the present the sculptures show you, but never about what you can interpret outside what is shown. For example in the Palazzo Altemps, there is a sculpture I have never seen before called the Suicidal Galatian. She states that the sculptures "Emotional tension, strength and courage drive the Galatian's upward movement; to avoid a death inflicted by the enemy, he stands to escape their grasp, holding up the body of the woman already dead at his feet. Thrusting off his right foot, the man twists around, getting to his feet and rotating around his torso as he stabs himself in the neck with his dagger, tightly grasped in his right hand severing the carotid artery." This puzzle the author solved from this sculpture is truly amazing and provides me a challenge now everytime I see a new sculpture questioning me about what action is going on from the artists perspective. What helps is that this city is littered with these sculptures, which gives me many opportunities to do this in the museum of Rome itself.
The journey of time through St'Angelo, the steps around the Pantheon, the study of sculptures around the city; these are just some of the many ideas the author has planted into her book that have helped me dive deeper into understanding this city at a different level, the level that the city is museum. As I finished this book, my question of why this city was so interesting to me was answered. Every where at every corner, I can find something that belongs in a museum. I can take some of the methodology the author gave me from her local perspective, to see it even clearer, and its something I will now appreciate every time I walk outside before I have to leave next week. Rome is a special place and it takes a different pair of eyes to see that. Its not dotted with tourist attractions, its a whole tourist attraction in itself.
Source:
Viggiani, Claudia. Rome through My Eyes. Palombi Editori, 2018.