A Quick Stroll Through the Jewish Quarter

Ciao!!

     Today was our last day in Rome! We started out with breakfast at the hotel, as usual, before starting our walk. We took 45 minutes as we traversed the city towards the old Jewish Ghettos. Upon our arrival, there was a very noticeable shift in the environment; it suddenly became very quiet, as though we had left the city entirely.

    Here, we met up with two special guests: Michaela, our excellent tour guide, and Lindsay, an honors fellow alum who is receiving her masters degree here in Rome! Upon starting our tour, Michaela informed us of the hostile practices that the church used to try and convert Jews to Catholicism. These included restricting what they could and could not do, gating them into a ghetto, and preventing them from being able to legally defend themselves against Catholics. Jews have had a long history of discrimination, and those in Rome are no different. 

     Our first stop was the museum. Inside, we were treated to an array of beautiful Torah covers and other works of craftsmanship. The Torah covers at of particular interest. One of the only two jobs allowed for Jews was the sewing and selling of second hand clothing. As such, the covers are all made from interesting designs found on the second hand cloth.

     We also visited the Synagogue. It was absolutely gorgeous. Inside, Michaela told us about the relationship between the Pope and the Jewish community. She commented on how it has improved, although there is still more work that could be done.

     After the synagogue, we went around the Jewish Quarter. We saw the Jewish Day School, as well as the local bakery. Afterwards, we ate at Renato al Ghetto. We had fried artichoke, pasta, risotto, and fruit tarts.

     After eating, we began the second part of our day. As we hiked up a rather steep hill, we came across a structure dedicated to the army of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Called the Garibaldino, they helped Garibaldi in the defense of Rome. Additionally, we saw a statue of Garibaldi, standing in defense against any threats to Rome.

     Interestingly, Rome seemingly has a very different view on Garibaldi compared to Sicily. The latter remembers him for his betrayal, giving the South to the northern kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. Alternatively, Rome prefers the image of him defending Rome against the Papacy and France. This difference in memory represents one of the divergences in Italian identity that we have been learning about.

     While at top at the hill, we also witnessed the statue of Anita Garibaldi, Giuseppe’s wife. He met her in Brazil during his time as a freedom fighter. Here, she is depicted riding a horse into battle, holding a gun and a baby.

     We then made the hour-long trek back to the hotel. Along the way, some of us stopped by the Trevi Fountain. There is a tradition regarding this fountain. Tourists can throw a coin behind there back into the fountain. Doing so supposedly guarantees that we will return to Italy. I’m not superstitious, but I’ll take any chance to be able to return here! 

     I cannot believe we have less than a week before we return to the States. It’s been a fun and enlightening seminar, and I cannot wait to see what Venice has in store for us.

See you all soon!!

Ryan Gibbons

Hey MTV, Welcome to St. Peter’s Crib

(Written by Julia Morrissey on Paige's account FYI)

So, as you’ve seen on our awesome blog, we have fully traversed our way across the far reaches of southern Sicily and worked our way North… ciao Roma! Our second full day in Italy’s beautiful center has, yet again, been a success. You know the saying “good things come in small packages”? 

Well, here’s the thing. 

                                                        

I present to you St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world, and holiest of Christendom. Located in Vatican City and spanning a total area of 23,000 square meters (247,570 square feet!), this goliath of an architectural masterpiece stands larger than the Hagia Sofia Mosque in Istanbul; fully engineered with a dome also larger than its worldwide competitors. The main building boasts 190m (674 feet) in length, and its central nave measures approximately 46m (150 feet) tall. In short, this package is prrrrreeeettttyy huge. Below is a picture from the top of the basilica's dome overlooking St. Peter's Square.

                                           

Buckle up, because this package is the gift that keeps on giving. Did you know that the basilica we see here today is only a newly-reconstructed version of its historical predecessor? This earlier basilica was built at the order of Roman emperor Constantine nearly four centuries ago between 326 and 333 AD, and dedicated to St. Peter, one of Christ’s 12 disciples and closest followers. 

This basilica was designed with an emphasis on tradition, but in 1506 Pope Julius II decided tradition needed a bigger and better space for religious practice. So, out with the old and in with the new! Thanks to indulgence funds (a form of patronage involving public donations to the church for the forgiveness of sins and reduced purgatory time) and a lot of controversy surrounding the structure’s proposed designs, St. Peter’s Basilica Part Two was up and running. 

Fun Fact… these indulgence systems are what triggered Martin Luther’s resentment of the Catholic Church, and later on the publishing of his 95 Theses and the Protestant Reformation of the 15th century.

                

About the blueprints…the new basilica went through multiple design phases. Proposals began at the hands of Bramante, an Italian architect and painter who envisioned the shape of the space as a massive Greek Cross. In came Raphael with a new plan and fresh ideas like extending the church’s nave. After his death, Michelangelo took over 40 years into the basilica’s construction, combining ideas of those before him with his revolutionary dome. These were their floor plan proposals, and below is Michelangelo's architectural work: the dome.

  

St. Peter’s Basilica today is an example of Roman Catholic grandeur, preaching tradition like its ancestor four centuries earlier. It has been regarded with the belief that “God’s presence can be felt in the material world” as the massive structure is recognized by its congregants as “heaven on Earth”. Completed in 1626, the structure promotes universality and is intended to open its doors to all those who practice. Its most notable features are four pillars emulating those in Solomon’s Temple, the first temple built in Jerusalem. Inside we find four precious relics, including the cross of St. Helena, Constantine’s mother, pieces of St. Andrew’s Cross, and Longinus’ sword… yes, the one that's thought to have pierced Christ’s side! Beautiful pillars of colorful marble and geometric flooring line the surface of the basilica’s interior. Classical Roman style can be found on the ceiling with frivolous gold accent patterns… and a bunch of cherubs.

Michelangelo even included his own statue depicting the sorrow of Mary holding her child.

Mass and services are still held here, and St. Peter’s Basilica will forever be a place of pilgrimage. It even features a Pilgrimage door, giving it the rightful place as one of seven Pilgrim churches of Rome. This little trademark of the basilica has proved a safe haven for hundreds of years for those looking to be blessed and cleansed of sin (Pic 1). Many also say St. Peter is actually buried in the necropolis under the basilica and possibly haunts it to this day, pretty spooky right (His remains in a silver box under the basilica's altar, Pic 2). The burial of St. Peter is an attribution to the foundation he quite literally and metaphorically provided for the establishment of a divine institution such as this one. The dome’s construction by Michelangelo only strengthened this inspiring spiritual affirmation that “on this rock I build my church, on Peter I build my church” (Statue of St. Peter, Pic 3). 

     

After the tour of St. Peter’s crib, we all had the optional choice of climbing the basilica’s dome, or exploring the exhibits of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. This day is one for the books; one that proves good things can, in fact, come in very… very large packages. Ciao!

Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored by MTV, but it totally should be.

Also hi Mom!

- Julia Morrissey :)

Elon Students Roam in Rome: Greetings to the Eternal City

    Ciao, greetings to family and friends at home. We students are glad to say that we have finally arrived in the heart of the Eternal city, otherwise known as Rome. Today, the group took a short walk from our lovely hotel to the epicenter of Roman art and culture: the Colosseum. The Colosseum was built in 70 A.D. under the Emperor Vespasian and was used a social-gathering place that highlighted the patronage system in the the Roman empire, as the emperors of the Roman empire would use the games hosted at the Colosseum, such as the famous gladiator games and games between humans and animals, to illustrate the power of the Roman empire to the citizens of Rome and to enemies abroad. This class of Elon students participating in the Italy travel seminar were particularly lucky as they were able to go underneath the Colosseum to see where the prisoners and animals were kept before they competed in the games, a sight not seen by Elon students, or the general public in many years. Overall, the group today was absolutely ecstatic to take part of this moment in history and see the magnificent and colossal Colosseum, which is truly a great wonder of the world.

The second item on today's agenda was to see the great Roman Forum, the main one located right beside the Colosseum, which was basically the center of Roman public and social life in the city. The whole Roman Forum museum is a collection of ancient ruins of social and political significance that were built throughout the Roman empire with additions added during the medieval period. Some of the most popular attractions seen by the group today were the Basilica Maxentius commissioned by Emperor Constantine, the courtyard of the Vestal Virgins, a series of impressive grand Roman arches, and the Senate house. I can speak for the group when I say that the Roman Forum was absolutely beautiful and expansive as it seemed to go on for miles. It is safe to say that everyone immensely enjoyed their time at the Roman Forum.

The third place visited by the group today before we let out for lunch in the streets of Rome, was the Altar to the Fatherland, which is a memorial celebrating the unification of Italy in 1861 under the rule of King Victor Emmanuel II, which is a beautiful and grand monument to the great former King of Italy. Notably included in the monument was a memorial to a tomb of an unknown soldier who participated in World War I similar to the one in Washington D.C. back home in America.

   After lunch, the group had an optional trip directed by the Sophomore TAs who led a guided tour to the Pantheon, one of the most well-preserved temples in all of Rome and the Piazza Navona, a charming ancient square plaza. Those who went on the optional tour enjoyed seeing the beauty and grandeur of the Pantheon and were able to see how well it stood the test of time after thousands of years. This trip led by the sophomores was a successful expedition indeed.  Before I sign off I would like to thank everyone who allowed us to take part in this seminar and to say that our second day in the Eternal City is one we will never forget.

-Thanks

Jade May

Living and Learning in the Shadow of Fascism

January 13 2022

  

  Today, we had our usual breakfast on the roof of our Naples hotel, before checking out and 9, and proceeding to meet with Giovanni, our bus driver. About two hours into our drive to Rome, we stopped at an Autogrill, an Italian rest area, where we were presented with Italian snacks and fresh deli items.

    After another hour on the road, we arrived in the EUR district of Rome, which is best known for its architecture, which was designed by the fascist government of the mid-20th century. We parked next to an obelisk that dominated our view. As we stepped off the bus, we were asked to examine our surroundings and consider what sort of feelings the architecture invoked. Different ideas were brought to the table, but they all seemed to relate to power, and specifically the power of the state. The buildings were stark and colossal, as though they were meant to make you feel small.

          Another idea that we explored was how local people feel about the district, since it has of course developed beyond its fascist origins. Since it is a more secluded area of the city, we though that maybe it is just ignored. We could also argue that in reclaiming the buildings for new purposes, they could be given new life, separate from their sinister origins.

    After spending some time observing the buildings, we proceeded into our one stop of the day, the Museo Nazionale delle Arti e Tradizioni Popolari. It was built to showcase the Italian nation for the planned 1942 World's Fair, and the exhibits within are still on display today. As we walked through the museum, we were asked to think about how the displays could have been designed with fascist beliefs in mind. We found that by taking similar tools and artifacts from different regions of Italy, the displays created an illusion of similarity, which would have reinforced the idea that these people of different regions were all incorporated under the veil of nationhood.

    The flaw in the museum's plan was that upon closer observation, you can see that the artifacts aren't as regionally diverse as they were meant to appear. Even in cases where they were, the items were often so different in age that the cultures in question had little to no relation to each other. We discussed the irony of the fascist movement using items like this to try to argue that we are all the same, while also inherently excluding certain groups.

    Once we were finished with the museum, we got back on the bus, and began our short trip into the city center, where we checked into our hotel before going out on our own for the evening.

Ciao, and welcome to Rome,

Aidan Myers-Moran

What’s inside the “Secret Closet”?

January 12, 2022

   Today we began our day the same as the day before , on the eleventh floor of our hotel with a wide spread of delicious breakfast options to choose from. We then headed to the bus around nine AM and off into the city.

  We soon arrived at The Catacombe di San Gennaro. But, what exactly is a Catacombe ? In simple terms, it is an underground cemetery. But, the Catacombe di San Gennaro, was from simple. It was historically referred to as “Death Valley” and according to our tour guide , Antonio, it was the place that most inhabitants of Southern Italy desired to be buried since the 4th century AD. Although it was built in 2nd AD, it was only considered to be underground burial chambers , but after Giovanni the First made a portion of the chamber a church and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in the 6th century AD, it was transformed into the Catacombe we saw today with over 3000 graves. 

   Antonio provided us with some very informational details on the Catacombe. In our modern world and Western culture, often when someone passes, their bodies are put in coffins where we then bury them in plots decorated with headstones. But, in ancient times this was not how burials were gone about. In The Catacombe di  San Gennaro, there are three categories of graves : the floor, the wall and the “oconsolia “ which was reserved for the bodies of those of high class and esteem and decorated with frescoes.

    Now it is not called Catacombe di San Gennaro for no reason. San Gennaro is the patron saint of Naples who lived between the third and fourth centuries. San Gennaro was sentenced to death three times for attempting to convert the people to Christianity. Luckily, he escaped death twice , but he was not so lucky the third time and was sentenced to death on September 19, 305. He was laid to rest in the Catacombe but his remains were later moved due to change of empirical rule. In the sixth century , a portion of the church was cut off to build the Church of San Gennaro in dedication to his life and his heroism . 

   After our walk through of the Catacombe, we then boarded the bus and headed to the Nat’l Archaeological Museum of Naples. Upon our arrival, we were met in the foyer by statues of great stature and poise. Dr. Huber informed us that many of the statues in Ancient Roman culture depicted the body’s of Gods or a body that represented the cannon or the standard of beauty. The statues often had heads of locals of power, so the statues communicated poise, political and social power. We also learned that oftentimes nudity would represent divinity. 

   Now for the most scandalous portion of our day , The Secret Cabinet! Ancient Romans did not have the same stigma that modern societies share towards sexual topics. So, The Secret Cabinet was literally a corridor full of ancient Roman art and representations of explicit “relations”. A lot  of the art was exaggerated and meant to be humorous , in order to ward off the evil eye that Romans believed lingered around their civilizations. We then were allowed to canvas the museum on our own and enjoy lunch in the heart of Naples as we canvased the city on foot.

    We then wrapped up our day at The Palazzo Reali. The Palazzo Reali was the palace for the last ruling kingdoms of Napoli, but it is now a museum. The outside of the palace was beautiful and decorated with large sculptures of the kings who once ruled. Although it was closed, we were given an opportunity to walk in where we were met with a piece of American history! In the center of the courtyard sat Rosa Park’s home. We instantly were confused on how Rosa’s home made its way from Detroit to Naples , but upon more research we found that it is apart of the “Almost Home- The Ross Parks Project”. It implemented to remind those of Italy of the battle fought against civil rights issues in America and how it has now translated into the Black Lives Matter Movement.

   After a packed day of sightseeing , many of took advantage of our last night in the city of Naples to shop, relax or try new foods. Naples has been a historically rich city that has taught us a lot. 

                                 Ciao Naples,

                                          Kyla Maxwell