Saturday, July 18th: Our Final Day in Orvieto

Saturday marked our final day in quaint Orvieto. We woke up to the best breakfast in Italy to date: pastries, cakes, cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, mini-sandwiches—even an espresso machine. After a delicious breakfast, we met in the lobby and said goodbye to our lovely Hotel, the Grand Italia.




For our site visit Lisa took us all down to the St. Patrick Well. While she was buying tickets we all met for a group picture!




Before entering the well Lisa gave us a brief talk to better put the well into context. After the sack of Rome, Pope Clement VII took refuge in Orvieto. While in Orvieto he built the well to ensure a continuous water supply to the city, even in conflict. The sixty two meter well was finished in 1537. It has the shape of a double helix, so that water can be transported in and out of the well efficiently.

The well was eerie and cool, and climbing up was a real hike! Here’s up the well from the bottom:



After visiting the well took the opportunity to check out the amazing views and take pictures. Here's a nice view of the wall that surrounds Orvieto:



Next we had a couple hours free to roam (not Rome. Haha!) around the city before we had to catch the train. Some of us decided to climb the bell tower. The tower is forty seven meters tall and the highest point in all of Orvieto, so naturally the view was excellent.



The tower’s original bells date from 1313, but in 1875 a mechanical clock was installed as a gift from the city. While we were up top, we got the privilege of hearing the bells ring. They were loud, but beautiful.

During the free time others decided to browse the lovely ceramic shops. Orvieto is a town full of artisans and their small shops line the streets. Saldi is still going on, so a few lucky girls did some Italian shopping it the dress shops along the main street.

After our free time we grabbed a panino for the road and grudgingly left Orvieto to make the trip back to Rome. Orvieto was a truly beautiful town; with a slow and relaxing life, it was a much needed change of pace for us all. It's always great to come home though!

Ciao tutti,

Sheida Aalami

Thursday, July 16th

Our group started the day off with a trip to Vatican City for two presentations. The first was a very interesting report given by Alex about the Piazza di San Pietro (St. Peter's Square), which was designed by Bernini and commemorates the place where St. Peter was martyered (his bones are beneath the Basilica). In the middle is an Egyptian obelisk, flanked by two fountains and colonnades all around, with St. Peter's Basilica as the focal point. Bernini's Baroque design focused on creating a unique experience for the viewer, and his use of shapes and symmetry definitely achieved this.

The grand Piazza di San Pietro-this picture does not even capture it fully. The fountains would be on the left and the right, and the colonnades that you see would be wrapping around the outside in a big circle.

Alex enlightening us about Bernini's Piazza di San Pietro.

After spending some time outside in the Piazza, we went inside the Basilica for another presentation. C'Havala taught us all about Bernini's additions to the church: the bronze baldachinno in the center and the marble statues in the niches surrounding the baldachinno. These were both commissioned by Urban VIII, a member of the Barberini family-therefore, the family's signature symbol of the bee can be seen all over the baldachinno. We have been learning a lot in Art Histrory about patronage and how those who sponser artworks usually have some personal motive in mind, which this presentation definitely tied into.

C'Havala eloquently presenting in the Basilica

Inside of St. Peter's Basicila-you can see the baldacchino up front and center.

After a break for lunch and some down time, we headed over to the Rome Center to hear the last two independent project presentations. The first, by Alexandra, Yogesh, Aaron, and C'Havala, covered the life and paintings of Caravaggio, a revolutionary and controversial artist. The group showed us selections of his work and discussed the history, style, meaning, and controversy of each. Next we heard from Maggie, Mayme, Alina, and Melanie about Bernini's "The Ecstasy of St. Theresa." We learned about Theresa's life, the commission for the sculpture, the details of the sculpture itself, and the church surrounding the sculpture. They were both quite interesting and sparked some lively discussion.

When the presentations were finished, we all moved down a floor to Mona's apartment for aperitivo (an Italian version of happy hour, with snack foods and drinks-usually eaten as a precursor to dinner) to celebrate being finished with our independent projects. It was BYOB, and Mona provided meats, cheeses, bread, desserts... needless to say it was delicious, and I think it served as more than just appetizers for most of us!

Today marks the one-week countdown until our program ends-next Thursday is the last day of instruction. It will be another fun and busy week to look forward too!

Friday, July 17th, Off to Orvieto!

Ciao Rigazzi!

Right from the get-go our adventure to Orvieto certainly did not lack any excitement. As we boarded our train early this morning, there was a sudden episode of extreme confusion. Although there were no assigned seats in the car, a group of five or six women speaking in fast paced Italian desperately tried to convince us we were in their seats. Pointing to our tickets and then to our seats, we tried to push past the women to ease their worries and select a different seat. Little did we know, the confusion was an orchestrated scene so the women would have an opportunity to quickly and slyly slip their hands into our belongings. Thankfully, the passport and wallet stolen from Andrea's purse was caught at the door! Here is a picture of Andrea triumphantly holding her rescued passport. We ALL definitely learned a big lesson about train etiquette today.

After a train, tram and bus ride, we finally arrived at our hotel in Orvieto. Orvieto is a medieval hilltown north of Rome known for its beautiful scenery, pottery and food! After a short meeting, we dropped our bags and headed out for a "pick me up"- cappuccino. From 12:00pm-3:30pm we were turned loose to explore, discover the most picturesque viewing point and eat some delicious Umbrian food. This is a picture overlooking the lush and green countryside outside the city walls. The richly vegetative backdrop was a welcomed change from the bustling city. We soon discovered that Orvieto has a much different personality than Roma. Around 1:00pm, the doors of stores were swung closed, the curtains drawn and the store owners retreated for an afternoon siesta. The abandoned alleys had a much different feeling that the "never sleeping" streets in Roma. This siesta period did, however, make it much more difficult to find a restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we strolled a bit more and then met the rest of the class in front of the Duomo.

The zebra-stripped cathedral with a mismatched facade stands beautifully in the center of Orvieto. Similar to the cathedrals seen in Florence and Sienna, this cathedral boasted of beautifully barrel-vaulted ceilings and intricate tile floors. However, Florence and Sienna's duomos don't have the jaw-dropping San Brizio chapel. The chapel is covered in boarderline "SciFi" frescoes that depict the last judgment. One half of the room devoted to the angels of heaven and the other to the demons of hell. The chapel stirs uncomfortable emotions and implies an unavoidable fate through techni-color demons, idealized human figures and flamboyant Renaissance outfits. For the remainder of the afternoon, we had the freedom to explore the city more thoroughly. Nick, Anand and I decided to climb to the top of the clock tower for the best view in town. It was a lazy afternoon of sitting, chatting and enjoying the Umbrian sun.

We then, cleaned ourselves up and headed out for a group feast at Antico Bucchero. Twenty euro goes a lot further in Orvieto than it did in Florence, so most of us were able to order a Primi, Secondi AND dessert. The choices were diverse and extremely tasty. I personally enjoyed a homemade pasta with veggies and sirloin with a balsamic reduction, and of course, tiramisu for dessert! Notice Ben at the end of the table-- he must be REALLY enjoying his primi :)

After dinner, many of us went on a evening stroll. The stars were endless in the Umbrian countryside and finding a good place to watch shooting stars was the perfect finale to a great day. Can't hardly wait for tomorrow!

Ciao.

July 14th, Day of Presentations

Wednesday started out with Mona's class on gift and sacrifice, where we were lucky enough to hear two group presentations, one on Agamemnon, and another on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. We discussed theories of sacrifice as they applied to both stories and then compared them to modern day ideas of justice. Both groups were great!

After Mona's class we had a quick break to grab lunch at Ruggeri's, go to the market for dinner supplies, or more likely practice for presentations. With independent study projects due this week, everyone was a little bit busy, and most of us spent our free time studying inside rather then venturing out into the very hot weather.

In the afternoon, we had two art history presentations, mine on the street shrines dedicated to the virgin Mary, and Laura's on Piazza Navona. My presentation involved a lot of walking around, and at one point some people found themselves a little lost. But they caught up with us in time to hear all about the miraculous Madonnelle that protect the Roman streets.

After all that time walking in the hot sun, people were very excited to relax in the shade and listen to Laura tell us about Pizza Navona and the amazing Bernini fountain that stands in the middle. It represents rivers from the four corners of the earth, and is ornately decorated with all types of animals. Quick test: can you find the armadillo?

It's actually the dragon-like animal in the center-right of the second photo. Bernini didn't know what an armadillo actually looked like, so he made it up. And thus ends another busy day in Rome. Tonight the girls in the campo apartments are preparing for their independent projects or going to visit the Piazza Navona apartment.

Ciao for today!

Another busy day in another busy week!

Tuesday was all about the ceiling paintings. We started the day off with a short hike up to the Palazzo Barberini. Nikil taught the class all about the Barberini family and their rise and fall from power. Inside the palazzo we saw an impressive ceiling fresco by Pietro da Cortona called "Divine Providence". Nikil filled us all in on the characters and symbolism within the fresco.


Once we finished our snapping applause for Nikil's finished presentation, we moved on to the rest of the Palazzo Barberini and its other amazing works of Art. Lisa took us into the museum's current storage room to explain its ceiling fresco - which she had researched for her master's degree. I wish any room in my house was half as beautiful as the museum's closet!

After unveiling all of the secrets to the fresco, we wound our way back through the art museum wing of the palazzo. We saw Raphael's "The Baker's Daughter" and learned the romantic story behind it. Raphael was in love with the baker's daughter, but was engaged to the niece of a cardinal. Art restorers discovered that Raphael had painted a ring on the wedding finger of the baker's daughter and then painted over it. They have recently uncovered the originally painted ring and we all got to see the hidden token of Raphael's love.


After the Palazzo Barberini, Lisa took us all out for coffee at Tazza d'Oro. We were quite the mob going into the coffee bar, but the baristas handled our 25 orders with amazing speed. It was absolutely delicious! Several people bought ground coffee to take home with them.


That afternoon was day two of our independent project presentations. Laura, Alex, Anand, and Elroy taught the class all about funerary monuments and its evolution from the time of the Etruscans to current popes.


Then Ben, Michelle, Cat, and Erin taught us all about Italian poetry and its evolution through time.
By the time presentations were over, everyone was ready to get out of those uncomfortable conference room chairs and go home and relax for a while before having to start on all of the other projects and readings that are dominating our time this week.

Ciao, tutti!
Melanie Drake

July 10th, More Florentine Adventures

Our last full day in Florence was a blast! We were busy, as usual, beginning our day with a tour of the Medici Palace. Lisa pointed out the technique of rustication on the outside facade employed by Cosimo de Medici when he had it built in the mid 15th century. Inside, the main attraction was the Magi Chapel, which houses a famous frescoe by Benozzo Gozzoli. The walls of the chapel are covered in a beautiful and intricate cycle of frescoes which depict the biblical scene of the Magi’s journey to Bethlehem. We learned that the famous Medici patriarchs Lorenzo, Piero, and Cosimo were actually painted into the scene, proof of their influence over the art they commissioned. Lisa also pointed out that Gozzoli had included himself in the painting twice, along with a huge procession of the Medici family’s friends and allies. Overall, Gozzoli’s masterpiece definitely sent the message that it paid to be on the good side of the powerful Medicis. They could even paint themselves into scripture.

Another great highlight of the Medici Palace was a high-tech room where we could take a close-up virtual look at Gozzoli’s frescoes. By standing on a lit-up panel beneath some sort of camara and sensors, we could observe the frescoes on giant screens, and scroll from one scene to the next by pointing. It was super futuristic!

When everyone had gotten a chance to explore the frescoes and the Medicis’ ample accommodations, we headed to the Academia. I think everyone was pretty excited to finally see Michelangelo’s David! He definitely did not disappoint. No matter how many pictures we have seen of this magnificent sculpture, nothing compares to actually seeing it in real life. Most of us were overwhelmed by the immense size of the sculpture. It’s pretty amazing that Michelangelo accomplished this feat in only three years. Compared with the Davids done by Bernini, Donatello, and Verrocchio, Michelangelo’s version is pretty epic. Later, some of us even wondered what would happen if the four Davids met each other!

Other highlights of the Academia included an exhibit of musical instruments, including a Stradivarius violin from the early 1700’s (!), more statues and paintings, and an exhibit of photography by the American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Part of our quest in the afternoon was to visit the Church of Santa Maria Novella and observe Masaccio’s Holy Trinity fresco. This church was quite ornate and beautiful to explore. Thanks to our ever-increasing art history knowledge, we discovered several Renaissance and Classical elements like the use of perspective to create depth.

Later in the afternoon Lisa took all the girls (and several of the guys) to her favorite leather store. We had all been very anxious to hit up the shopping and take advantage of Florence’s great leather products. As usual, thanks to Lisa’s connections we were able to get some great discounts, so much so that several of us who had no intention of buying something so frivolous as an Italian leather handbag were soon walking out of the store considerably less wealthy, but with fabulous new accessories! A lot of us splurged for large practical totes like the one Lisa often carries, and several guys bought nice wallets, or even glamorous purses for their girlfriends back home!

After our leather extravaganza we all used our free time to shop more, rest, eat, or work on our Quest. In the evening, a large group of us went on an adventure and ended up climbing up a gigantic hill to Piazzale Michelangelo. We were treated to a fantastic view of the city, the Arno River, and the sunset. Of course, we loitered there for a while and took a group photo, but eventually hunger set in and we dispersed into small groups, each foraging our way through Florence in search of sustenance to end a great day.

By Michelle

Firenze Day Two

8:30 Group Breakfast. Our hotel came with a complimentary breakfast. The breakfast was good, but the granola ran out rather early and the coffee, as Lisa eloquently stated, was more like “anti-coffee.” Nonetheless, we all managed to have a “balanced” breakfast.
10:00 Palazzo Davanzati. At 10 we were given a special tour of the Palazzo Davanzati, a 15th Century house.


Usually the public are not allowed into the upper floors, but we were able to get in for free! The Palazzo had been reconstructed and outfitted with furniture to show the actual living conditions of the inhabitants. Among the most interesting items were a two foot long citrus juicer, a built-in octagonal bread mixer, and a large collection of lace. In addition, most of the rooms were painted with beautiful fictive draperies.


The Palazzo really gave us a feel for how Florentines in the 15th Century lived.
10:30 Piazza della Signoria. We then went to the large Piazza della Signoria, a large open area in front of the old Florentine seat of government.

We learned about the dynamic life of Savonarola, a religious zealot who was preaching apocalyptic messages and warning against hedonism. After enjoying a wealth of power, Savonarola pushed his luck too far and was excommunicated by the pope. Savonarola was then hung in the piazza and burned several times to destroy his remains. The Piazza is also adjacent to a beautiful open air gallery. We then went into the government building, which is now a grand museum.
11:00 Museo del Bargello. No pictures were allowed in the room, but here is one of the central courtyard.

The highlights in the Museo del Bargello were two versions of the David, one by Donatello and the other by Verrocchio. These were the original two David sculptures and formed the basis on which Michelangelo constructed his own masterpiece. There were no pictures allowed in the Museo, but here are online pictures of the two statues.

Verrocchio's David

Donatello's David

As you can see, Donatello’s David is somewhat scandalous: he wears a helmet, boots, and little else. Donatello was allowed to experiment with David because of the protection of the Medici family. Both of the sculptures were surprisingly small, especially when compared with Michelangelo’s David.
On the lower floors were Michelangelo’s Bacchus, the original version of Donatello’s St. George, and the two finalists for the door panel competition of 1401. We all compared the two panels, one by Brunelleschi and the other by Ghiberti, and tried to decide which one we personally thought was better.
12:00 Lunch break. Some of use went across the Ponte Vecchio while others of us started the hunt in search of the best gelato in Florence.

3:00 Uffizi gallery. The Uffizi is a massive gallery with over 40 rooms ranging from medieval art through the 17th Century. One of the favorite rooms was the Botticelli room, which featured both the Primavera and the Birth of Venus. Again, no photos were allowed, so here are some online representations:

The Primavera

The Birth of Venus

I never realized how large these paintings were until I saw them in person. The depictions of Venus are very stylistic and beautiful. Many of us just sat in the middle of the room, basking in the aura of these paintings. The Uffizi also housed some paintings of Venice by Canaletto, some portraits by Rembrandt, and important works by Caravaggio. It was interesting to compare Caravaggio’s version of Abraham and Isaac with those on the door panels.
5:00 After the Uffizi we had some free time. Some of us watched a mime performer while others continued the Florentine Quest.
8:00 A large group of us went across the Ponte Vecchio and found some small restaurants for dinner. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio right around sunset.

Personally, my dinner was delicious: rabbit ravioli and sage chicken.
Overall, a great day with lots of Renaissance art. Wandering around the beautiful city of Firenze brings a fresh breath for all of us as we prepare for the final two weeks of Rome.

-Ben Drum