The day started with a visit to Trajan’s Column and Forum, a massive complex constructed by the Emperor Trajan in the early second century in celebration of his victory in the Dacian Wars. The column is a truly impressive monument – its stacked marble blocks are decorated by beautifully detailed carvings depicting Trajan’s feats on the campaign, forming one running tale that spirals skywards as one circles the column. It is also hollow inside, containing an immensely tall spiral staircase lit by tiny slits in the marble shaft, leading to a small observation platform at its summit, which was in more modern times topped with a statue of St. Peter with a halo and the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. At the column’s base there is a small chamber in which the ashes of Trajan and his wife were placed.
Catherine told us about the history behind the column, and about what the forum would have looked like and how it would have functioned when it was first built. The forum was once a massive complex, containing shops and government institutions housed in massive multi-story buildings. Its ruins now lie adjacent to those of the first Roman Forum, and its few scattered columns and shells of once-grand buildings must only hint at its ancient splendor.
From the forum of Trajan, we proceeded to the Arch of Constantine, constructed in celebration of Constantine’s victory over Maxentius. I have found when examining the few triumphal arches we have seen so far that (to me at least) they all look somewhat “samey” – that is, until one looks at the details. We learned from Yuting that the arch was actually constructed largely from spolia, or reused parts, from earlier such monuments. In this case, elements from monuments built to earlier emperors such as Trajan were used, likely to place Constantine in their company as one of the greatest of the Roman emperors. We also talked about the way some of the original carvings on it were carved in a style recalling Christian art of the time, although I was most surprised by the complete lack of Christian imagery on the monument, given that the battle it commemorates marked Constantine’s storied conversion – this drives home that while Constantine may have been the first Christian emperor and legalized the religion throughout the Empire, he did not force the conversion of his subjects to this new faith.
Walking back from the Arch for lunch, we ran into a massive march of some sort through the streets of the city. It appeared to be a protest of some sort, although I was unable to ascertain exactly what was being protested. A significant police presence was to be seen along the route of the march, which as it turned out followed us all the way back to the Campo de’ Fiori, impeding my access to my favorite little sandwich window – I was forced to visit a nearby pizza place, which although it was cheaper and offered more variety, did not quite measure up to my usual spot, at least in my eyes.
After lunch (and a quick nap for me) we met again outside the Rome Center, this time for a long walk to the church of San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains) to visit Michelangelo’s Moses. Before making the trek, we stopped on the Ponte Sisto, a footbridge over the Tiber near our apartment, where myself, Mauna, and Katie gave our presentation on the Della Rovere family, and where Katie also told us about Pope Sixtus IV (who, as we learned, had built the bridge itself, not to mention other familiar sites). The church of San Pietro in Vincoli, as well as housing the Moses, is also home to what are held to be the chains that held St. Peter – one half was taken to Jerusalem and then returned, and upon being placed back together, the two halves are said to have miraculously reunited into one chain, which is now centrally displayed in the church.
I was most impressed by Moses’ face – the statue was certainly stunning in its other details, such as the realism with which muscles and physical tension were portrayed, and the intensity of the face completed this sense of tension. We discussed Freud’s take on the statue, in which he argues that this Moses is not about to break the tablets he holds under his right arm – either way, whether he is getting up to break the tablets, or sitting down again with the utmost restraint, the sense of tension was for me what made this sculpture great.
We then walked to another church – Santa Maria sopra Minerva, near the Pantheon – stopping off at Giolitti for a gelato break on the way. This church houses Michelangelo’s Risen Christ. Approaching the church, the facade is somewhat underwhelming – pleasing to the eye, it nonetheless somewhat blends in with the surrounding architecture. Walking into the building was an impressive experience. The rather humble facade is contrasted by a stunningly beautiful interior space, dimly lit through stained glass windows, with a gorgeously rich blue ceiling with a border of colored patterns, and decorated with paintings and small golden stars. The statue itself was discussed, specifically in the light of historical criticisms of it. Viewing it from the right of the altar, I could see where some of the critics were coming from, but viewing it as it was apparently intended to be viewed, from the left-hand side of the church, I almost felt as though I was looking at a different statue – from here, the form was graceful and elegantly proportioned, and the face, turned to the side, gave a sense of tranquil reflection that I had not noticed at first.
There was not a large, united group dinner – rather, individuals or small groupings fended for themselves, eating out or cooking in their apartments. Later in the evening, many of the group members met at the guys apartment for a small get-together before going their separate ways – some to the bars, some back to their apartments. This evening was also my first opportunity to visit the night market along the Tiber River, which proved to be a pleasant and colorful place for an evening stroll. While I was not overwhelmed by any of the items I saw for sale or their prices, I certainly have not ruled out a return visit.
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