Time Flies When in Rome

I must begin this post by saying this is the first one of these I am writing where I truly do not even know where to start. This is hardly a bad feeling, there is just so much to show. Although this past weekends four day trip to Rome was the first of many weekend trips we plan on taking this semester, it is difficult to believe that any one trip will be able to surpass the amount of amazing sites we visited in the ancient city. This post will be a little different than its predecessors, mostly in that it encompasses a four day long weekend trip rather than a single event or day. The post will be subdivided both into separate days and sites with both photographs, sketches, and text to follow. Here we go, enjoy!

Thursday, February 7th

Our trip began on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. by departing the S. Maria Novella train station in Firenze via Frecciarossa and traveling an hour and a half into the central station, Termini of Roma. From there we took a bus to Hotel Navonna where we were staying at for the duration of the weekend, a short walk from Piazza Navonna which will be shown later, and dropped our bags off at the hotel. We then took a short walk to the Ara Pacis museum designed by Richard Meier, one of the most well known of the New York Five architects who played a major role in the development of contemporary architecture in both the United States and internationally. Although it is a smaller museum, the Ara Pacis is a beautifully designed building and holds an important piece of history in Rome, the Ara Pacis Altar. 

Frecciarossa Fast Train

Entering the Ara Pacis Museum

Fountain at the Ara Pacis Museum

View of Ara Pacis Museum (Viewpoint of Sketch)

Curtain Wall and Shading Devices (Ara Pacis)

Shading Devices (Ara Pacis)

Ara Pacis Altar

Ara Pacis Altar

Interior Detail of Altar

Rear of the Altar

Interior of the Ara Pacis Museum

Piece of Wall Art in the Ara Pacis Museum

Relief Sculptures in the Ara Pacis Museum

Curtain Wall and Sunshades from Interior

Entryway to Ara Pacis Museum - I liked the hierarchy
of volumetric scales when entering the building

Personal Sketch and Notes taken at the Ara Pacis Museum

Personal Interior Sketch at Ara Pacis Museum

Looking away from the Museum (Fountain at Right)

View Down the Street Opposite the Museum Wall

Building Near the Ara Pacis Museum

Church Near the Ara Pacis Museum

Facade of Church Near the Ara Pacis Museum

Dome Nearby the Ara Pacis Museum

Following our tour of the Ara Pacis Museum and a small lunch, which consisted of a turkey and spinach panini, we crossed the Tiber River and took the walk to St. Peters Basilica. This Basilica, along with its piazza (an oval piazza which is ironically called St. Peters Square), was most spectacular combination of architecture and artwork I have ever seen. The exterior and dome are wonderfully proportioned and the interior detailing is exquisite.

Building Along the Walk to St. Peters

Front Facade of Above

Roman Castle Along the Walk to St. Peters

SPQR on Grates in City of Rome

Approaching St. Peters

Road to St. Peters

Approaching St. Peters

St. Peters

St. Peters "Square" with Colonnade and Basilica

Piazza of St. Peters with Colonnade

Inside the Colonnade (Entry to St. Peters)

Colonnade at St. Peters

View of the Piazza from Colonnade

View of Piazza from Colonnade

View of Piazza and St. Peters from Colonnade

Obelisk and Colonnade of St. Peters Square

Vault on Exterior of St. Peters

Portico of St. Peters Cathedral

Central Nave Interior of St. Peters

Small Dome in St. Peters

Statue of Pope in St. Peters

Zoomed in of Above Image

View Through Doors into Room with
Golden Cross in St. Peters

Sculpture and Granite Columns
in St. Peters

View up in St. Peters

Sculpture and Granite in St. Peters

View of Bernini's Baldacchino and Dome
in St. Peters Basilica

Side Aisle in St. Peters

Dome on Pendentives in St. Peters Basilica

Baldacchino and Sculpture in St. Peters

View Up at Baldacchino and Dome of St. Peters

View up at Solomonic Style Columns
of Baldacchino and Dome in St. Peters

Baldacchino in St. Peters

View Down the Nave of St. Peters

Nave Vault in St. Peters

The Main Nave of St. Peters

Nave Vault Detailing of St. Peters

Nave of St. Peters

View to the Altar in St. Peters

Interior of St. Peters

View through Baldacchino to Nave of St. Peters

Higher View through Baldacchino to Nave of St. Peters

Solomonic Columns and Interior of St. Peters

Sculpture and Granite Columns in Niche
of St. Peters

Interior and Dome on Pendentives in St. Peters

Interior and Dome on Pendentives in St. Peters

Interior of St. Peters Basilica

Painting and Granite Columns in Niche
of St. Peters Basilica

Floor of St. Peters

Interior Column Detail and Springing
of Pendentives for Dome inside St. Peters

Golden Vault in Side Aisle of St. Peters

Facade of St. Peters

Colonnade in St. Peters Piazza from St. Peters

Piazza of St. Peters from the Basilica

Obelisk in St. Peters Square

View up at Obelisk in St. Peters Square

Friday, February 8th

After a refreshing nights slumber in the hotel, our day again began at 7:30 a.m. with a small breakfast in the hotel. At 8:00 a.m. we left the hotel to head to the ancient Roman Forum for a guided tour, led by archaeologist Jens Koehler. This tour was extremely informative about the founding and daily life of the ancient city of Rome, and showcased many of the ancient ruins of the city. In its time, the Roman Forum was the founding area and political center for the town of Rome which grew around the seven ancient hills of Rome. Most notable of these hills are Palatine Hill, where legend states the city was founded by Romulus, and Capitoline Hill, which was the citadel of ancient Rome and today holds the City Hall.

Approaching the Roman Forum

Approaching the Roman Forum

Approaching the Roman Forum

View into the Roman Forum From Above 

View into Roman Forum From Above

Entering the Roman Forum

The Roman Forum
(Ruins and Triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus)

Stone "Road" in the Forum,

Temple Ruins in the Forum

Ancient Temple with Older Baroque
Church Behind in the Forum

Statues of the Vestal Virgins in the Forum

Temple Ruins in the Forum

Temple Ruins in the Forum

Columns and Archway in Forum

Arch of Septimius Severus in the Forum

Column Ruin in the Forum

Sketchbook Page from the Roman Forum

Arch of Septimius Severus and Temple of Justinian in forum

Zoomed in Image of Arch of Septimius Severus

Detail of Arch of Septimius Severus

Older Baroque Church from the Forum

Palatine Hill

Arch of Titus in the Forum

Arch of Titus in the Forum

Interior Arch Detail of Arch of Titus

Detail of Relief Sculpture Showing the Spoils of War
on the Inside of the Arch of Titus

View of the Colosseum from the Forum

View of the Colosseum from the Forum

View of the Colosseum from the Forum

Column Remains from the Forum

View of Arch of Constantine and
the Colosseum from the Forum

View of Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum from
a High View Point within the Forum

Me and the Colosseum from the Forum

View of the Arch of Constantine and
the Colosseum (from the Forum)

Our tour guide, Archaeologist Jens Koehler

Trees and Colosseum from the Forum

 Staircase in the Forum

Field in the Forum

Field in the Forum

Trees and the Colosseum from the Forum

View Out from the Forum (Italian Flag)

View of St. Peters from the Forum

After our guided tour of the Roman Forum ended we then took the short walk (as you can tell from the previous photos) to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is an amazing piece of architecture. Originally known as the Flavian Ampitheatre, it housed events for the enjoyment of the citizens of Rome such as gladiatorial battles and even mock ship battles. The building is renowned for its use of pozzalana (the earliest known ancestor of modern concrete) and its sheer massive construction. 

Approaching the Colosseum

Approaching the Colosseum\

Detail of the Colosseum Exterior

Interior of the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Colosseum Material

Interior Corridors in the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Interior of the Colosseum

Me Inside the Colosseum

The Forum Seen through an Arch in the Colosseum

Arch of Constantine from the Colosseum

Arch of Constantine from the Colosseum

Arch of Constantine and Roman Forum in the Background
from the Colosseum

Portion of the Roman Forum from the Colosseum

Roman Forum from the Colosseum

Arch of Constantine and the Forum
from the Colosseum

The Forum from the Colosseum

The Interior of the Colosseum

The Interior of the Colosseum

The Interior of the Colosseum

The Interior of the Colosseum

The Interior of the Colosseum

Me Inside the Colosseum

The Arch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine

The Exterior of the Colosseum

Me at the Colosseum

The Colosseum

The Colosseum 

Panorama From the Colosseum (Includes the Forum
and the Arch of Constantine)

The Arch of Constantine

The Colosseum from the Arch of Constantine

Panorama with the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum

Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum

Following our tour of the Colosseum and the surrounding areas, we then decided to return to St. Peters Basilica and square to greater absorb the sense of the square and climb to the top of the Cupola (dome) since we did not have enough time to do either of those activities the previous day. This provided me time to really make sure I understood everything about the inter-workings of the the piazza through sketching, and the climb to the top of the dome gave me great exercise with its 518 steps (448.1 ft), as if I wasn't already getting enough by walking the entirety of the city on a daily basis. 

Sketches of St. Peter's Dome (Bramante), the Facade
of St. Peters (Maderno), and the Obelisk in the Piazza,
accompanied by notes on all of the previously mentioned topics

Rome From atop St. Peters

Rome From atop St. Peters

Rome, the Shadow of St. Peters, and St. Peters Piazza

Rome from atop St. Peters

Rome and St. Peters "Square" from atop St. Peters

Rome from St. Peters

View to the Dome

The Pantheon from atop St. Peters

St. Peters Square and Rome from atop St. Peters

Rome 

The Dome from Midway up the Climb to the Dome

Panorama of Rome

The Piazza after Exiting St. Peters

Arch and Vault on Exterior of St. Peters

Piazza of St. Peters

Facade of St. Peters at Dusk

St. Peters at Dusk

View Away From St. Peters at Dusk

St. peters and Obelisk at Dusk

Saturday, February 9th

Saturday morning began much like the day before with breakfast in the hotel. Following breakfast we walked to Piazza Popolo (will be seen in later photos) and boarded the tram to head to the Flamenco region of Rome where the Olympic village was during the Rome Games. We arrived a bit early to our destination, the MAXXI museum, so we first walked to the Ponte della Musica (Bridge of Music), and then returned to enter the MAXXI museum. The MAXXI, a well designed piece of architecture, particularly the interior stairways, is a contemporary arts museum designed by the famous architect Zaha Hadid. This museum proved to be of particular interest to myself, as it held many architectural models, sketchbooks of famous architects such as Le Corbusier, and pieces of contemporary art. Although the words "No Photo" were uttered numerous times, I managed to snap a good deal of pictures using the stealthy iPhone. 

Bridge of Music (Note: there is not actually any music here)

Bridge of Music

Exterior of MAXXI Museum

Interior Stairway of MAXXI Museum

Interior Corridor of MAXXI Museum

Contemporary Art in MAXXI Museum

Art in MAXXI Museum

Model of Rome in MAXXI Museum

Model in MAXXI Museum

Model of MAXXI Museum

Lobby of MAXXI Museum

Lobby of MAXXI Museum

Personal Sketch of MAXXI Museum Stair
(not the best but it was difficult with the curves)

After Visiting the MAXXI Museum our group then walked to Parca Della Musica, a complex consisting of three increasing larger auditoriums designed by the famous Italian architect, Renzo Piano. These "Pods" of auditoriums which resemble beetles  display a mastering of acoustical design which was far before its time. Each individual auditorium was separately analyzed for acoustics and finished on the exterior with lead shells which have a decibel drop of 70dB. 

Exterior of Largest Auditorium from Below

Exterior of Medium Sized Auditorium with Complex Shown

Interior of Largest Auditorium

Roof of Largest Auditorium - These Rounded
"Wooden Bubbles" Reflect the Sound in All Directions
Maximizing the Efficiency of the Acoustics in the Room.
The Gaps between the "Bubbles" Allow for Sound to Absorb.

Personal Sketchbook Page of Parca Della Musica Complex

On our way back to the tram stop, we also stopped to view Pier Luigi Nervi's Palazzo della Sport which was designed for the Olympic Games held in Rome. This building served as home for the basketball competitions, as well as other events such as boxing and wrestling. Nervi was actually the structural engineer for this building, but because the thin shell concrete dome and flying buttresses are the most notable elements of the building he is known for the structure and, rightfully so, gets more credit than the architect.

Palazzo della Sport - Pier Luigi Nervi

Personal Sketch of Palazzo della Sport

Upon returning to Piazza Popolo on the tram we decided to visit the Cupuchin Crypt. Housed in a Baroque style church, the crypt is formed entirely out of bones - real bones. This was both very creepy and awkwardly amazing at the same time. I am still not really sure how my emotions reconciled this event, but it was quite the thing to see.

Not My Photo - Photographs were Strictly Forbidden
(Source: http://www.ciaobambino.com/ciaobambinoblog/wp-content/
uploads/2011/03/church-made-up-of-bones-rome-italy.jpg)

After leaving the church we then walked underground to what would become my first subway experience and headed out to a more American experience, the Mall. This mall, however, was amazing and I ended up becoming friends with the owner (Marco) of a small restaurant who is looking to possibly export his business and franchise it in the United States. Who knows what will come of that, but it was an experience which made the trip even more memorable. 

The Subway

Interior of the Mall

Interior of the Mall

Where We Ate

After visiting the mall we then took the mile and a half walk back to the subway station and traveled back into the heart of Rome. We got off the subway at the Coloseo station in order to take a few night shots of the Colosseum and other buildings on the return to the Hotel, including the Pantheon. Later that night we also went to the Steelers bar in Rome - Yes a small taste of home in Rome.

The Colosseum at Night

The Colosseum at Night

The Colosseum at Night

The Government Building at Night

The Government Building at Night

Obelisk and Fountain at the Pantheon at Night

Fountain at the Pantheon

The Pantheon at Night

Steelers Bar

Sunday, February 10th

Sunday morning had our group checking out at the hotel and going on a guided Baroque tour all over the city of Rome. Although we had to work the tour around various times of mass at many of the churches we visited throughout the tour, we were able to see many of the most notable Baroque architecture in Italy, especially the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. 

Caravaggio's Paintings

Interior of Chuch on Tour

SPQR Fountain

S. Ivo alla Sapienza

S. Ivo alla Sapienza 

S. Ivo alla Sapienza

S. Ivo alla Sapienza

Dome of S. Ivo alla Sapienza

S. Ivo alla Sapienza

Plan and Sign for S. Ivo alla Sapienza

Piazza Navona

Ancient Statue

S. Maria della Pace

Interior of Church on Baroque Tour
(dome is not real - it is an illusionist painting
on a flat canvas on the ceiling of the church)

Perspective Illusionist Painting
in Nave Vault of Church

Nave of Church with Illusionist Paintings (Very Large)

Illusionist Paintings in Nave
Vault of Church

Interior of Baroque Church

Exterior of Baroque Church

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Fountain at Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps)

Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps)

Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps)

Personal Sketchbook Page for Baroque Tour

Personal Sketchbook Page for Baroque Tour

After leaving the Baroque tour we then watched part of the carnival which was going on in Piazzo Popolo, walked above the Piazza, re-visited the Spanish steps, got a bite to eat, and visited the Pantheon, all before departing at 5:00 p.m. to return to Florence. 

Carnival in Piazza Popolo 

Carnival in Piazza Popolo

View to Rome from Above Piazza Popolo

Statues in Park Above Piazza Popolo

Me Above Piazza Popolo

The Pantheon

Me at the Pantheon

The Pantheon (I am next to the second column
from the left if you can see me to give a sense of scale)

The Pantheon
(I am next to the far right column)

Dome of the Pantheon

Dome of the Pantheon

Niche in the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Dome of the Pantheon

Coffers in the Dome of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Dome of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Dome of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Niche in the Interior of the Pantheon

Interior of the Pantheon

Plan of the Pantheon

Where We Ate Lunch - Phenomenal Food

My Lunch