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Exploring the Corners of Rome on Foot |
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written
by leahs2 / 10.24.2005 |
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Part 1: |
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| My photograph. |
| The Lionness at Santa Maria in Cosmedian |
| Phew! Kayanna is safe. |
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| My photo. |
| Me at Parco Sevello. |
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| My photo. |
| Inscription at British Cemetry |
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The lioness of Santa Maria in Cosmedian carries a legend: when I put my hand inside the lioness’ mouth, if I have ever lied then my hand will be cut off. As I stuck my hand inside the lioness’ mouth I felt the moment of uncertainty and fear and finally a bit of relief that the stone mouth had not shut down on my arm. I felt the smooth surface of the mouth in relation to the grainy surface of the cheeks and realized how many people had carried out the same motions. This is an incredibly successful monument because it forces the individual to interact with the church and creates a moment of questioning life.
Parco Sevello is perhaps my favorite location in all Rome. At the edge of the park, at the top of the Aventine Hill, I can look out over the panoramic of Rome. It is bathed in a dusty haze of early morning light and carries a cool breeze. Despite the proximity of a busy street below us, the height and immensity of the view (a full 180 degrees) makes the city seem other-wordly. This section of the wall juts out from the main park so we are suspended above the city – the wall was designed to push us in to the city. This is my first breath of air – in the soft shade of nearby trees and with the entire city laid out before me. I am relaxed and can feel the internal pulse of my heart that moves my body in the dizzying affect of this height. This is the beauty of Rome for me. I could sit here forever and write this paper forever and still I would only be able to begin to describe the scene, an ocean laid out in front of me. It is timeless and the panorama pulls me in – I have no personal intentionality left, only the desire of the panoramic. It clears my mind, like an awake REM sleep, making me part of the land I walk on.
The architecture of the British cemetery forces the visitor to interact with the space. In order to read the dedication of the church one must stand inside the dome and turn in a circle: the inscription is laid in a full three-hundred-sixty degrees. As I turn around and look up I am slightly disoriented and shaken awake. When I continue to walk along the orderly rows of graves, my mind is active. I read the countless gravestones: name, age, comment. Many are 21, my age, or younger. The intentionality of the inscriptions makes me interact with them, and feel respect for their sacrifice.
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Part 2: |
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| My photo. |
| Clerestory Windows of Santa Sabina |
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In summertime the heat in Rome can be the most intense I have every experienced. After living here just a couple weeks, I can fully understand the “riposa” period. At this time between 1:00pm and 4:00pm (especially in less touristy cities), shops close down and people return home to rest because the midday heat is intolerable. It can be hot, humid, bright, and burning all at once. I have found that my favorite times in Rome are in the morning (around 9:00am) and at the setting sun (around 7:30pm). The city feels more gently, kind, and enjoyable in the soft, cool dusk.
A church such as Santa Sabina has an incredibly large interior space. Yet it is cool inside – the light coming in through the clerestory windows is all that is necessary to light the space. The angled lighting on the columns highlights the cooling darkness. The darkness of the interior makes the church a completely separate environment from the harsh glare of the exterior. Today the dark, cool interior of the church is a respite from the harsh external world, as it has been for centuries.
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Part 3: |
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Before entering Piazza Testaccio I am relaxed from our “long walk” yet famished. I am a traveler of Rome, who after contemplating various gardens and cemeteries, is ready for refreshment. I am ready to be treated to another signature experience of Rome: the marketplace full of ripe fruit, fresh pizza, and local shoppers.
First we must weave through a row of shops to get into the Piazza. I am drawn in first by the aroma of fresh fruit and the rows upon rows of colorful, layered foods. My first decision is to buy an apple and enjoy the sweet, nourishing taste in my mouth. I then circle a bit, watching people interact, and noticing the colors: deep green, bright red, fresh orange, deep purple. I find our class at a bakery stand and order a sumptuous pizza with dripping white cheese and dark ground beef on a thin crust of bread. We stood amongst the stands, enjoying what the Roman’s do best: pizza and fresh fruit.
I leave with Patricia and we walk to catch the bus. I feel that I have left a miniature world. I am full and satisfied, happy with my authentic piazza experience. But I am sad to have left the fantasy marketplace, the piazza that felt like make-believe, but was actually real.
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