Hey you’ve Gotta see this!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Grand Tour
0 commentsPosted by Maudie Banta at 5:01 AM
Rugby gone Wild
0 commentsThe day starts off with a parade around the different plazas throughout the city with around 100 or so men dressed up in medieval costumes, holding flags and guns, marching to the beat of the drums. We got the most pleasant wake up call at about 8am of the drum parade making its way around the city. This event happens once a year and we were lucky enough to be apart of its festivities for the day. The festival is in the honor of St. John, the patron saint of the city. The event is called “Calcio Storico Fiorentino,” or “Historical soccer from Florence,” originated in Florence around 1200-1300 AD. It served as a competition for many of the nobleman in the area at the time and it was seen as ok because violence and death were accepted back then. The fighting that goes on during these games can date back to when the Gladiators fought during Roman times. The players and the men in the parade wore clothes that represented what was worn in the 15th century. In an article I read about the annual event, even popes such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII are said to have enjoyed the bloody game. However, in the last few years, the game has been seen as too violent because of the fights that have broke out in the middle of the game and was actually banned for the entire year of 2007 as punishment for their “unacceptable behavior.” My friends and I sat down and waited for all of the members of the parade to line up on the field and then it was time for the two rugby teams to enter the arena. The crowd was going wild and I was having a hard time just taking it all in. There I was sitting in front of one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen and I was about to watch big hefty men tear each other to shreds for possession of the ball and trying to win for their “side” of he city. Wearing blue meant you were from one side of the river and wearing white meant you were from the opposite side of the river. The parades of medieval men were summoned off the field and it was time to begin the match. There were 27 muscled and shirtless players on the field from each team and I knew from that point on I was in for a real surprise. The whistle was blown and I was shocked at all the hitting, punching, tackling that went on in the first minute of the game. I was seriously in my own little world trying to keep up with what was going on. The ball was being tossed from player to player but then that player would get pounded into the ground and the next player, white or blue would pick up the ball and run. Men from opposing teams were tackling and fighting all over the field while referees were trying to break up the major punch throwing also going on. A couple of times during the match, a stretcher made its way onto the field, but no one on the field even noticed. The game continued on as a member of the white team was carried off the field in agony. The gruesome game went on for about 50 minutes and by the time it was over I had to sit down for a good 10 minutes and take in what I had just witnessed. Nothing like that would ever be played in the United States. The event was more than just a game and some hitting; it was a major symbol for
Posted by Maudie Banta at 5:00 AM
A Country Within A Country
0 commentsWhen you go to Rome one of the most popular attractions is Vatican City.Vatican City is its own country inside of a country; it has its own laws and regulations and is one of the biggest tourist venues in the world. The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, lives within the parameters of the city making this one of the holiest places on the planet. When we arrived at Vatican City, we were awestruck by the number of people that were congregating in the central plaza.As we were headed down the street we saw tons of people lining the street so we stopped for a second and I asked this English tourist what was going on and she said the Pope was supposed to be driving by in a few minutes, sure enough, 30 seconds later the we saw a black Mercedes cruising down the street and inside you could see Pope Benedict XVI. For me it was a humbling experience as a Catholic because I felt a connection to everyone else around me. I was sharing in a common identity that millions of other people share with me, it was a moment of total solidarity and understanding. After we took a bunch of pictures in the central plaza we headed over to find a tour guide, we ended up getting this crazy, stereotypical Italian man who loved to tell jokes and make his group laugh. We walked all around the walls that surround the city and mark off its own national territory so Romans know where their city ends. We walked through the Musei Vaticani where we saw countless famous statues and many more paintings, frescos, tapestries, and mosaics. We saw quite a few of the Roman gods, which I thought was really interesting because I am surprised that the Vatican which denounces paganism houses these ancient statues. In addition to the Roman gods, quite a few Egyptian pieces are focal points throughout the Musei Vaticani.Our tour guide pointed out that the Vatican itself is made up of many different and distinct pieces such as the pillars from famous places in Rome and artwork that has been all over the world. I personally think the reason the Catholic Church has decided to include such pieces is because the word “Catholic” is supposed to mean universal and these pieces contribute to the idea of this worldliness. The Sistine Chapel is one of those places that are the absolute highlights of Rome and The Vatican. It was everything I had expected and more, the frescoes were absolutely incredible and massive in a way that is hard to describe. There were strict rules about photography in the Sistine Chapel but our tour guide told us to take some pictures quickly. Some of the other members of my tour group and I whipped out our cameras and snapped a few shots of these famous scenes. Right after I took two shots, the guards rushed over and pulled the cameras out of the others hands and made them delete the pictures immediately. I saw this and quickly tossed my camera in purse so I have two “prohibited” pictures of the Sistine Chapel. Our tour guide was explaining some of the cleaning that has taken place in the Sistine Chapel; a few years ago, a Japanese cleaning company was hired to restore the color to these famous frescoes. Most of Rome and the rest of the world was appalled at this action because it is a commonly known fact that artwork can be damaged through restoration. The fact that the Vatican decided to restore these frescoes to their original glory showed that their true value was not in the physical possession of the artwork, but it lies within the happiness and inspiration that the artworks can bring to many of the patrons and tourists. The Sistine Chapel and Musei Vaticani are some of the most frequented places in the world and I now see why they are so popular. These places can mean so many different things to so many different people.
Posted by Maudie Banta at 4:44 AM
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Italy may be home to some of the oldest history in all of Europe, but I have to admit, what I was most excited for was the food! Whether Elizabeth Gilbert is writing about her falling in love with the pasta and gelato, Papa John is bragging about his pizza, or Lady and the Tramp are sharing a dish of spaghetti, we have been raised as an American culture to associate Italy with authentic cuisine. Therefore, my goal of the weekend was to have the most delicious pasta, pizza, and whatever else I could find in Rome or Florence, in my opinion, the ultimate tourist attraction. As usual, on the train to Florence I was preparing for the weekend by reading the “Let’s Go: Western Europe” travel book. The first subject I flipped to (rather than the sites, museums, or transportation) was the Food section. There I found out that Florence is known for bruschetta and gelato… and considering I find anything with tomatoes to be amazing and, well, gelato speaks for itself, I was even more excited for our arrival. Florence has it all figured out: plant four gelaterias on every block and everyone is bound to get business- or at least that’s how it seemed. As soon as we stepped out of the train station we bee-lined to the gelateria across the street only to find it packed with the every other tourist from the train station. Clearly we are pretty obvious about our desires in Italy, because everything was written in English at each gelateria, and we never came across a non-English speaking worker. This solidified the fact that the Duomo, Academia, and Roman ruins weren’t the only tourist attractions Italy has to offer. Then for dinner we put all of Italy’s, and especially Florence’s, traditional cuisine to the test. First (and what I still think of as the best) thing for me to eat (after the gelato, Needless to say I indulged in gelato twice a day four days straight (literally) and had bruschetta with every dinner, and I don’t regret a single bite. But I will say, that the hype of the Italian dishes was kind of crazy, and really made me wonder how Italy (specifically Florence) became known for its gelaterias and bruschetta dishes. I found out that although gelato is adored and enjoyed throughout Europe, it is especially famous in Florence because the inventor of the desert, the Buontalenti family, is Florentine. Therefore, the Florentines take this history very seriously and claim the delicacy as their own- proven by the abundance of gelaterias throughout the city. And although it may seem obvious, pasta and tomatoes are a cultural norm for Italians because of their geography and history. It used to be that the Italians only ate and produced according to the resources they had access to and also according to their funds. Pasta was an inexpensive dish that could be eaten with meat in order to appease an appetite without spending a fortune on the meal. The olives and tomatoes that are present in almost every dish are so ripe and fresh because they grow in the perfectly in the Italian climate- therefore the locals always have access to these ingredients. It is because of the spread by word of mouth, media, and photography that these traditions have spread globally and made Italy an eating capital of the world. So while I found the David to be extraordinary and the views from the Duomo breathtaking; it is the authentic Flortine cuisine that brought me to Italy. After seven weeks of travel I have definitely learned that it’s not just monuments, museums, and landscapes that will bring me to a country- but also the food and deserts!Bon Appetit!
Posted by Alyson Byrne at 9:11 AM
Lion, Tigers, and Gladiators...Oh My!
I am extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to Europe the past six weeks. I have learned to navigate trains, buses, discount airlines and hostels. I have also learned that things don’t always go as planned and last minute flexibility is an important aspect of traveling in Europe, the worlds most important tourist region. For my last weekend traveling Europe, my friends and I agreed that Italy would be the perfect final destination.
When I first arrived in Rome I could not help but think about everything I have learned over the summer about the Roman Empire. I was standing in the city that was the beginning and end of the Roman Empire, which ruled Europe for over one thousand years. I will admit Rome was exhausting sharing the sidewalks and streets with 2.8 million locals along with thousands of other tourists. However, the museums, medieval churches, ancient temples, and amazing Baroque fountains were worth the long lines, crowds, and some of the strongest body odors I had ever smelled! I enjoyed each place I visited in Rome, but I believe the Colosseum symbolized the ancient city.
When I arrived at the Colosseum, I couldn’t believe I was finally looking at the famous landmark of the eternal city. The structure was enormous and made every other ruin in Rome look dwarfed in comparison. Within seconds of arriving at the Colosseum, my friends and I were approached and asked if we wanted a tour in English. Besides information from our Baedekers we did not know much about this important Roman ruin so we decided to join the tour.
The Colosseum is an amphitheatre located in the center of Rome. It was built on a site of an artificial lake and was part of a massive park. Construction started around 72 AD under the reign of the Emperor Vespasian and was completed by the emperor Titus in 80 AD. It was built in the heart of Rome, as a gift to the people of Rome by the Emperor because he realized he was elected and ruled by the consent of the people. The Colosseum was the largest structure built in the Roman Empire. It is 188 by 166 meters with a height of 48 meters and was and continues to be famous for its Roman architecture style. I also learned that the current name of the amphitheater came from the nearby Colossus statue of Nero, which no longer stands by the structure because it was probably melted down for its bronze after Nero’s reign.
Once I was standing inside the structure, it seemed even larger than it did from the outside. I felt as if I were melting standing in the Colosseum in the hot summer sun and I couldn’t imagine being part of the 50,000 spectators crowed in the Colosseum to watch the bloody battles. The large size was necessary for the large and growing city during the rise of the Roman Empire. Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public. The floor no longer exists, so I could see all of the underground passages and brick cells that once held animals keeping them without food or water for weeks. I could also see platforms that were used to bring the animals to the arena level where they were set free to attack other animals and human slaves. Gladiator competitions were also popular fights that ended in blood and death. After gladiator contests were outlawed some time around 438 AD, the Colosseum was used for several different purposes in the centuries that followed. By the renaissance era the theatre was being used as a quarry to supply the stones from the structure to renaissance buildings around the city of Rome.
After visiting the Colosseum it was evident that even though only a small portion of the structure still exists, the Colosseum is Rome’s most recognizable classical building. I am very glad we decided to take a tour because if we had not we would have been taking pictures of ruins we knew very little about. I can see why this amazing structure is one of the 7 Wonders of the World!
I would highly recommend an English tour of the Colosseum. The following link has has several different options of tours. http://www.viator.com/Rome/d511/the-colosseum?pref=02&aid=g1999
Posted by Alyson Byrne at 9:02 AM
Some Wishes Don't Come True
Prior to departing for our last weekend excursion to Italy, I was told that there were many attractions that I had to see and several foods that I couldn’t leave without trying. Some of the tourist attractions included the Spanish Steps, the Duomo, and the Vatican, but the one that seemed most appealing to me was the Trevi Fountain, so I decided to do a little research before getting onto the plane in Brussels.
From the research I did I found that the Trevi Fountain is the most famous and possibly the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome. It is an impressive monument that dominates the Trevi square in the Quirinale District and brings in thousands of tourists each day. Aside from the obvious, I also learned at http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/trevi.htm that the fountain is the ending part of the Aqua Virgo. It brings water 20 kilometers from the Salone Springs and supplies the fountains with water. It was built in 1732 and commissioned by Pope Clement XII. Nicola Salvi, the architect commissioned to do this painting, based his design off of a design by Bernini that had been halted a century earlier. After 30 years, the fountain was completed in 1762. The central figure of the fountain is Neptune riding a chariot pulled by two horses. The differing personalities of the horses (calm and restive) represent the fluctuating moods of the sea. The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea and legend holds that if you throw a coin in the water you will return to Rome, but only if you toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain. The fountain consists of unique Baroque architecture. With all of this in mind I packed my bag and headed for my final destination: Rome.
On our first day in Rome, we decided to squeeze in as many sight-seeing activities as we could so that we could save most of the second day for the Vatican. So at 8:00 AM on Friday morning we woke up well rested and ready for a big day that would end with tired feet and unforgettable memories. We were able to see the Colesseum, the Spanish Ruins, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. After a long day of walking and filling my mind with historical facts the fountain was a perfect way to end the day because the peaceful flow of water and the magnificent architecture of the monument created an ideal combination of not only a tourist attraction, but also one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
Hundreds of people gathered on the seats that surrounded the fountain simply admiring the view and trying to take it all in. Because it was the end of the day and we had seen everything that we wanted to see that day we decided to join the crowd and relax amongst a sea of tourists. However, I immediately proved my own theory wrong when I realized that this fountain not only attracts tourists, but Roman locals as well. Some sat in the crevices of rocks reading while others decided to show off this incredible monument to their friends and family. This showed me that just because it is a huge tourist attraction does not mean that is doesn’t create a sense of nationalism for the local people.
However, while I had my back turned to the fountain with my eyes closed and a coin in my hand ready to toss I heard a loud splash. I knew that it couldn’t have been my tiny penny that had made such a noise, so I immediately turned around in time to see that someone had thrown a coke bottle full of thick red paint into the center of the fountain. From the rapid chatter that I heard around me I knew that my reaction had been similar to others. Who would do such a thing? My friends and I scanned the crowd, looking for a snickering teenager or a stealthy local, but to our dismay we came up empty handed. Policeman showed up just minutes later and began roping off the main area as the fountain keeper frantically tried to use a rag to keep the rocks from staining red. Shortly after that the fireman appeared with power hoses and high tech equipment, but it seemed too late.
As we discussed our own theories and compared ours to others around us, we came to the decision that it had to have been a crazy local trying to cause a scene or a terrible tourist who did not understand the significance of this historical monument. Out of further curiosity, I searched the Internet for more information and found on http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJvt0bbVwOeGG-FUxLEM4NHuq-Tw that investigators believe that this act was a repeated attempt of a 2007 stunt when a guerrilla artist turned all of the water blood-red. Apparently, the artist called the act “futurist” in reference to the art movement of 1909. This same man also covered the Spanish Steps with colored plastic balls in 2008. From the article I also learned that because the Trevi Fountain is one Rome’s best-known landmarks, that it is a magnet for attraction-seeking stunts. It didn’t seem a surprise that something so drastic as turning the fountain red might happen. Another man that has been called into question is a man that is known by “D’Artagnan” who has repeatedly climbed on top of the fountain after trying to steal coins thrown in by tourists. This news was so intriguing to me because I really couldn’t believe that someone would do such a horrible thing.
After witnessing the Trevi Fountain being vandalized I realized that this monument was more than simply a popular tourist attraction. It is a representation of the politics of Rome and an imagined community in itself. People may come together for a common goal that includes seeing all that the Trevi Fountain has to offer, but ultimately there are certain individuals that have a hidden agenda and may do the unexpected. This in itself brings people together because whether we identify ourselves as first timers or native peoples no one wants to watch a historical landmark being ruined.
Posted by Alyson Byrne at 8:54 AM