Our day in Rome! -- Florence Session 2

On Wednesday we left the beauty and wonder of Florence for a different kind of beauty and wonder in Rome. While Florence was originally an Etruscan settlement, most of what remains is Medieval and Renaissance; in Rome we focused on the ancient! After a short rest at the St. Stephen's School, we began our tour of the Forum. Crispin Corrado, one of Calder Classics' teachers based in Rome, gave a wonderful and in depth tour of the Forum and the Palatine Hill. The Forum and Rome's ancient remains gave the students a great opportunity to experience the physical manifestations of some of the stories and myths they have been studying in Latin. 

After the Forum we dashed off to see a contemporary art installation by the South African artist, William Kentridge, on the banks of the Tiber. Kentridge created enormous cut-outs and cleaned around them to leave vast, reverse images behind. Ida Panicelli, a friend of Meg's and a well-known art critic, gave us a wonderful presentation of the work. Ida explained the ways in which Kentridge had entwined the ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and modern aspects of Rome and Roman culture into a complex commentary on present-day social and political issues.

Afterwards it was time to return to Florence: hot, tired and sated :)

Isaiah and Henry brave the early(ish) train to Rome

Margot and Emma take a quick break in the courtyard of St. Stephen's School

The whole group at the foot of the Palatine Hill

The Forum!!

Crispin and the students admire Nero's staircase

William Kentridge's 'Triumphs and Laments'

Ida contextualizing the installation

The students and the 'Triumphs and Laments'

Nîmes, Sommiers, & Orange

All together in front of the Maison Carrée temple in Nîmes after a long scavenger hunt.

On Thursday we went to Nîmes, where  Laurent had prepared a scavenger hunt for us throughout the city. We split up into 3 teams – Sofie, Olivia, Thomas versus Chloe, Charlotte versus the teachers. Throughout the day we faced many challenges and enigmas that forced us to explore and learn about every landmark in the city. Our scavenger hunt led us to a fountain where we had to measure the volume of the water within it. This proved more difficult than we expected when we realized that the depth of the fountain was longer than an arm’s length! Different teams went about this in different ways. For example, Charlotte sacrificed her leg to the murky waters in order to measure how high the water reached on her leg. While the team of teachers and Chloe and Charlotte forged onwards in their quest fearlessly, the other team was hopelessly lost. When everyone had reached the lunch area they were still wandering and had to be rescued by Laurent. 

            Having completed the scavenger hunt (Chloe and Charlotte won the first half and tied the second) we all went to watch a movie about Roman life and the building of the city. Exhausted after having walked 7 miles, we took the train home ready for a good night’s sleep.

            On Saturday, Lana’s birthday (!!), we went to Sommières to visit Laurent and explore his town. We started at a huge market and walked through the different stands, each one filled with delicious produce. Having collected certain items for lunch and after Laurent picked up a roasted chicken, we made our way to his home. His house was so nice; we ate outside surrounded by foliage with his pool in the background. After we ate we quickly changed and went swimming! It was very refreshing given the extremely hot day. Afterwards we sang Lana happy birthday and she was presented with a large bowl of Laurent’s famous tiramisu. After continued exploration of the town we took the train back to Avignon. 

Enjoying the sunshine at Laurent's house in Sommières.

Today we went to Orange, the site of the most well preserved Roman theatre in the world. It was extraordinary to see. We listened to the entire audio tour and then went across the street to a related museum. We split off into groups for lunch and ran into Olivia’s friends (for the third time)! We then went home and had our last Latin lesson (holding back our tears of sorrow), having completed 2 books of Caesar, translated many poems and learned a lot about their culture.

At the Roman theater in Orange.

A Day in Siena

Today was a jam-packed day of sight-seeing, adventuring, and learning in the city of Siena, about an hour's drive from Florence. We were accompanied by a friend of Cindy's, Leonardo. Leonardo is from Florence and has taught as a teaching assistant at Middlebury College in Italian and currently is a graduate student at the University of Michigan. His mother is from Siena, so he knows the city well and led us as we adventured throughout the city. In the morning, when we arrived in Siena, we curiously meandered about town, finally arriving in the main piazza of the city, where we saw the preparations for the Palio all around us. The Palio is the horse race of Siena between different regions of the city that takes place twice a year: once in early July and once in August. The competition is a huge event, drawing crowds from the entire city, and is taken very seriously by locals devoted to their region of the city. After learning about this, we toured the Town Hall of Siena, a magnificent building on the main piazza of the city. On the walls of the Town Hall are beautiful paintings of the important figures of Siena and depictions of the values of the city. In one room, the walls are made of frescoes contrasting good and bad governments: on one side is a peaceful city surrounding by thriving farms, and on the other side is a city plagued by corrupt leaders and murder. Many of the inscriptions on these frescoes are written in Latin and could be read by our students! We took a few minutes to appreciate the views from the top of the Town Hall, where we had nearly panoramic views of an incredible green countryside. After visiting the Town Hall, we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant recommended by our knowledgeable guide Leonardo. Having devoured our delicious meals of pasta, we headed to the Duomo of Siena, one of the most beautiful and well-known Cathedrals in all of Italy. The floor is decorated with immaculately preserved marble depictions of sybils, or seers, giving their varied predictions. These predictions come directly from ancient Latin texts, including Virgil's Eclogues, and with the help of Mrs. Calder and our trip's chaperone Sadie, our students were able to recognize Latin words and read phrases. In addition to the main Cathedral, there is an attached Libreria Piccolomini, containing old Latin scriptures preserved by the Monks of the Middle Ages and also beautifully decorated with painted scenes from the Bible. Once we had taken in all the Duomo's splendor, we headed back to the station to return to Florence. While we waited for the bus, some students enjoyed gelato and others played with a soccer ball bought at a nearby store. On the way back to Florence, some napped happily and others enjoyed the views of the lush Tuscan countryside and Chianti vineyards. Either way, it was a full day of exploring and learning, as our students appreciated the art, the Latin, and the history of Siena that lives on today.

Boys playing soccer at the station.

Our students and guide Leonardo at the Duomo di Siena!

Awesome views from the top of the Town Hall in Siena!

The main town square all set up for next week's Palio.

The frescoes on the wall of the Town Hall of what a good government looks like.

By Sadie Holmes

Pont du Gard

Taking a break from Caesar by the Pont du Gard.

This day we took a bus to see the Pont du Gard, which is the tallest and best preserved Roman aqueduct in the world. It was scorching as we got off the bus but it was definitely worth it. We first entered and crossed a pathway directly under the aqueduct. The view was beautiful. Then Laurent suggested we hike up to the top of it, and we complied. When we got up there it was stunning and we were able to see where the water would have gone. We explored under that tunnel and Laurent and Thomas found a small section of a cave. Intrigued by the mystery they climbed up and then suddenly Thomas jumped onto Chloe because a bat flew into him. He said it was the most frightening thing he had ever endured. We then took a short loop and went back down. We proceeded to eat our picnic lunch by the shore and after Olivia, Thomas, and Charlotte took a nap. We could not wake Olivia up from this nap. We read Caesar, which was very interesting, and then went to the Roman Aqueduct & House museum. This was a very cool museum and we got yelled at twice! (Once for walking through lowered sand in the exhibit and second for taking pictures. We then took the bus back and went to bed, exhausted but enlightened.

The next day, we visited the Palais des Papes in Avignon and sang the famous song one must sing while on the Pont d'Avignon. We closed out the day wandering through the streets of Avignon all together for the city's annual summer solstice music festival. See photos below.

The song calls for everyone to join hands and dance merrily in a circle. We did our best to follow the instructions on the wall.

Hurray for French papal history!

Written by Charlotte, Chloe, Sofie & Olivia

Handling Business in Ostia Antica

On Wednesday, the squad hit the metro to the ancient city of Ostia Antica. As always, our lord and savior Crispin was leading the way, first through the necropolis outside the city gates along the Decumanus Maximus, as well as through the archeological site itself. 

Ostia Antica is located at a bend in the Tiber River and allowed the Romans to have a strong and stable control of the river’s transportation abilities, which was essential for the empire’s grain distribution. Today, the river strokes the city only slightly on the far-west side, but in ancient times, the whole northern side of the city touched the river. The change in proximity, as Crispin told us, is because the Tiber actually changed its course suddenly after a thunderstorm.

Sarah and Matteo atop the remains of an ancient staircase.

Once inside the city gates, we explored apartment buildings, shops, and the mosaic-sprawled Baths of Neptune. 

The Baths of Neptune.

Crispin taught us how, like today, many apartments were located directly above shops. I found it really interesting that the Roman shopkeepers were actually able to “close up shop” by pulling out wooden planks that acted similarly to modern day store shutters. You can still see the grooves in the marble where these planks were placed. 

The entrance to a shop in Ostia Antica.

We were also able to see an ancient firefighter station, located behind the Baths of Neptune, strategically placed to reuse the water from the baths. The station also had many pedestals where the statues of emperors were placed. Among them, we were able to see the damnatio memoriae of Emperor Commodus, as his name was scratched out of the text. 

The damnatio memoria of Emperor Commodus.

After making our way through the theater and the forum, we approached our final stop. Crispin drew our attention to an empty structure with benches lining the walls. The benches, however, had holes in them. They were toilets! Ancient Roman toilets! 

The communal latrines.

They were surprisingly very easily recognizable, and it was great to think about Romans handling their business in this room 2000 years ago. To our disappointment, however, we weren’t able to try it out for ourselves. 

Written by Tommy Lee

A Trip to the Bargello

On July 26th, the Calder Classics Florence students braved the stormy weather to venture to the Bargello museum in the heart of Florence. Amongst many paintings and sculptures and artifacts, there were a few that really stood out. Donatello’s David particularly caught our eye because it was such a contrast to Michelangelo’s David which we saw the day before. Donatello depicts a more youthful and weak David while Michelangelo glorifies David’s strength, masculinity, and size. 

We also looked at two separate small bronze panels, one made by Filippo Brunelleschi and the other by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The two panels are both called the Sacrifico di Isacco and both depict the same scene—the sacrifice of Isaac. These panels were created for a competition, and the winner, Ghiberti, went on to finish more panels for the door to The Baptistry, which stands in front of The Duomo. Later in the day we translated de rerum natura by Lucretius. Lucretius tells the story of Iphigenia and how her father sacrificed her to the gods so that the Greeks could set sail for Troy. In some versions of the story, Diana swoops down from the Heavens and saves Iphigenia at the last minute—just like the story of Isaac that we saw in the panels at the Bargello. 

After such a memorable day, we stopped for dinner and gelato and strolled home via a stunning view at Piazzale Michelangelo. 

By Kaylee Capruso

A Journey along the Via Appia Antica

During our first free day, seven of us visited the San Sebastiano Catacombs. The catacombs were a short bus ride away on the Via Appia Antica. We had a thirty-minute tour of the catacombs and were able to go underground to see the tombs. There were two different types of tombs: Christian rectangular wall tombs (loculi), as well as smaller tombs (colombari) used to house urns. We are not able to see any of bones in the catacombs today because people began to steal the bones, and around thirty years ago, the bones were placed in areas of the catacombs not accessible to the public. Three mausoleums were later built on top of these catacombs and we were also able to see these. Inside the mausoleums there were beautiful frescos. After exiting the catacombs and mausoleums, we saw a sculpture only recently discovered to be the last Bernini sculpture. Next to the sculpture there was an inscription in Latin that we all translated together.

Translating a Latin inscription.

The running pedestrians

In the evening we saw a British comedy group called The Miracle Players perform in front of the Roman Forum. They performed a short play about the history of Rome from the founding with Romulus and Remus, the Kings period, the Republic, the Empire, until the fall of the Empire. It was called “Rome in a Nutshell.” They have been performing for 15 years, changing the play every year. The play we saw was well put together and funny. We all had a great dinner together after the play and finished the day by watching a movie. 

The Miracle Players

Written by Lily Dillon.

A Date with David

Today was an extraordinary day as we continued our reading of Lucretius and visited yet another iconic site in Florence. The morning's reading of Lucretius' great didactic poem, On the Nature of Things, struck us with the sheer beauty of its poetry along with its scientific and philosophical outlook. We read a portion that introduced the sacrifice of Iphigenia, carried out by the Greeks, in order to obtain the winds to sail to Troy and begin the Trojan War. Reluctantly putting this masterpiece aside, we stepped out into Florence’s sunshine.  

Later that afternoon we visited the Galleria dell’Academia where Michelangelo’s David transfixed us. Michelangelo's work symbolizes all that the city of Florence hoped to represent- strength and courage, displayed though the immense size of the statue. Not only is David huge, but he also possesses fine features such as the strikingly realistic veins running throughout his hands, showing Michelangelo’s commitment to detail even in a statue so big. Lucretius and Michelangelo struck me as similar in their commitment and mastery of their art. At the end of the day we concluded that the main difference between the two were the instruments they employed-one a pen, the other a chisel. 

By Carly Lawrence

The Pantheon and Beyond

Yesterday, the Calder Classics Rome group took a walking tour of Trajan and Hadrian’s Rome—mostly Hadrian’s—with visits to the Pantheon, Temple of the Deified Hadrian, and Castel Sant’Angelo. While very little of the Temple of the Deified Hadrian remains today, as its interior has long since been repurposed for the Borsa, or stock exchange, the Pantheon and Castel Sant’Angelo are very much intact in some semblance of their original form.

Our first stop, the Pantheon, was mostly restored during the Renaissance, but in a classical style, and is therefore considered to be one of the best examples of the full effect of ancient Roman architecture today— that is to say, impressive. With gorgeous, multi-colored marble floors and walls painted with the illusion of marble to match, and a massive concrete dome, the building is breathtaking. Its exterior is perhaps less impressive than it once was, due to its age and exposed brickwork, but the interior is extraordinary both in terms of aesthetic and engineering. The dome, with an oculus in the middle left open to the elements and cutouts all along its face, remains entirely intact from the time of its construction nearly two thousand years ago, and continues to be the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The Pantheon is still in use today as a Catholic church and is the final resting place of several Italian kings and artists, including the painter Raphael, but the structure itself was the real center of attention (as an architecture enthusiast, it was pretty extraordinary).

Next, we walked through the Piazza Navona to see the remains of its time as an ancient stadium, not unlike the Circus Maximus. We then continued to pass by the remaining façade of the Temple of the Deified Hadrian, until we reached our final destination: the Castel Sant’Angelo. Unfortunately, we were unable to go in, but the unusual, imposing building set against a backdrop of Rome and Vatican City was interesting enough. Originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian and his family, it was later used as a papal fortress and castle (complete with a dungeon and passageways to the Vatican). Much of the castle-like structure comes from this later medieval period, although the round center chamber of the original design—the emperors’ tomb itself—remains intact. It was also featured quite prominently in Angels and Demons, which several of us watched last night, making for an amusing crossover.

Afterwards, our group split up during our break. Robert, Matteo, Tommy, Beth, and I headed to the Capuchin Crypt, a bizarre series of rooms decorated with human bones. Amongst the pillars of skulls and ornately arranged shin-bones, under chandeliers made of ribs and vertebrae, lay the bodies of fully-clothed Capuchin monks as if asleep, mostly decayed but ready for resurrection when the time should come (judging by the final room, which featured an image of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus, the Capuchins believed in such a thing). As morbid and ominous as it was, the crypts were strangely beautiful.  The bones, such a peculiar choice of medium, were painstakingly arranged in patterns on the walls and ceilings, creating designs not unlike the intricate carvings of many Renaissance structures. Perhaps the most unsettling thing in those rooms was an inscription in the first chamber, translated into several languages: “What you are now, we used to be. What we are now, you will be.” It was a cheerful reminder of our own mortality, even if we can’t all hope to end up as a kind of macabre fresco.

Following our foray into the realm of the dead, we did the logical thing: stop for hamburgers, which were surprisingly good. Then, the five of us walked to the Villa Borghese in hopes of seeing some Bernini sculptures. Unfortunately, it was closed, but we rented a large bike and pedaled through the gardens, fully enjoying the beautiful architecture, sculpture, and, as the heat had finally nearly broken, weather. Though a bit dried out by the blazing sun, the landscaping was picturesque, like something out of a movie—a Roman Versailles, if you will; a modern Domus Aurea. Finally, we walked back past the Trevi Fountain (under construction, although we still stopped to toss in coins) to the school, where we finished reading parts of Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura and Beth taught an introductory Greek lesson.

All in all, a long, fascinating day full of history, art, architecture, and—strangely enough—pelvic bones.

By Claire Schultz

The Unsurpassed Uffizi

This afternoon the Florence Session II Group visited the renowned Uffizi Gallery after reading de rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) by Lucretius in the morning. Lucretius’s de rerum natura is a didactic poem that demonstrates his Epicurean beliefs. We translated the very first section of the text, where Lucretius invokes and praises the goddess of love, Venus. The poem goes on to describe how nature flourishes when Venus arrives.

In the Uffizi Gallery, Botticelli’s famous paintings, The Birth of Venus and Primavera depict exactly what Lucretius eloquently discusses. Although the paintings are beautiful on their own, the poem brought the stories behind them to life. Here are photos of the Botticelli works: 

(Did you know that there was real gold used to paint Venus’s hair?)

Another highlight of the Uffizi Gallery included comparing the Michelangelo painting Buonarroti and the replica of the statue Laocoon and His Sons. The painting is a close-up of Mary Joseph and baby Jesus with other figures in the background, while the sculpture shows Laocoon and his two sons struggling to escape vicious snakes. It was very fascinating to observe that the bodies in the painting mimic the twisting positions of Laocoon and his sons in the sculpture, especially after reading The Aeneid's description of Laocoon's death in my Latin class at school.  

After the gallery, we made a quick visit to a paper store which makes all of their paper designs by hand. The owner of the shop even gave us a demo of the intricate process. Then we ended our day with some delicious freshly made pasta for dinner!

By Gabby Herzig

Prandium Romanum (Roman Lunch)

This morning we embarked upon an adventure in the culinary arts, striving to recreate an authentic, ancient Roman meal from Apicius’ recipes within the St. Stephen’s kitchen. With the help of the two chefs, Paolo and Tamara, bridging any language barriers, we soon learned how to properly hollow zucchini, slice chicken, grind beef, and cut onions. Once these essential skills were mastered, it was time to fill the zucchini pods with the beef, and the most daring few grabbed gloves to play with, mold, and utilize the red material, which resembled a brain. It reminded us of the fried brains we ate in the Jewish ghetto. While music played in the background, the three main dishes came into being: chickpeas with string beans in an incredible honey-wine sauce, zucchinis stuffed with beef, and chicken with peas. These three plates became our lunch for the day, as we were able to experience a meal similar to ones the Romans had, a fact made more exciting because we were a part of the preparations every step of the way. These surviving recipes provide a link to the past, but a somewhat unsure one, as scholarly commentary exists to try to identify specific words that we do not understand now, such as the word aphros, which could mean either celery or cider apple or perhaps something entirely different.

With lunch taken care of, this afternoon was devoted to filmmaking, as we reenacted sections from Latin texts that we have read here in Rome. While one group acted out Horace’s Satire 1.9 when he is harassed walking down the Via Sacra, another enacted Cicero’s Prima Oratio In Catilinam. Check the blog again soon to see these videos and our acting skills.

Written by Rachel Edelson

Calder Classics Takes the Colosseum

Today we sojourned back in time to the former stage of the greatest gladiatorial showdowns of all time: The Colosseum. The visit began with us entering the fabled gates, as eager to witness the interior as the Romans were to see the grand spectacles, which once took place within. Crispin welcomed us to the grand arena by delivering a detailed description of the kind of events that once took place on the harena below. Visions of the grotesque events began to  prevail throughout my mind. We eventually stepped out onto the terrace between the second and third tiers of seats. From here Crispin explained to us the intricacies and importance of seating in the Colosseum. We learned that social class dictated which gate one would enter through, and that each gate would lead to a different section. For example senators would enter through special unmarked gates, which lead to the Podium, an area providing the best views for the most distinguished guests. Soon after Crispin left we indulged in more modern affairs, such as taking selfies and panoramas.

After our photoshoot the group diverged, and Tommy, Matteo, and I decided to visit the museum located in the concourse of the ancient stadium. We marveled at the profusion of antiquities; I personally favored a statue of Polyphemus, for I had never seen a three eyed sculpture before.

Written by Robert Connolly.

The Forum

On Monday, both the Rome and Florence kids went to the Circus Maximus and then the Roman Forum. Both of these places are filled with such amazing stories and background. In order to get ourselves in the mood for our visit to the Circus Maximus, we read a section from Ovid’s poem, Ars Amatoria (the Art of Love) about how to pick up a lady at the Circus Maximus. Ovid has many suggestions such as: sitting really close to her, fixing her pillow, picking up her cloak when it falls and cheer really energetically for the charioteer that she roots for.  (Some of these suggestions seem pretty good to me—I would like to have somebody who would pick up my coat when it falls.) The Circus Maximus, which is a big dirt track at the base of the Palentine Hill in Rome, was used for all the chariot races that occurred in Rome. There were four teams that people in Rome rooted for: White, Red, Blue, and Green. The Romans followed chariot teams with the same enthusiasm as people follow soccer in Italy today. The emperor sat in a seat at the very beginning so that he could start the race by dropping his napkin. The best seats in the house were at the very end of the track because that was where all the underhanded attempts to win occurred.

After that we went to the Roman Forum. Julius Caesar was in the process of building the forum, but he was killed before he could finish. His adopted son, Augustus, completed it.  It is said that Augustus, “found Rome a city of mud and left her a city of marble”.  In other words, Augustus decided to finish what his father had started and erected a ton of marble buildings, which he then dedicated to his family and himself. Many of the buildings were used as religious centers and law courts. For example two basilicas, named Aemalia and Julia, both of which are in ruin today, were used as centers for the Roman courts. The forum was also contained the living quarters for the Vestal Virgins. We actually got to see where they stayed and it was huge!

Both trips posing with the Vestal Virgins

Written by Reid Boyer.