Sixtythree Bed and Breakfast

Piazza Navona

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:45:11 +0000

Piazza Navona is a square in Rome, Italy. The piazza follows the plan of an ancient Roman circus, the 1st century Stadium of Domitian,^[1] where the Romans came to watch the agones (”games”): It was known as ‘Circus Agonalis’ (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to ‘in agone’ to ‘navone’ and eventually to ‘navona’.

Defined as a square in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred here from the Campidoglio, Piazza Navona is now the pride of Baroque Rome. It has sculptural and architectural creations: by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers, 1651) in the center; by Francesco Borromini and Girolamo Rainaldi, the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone; and by Pietro da Cortona, who painted the gallery in the Pamphilj palace

The market was moved in 1869 to Campo de’ Fiori. The square has hosted theatrical shows and horse races. After 1652, on every August Saturday and Sunday, the square was turned into a lake to celebrate the Pamphilj family. This feast was suppressed in 1866.

Piazza Navona contains two additional fountains sculpted by Giacomo della Porta — the Fontana di Nettuno (1574), located at the northern area of Piazza Navona, and the Fontana del Moro (1576), located at the southern end of the piazza.

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Pantheon

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:33:26 +0000

The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon^[1], from Greek Πάνθειον Pantheon, meaning “Temple of all the gods”) is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to “all the gods” of Ancient Rome. The intended degree of inclusiveness of this dedication is debated. The generic term pantheon is now applied to a monument in which illustrious dead are buried. It is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, and perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world. It has been in continuous use throughout its history. The design of the extant building is sometimes credited to the Trajan’s architect Apollodorus of Damascus, but it is equally likely that the building and the design should be credited to the emperor Hadrian or his architects. Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Christian church The Pantheon is currently the oldest standing domed structure in Rome.

History

The interior of the Pantheon in the 18th century, painted by Giovanni Paolo Panini. For another painting (1735) by the same artist, see [1] at the Liechenstein Museum in Vienna.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Agrippa built and dedicated the original Pantheon during his third consulship (27 BC). Agrippa’s Pantheon was destroyed along with other buildings in a huge fire in 80 AD. The current building dates from about 125 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, as date-stamps on the bricks reveal. It was totally reconstructed with the text of the original inscription (”M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT” meaning, “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, made it“) which was added to the new facade, a common practice in Hadrian’s rebuilding projects all over Rome. Hadrian was a cosmopolitan emperor who traveled widely in the East and was a great admirer of Greek culture. He might have intended the Pantheon, a temple to all the gods, to be a kind of ecumenical or syncretist gesture to the subjects of the Roman Empire who did not worship the old gods of Rome, or who (as was increasingly the case) worshipped them under other names. How the building was actually used is not known.

The coffers for the concrete dome were poured in molds, probably on the temporary scaffolding; the oculus admits the only light.

Cassius Dio, a Graeco-Roman senator, consul and author of a comprehensive History of Rome, writing approximately 75 years after the Pantheon’s reconstruction, mistakenly attributed the domed building to Agrippa rather than Hadrian. Dio’s book appears to be the only near-contemporary writing on the Pantheon, and it is interesting that even by the year 200 there was uncertainty about the origin of the building and its purpose:

Agrippa finished the construction of the building called the Pantheon. It has this name, perhaps because it received among the images which decorated it the statues of many gods, including Mars and Venus; but my own opinion of the name is that, because of its vaulted roof, it resembles the heavens. (Cassius Dio History of Rome 53.27.2)

The building was repaired by Septimius Severus and Caracalla in 202 AD, for which there is another, smaller inscription. This inscription reads “pantheum vetustate corruptum cum omni cultu restituerunt” (’with every refinement they restored the Pantheon worn by age’).

[edit] Medieval

Under the portico, sometimes called by the Greek term pronaos, of the Pantheon. The Corinthian order of the Pantheon’s portico provided a standard for Renaissance and later architects.

In 609 the Byzantine emperor Phocas gave the building to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into a Christian church and consecrated it to Santa Maria ad Martyres, now known as Santa Maria dei Martiri.

The building’s consecration as a church saved it from the abandonment, destruction, and the worst of the spoliation which befell the majority of ancient Rome’s buildings during the early mediaeval period. Paul the Deacon records the spoliation of the building by the Emperor Constans II, who visited Rome in July 663:

Remaining at Rome twelve days he pulled down everything that in ancient times had been made of metal for the ornament of the city, to such an extent that he even stripped off the roof of the church [of the blessed Mary] which at one time was called the Pantheon, and had been founded in honor of all the gods and was now by the consent of the former rulers the place of all the martyrs; and he took away from there the bronze tiles and sent them with all the other ornaments to Constantinople.

Tomb of Umberto I

Much fine external marble has been removed in the course of the centuries, and there are capitals from some of the pilasters in the British Museum. Two columns were swallowed up in the medieval buildings that abbutted the Pantheon on the east and were lost. In the early seventeenth century, Urban VIII Barberini tore away the bronze ceiling of the portico, and replaced the medieval campanile with the famous twin towers built by Maderno, which were not removed until the late nineteenth century.^[2]. The only other loss has been the external sculptures, which adorned the pediment above Agrippa’s inscription. The marble interior and the great bronze doors have survived, although both have been extensively restored.

[edit] Renaissance

Since the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. Among those buried there are the painters Raphael and Annibale Caracci, the composer Arcangelo Corelli, and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi. In the 15th century, the Pantheon was adorned with paintings: the best-known is the Annunciation by Melozzo da Forlì. Architects, like Brunelleschi, who used the Pantheon as help when designing the Cathedral of Florence’s dome, looked to the Pantheon as inspiration for their works.

Floor plan of the Pantheon from Georg Dehio/Gustav von Bezold: Kirchliche Baukunst des Abendlandes. Stuttgart: Verlag der Cotta’schen Buchhandlung 1887-1901.

Pope Urban VIII ordered the bronze ceiling of the Pantheon’s portico melted down. Most of the bronze was used to make bombards for the fortification of Castel Sant’Angelo, with the remaining amount used by the Apostolic Camera for various other works. It is also said that the bronze was used by Bernini in creating his famous baldachin above the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, but according to at least one expert, the Pope’s accounts state that about 90% of the bronze was used for the cannon, and that the bronze for the baldachin came from Venice.[2]. This led the Roman satirical figure Pasquino to issue the famous proverb: Quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini (”What the barbarians did not do, the Barberinis [Urban VIII’s family name] did”).

In 1747, the broad frieze below the dome with its false windows was “restored,” but bore little resemblance to the original. In the early decades of the twentieth century, a piece of the original, as could be reconstructed from Renaissance drawings and paintings, was recreated in one of the panels.

[edit] Modern

Also buried there are two kings of Italy: Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, as well as Umberto’s Queen, Margherita. Although Italy has been a republic since 1946, volunteer members of Italian monarchist organisations maintain a vigil over the royal tombs in the Pantheon. This has aroused protests from time to time from republicans, but the Catholic authorities allow the practice to continue, although the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage [3] is in charge of the security and maintenance.

South east view of the Pantheon from Piazza della Minerva, 2006.

The Pantheon is still a church and masses are still celebrated in the church, particularly on important Catholic days of obligation, and for weddings.

[edit] Structure

The building is circular with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus), the Great Eye, open to the sky. A rectangular structure links the portico with the rotunda. Though often still drawn as a free-standing building, there was a building at its rear into which it abutted; of this building there are only archaeological remains.

Antoine Desgodetz’ elevation of the Pantheon in Les edifices antiques de Rome, Paris, 1779: engravings served designers who never travelled to Rome.

In the walls at the back of the portico were niches, probably for statues of Caesar, Augustus and Agrippa, or for the Capitoline Triad, or another set of gods. The large bronze doors to the cella, once plated with gold, still remain, but the gold has long since vanished. The pediment was decorated with a sculpture - holes may still be seen where the clamps which held the sculpture in place were fixed.

The 4,535 metric ton (5,000 tn) weight of the concrete dome is concentrated on a ring of voussoirs 9.1 metres (30 ft) in diameter which form the oculus while the downward thrust of the dome is carried by eight barrel vaults in the 6.4 metre (21 ft) thick drum wall into eight piers. The thickness of the dome varies from 6.4 metres (21 ft) at the base of the dome to 1.2 metres (4 ft) around the oculus. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft.), so the whole interior would fit exactly within a cube (alternatively, the interior could house a sphere 43.3 metres (142 ft.) in diameter).^[3] The Pantheon holds the record for the largest unreinforced concrete dome. The interior of the roof was possibly intended to symbolize the arched vault of the heavens.^[3] The Great Eye at the dome’s apex is the source of all light. The oculus also serves as a cooling and ventilation method. During storms, a drainage system below the floor handles the rain that falls through the oculus.

The interior features sunken panels (coffers), which, in antiquity, may have contained bronze stars, rosettes, or other ornaments. This coffering was not only decorative, but also reduced the weight of the roof, as did the elimination of the apex by means of the Great Eye. The top of the rotunda wall features a series of brick-relieving arches, visible on the outside and built into the mass of the brickwork. The Pantheon is full of such devices - for example, there are relieving arches over the recesses inside - but all these arches were, of course, originally hidden by marble facing on the interior and possibly by stone revetment or stucco on the exterior. Some changes have been made in the interior decoration.

The lower parts of the interior of the Pantheon are richly decorated in coloured marbles; the coffered upper parts are unadorned concrete.

The exact composition of the Roman concrete used in the dome remains a mystery. An unreinforced dome in these proportions made of modern concrete would hardly stand the load of its own weight, since concrete has very low tensile strength, yet the Pantheon has stood for centuries. It is known from Roman sources that their concrete is made up of a pasty hydrate of lime, with pozzolanic ash (Latin pulvis puteolanum) and lightweight pumice from a nearby volcano, and fist-sized pieces of rock. In this, it is very similar to modern concrete.^[3] The high tensile strength appears to come from the way the concrete was applied in very small amounts and then was tamped down after every application to remove excess water and trapped air bubbles. This appears to have increased its strength enormously.

As the best-preserved example of monumental Roman architecture, the Pantheon was enormously influential on European and American architects from the Renaissance, starting with Brunelleschi’s 42-meter dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, completed in 1436 – the first sizeable dome to be constructed in Europe after Antiquity. The dome of the Pantheon can be detected in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: numerous city halls, universities and public libraries echo its portico-and-dome structure. Examples of notable buildings influenced by the Pantheon include the Panthéon in Paris, The Temple in Dartrey, British Museum Reading Room, Manchester Central Library, Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda at the University of Virginia, the Rotunda of Mosta, Low Library at Columbia University, New York, The Marble Hall of the Sanssouci palace in Potsdam, Germany, the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, the Supreme Court Library of Victoria in Melbourne, the 52-meter-tall Ottokár Prohászka Memorial Church in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, as well as the California State Capital in Sacramento.

[edit] Decoration while a Christian church

Tomb of Raphael

The present high altar and the apse were commissioned by Pope Clement XI (1700-1721) and designed by Alessandro Specchi. In the apse, a copy of a Byzantine icon of the Madonna is enshrined. The original, now in the Chapel of the Canons in the Vatican, has been dated to the 13th century, although tradition claims that it is much older. The choir was added in 1840, and was designed by Luigi Poletti.

The first niche to the right of the entrance holds a Madonna of the Girdle and St Nicholas of Bari (1686) painted by an unknown artist. The first chapel on the right, the Chapel of the Annunciation, has a fresco of the Annunication attributed to Melozzo da Forli. On the left side is a canvas by Clement Maioli of St Lawrence and St Agnes (1645-1650). On the right wall is the Incredulity of St Thomas (1633) by Pietro Paolo Bonzi.

The second niche has a 15th century fresco of the Tuscan school, depicting the Coronation of the Virgin. In the second chapel is the tomb of King Victor Emmanuel II (died 1878). It was originally dedicated to the Holy Spirit. A competition was held to decide which architect should be given the honor of designing it. Giuseppe Sacconi participated, but lost - he would later design the tomb of Umberto I in the opposite chapel. Manfredio Manfredi won the competition, and started work in 1885. The tomb consists of a large bronze plaque surmounted by a Roman eagle and the arms of the house of Savoy. The golden lamp above the tomb burns in honor of Victor Emmanuel III, who died in exile in 1947.

The third niche has a sculpture by Il Lorenzone of St Anne and the Blessed Virgin. In the third chapel is a 15th-century painting of the Umbrian school, The Madonna of Mercy between St Francis and St John the Baptist. It is also known as the Madonna of the Railing, because it originally hung in the niche on the left-hand side of the portico, where it was protected by a railing. It was moved to the Chapel of the Annunciation, and then to its present position some time after 1837. The bronze epigram commemorated Pope Clement XI’s restoration of the sanctuary. On the right wall is the canvas Emperor Phocas presenting the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV (1750) by an unknown. There are three memorial plaques in the floor, one conmmemorating a Gismonda written in the vernacular. The final niche on the right side has a statue of St. Anastasio (1725) by Bernardino Cametti^[4].

Bust of the painter Raphael, above his tomb in the Pantheon

On the first niche to the left of the entrance is an Assumption (1638) by Andrea Camassei. The first chapel on the left, is the Chapel of St Joseph in the Holy Land, and is the chapel of the Confraternity of the Virtuosi at the Pantheon. This refers to the confraternity of artists and musicians that was formed here by a 16th-century Canon of the church, Desiderio da Segni, to ensure that worship was maintained in the chapel. The first members were, among others, Antonio da Sangallo the younger, Jacopo Meneghino, Giovanni Mangone, Zuccari, Domenico Beccafumi and Flaminio Vacca. The confraternity continued to draw members from the elite of Rome’s artists and architects, and among later members we find Bernini, Cortona, Algardi and many others. The institution still exists, and is now called the Academia Ponteficia di Belle Arti (The Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts), based in the palace of the Cancelleria. The altar in the chapel is covered with false marble. On the altar is a statue of St Joseph and the Holy Child by Vincenzo de Rossi. To the sides are paintings (1661) by Francesco Cozza, one of the Virtuosi: Adoration of the Shepherds on left side and Adoration of the Magi on right. The stucco relief on the left, Dream of St Joseph is by Paolo Benaglia, and the one on the right, Rest during the flight from Egypt is by Carlo Monaldi. On the vault are several 17th-century canvases, from left to right: Cumean Sibyl by Ludovico Gimignani; Moses by Francesco Rosa; Eternal Father by Giovanni Peruzzini; David by Luigi Garzi and finally Eritrean Sibyl by Giovanni Andrea Carlone.

The second niche has a statue of St Agnes, by Vincenco Felici. The bust on the left is a portrait of Baldassare Peruzzi, derived from a plaster portrait by Giovanni Duprè. The tomb of King Umberto I and his wife Margherita di Savoia is in the next chapel. The chapel was originally dedicated to St Michael the Archangel, and then to St. Thomas the Apostle. The present design is by Giuseppe Sacconi, completed after his death by his pupil Guido Cirilli. The tomb consists of a slab of alabaster mounted in gilded bronze. The frieze has allegorical representations of Generosity, by Eugenio Maccagnani, and Munificence, by Arnaldo Zocchi. The royal tombs are maintained by the National Institute of Honour Guards to the Royal Tombs, founded in 1878. They also organize picket guards at the tombs. The altar with the royal arms is by Cirilli.

The third niche holds the mortal remains - his Ossa et cineres, “Bones and ashes”, as the inscription on the sarcophagus says - of the great artist Raphael. His fiancée, Maria Bibbiena is buried to the right of his sarcophagus; she died before they could marry. The sarcophagus was given by Pope Gregory XVI, and its insription reads ILLE HIC EST RAPHAEL TIMUIT QUO SOSPITE VINCI / RERUM MAGNA PARENS ET MORIENTE MORI, meaning “Here lies Raphael, by whom the mother of all things (Nature) feared to be overcome while he was living, and while he was dying, herself to die”. The epigraph was written by Pietro Bembo. The present arrangement is from 1811, designed by Antonio Munoz. The bust of Raphael (1833) is by Giuseppe Fabris. The two plaques commemorate Maria Bibbiena and Annibale Caracci. Behind the tomb is the statue known as the Madonna del Sasso (Madonna of the Rock) so named because she rests one foot on a boulder. It was commissioned by Raphael and made by Lorenzetto in 1524.

In the Chapel of the Crucifixion, the Roman brick wall is visible in the niches. The wooden crucifix on the altar is from the 15th century. On the left wall is a Descent of the Holy Ghost (1790) by Pietro Labruzi. On the right side is the low relief Cardinal Consalvi presents to Pope Pius VII the five provinces restored to the Holy See (1824) made by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. The bust is a portrait of Cardinal Agostino Rivarola. The final niche on this side has a statue of St. Rasius (S. Erasio) (1727) by Francesco Moderati^[5].

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Thatre of marcellus

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:16:30 +0000

The Theatre of Marcellus (Latin: Theatrum Marcelli; Italian: Teatro di Marcello) is an ancient edifice in Rome , Italy. It was named after Marcus Marcellus, Emperor Augustus’s nephew, who died five years before its completion. Space for the theatre was cleared by Julius Caesar, who was murdered before it could be begun; the theatre was so far advanced by 17 BC that part of the celebration of the ludi saeculares took place within the theatre, which was inaugurated in 12 BC by Augustus^[1] and completed in 13 BC.

The theatre was 111 m in diameter could originally hold 11,000 spectators.^[1] It was an impressive example of what was to become one of the most pervasive urban architectural forms of the Roman world. And it is considered one of the many popular spectacles or tourists sites at Rome. The theatre was built mainly of tuff, cement and opus reticulatum brickwork, completely sheathed in white travertine. The network of arches, corridors, tunnels and ramps that gave access to the interiors of such Roman theaters were normally ornamented with a screen of engaged columns in Greek orders: Doric at the base, Ionic in the middle. It is believed that Corinthian columns were used for the upper level but this is uncertain as the theater was reconstructed in the Middle Ages, removing the top tier of seating and the columns.^[1]

Like other Roman theaters in suitable locations, it had openings through which the natural setting could be seen, in this case the Tiber Island to the southwest. The permanent setting, the scaena, also rose to the top of the cavea as in other Roman theaters.

The name templum Marcelli still clung to the ruins in 998. In the Early Middle Ages the Teatro di Marcello was used as a fortress of the Fabii and then at the end of the 11th century, by Pier Leoni and later his heirs (the Pierleoni). The Savelli held it in the 13th century. Later, in the 16th century, the residence of the Orsini, designed by Baldassare Peruzzi, was built atop the ruins of the ancient theatre.

Now the upper portion is divided into multiple apartments, and its surroundings are used as a venue for small summer concerts; the Portico d’Ottavia lies to the north west leading to the Roman Ghetto and the Tiber to the south west.

The monument lies in the rione of Sant’Angelo.

In the 17th Century, the renowned English architect Christopher Wren explicitly acknowledged that his design for the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford was influenced by Serlio’s engraving of the Theatre of Marcellus. For Wren, the style of the Roman theatre was helpful in his outspoken effort to get free of the then-prevalent Gothic style.

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Imperial forums

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:08:43 +0000

The Imperial Forums consist of a series of monumental fora (public squares), constructed in Rome over a period of one and half centuries, between 46 BC and 113 AD. The forums were the heart of the late Roman Republic and of the Roman Empire.

The Imperial forums are not part of the Roman Forum, which was the public square during the Roman Republic. These forums were the centres of politics, religion and economy in the ancient Rome.

Forum of Caesar

Julius Caesar decided to construct a large forum bearing his name. This forum was inaugurated in 46 BC, though it was probably incomplete at this time and was finished later by Augustus.

The Forum of Caesar was constructed as an extension to the Roman Forum. The Forum was used as a replacement venue to the Roman Forum for public affairs as well as government; it was also designed as a celebration of Caesar’s power. Caesar had placed, on the front of his forum, a temple devoted to Venus Genitrix, since Caesar’s family (gens Julia) claimed to descend by Venus through Aeneas. A statue of Caesar himself riding Bucephalus, the celebrated horse of Alexander the Great, was placed in front of the temple, to symbolise absolute power.^{[citation needed]} This centralised vision corresponded to the ideological function, following the propaganda of the Hellenistic sanctuaries; also the choice of the Forum site carried a meaning: the future dictator didn’t want to be far from the central power, represented in the Curia, seat of the Senate. In fact, not long before Caesar’s death, the Senate agreed to reconstruct the Curia on the site.

Forum of Augustus

In the battle of Philippi in 42 BC, in which Augustus and Mark Antony worked together and avenged Caesar’s death, defeating the forces of Brutus and Cassius, Augustus vowed to build a temple dedicated to Mars Ultor (Mars the Avenger). The incomplete forum was inaugurated, after 40 years of construction, in 2 BC, adding the second monumental square, the Forum of Augustus.

This new complex lies at right angles to the Forum of Caesar. The temple consists of a very tall wall, and this still distinguishes itself from the popular neighbourhood of Suburra. This high wall served as a firebreak, protecting the Forum area from the frequent conflagrations from which Rome suffered. The rectangular square has long deep porticos with a surface that widens into large semicircular exedras.

Recently 1 more slightly smaller exedra was found south on the wall bordering the forum of Trajan. meaning that in sake of symmetry there must have been other exedra demolished to make room for the forum of Nerva, rising the number to 4 and not 2 exedras This completely changes the layout for the south part of the forum of Augustus, meaning that it is much more similar to the forum of Trajan, and a new theory for this southern part of the forum suggests that in fact there was a basilica between the 2 new exedras (like in the forum of Trajan). This supports the numerous ancient authors that tell us the forum was used has a court of law.

The entire decoration of the Forum was tightly connected to the ideology of Augustus. According to myth, Rome herself was born from the god Mars through Romulus.

Temple of peace

In 75 AD, under Emperor Vespasian, another great square was built. Separated from the Forum of Augustus, the Forum of Caesar and the Via dell’Argileto which connect the Roman Forum to the Subura, the temple faced the Velian Hill (in the direction of the Colosseum. The fact that this structure is not mentioned as having a civil function has prevented it from being classified as a true Forum. Therefore the structure was simply identified as the Temple of Peace (Templum Pacis) until the late Empire.

Also the shape of the square was different: the temple was constructed by a large apsidal hall that opened up like an exedra at the bottom of the portico. A row of columns distinguished the portico from the temple. The central area was not paved like other fora, and it served as a garden, with pools and pedestals for statues, so that it was similar to an open-air museum.

The monument was built to celebrate the conquest of Jerusalem. One of the chambers opened at the end of the porticos housed the Forma Urbis Romae, a marble map of antique Rome, made in the Severan period (3rd century) by drawing on the marble slab that covered the wall.

Forum of Nerva

Domitian decided to unify the previous complex and the free remaining irregular area, between the Temple of Peace and the Forums of Caesar and Augustus, and build another monumental forum which connected all of the other forums.

The limited space, partially occupied by one of the exedras of the Forum of Augustus and by the via dell’Argileto, obliged Vespasian to build the lateral porticos as simply decorations of the bounding walls of the forum. The temple, dedicated to Minerva as protector of the emperor, was built leaning on the exedra of the Forum of Augustus, so that the remaining space became a large monumental entrance (Porticus Absidatus) for all the forums.

Because of the death of Domitian, the forum was inaugurated by his successor, Nerva, who gave his own name to the forum. The Forum of Nerva is also known as Transitional Forum, because it worked as an access way, just like via dell’Argileto had done.

Forum of Trajan

It is probable that Domitian’s projects were more ambitious than the building of the small “Forum of Nerva”, and probably under his reign they started to remove the small saddle that united the Capitoline Hill to the Quirinal Hill, thus blocking the Forums towards Campus Martius, near to modern Piazza Venezia.

The project was resumed by Trajan with the construction of Trajan’s Forum between 112 and 113. The occasion was the conquest of Dacia, whose spoils paid for this celebration of the military conquests of Rome.

The preparation of the Forum required a lot of work. It was necessary to remove the hilly saddle, and to support the cut of Quirinal Hill through the building of the Trajan’s market. The Forum square was closed by the Basilica Ulpia, with Trajan’s Column at its back. In front of the basilica, a monumental façade was the background of a large, equestrian sculpture of the Emperor. The last Forum was also the biggest and greatest.

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St Peter’s basilica

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:55:33 +0000

The Basilica of Saint Peter (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly called Saint Peter’s Basilica, is one of four major basilicas of Rome (Basilica of St. John Lateran, St. Peter’s, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul outside the Walls). It is the most prominent building inside the Vatican City and built on the ruins of Old Saint Peter’s Basilica. Its dome is also a dominant feature of the Roman skyline. Saint Peter’s is also incidentally the patriarchal basilica of Constantinople, whereas the Lateran Basilica is the patriarchal basilica of Rome. Possibly the largest church building in Christianity^[1], it covers an area of 2.3 ha (5.7 acres) and has a capacity of over 60,000 people. One of the holiest sites of Christendom in the Catholic tradition, it is traditionally the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to Roman Catholic tradition, also the first Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome. Although the New Testament does not mention Peter’s presence or martyrdom in Rome, Catholic tradition holds that his tomb is below the baldachin and altar; for this reason, many Popes, starting with the first ones, have been buried there. Construction on the current basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed in 1626^[2].

Although the Vatican basilica is not the Pope’s official seat (Saint John Lateran), it is most certainly his principal church, as most Papal ceremonies take place at St. Peter’s due to its size, proximity to the Papal residence, and location within the Vatican City walls. The basilica also holds a relic of the Cathedra Petri, which is, according to Catholic tradition, the episcopal throne of the basilica’s namesake when he led the Roman church, but which is no longer used as the Papal cathedra. It is believed that a piece of this cathedra, or chair, is contained within the altarpiece, designed by Bernini.

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Colosseum

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:51:13 +0000

The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian’s reign (81–96).^[1] The name “Amphitheatrum Flavium” derives from both Vespasian’s and Titus’ family name (”Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such varied purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.

Although it is now in a ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. Today it is one of modern Rome’s most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit “Way of the Cross” procession to the amphitheatre.
The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

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Scuderie Quirinali, dal 29 febbraio al 10 giugno: Ottocento.

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:32:54 +0000

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Scuderie Quirinali, 29 febbraio - 10 giugno: Ottocento. Da Canova al Quarto Stato

g.riccardi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:26:16 +0000

Ottocento: per la prima volta una mostra dedicata alla pittura dell’Ottocento in Italia. Il secolo in cui l’Italia conquistò la sua libertà e l’indipendenza nazionale, l’età cioè del Risorgimento, sembrò però segnare la perdita dell’antico primato, quando per secoli la civiltà e la cultura italiana avevano dominato il mondo. Se il melodramma, con Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, fu e rimarrà universale, nel campo artistico solo lo scultore Canova, all’inizio del secolo, e i pittori Boldini e Segantini, alla fine, hanno goduto di una vera fortuna internazionale. Questa mostra rappresenta dunque una grande sfida. Le Scuderie del Quirinale ospiteranno circa 100 capolavori selezionati da Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, (Soprintendente alla Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna di Roma), Fernando Mazzocca e Carlo Sisi (i maggiori studiosi dell’arte del secolo e già curatori delle mostre dedicate ai Macchiaioli e a Boldini che hanno riscosso un eccezionale successo di pubblico e di critica). Il fine è dimostrare, come una serie di pittori straordinari, tra Roma e Milano, Firenze e Napoli, abbiano lottato in contesti e situazioni storiche difficili, per realizzare opere che fossero all’altezza della migliore tradizione nazionale, un glorioso passato il cui splendore sembrava sempre più lontano ed inafferrabile. Appiani, Palagi, Hayez e i rappresentanti della Scuola Romantica a Milano, i Macchiaioli come Fattori, Lega, Signorini a Firenze, i vedutisti della Scuola di Posillipo e Morelli a Napoli, hanno saputo interpretare il lento, spesso dorato, tramonto dell’ideale classico e delle regole ritenute immutabili dell’Accademia, per realizzare, in nome della verità, quella dei grandi ideali popolari del Risorgimento e dei conflitti esistenziali nei Romantici, quella della semplice natura e della vita quotidiana nei Macchiaioli, quella infine dei misteriosi percorsi dell’animo in Morelli, una nuova idea di bello che corrispondesse alle inquietudini dell’uomo moderno. Gli strepitosi ritratti, come quello dell’eroica Principessa Belgiojoso, i sensuali nudi femminili dell’autore del Bacio, Francesco Hayez, le malinconiche scene familiari, come l’indimenticabile Canto di uno stornello di Silvestro Lega, le smaglianti tavolette (su cui svetta l’incanto dei Bagni della Rotonda Palmieri) e gli intensi ritratti di Giovanni Fattori, chiamati a raccolta dai maggiori musei e dalle collezioni private più esclusive, ci potranno restituire le passioni, tra speranze e delusioni, di un paese in lotta per la propria indipendenza e per la creazione di una società più giusta. Dopo l’Unità d’Italia, le vicende della pittura, a cominciare dall’esperienza rivoluzionaria dei Macchiaioli che si esaurisce nel giro di dieci anni, vedono scavarsi un solco tra gli artisti ufficiali, graditi all’establishment, e quelli che, in perenne conflitto con la società, cercano di realizzare un nuovo modo di vedere ed interpretare la realtà. La mostra intende mettere a confronto presupposti e esiti diversi, tra il linguaggio della “macchia”, basato su una potente sintesi plastica e cromatica, e la materializzazione dell’immagine perseguita tra le vibrazioni luminose di Morelli e le sperimentazioni atmosferiche della Scapigliatura e del Divisionismo. I protagonisti di questo movimento, Segantini, Morbelli, Novellini, Previati, Pelizza da Volpedo, presenti con capolavori indimenticabili anche per il loro significato storico, come il celeberrimo Quarto Stato, testimoniano la grandezza e la modernità, assolutamente europee, di questa ultima grande stagione della pittura italiana dell’Ottocento. Per evocare meglio il percorso artistico del secolo alcuni capolavori assoluti della scultura - di artisti come Canova, Tenerani, Bartolini, Vela, Duprè, Cecioni, Gemito, sino a Medardo Rosso - faranno da grandi testimoni, strategicamente dislocati negli snodi principali, alle diverse sezioni. home

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Museo Nazionale del Palazzo Venezia, fino al 18 maggio: Sebastiano del Piombo. 1485-1547

g.riccardi — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:56:18 +0000

La straordinaria vicenda di Sebastiano approda in una retrospettiva che ripercorre l’intera evoluzione stilistica di un artista che fu contemporaneo di Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Giorgione e Tiziano.

La mostra, la prima ed unica rassegna monografica mai realizzata sul pittore nato a Venezia nel 1485, si svolge a Roma, dove Sebastiano visse la sua pienezza artistica, protagonista di un’epoca di complesse trasformazioni storiche, sociali, religiose: dalla Controriforma al sacco di Roma, al succedersi, nell’arco di pochi decenni, di sette papi.

Ottanta le opere esposte, tra tavole imponenti, ritratti a grandezza naturale, piccoli dipinti su lavagna, disegni preparatori e opere di confronto a testimonianza di un percorso che si presenta al pubblico come un vero e proprio viaggio iniziatico: dal calore cromatico degli inizi, all’astrazione geometrica e ai toni cupi dell’ultima parte della sua carriera.

L’esposizione, curata da Claudio Strinati, Soprintendente Speciale per il Polo Museale romano e promossa dal Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, è realizzata con un allestimento ideato da Luca Ronconi e Margherita Palli. Una retrospettiva organizzata da Mondomostre che nasce dalla collaborazione tra il Polo Museale Romano e la Gemäldegalerie di Berlino e rientra in un complesso progetto culturale dedicato all’artista veneto.

Oltre alla mostra romana, è prevista infatti una seconda tappa presso il museo tedesco (dal 28 giugno al 28 settembre) e contemporaneamente, per tutto il 2008, un intervento di conservazione su alcune sue opere, un grande convegno internazionale di tre giorni durante la settimana dei Beni Culturali e il coinvolgimento diretto del Dipartimento Storia dell’Arte della Facoltà di Lettere dell’Università La Sapienza di Roma e dei suoi studenti

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Auditorium Parco della Musica, fino al 6 Marzo: I colori di Roma

g.riccardi — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:46:00 +0000

Luigi Ontani
Stefano Di Stasio
Luciano Ventrone
Donatella Spaziani
Felice Levini
Oliviero Rainaldi
Marco Colazzo
Andrea Aquilanti
Giuseppe Salvatori
Paolo Canevari
Alfredo Pirri
Alessandra Giovannoni
Elisabetta Benassi
Giovanni Albanese
Bruno Ceccobelli
Paola Gandolfi
Elisa Montessori
H.H. Lim
Mauro Di Silvestre
Francesco Clemente
Rossella Fumasoni
Sandro Chia
Piero Pizzi Cannella
Vettor Pisani
Nunzio
Marco Tirelli
Giuseppe Gallo
Andrea Salvino
Gianni Dessì
Nicola De Maria
Bernardo Siciliano
Lino Frongia
Cy Twombly
Mimmo Paladino
Fabio Mauri
Jannis Kounellis
Carlo Maria Mariani
Carla Accardi
Eliseo Mattiacci
Matteo Basilè
Erri De Luca
Igiaba Scego
Ugo Riccarelli
Domenico Starnone
Walter Siti
Rocco Carbone
Valeria Viganò
Beppe Sebaste
Antonio Pascale
Chiara Gamberale
Mauro Covacich
Giulia Carcasi
Luigi Guarnieri
Lidia Ravera
Fulvio Abbate
Cristina Ali Farah
Letizia Muratori
Aurelio Picca
Lorenzo Pavolini
Nanni Balestrini
Francesco Piccolo
Christian Raimo
Melania Mazzucco
Amara Lakhous
Emanuele Trevi
Valentino Zeichen
Tommaso Pincio
Vincenzo Cerami
Carola Susani
Patrizia Cavalli
Nicola Lagioia
Edoardo Albinati
Federico Moccia
Raffaele La Capria
Giancarlo De Cataldo
Ascanio Celestini
Marco Lodoli
Edoardo Sanguineti
Andrea Camilleri
Elena Stancanelli

Un’ideale tavolozza romana in cui le tinte forti o i passaggi delicati del racconto ispirato alla città si incrociano con i toni decisi e le sfumature più delicate della pittura ma anche del disegno e della fotografia. “Colori di Roma” è il tema intorno al quale il quotidiano la Repubblica ha invitato autori che si esprimono secondo diversi linguaggi a creare un’opera e a contaminare gli stili, per le pagine culturali della cronaca di Roma. L’iniziativa editoriale è stata sempre conclusa da un libro che raccoglie i testi e le immagini pubblicate e da una mostra. Anche quest’anno la collettiva si svolge nei Foyer dell’Auditorium Parco della Musica. 40 scrittori e 40 artisti ad interpretare il tema dato.

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