by Summer Trentin
In June, drawing professor Sandy Lane and I took 18 students, including 13 art majors, two art history majors, one communication design major, one art history minor, and one continuing education student, to Italy for three weeks. Our Italy program, like many of the art department’s summer study abroad programs, offers 3 art history credits and 3 studio art credits. The students on this trip were enrolled in an upper-division art history course, Roman Italy and Its Legacy. The goal of this course was to study not only the material culture of the ancient Romans, but also the ways in which the art and architecture of later periods responded to the Roman art and ruins that surrounded them. This is a recap of our first week’s activities in Italy, which focused on Etruscan and Roman history to the early part of the Roman Empire.
We arrived in Rome on a Sunday and checked into the hotel that would be our home base for the next two weeks. After a welcome dinner, we all tried to get a good night’s rest to prepare us for the adventure ahead.
The first full day in Rome included a marathon tour of the city, focusing on some of its oldest monuments. On our way to our first stop, the Circus Maximus, we stopped in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli to see Michelangelo’s Moses, sculpted in the early 16th century. Then we walked past the Colosseum—I will never forget seeing the reaction of the students when they saw the Colosseum for the first time, but going inside would have to wait until later in the week. At the Circus Maximus, one of the most ancient buildings in Rome, Kirsten gave an engaging presentation on the history of the structure. For centuries, the Circus Maximus was the site of chariot races, gladiator games, and other spectacles, but today its ruins serve as a public park. From there, we went to the area of the Forum Boarium, site of some of the earliest settlement in Rome. The monuments we saw, ranging from the 1st-century-BCE Temple of Hercules Victor to the 4th-century-CE Arch of Janus, attest to the urban development of this area and its religious and commercial importance to the ancient city. We also discussed the incorporation of ancient buildings into the modern fabric of the city—this was particularly notable when we saw the Theatre of Marcellus, built during the reign of Augustus, with apartments built into its upper level. The importance of the area continued into the Middle Ages, when some of the Roman temples were converted to churches and new ones, like Santa Maria in Cosmedin, were built. At Santa Maria in Cosmedin we saw the Mouth of Truth, immortalized in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, and heard a presentation by Kaitlin on the relic of St. Valentine that is kept inside the church. Finally, we crossed the Tiber River to the Trastevere neighborhood where we visited something completely different—the Villa Farnesina, a Renaissance villa inspired by Greek and Roman mythology and culture. With decorations by Raphael and his contemporaries, this small villa was a beautiful place for the 16th century elite to imagine living the life of the ancient emperors. After lunch, students spent the afternoon drawing in the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere.
On Tuesday, we went on our first excursion outside the city to explore the civilization of the Etruscans, who heavily influenced Roman culture. After a train ride through the beautiful Italian countryside, we arrived in Tarquinia and walked through the peaceful, Medieval city to the Etruscan necropolis, or city of the dead. Here, Lucy gave a presentation on Etruscan tombs and death and we descended underground to view the painted tombs intended to hold their owners for eternity. Many of us chose to have a relaxing lunch in a picturesque piazza before heading to the National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia. Here, in a beautiful Renaissance palace, are hundreds of Etruscan artifacts, including sarcophagi, jewelry, and pottery. There is also a collection of Greek pottery, as the Etruscans were avid collectors of black- and red-figure pottery imported from Greece. After a tour of the museum and time spent drawing the artifacts and architecture, we headed back to Rome.
Wednesday focused on the monuments of Augustus, first emperor of Rome. We took our first trip on the crowded, chaotic Metro to Piazza del Popolo, a beautiful piazza centered around an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome under Augustus. From there, we walked to the Ara Pacis Museum to see what is probably the most famous monument designed under Augustus—the Altar of Peace. Because we cover this altar in World Art I, everyone was familiar with it. We took some time to walk around and into the structure and admire its intricate carvings. The monument itself was excavated and reassembled under Mussolini in his quest to create a new Roman Empire, which adds another dimension to the importance of the monument in history. Across from the Ara Pacis Museum is the Mausoleum of Augustus, an enormous structure that demonstrates the power and grandeur of the Empire. Unfortunately the mausoleum is under restoration so we weren’t able to see it well. From there we walked to the Baroque Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna, with a fountain by Bernini, for drawing. As a reminder that anything can happen in Rome, that evening’s critique in a piazza near the Spanish Steps was interrupted by a group of Hare Krishnas, who danced with our students. In the evening, we had a special dinner at a locally-owned bookstore specializing in travel books and graphic novels.
Thursday was highly anticipated—Colosseum day! First, we went to the Forum Romanum, heart of the ancient city. We toured the site for an hour or so, discussing both the ancient monuments and their excavation. The excavation of the Forum is a good example of archaeology as a political act—much of what we see today was excavated and/or restored under Mussolini. What we see today is an assemblage of ancient ruins, modern interventions, and Baroque churches. After drawing in the Forum, we headed to the Colosseum, where Alex told us about the history and structure of the monument. We had plenty of time to explore and draw the interior and exterior of the amphitheatre.
On Friday, we visited our first major museum: the Capitoline! The Capitoline Hill has a long history—it was the site of Rome’s most important temple, the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, and is now home to one of its most famous museums as well as a piazza designed by Michelangelo. The museum is home to some of the most famous works of ancient sculpture, including the equestrian sculpture of Marcus Aurelius, the Capitoline Venus, and the colossal head of Constantine. The sculpture that impressed the group most, however, was the Dying Gaul. Nearly everyone on the trip cited the sculpture of the wounded, dying warrior as their favorite, and one of my favorite memories of the trip is watching the students discover it. In addition to the ancient collection, the Capitoline Museums also contain art from later periods, including works by Bernini and Caravaggio. There was something for everyone to enjoy.
After lunch, we planned to see the Palatine Hill, home of the imperial palace, but due to a misunderstanding with our tickets we were unable to get in. Instead, we went to the Esquiline Hill where we worked on a drawing project under the shadow of even more ancient ruins. (Italy travel tip: always have a back-up plan. Or three.) After dinner, we moved into the street where the students did performances based on their work on the Esquiline today.
On Saturday, we took another excursion outside Rome. Today’s destination was Tivoli, where we visited two villas. The first, the Villa d’Este, is a Renaissance villa with beautiful gardens featuring hundreds of fountains. Like the Villa Farnesina in Rome, this villa was intended to help its owner emulate the life of an ancient Roman aristocrat. After a presentation on the villa by Dani, we explored and drew in the gardens. After a lunch break in the city, we took a local bus to the Villa of Hadrian, a monumental imperial villa built by one of Rome’s greatest emperors. The sprawling complex includes baths, pools, living quarters, a theatre—it basically functioned as its own city centered around the emperor. Now in ruins and rarely visited by tourists, the villa provided a great place to relax and draw.
After a long, hot, busy week, students had a free day on Sunday. Several students took a day trip to Florence, while others visited other attractions in the city or used the time to catch up on sleep, drawing, and academic work.
Stay tuned for a recap of Week 2: more Rome, featuring the High Empire and early Christianity!
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If you are interested in studying abroad with the art department, check out our Study Abroad page. The next art history trip abroad will be to Barcelona in the summer of 2018–contact us or check out the Facebook page for updates and information.
For a recap of the Winterim 2017 art history trip to Morocco, click here.
To learn about how study abroad can change your life, click here.
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