|
|
 |
|
Exit, no Exit |
|
written
by liu9700 / 10.24.2005 |
|
|
| |
Assignment |
| |
Since arriving in Rome I have walked the length of the Spanish Steps three times, but not once have I taken a pause before reaching their end. I just don’t find the steps an attractive place to linger. Crowded, noisy and ridden with pushy rose peddlers, it is simply not the place to find a peaceful moment. However, in absence of these annoyances I could see how the layout of the steps would promote lingering. The architectural features along the descendent provide unique small niches for visitors to rest in. Each niche provides a different seat, view and amount of shade. If I ever return to the Spanish Steps, perhaps in the quiet early morning before the masses have arrived, my detour would be to stop on the first landing, lean against the railing and take in the view.
Santa Maria della Concezione, Via Veneto and the Spanish Steps are similar in that they all focus on spectacle. The monks of the church chose to display their dead in a form reverent to their beliefs and way of life rather than bury them away from sight. In its time Via Veneto was the place you went if you wanted to be seen. Even today it is trendy and fashionable, known for shopping and street side cafés. Part of the unattractiveness of the Spanish Steps for me was this element of seeing and being seen. Those on the steps people-watch passersby in the piazza below, while those in the piazza photograph the crowds on the stairs. The street that leads out from the piazza is lined with big label designer shops, another element of the culture of public appearance.
Despite the similar focus the two sites have their obvious differences as well. It is interesting that the crypt in Santa Maria della Concezione consists of a hallway with one opening that serves as both the entrance and the exit for visitors. The one-ended hallway of the crypt mirrors its notably medieval design. The Via Veneto and the Spanish Steps have been able to change with the times due in part to the fact that people are continuous moving through the space, often en route to other places in their day to day travels. The structure of the crypt, on the other hand, both physically and thematically prevents the display from ever being changed or extended.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
