Day 11: Oh...My...God x 6

That's the easiest way to put  this day into words. Usher couldn't have said it any better, and Henry Rowengartner of "Rookie of the Year" couldn't have made the string of OMGs more famous.

The Vatican Museum was the main attraction of the day, and the root of most OMGs. Here are a few
"CONNECTIONS!", if you will.

1. Depicted on the walk towards the Sistine Chapel...a long walk towards the Sistine Chapel filled with rubber-necking tourists who just have to swing their esophagi left and right to see carpet hanging on the walls. Jeez, give a cajun woman a front porch, a rocking chair, and a knitting kit..she'll have one of those monstrosities done in a week.---Anyways--- in a dome there is a depiction taken out of the Book of Revelation. The Seven Archangels are slaying the Seven Demons. Fun fact/observation as well: The angels are all depicted as Roman soldiers of sorts.

2. Moving onto the Sistine Chapel, Dr. Sebastian put into perspective a piece of the altar painting. Depicted in the lower right hand corner is Charon beating sinners into his boat with his oar; a scene taken directly out of Canto 3 of the Inferno. Another observation about Mr. Mike's painting of the SC, adorning the walls are could be biblical depictions (couldn't tell for the short time we were in there)..mixed with different time periods. In one depiction, we see Jesus and his twelve disciples on the left side of the painting, and a group of what looks to be Middle Ages people on the right. All of those on the right are bowing down to Jesus. I'll be back there at some point to look farther into that picture. Mr. Mike has something going on there.

3. Dr. Bednarz stopped a small group of us at one point to show us what must have been Christian equivalents of Roman household gods, or lares. It made me connect a modern practice much like the household god practice: Mary or Joseph statues in gardens, or maybe depictions of St. Francis of Assisi.

4. Finally, in one of the Raphael rooms, there is a wall piece titled "Deliverance of St. Peter." Interesting about this is the guards sleeping...I'll add more to this with some more thinking time, but there is a connection here to not knowing when the time or the hour is when God will come to save.

Lastly: Not all of the OMGs were of sheer amazement of beauty in the museum. My last OMG moment was in my rejection at the Scavi Office..Okay....so is there any particular reason why one extra person on a tour is such a burden on an archaeologist and the Scavi staff? Seriously, what is the reasoning behind an access denial of a university student studying early Christianity? Please Mr. 6'2 Scavi gatekeeper, can I have an explanation of why a group of three fanny pack tourists would have any type of qualifications to see the necropolis below that trumps a university student seeking knowledge of the ancient world? Oh powerful Charon, with your mighty Mont-Blanc Oar, please hop off of your power trip for a moment and have mercy on my soul, accept my offering of 15 euros, and let me into the depths of your illustrious lair. GRRRRRR!

Day 10: Oh! He's Uncircumcised!

Soooo, today's itinerary: Borghese Museum and Catacombs of St. Priscilla. This has by far been my favorite day from the standpoint of sights. Yes, my first glimpse of Vatican City was awesome, but the sights today were a tad less traveled than those of The Vatican and Colosseum.

The Borghese Museum is home to many famous works of art/artists, namely: Gian Lorenzo Bernini and  Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

I have heard of Bernini's representations of mythological occurrences and other christian pieces, but never thought I would actually be within arms reach of any of them. "Pluto and Proserpina" (Hades dragging Persephone to the underworld), is a masterpiece of detail and emotion. One is able to see the squeezing of Persephone's thigh, the tear dropping from her face, and the laughter of Hades in this act. Proportianally, Hades is much bigger than persephone, and is a anatomist's dream. Every muscle in Hades' body, every vein, is completely distinct. Masterful.

Bernini is also famous for "Apollo and Daphne." According to the myth, Apollo attempts to take Daphne as his lover, but when he tries, Daphne is transformed into a tree. When looking at this statue straight on, this is not completely visible  Rather, it just looks like an unfinished work. (The photo above is aided with lighting. The statue is also so massive in person that it is hard to see the work as a whole at first) However, when one goes to the back side, Daphne's fingers are transforming to twigs with leaves, and her legs have completely become the trunk of a tree. Like Pluto and Proserpina, Apollo's longing for Daphne, and Daphne's fright of the situation is displayed.

Before anything, no the mound of dirt in the photo above is not part of the Borghese Museum. However,  it is a museum for the early christian origin enthusiast who is not completely enthralled with staring at a piece of canvas (with a material value of no more than $50) for an hour at a time. Antonia filled us in on some more pagan symbols incorporated into christianity. Jonah and the Whale made another cameo in fresco form, and we were able to see the supposed earliest depiction of Mary holding baby Jesus. Red flag. I'll go out on a limb and say that this is not the earliest depiction made of Mary and Jesus. Oldest in existence, ehhh maybe. Why would the earliest depiction be in Rome though? It would make more sense for earliest depictions of Mary and Jesus to be around Jerusalem and other parts of what was Galilee. I'll take snippet that with a grain of salt. Plus, our guide was already mad at us for cutting into his lunch break. However, back on subject, whether or not the painting is the earliest depiction, it was a very very early piece and very very mind blowing.

Other observations on that day:

1. In the Borghese Museum, a thought was inspired by a tunic Jesus was wearing in a middle ages burial depiction. The tunic Jesus was wearing had a decorative gold lining on it, probably about an inch wide in proportion. Questions, what is the artist saying here? What was the actual  dress of one being crucified? Where are the earliest depictions of Jesus?...I was able to find one very early crucifixion depiction. Funny enough, the depiction is actually a mocking of Jesus. The "Alexamenos Graffito" (below) shows a donkey crucified. The inscription most likely translates to"Alexamenos worshipping his God." This etching is located in the Palatine Antiquarium Museum in Rome. 

2. Also in the Borghese Museum, I found a rather interesting depiction of Jesus and John the Baptist in their infancy. There were no photos allowed in the museum, so I will do my best to describe the painting. It was of Baroque style, and depicted Jesus on Mary's lap and looking down upon John the Baptist. John is   making a gesture somewhat like one a priest does when giving a blessing. Both babies have hair, and are not newborns by any means. In the Jewish tradition, on the eighth day, a baby was to be circumcised. Well, both babies were flaunting the foreskin. Way to go, unknown artist.

Day 9: Back on U.S. Soil

I am completely unable to describe the experience with Ambassador Miguel Diaz. He encompasses my dream of what I would like to be in life. A brilliant man, who is able to use his tools in Theology to move towards change in the world.

Dr. Bednarz urged us today to begin really making connections to the different sites we visit. My mind was  racing with the ability to make a physical connection with ambassador, and caused a blockade in my ability to see connections such as the pagan symbols on sarcophagi (the Bacchanal Procession). 

 

After our visit with Ambassador Diaz and our tour of the Doria museum, I will claim that the rest of the day was a complete waste. A complete waste thanks to my own personal ambitions to simply rest up. I could have ventured to other churches and to other sites, but did not....

I'm starting to really get what this trip is about. We go to sites not for the ability to say that we visited a beautiful Roman villa (turned museum), but rather for our own personal ability to grow as scholars. Although we are traveling the streets of Rome as a group, we are mainly traveling as individuals. Out individual connections we make is collectively brought together to form a picture of the ancient world. 

All this said, I would like to make my own theory on these sarcophagi we are seeing. Could these sarcophagi, with pagan representations such as a Bacchanal Procession (showing the procession of the god Bacchus, Jesus, riding with an ass and surrounded by those closest to him), be safeguards to the wellbeing of tombs during persecution? A thought to end on in this rather topsy-turvy whirlwind of a blog post that probably makes no sense. Then again, does anything?

Day 8: Rest time, ish

Finally, an opportunity for the group to relax after seven days of hustle. Now, the weight we have all lost in the first week due to a workout routine Richard Simmons would consider "bun blasting", will soon come hurling back onto our bodies much to our dismay. Yay carbs, lack of protein, and cheese.

Day 8: Class in the morning was followed by an announcement by Dr. Bednarz that we have the whole day free to do whatever we want. Namely, The Roman Forum due to our passes' validity. So, a group of us headed to the Forum, amidst a cloud of mist and the surefire guess of rain in the future. I quickly learned how weather in Rome is very similar to the weather in New Orleans. While walking across the Forum, a itsy-bitsy cumulonimbus decided to release it's mighty withholdings. The ground... wet. The air...misty to dense. The oxygen... non-existent. The sun...there doing its job of warming those precious beings on earth called human. As far as we may go from home, we may seem to forget that we are all part of this world. All part is this interconnected irregular sphere. We see the markets, the shops, the cars, the public transportation, the homeless, the rich, and the Italian middle class. Much of the same, we see back at home. Connections. 

Travel back to the time of the flourishing Forum. It was the center of life for the Romans. It was the center of all executive decisions made, whether they be for the betterment of the empire, or whether it be the judgement of a convicted person. It also housed temples to the gods and goddesses (like Vesta, Venus, and Roma).  Interestingly enough, the Forum also was home to the Temple of Caesar. Caesar, was looked upon by the Roman Empire as a god and one appointed by the gods to be the all powerful ruler. Interesting fact. Much like the Pope is today. The divine inspiration that comes from a smokestack when electing a new pope, can go all the way back to the Roman election of a new emperor. Not like the practice we have today exactly, but the theological beliefs we have for a figurehead appointed by God or the gods to have divine power. 

Hail Caesar!................................any takers? Okay, thought not. 

Day 6 and 7: What just happened?

As I stood atop St. Peter's Basilica on the Cupola: Thoughts were racing through my mind, thoughts even after an entire day of acne breakout couldn't even begin to answer......this "will" be edited. I'm not sure when. I'm not sure how.

As I stood atop The Coliseum: Thoughts were racing through my mind, thoughts even after an entire day of acne breakout couldn't even begin to answer......this "will" be edited. I'm not sure when. I'm not sure how.

The question remains: What is it that God as called me to be? Rather...Who is it that God has called me to be?

My words to the group on my personal standpoint only a week into this trip: No words

On day 8..."normalcy" of my blogging continues......but to lead into what tomorrow brings. I got hit by a car today while crossing the street in front of the Vittoro Emmanuel II Monument.

Mom and Dad, if you're reading this, I'm perfectly fine. It's just the ebb and flow of life. It's the experiences in life that years from now i'll look back and say "Jeff, you got nudged by a Jaguar in Rome." In the narrative arc of our lives, we learn from our naive convictions to sophisticated convictions by process of refection. Simple Physics: Force= Mass x Acceleration.

In relation to the past two days, the experience of being hit my a car is only a simple reminder that the world is not a stagnant obstacle. Rather, the world is a static obstacle in which we change ourselves with it. All of this in attempts to change the world in which we live.

Day 5: I'm Sorry, I was Talking to Jesus

June 4th, 2011: Carlyn Worthy, author of Carlynssssssssssssss blog, was so rudely interrupted in her daily one on ones with Mr. Jesus, by the stylings of Lauren and Michelle Brenes. This statement pretty much concluded a fantastic day of excavations and aerobic activity. Excavations: San Crisogono en Trastevere and Santa Cecilia. The incorruptible body of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi was hands down the highlight of the day. At one moment, Chris and I were sitting in the Anna Maria Taigi chapel in front of her incorruptible body, sitting in pure amazement and reverence. 

I would like to take this opportunity to shy away from my normal stream of consciousness type of blog. This will be rather short.

Dr. Bednarz brought up a great point a couple days ago when she spoke about light pollution. I have been down to Belize four times on Ignacio Volunteer Immersion Programs. Belize, a third-world country, is one of the few places on earth where light pollution still has not damaged the night sky. So much so, that every five minutes, a shooting star flies across the moon-lit sky of a Mayan village....God. I take this opportunity to relate Belize and Ancient Rome. Dr. Bednarz said early Roman churches were often built to face Jerusalem. In Belize, all of the Mayan temples built in the pre-conquistador era were built to face exact North, and all structures were built symmetrical to the sun's setting and rising. Both cultures relied so much on the alignment of the stars, planets, and the central sites to their individual beliefs.

In relation to what Carlyn said, these ancient cultures each had their own individual ways of talking to their God/god/gods. Early C.E. epitomizes beauty, whether it be in Rome or in the Mayan rainforest of Belize. Beauty is not found in the structures we see today. Beauty is in the culture, the people, and in nature.

Day 4: Healing

Hoooo kay, so......we're now through four days of our Roma experience. A brief synopsis of today.....say look ma- no pants, church, under a church-church, church covered with an erotic perfume advertisement, and oh hey-there's another church, Trajan's market, and concluding the day with a beautiful hillside view of The Colosseum. 

One may wonder, "healing?" It's been a looooong four days. Filled with draining of the senses, emotions, and draining of muscles and organs. Michelle has a tweaked ankle, and all the boys are showing signs of blisters on their feet, just to name a couple ailments. However, to mothership of all traveler's illness has been affecting me. So much to the tune that it has blockaded my ability to absorb the images and allow myself to be astonished by the sights I have seen. The culprit of this has a government name of "Tinea cruris." It's street name the kids on the corners are calling it is "chafe." Yes, this astronomically limiting factor in my experience has go so far as to make Poseidon mourn for me. Thus, the Trevi Fountain. 

This adventure Dr. Bednarz and Dr. Sebastian had for us was not my greatest hope to do tonight. Our first stop was Trajan's Market, an absolutely stunningly large Roman Era structure that again never ceases to amaze. I guess I appreciated it even more, because I would go at my own pace and even at times rest my bum on a nice warm ledge. And while resting my bum on that ledge, I gazed into the skyline of the ancient city. Seeing each cross atop each dome and seeing the clotheslines hung outside of windows, beauty and the love of, for, and within this city truly came to life. I see my trip-mates bubbled with happiness and their own individual loves and astonishments. 


With a flick of his trident, Poseidon washed away the moisture, and washed away the damned Tinea Curis. A sunset over The Colosseum could never have been more stunning, and stories of Simon falling to his death never could have been more invigorating. I truly feel that any minor ailment, from a headache, to a tad bit of Tinea, can be cured solely from love. Whether that love be from an appreciation of a sight, a sound, a culture, or even a companion as stated before, it is the great people around us and the experiences we surround ourselves with that allow us to be free. Allow us to be free to truly experience life to the absolute fullest. And freedom is the outlet to prosper. The goal of our trip, to ameliorate ourselves.........Ciao Chafe!