325: Week 4 Blog: 9-6-2010

Piazza Navona

The first time I ventured into Rome without being guided by anyone, I realized how winding and narrow the roads are. Everything seemed tight, and somewhat abandoned. Where were all the people? Katie Brown and I were doing our best to get our own personal perspective of what Rome is all about, but all we were discovering was what seemed like a maze of old buildings. Suddenly, we wound our way into Piazza Navona; it was as if we unexpectedly stepped into a whole new world, and everything became clear. We had finally reached the Rome that we had heard so much about and had seen in pictures. The Piazzi of Rome are the heart of the city and the place to go in order to truly discover Italian culture.

Piazza della Minerva

The first thing that I realized when I stepped into the open space was that there was a lot of things going on all at once. It was as if the art, history, religion, cuisine, businesses, and people of the city were all there in one place. We did not need to walk for miles to get from an art museum to a church then to a restaurant in order to see what Italian culture is all about. It was truly all in front of us, waiting for us to soak it in. Immediately we noticed Bernini’s sculpture of the four major rivers of the world. It was not only a time to appreciate the incredible artists of Italy’s past, but also was a history lesson about the Baroque time period of art. It is such an incredible sculpture. Next, we were amused by the various independent artists and musicians around the piazza, trying to make a few extra bucks with their talents. This was incredibly interesting, because it said a lot about what Italy is all about. It is a country famous for its art and culture from the past, and the artists in the piazza show how Italians are trying to continue that reputation. We did not spend a lot of extra time in Piazza Navona that day, but it certainly left a lasting impression on me.

Piazza del Popolo

As we continue to travel around the city and have had the chance to visit other Piazzi, it has become apparent that they are more than just a place for artists to make some money. They speak so distinctly about the Italian culture. In fact, it seems as though one can learn everything about who Italians are by visiting the Piazzi of Rome. Each one includes all the major aspects of Italian culture. As I mentioned earlier, there is always some form of incredible public art at the center of the Piazza. Additionally, there are modern artists spread throughout the area. There is also a church located along one side of each Piazza, indicating the religious importance that Italians include in their lives. Along the walls of the square, there are two very important parts of Italian culture: food and shopping stores. Pasta, pizza, and paninis are always available to give everyone a true taste of what Italians eat. It is also true that you cannot walk more than 5 steps without seeing gelato stand after gelato stand. Additionally, the numerous stores are a way for people, tourists specifically, to take a piece of Italy home with them.

In class today we decided that Piazzi are the “quintessential public places” of Italy. I have not experienced it during the night time, but I have found out that Italians come out during the evenings and simply live. Adults converse while their children play in the large open area. It is simply a place for people to hang out. Everything they need is located within the Piazza, and as a tourist I can translate that into seeing all of Italian culture in one place. When I read Muriel Spark’s essay in The Smiles of Rome, I understood how the Piazza speaks about the culture and lifestyles of Italians. Spark talks about her memories of the various Piazzi she lived in, and how she spent her time simply living throughout the Piazzi. Her experiences of having dinner and talking with friends became a part of who she was as she learned to live as the Italians do. Spark recalls, “If you live in central Rome you have only to walk down the street and you come to a fountain by Bernini in which children are playing or a Michelangelo embassy or some fine fifteenth-century building with today’s washing hanging out.” It is amazing to me to think about how natural the aspects of the Piazzi that we, as tourists, marvel at are to the Italians that live there.

Today we visited Piazza Navona again, which was the second time I was there. After discussing the Italian Piazza in class and reading the essays from Smiles, I was able to get a better appreciation for how much of a story each Piazza tells. I realized that Italian culture was right in front of me, all wrapped into one central place. The really neat thing, though, is that each Piazza tells this same story about Italy and its culture in slightly different versions. I cannot wait to experience my next piece of Italian culture.

Piazza di Spagna