Decimo Giorno

I know I keep saying this, but today was mind blowing. No, really. I'm pretty sure this has been one of my most informative and ground breaking days thus far in Rome. Here's why:

Our first stop was The Borghese Gallery. I knew we would see a lot of Caravaggio's work and statues by Bernini, but otherwise I used the blank slate approach. This museum is breath taking. I recognized so many art works that I studied in high school. We studied ceiling frescoes in churches (I saw these and instantly thought of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel - I. CAN'T. WAIT) and honestly the photos don't do them justice. It amazes me how these artists mastered creating illusions and 3D imagery on flat surfaces. The shadowing was impeccable. I also loved the emphasis on gold. There were golden frames, art works or gold-dominated ceilings in every room of the museum. Today I was finally able to see Bernini's work in person. Mrs. Dodd - my high school AP Art History professor - loved Bernini and emphasized the realism in his work. It seems impossible that someone could create life like figures from a block of marble. Sidenote: Was anyone else was excited to see Fluffy today? I also silently spazzed when I saw the room full of Caravaggio's paintings.


It was amazing to see this portrayal of with Caravaggio's head replacing the face of Goliath. I've never seen another artist that took so much care to provide the details. Groundbreaking for an artist of his time.


Next up was the Catacomb of Priscilla. After this visit I'm convinced that I was Egyptian in a previous life. Does anyone remember the opening scene in The Mummy Returns when the thieves were entering a tomb? One of them had a belief in curses so strong that he refused to enter the room (I don't believe the catacombs were cursed, it's just a reference point, stay with me). That was probably an uncle or a cousin of mine, and like my Uncle Robber I have a strong respect for the dead and feel strange when exploring their final resting places. There's something about disturbing the peace that initially left me uneasy. I spent the first fifteen minutes of the tour praying for the people that once rested in those tombs.

I quickly shook off my woes and put my attention and focus on the scene before me. I'm happy I did because what I saw was incredible. We were fortunate enough to have the nuns at the catacombs grant us entrance just as the doors were closing. Our tour guide gave us a few quick facts behind the history of the catacombs:

*There were 40,000 people buried within the 8 miles and 4 stories of tunnels that create the catacombs
*The catacombs were originally an underground apartment Priscilla lived in. Once she passed away her family transformed the house into a catacomb and temple
*Pagans and Christians did not want to be buried together, which was part of the inspiration behind this catacomb - it was a place specifically for Early Christians to lay their loved ones to rest
*The largest structures were created for the wealthy who could fit entire sarcophagi in to their tombs. If your family didn't have money you would be wrapped in cloth and buried in one of the "shelves". Some of these shelves to this day have not been excavated
*The catacombs are extremely stable because the volcanic Tufo rock is suitable for sculpting: it's soft when first exposed to air and hardens shortly afterwards
*The frescoes on the walls of the catacombs were preserved with dirt - at one point in time the site was packed with dirt, protecting the art from light exposure and preserving the color

We saw the earliest portrait of Mary and Jesus alongside the Prophet Balaam. It's dated to the early 3rd Century. I've seen pictures, but to see the real thing in such great condition was amazing. I was also shocked when we saw the imagery in the temples. At one point I noticed a portrayal of the three magi arriving at the throne of Mary and a newborn Jesus; the same image that I spoke on at the Biglietteria yesterday afternoon. When I saw that and considered the dates, I realized that it probably wasn't a child's sarcophagus mounted in the museum. It may have been the upper register of a sarcophagus created for a family from the middle class in the late 3rd century.

After the catacombs Antonia gave a brief presentation about the symbols in the frescoes we viewed and Kristen gave us some details about her SCAVI visit which gave me something more to look forward to. Aside from the tombs of the Popes, I figured I would walk in blindly.

I think one of the things I liked most about today was that all of our projects are beginning to fall into place (but a close second was finding out that Dr. Bednarz knows who Snoop Dogg is! I can't tell you how much that brightened my day). I saw images in the catacombs related to my funerary art project, Greek and Latin transcriptions that reminded me of Kathryn, temples that reminded me of discussions I had with Michelle Brenes and an entire room in the Borghese dedicated to Herculanean sarcophagi that Rebecca pointed out to me. I was also able to spot a ton of imagery from the Gospels and Judith. As each day passes I can spot something either related to our class discussions, the Weebly or a subject matter I learned about in high school, which is very impressive.

With that said, I'm off to nap. Afterwards Lauren and I plan to introduce Kylee to the wonderful world of rice balls. I'm also hoping to find a pair of cheap sunglasses. Apparently whipping your hair back and forth can be dangerous. Shrug. Such is life.