Tivoli and Religion

We went to Tivoli last week. Tivoli has been home to the lavish summer estates of emperors of Rome for a long time, including the villa of the Emperor Hadrian. We didn't get a chance to see Villa Adrian but we did strolled in the gardens of Villa d'Este, built by Cardinal Ippolito in the 16th century. He's apparently honored in the town for redirecting the river, saving the old city from floods.


The gardens were magnificent! There are over 150 fountains and various kinds of statues and plants. Interestingly, there are grottos and sanctuaries for both Christian saints and traditional Roman deities. And all was built on a hill (As Clara learned, the hill was fun to descend but a pain to hike up).





I also went to the church of Santa Cecilia last week. It's one of the oldest churches in what used to be the working class area of Rome, called Trastevere. Among other pieces of art (including marble from both Egypt and Turkey), the church has a spectacular 9th century mosaic, depicting Jesus with the same kind of light that ancient Egyptians bestowed upon holy figures, an Orthodox sign of blessing, and God as a hand (an unknown). I learned that it was only in the 15th century that European Christians felt bold enough to put a face to God--they previously adhered to Jewish (and Muslim) practices of expressing God as an unknowable force.

I also learned that basilicas all have the same shape -- a rectangle with something circular at the front. The rectangle, where there are pews for people, is imperfect, like people, because it must be made from 4 different elements. Also, there was a belief that people were made from the four elements of fire, water, air, and earth. So, the people sit in the rectangle. The circular element at the top is where the mystery of God is represented. And circles, like God, are perfect. Cool, huh?

Naples

Naples is very different from Rome and from all of the little Medieval towns we've visited--it's a city. It's bustling, busy, large, economically diverse, and dirty. We didn't bother to see the historical center and instead stuck close to the bay, which was beautiful. We loved Piazza Plebiscito, with is columns and live band.

We also enjoyed imagining life in the two large castles/fortresses on the bay.

Just before a dinner of pizza, we shared a mixed seafood antipasta. The kids learned that they like squid, mussels, and clams. Yum!

We spent Sunday exploring the excavation of Herculaneum (Ercolano). This seaside resort was covered in ash and lava when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Because it was covered so quickly, archaeologists not only found the remains of buildings but petrified, organic materials. They discovered bread prepped for baking, beans, and, yes, skeletons. The eruption of the volcano was recorded by Pliny the Younger, who described the darkening sky, the ash and the wailing of residents. Listening to a reading of his letters on our audioguide made the tour of the excavation even more poignant.

It was very cool to see how people lived here. Most of the large homes were formed around open atriums, which contained private gardens. Homes also had plumbing--water was carried in lead pipes to the kitchen and toilets. Paint decorated walls and mosaics covered most of the floors. And there were large, public baths for men and women.

Cerveteri

The children and I visited the necropolis at Cerveteri on their day home last Friday. The huge, Etruscan tombs were made of tufa (a volcanic rock from which our home also is made). They were surprisingly inspiring. Similar to Egyptians, Etruscans built the tombs to prepare for life-after-death and often resembled very clean homes--they included chairs, vases and art. In Etruscan Places, DH Lawrence wrote of his visit:

“We went down the few steps, and into the chambers of rock within the tumulus. There is nothing left, it is like a house that has been swept clean, and the inmates have left. Now it waits for the next comer. But whoever it is that has departed, they have left a pleasant feeling behind them, warm to the heart. The tombs seem so easy and friendly, cut out of rock underground. One does not feel oppressed descending into them. There is a simplicity combined with a naturalness and spontaneity. Death to the Etruscans was a pleasant continuance of life with jewels and wine and flutes playing for the dance.”

The children were most fascinated with the florescent yellow water that flooded a number of the tombs. We never figured out what kind of chemical caused that or what it's for...

Etruscans were remarkable. They built sewage systems, arches and roads and, later, taught the Romans. Romans refined and spread many of these technologies all over Europe, North Africa, and the Byzantine world as their empire increased.

Settemana Bianca

Settemana Bianca, is White Week or ski week for us Romans. Instead of skiing, we enjoyed Rome a little and watched a lot of tv!

In between Disney programs, we went on a brief tour of the inside the Colosseum for the first time. The stories of fighting gladiators and animals was intriguing. Our guide likened the ancient fights to the death to our current fascination with violent entertainment.

We went to Ostia Antica to tour the ruins of a former port. It was really cool to see 2000 year old mosaic floors, statues, and paintings. After an initial glimpse at some old rocks, the kids enjoyed playing tag in the necropolis (tombs).

We also went to a nearby beach, which was filthy. Despite the trash, we had fun walking with Gaia along the water’s edge, collecting shells, and playing soccer among the rubbish.

At the end of the week, we celebrated mass at Santa Susanna Church instead of at our usual Marymount chapel. The church has a long history in Rome. It is located on the same spot as Susanna’s house, which served as a secret center for Christian worship as early at 280AD. The church also is home to the bones of 5 saints. It is full of elaborate paintings of bible stories and saints.


We also saw the remains of the Baths of Diocletian (huge complex!) and admired some of the many fountains in Rome, including the fountain of the playful nymphs at Piazza Della Republica.