Interesting Things about Italy

Italy isn't so different from the U.S. that you can't figure out how to live here, but you definitely need to make some adjustments. Here are a few of the more interesting/difficult differences between Italy and the United States!

1) Toilet Seats are Optional.

No, seriously, when you go into a public restroom, there is no guarantee that you will have a toilet seat. This is uncomfortable no matter how you choose to cope with the situation. Fortunately, I have advanced squatting skills from previous international excursions, but your mileage may vary. You should also expect to see several different kinds of flushing mechanisms, all of which seem weird or annoying in their own way because they are not like what you find in the States.

2) Crossing the Street Is Terrifying (The First Few Times)

Not all crosswalks have street lights. In fact, most of them don't. This means that when you come to a crosswalk, you should be prepared for an adventure, especially if it's a multi-lane street. You do not wait for an opening in traffic. Instead, you try to make eye contact with the drivers coming towards you... and START WALKING. They really do stop... at least so far. But you shouldn't be surprised if someone rushes by right ahead of or behind you. You can't stop traffic, after all.

3) There Are 5 Different Dumpsters

Italy is serious about recycling its trash, so when you go out to dispose of some, you will find five different dumpsters, all in a row. One is for trash-trash (like old CDs, other weird stuff you can't recycle). But there are separate receptacles for food waste, plastic, paper, and glass. Even the restaurants here have separate trash cans to help keep things sorted.

4) Parking Is INSANE

There is a reason they sell so many scooters, Fiats, and Smart Cars here in Italy. The streets are unbelievably narrow to an American driver (and also to our bus drivers, who pull off superhuman driving feats on a regular basis). When you walk along the street, you will see cars and scooters jammed up onto the sidewalks and crowded into improbably tight spaces. I'm not even sure what the actual rules are, as long as you are not in the actual street. On the other hand, people here love scooters and tiny cars, so it's probably my kind of place. It's not uncommon to see guys in suits or women in flowy dresses racing by on Vespas, and everyone is conscientious enough to wear a helmet. Love it.

An Italian "Parking Lot"

5) Pizza Is Not a Lunchtime Food

Seriously, restaurant kitchens not only open really late for dinner (7:30 is early for dinner here), but most of them do not serve pizza during lunch hours. It's also considered weird to walk down the street eating your food, to order coffee beverages that contain milk at lunchtime or later, and to drink coffee with a meal. Bonus points, however, to places that actually close for siesta time. The tradition of taking a nice afternoon nap is not as consistent here as it apparently used to be, but there are places that preserve healthy midday breaks. I personally think we ought to adopt this practice back home. 

Hot Digs, Cool Museums

Yesterday and today were extremely active, but also extremely enjoyable. Our first stop on Thursday was the non-Catholic cemetery, where many important literary figures are buried or memorialized. There is a marker for Percy Shelley, as well as the graves of Keats, Goethe, Gramsci, and others. The cemetery is obviously not a delightful place, but it's a beautiful and meditative one.

The older part of the cemetery offers a great view of the Pyramid of Cestius, which was built in the first century B.C.E. in imitation of the great pyramids of Egypt. What a way to be buried! We got to go inside and everything, although the most interesting stuff is gone because a tomb robber burrowed into the pyramid during the middle ages.

Although the paintings inside of the tomb are damaged, what remains is understated but impressive. I guess if you've got to be buried somewhere, this place will do...

After the pyramid, we headed over to one of the coolest museums I've seen so far: the Centrale Montemartini. This building used to be a power plant, but was abandoned for several decades. Then they turned the power plant into a museum for classical sculpture, but kept all of the old machinery. The result is pure AWESOME.

That's Agrippina, with a warrior statue in the background, all set in front of some heavy machinery. I love it.

Today involved a lot more time out in the sun, which was brutal but worth it. We got a tour of the archaeological dig at Gabii, which made me long to once again pick up a trowel. After that, we went to Praeneste (now Palestrina) and checked out the museum that preserves what is left of the Temple of Fortuna. People used to ask questions there and cast lots to get Fortuna's answer—maybe we should have brought a Magic Eight-Ball? The museum also features a huge and amazing Nilotic mosaic, which contains gems such as this rhinoceros:

Today had its moments of terror, as well. Our bus started leaking oil and spewing white smoke, which was not fun. And our first outing of the morning involved crossing a busy intersection to see the tomb of Eurysaces, a bread baker who was both proud of his profession and rich enough from his labors to build himself a pretty sweet tomb. His wife's remains were also interred there, in a stone model of a bread basket. This led to many ridiculous bread puns, such as "The first thing he said to his wife was, 'Nice buns!'" and "Baby, I knead you!" It's so fun to hang out with a bunch of other dorky teachers. Our students would have been so deliciously ashamed. (Get it? Delicious? HAHA.)

Temple of Veovis, Alba Fucens

Tuesday and Wednesday were very active, but a lot of fun. On Tuesday, we went back to the Capitoline Museum for a special underground tour of the Temple of Veovis. There isn't that much to see anymore, but the museum preserves what remains of a temple built for Jupiter before he was best and greatest—as Veovis, Jupiter is still a young god who has not yet become king. Here's all that is left of his cult statue:

After seeing the ruins of the temple, we had a good look at the epigraphy collection in the museum. Many of the inscriptions (epigraphy = study of inscriptions) that remain to us from the ancient world come from grave markers, and sometimes they are really sad. This one is for a little girl who died before she reached the age of six:

For the souls departed. For the sweet Geminia Agathe Mater. My name was Mater, but I was never destined to become a mother. In fact, I do not deny having lived only 5 years, 7 months, and 22 days. During the time that I lived, I enjoyed myself and I was always loved by everyone. In fact, believe me, I had the face of a little boy, not of a girl; as only those who generated me knew Agathe, of gentle temperament, of pleasing and noble appearance, with red hair, short on top and long behind...

There's more, but I figured I'd stop with the amusing image of a red-headed little girl with a mullet. So many children died in the ancient that it's difficult for us to imagine today—in fact, you were pretty lucky if you made it to your twenties, because a lot of diseases could easily take you out before then.

On Wednesday, we visited the site of Alba Fucens, an ancient Roman colony. Alba Fucens was occasionally a bit rebellious and came down on the wrong side in one of Rome's many civil wars. But it was a loyal enough colony to be entrusted with a major responsibility: the housing of political prisoners. Some of them were apparently treated pretty well, while others... well, one of them may have died because his guards refused to let him sleep. That is a terrible way to go.

Today, Alba Fucens is absolutely gorgeous. We got our first good look from a church dedicated to St. Peter. The church was built in Late Antiquity, but its current decor is from about the 12th century. It's an important church because it preserves the shape and location of the pulpit and also the screen that separates the church's altar (priests only!) from the congregation.

The view from the top of the hill where the church is perched is amazing. (And probably part of the reason why Alba Fucens was strategically important in several wars, because you could see the enemy coming.) That castle you can see in the distance is an overgrown ruin, but we had a great (and sweaty) time climbing up to it in the afternoon.

The ruins themselves were also fun. We got to see what was left of a basilica, a house, some shops, and bath house, and a latrine. Let's just say that if you enjoy having personal space, you would not enjoy an ancient latrine. Part of the fun was that we were instructed not to read about the site in advance, so we had to wander around making guesses at what the different structures were. We did a pretty good job, too!

Overall, this has been another great week. Today was a lot of fun, and I'll definitely post about it soon (pictures are uploading now). Tomorrow, we'll be on a day trip looking at other ruins of ancient cities. I've been told to expect to climb lots of stairs. And, alas, there is no end to the walking in sight—next week will be our most exciting yet, because we'll spend part of it in Campania and will spend one entire day in Pompeii. My brain rejoices, but my feet are already weeping bitter tears.

Study Day

Today was a rare day spent entirely at the AAR, doing some traditional learning about the ancient world. First, we discussed Roman building practices. It was interesting to think through the different types of building materials, the cost to ship them, and the changes in their use over time. We also heard a very interesting lecture about Roman slavery that included some evidence I had never seen before. We read a document that recorded the purchase of a woman who was the slave of a slave of a slave, as well as some absolutely horrifying contracts that released female slaves upon their master's death—on the condition that they produced children, first. It was brutal, and it made me do some deep thinking about what I would like for my Latin students to understand about Roman slavery.

We also had a fantastic pedagogical discussion about spoken Latin, which led to some lively debates about oral Latin's place in the classroom. Latin students are often expected to progress through grammar very quickly and to read texts at a high level after only a couple of years, but research indicates that the grammar-translation method of teaching Latin only works for a very small percentage of students. Spoken Latin, as well as large doses of "easy" Latin reading, allow students to more deeply internalize the structure of the language. I personally am very interested in delving into the world of spoken Latin next year, even if it's only for a small portion of each class period.

After lunch, we got to experience what was probably my favorite part of the day—the material culture seminar! We got to check out some Greek pottery (a lot of it is found in Roman and Etruscan tombs) and it was a lot of fun. The curator of the collection, Valentina Follo, is an absolute delight to learn from. She often asks us questions we have no idea how to answer, just to make us think our way towards a solution. She never gives any information away for free—we always have to try first. This actually makes sessions with her more rewarding, and it's a delight to learn from someone who knows and loves her artifacts so deeply. Sometimes we ask questions that send her digging through a cabinet or drawer with the familiarity of someone looking for an item in her own house, and it's wonderful to see. My first artifact of the day was Etrusco-Corinthian pottery:

This pottery is basically a lower-quality knockoff of actual Corinthian pottery, which has sharper designs. Etrusco-Corinthian pottery rose in popularity when the real deal become less available.

We examined several different kinds of containers to hold wine, water, and oil. Plus, we got to see an ancient makeup case! This summer school is giving me a lot to think about in terms of incorporating material culture into my high school classes.

Our long day continued with a Latin reading group. We're working through selections from Suetonius's Life of Nero, which is suitably scandalous. After that, we heard the first of three Jerome lectures by Italian scholar Maurizio Bettini, who discussed a poem by Propertius that focuses on the god Vertumnus and purports to reveal the true origin of his name.

So we had a long day, but it was good. Tomorrow is another museum day, so I'm preparing myself to walk! 

Parla Inglese?

I have two major difficulties when navigating Rome. 

First, unlike Germany or France, the language barrier is a serious issue in Italy. Very few people speak English, and my lack of Italian is making life difficult at restaurants, in museums, on buses, and in life in general. If you visit Rome without learning Italian, your inability to speak the language will drive you and everyone around you absolutely crazy. (Especially if, like me, you are not staying in a tourist area.) 

The second problem is that at home, I am directionally challenged and I rely on Google Maps to tell me where to go. But I don't have data on my phone here. And Lonely Planet: Rome doesn't quite cover the residential area where I live.

Fortunately, I have made great strides today, thanks to Feltrinelli—the Italian equivalent of Barnes & Noble. 

Cue Angels Singing

Feltrinelli sells books, CDs, video games, notebooks, puzzles, etc. Fortunately, the store also sells foreign language dictionaries and maps. I picked up a pocket dictionary, an Italian phrase book, and two maps of Rome—a smaller one to consult on the go, and a more detailed one to use in case I really get lost. Now I am free to explore to my heart's content, because I will be able to figure out how to get home! 

I got this.

I looked at the books on Italian for foreigners, but several of them were written entirely in Italian—not ideal—and the rest weren't quite what I wanted. Still, today was a great success. Just being able to find a restaurant and translate the menu will justify these purchases!

Week 1: Very Early Rome

What a week! I've been averaging 20,000 steps per day on my Fitbit, and my feet hurt. Bigtime.

But it's all been worth it, because we spent this week on a whirlwind tour of early Roman remains. On Tuesday, we got an inside look at the Area Sacra di Sant'Omobono. It is now dominated by a modern church building, but Sant'Omobono is the site of two of Rome's early temples, dedicated to the goddesses Fortuna and Mater Matuta. Back when early Rome was trading with a bunch of foreign merchants, including the Etruscans, they did a lot of business in this area. Shops were crammed together between and around these ancient temples. The acknowledgement of common gods (and perhaps the threat of divine punishment for liars and cheats) seems to have aided the process of doing business in the ancient world.

We also toured neighboring temples just down the street. All of them, interestingly, have been preserved because of their association with modern churches. In some cases, temples were converted into churches wholesale, like this one:

In other cases, churches were built on top of and used material from ancient temples. Today, we got to go traipsing around in the basement of a very lovely church that happens to be built on top of the sites of three temples, and is using some parts of them in the foundation!

SO MANY LAYERS.

On Wednesday, we went tomb hopping in Etruscan necropolises. The Etruscans are a mysterious people known mostly by their tombs, but they are crucial to the history of Rome. The first necropolis we visited was made up of painted tombs that were quite beautiful. (And sometimes a bit naughty.) This one shows some revelers engaged in a wild Dionysian dance:

After a visit to the Etruscan museum in Tarquinia, a very cute town not too far from Rome, we went to Cerveteri, which was full of tombs carved into rock. The final result was a collection of visually striking mounds. There are so many that you truly are walking through a city of the dead:

The tombs at Cerveteri weren't painted for the most part, but we encountered a bird nest in one, and an "interactive surprise" in another. I pulled back a curtain in one of the tombs and laughed until I cried:

I think coming across the strange "Etruscan nun" with a shrouded "corpse" was the best moment of my week!

Next week, we'll be going on a lot more field trips, but we'll also be spending time reading Latin and talking about Latin pedagogy. As the schedule settles, I expect to post more regularly on this blog. I also expect to spend some time in the AAR library. (I am unreasonably excited about this.)

I'll leave you with a high five for a good week!

Actually, they're dancing.

Back to School

Today was an orientation day at the American Academy in Rome. I'm still jet lagged and I'm tired from walking a lot more than I usually do, but I'm having a fantastic time. How can you not, when your school looks like this?

We did a lot of introductory stuff today, including taking our first peek at the library (24/7 access? I CAN'T WAIT) and also at the AAR's archaeological study collection. We got to touch and attempt to identify several items, including an ancient Q-Tip, perfume bottles, a giant hunk of metal that was used as currency, and a loom weight. There was also some other cool stuff, such as a sling stone with a nasty message on it:

A rather charming dancing Lar (household god):

And an oil lamp that depicts a guy getting caught cheating at a board game:

Not only are the artifacts amazing, but the entire AAR campus is beautiful and full of interesting people. I met other scholars and teachers today, but I also met an architect, a landscaper, and a composer. Plus, the food—which is locally sourced and organic—is phenomenal. And after all of the tours and delicious food, I spent my afternoon sipping Prosecco in this beautiful garden:

Tomorrow is our first field trip, so we'll be meeting up to take a bus to the Capitoline. I'm learning a bit more about this city every day, and I'm excited about what I'll learn tomorrow. 

Ave Roma!

Well, I'm here in Rome! My trip went very smoothly—on the flight, I watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and then slept until morning. After getting off the plane, I had no trouble getting my bag and finding the T.A.M. bus, which will take you to Rome's Termini Station for €5. 

Once I arrived at Termini Station, things got a bit more challenging because it's not immediately clear where you should go to buy a metro ticket. Hint: In Rome, you can buy metro tickets from the guys at the Hudson News kiosks. But not every newsstand is the same. I didn't just want to buy a one-use ticket—I'm going to be here for six weeks, so I wanted a ticket that was good for the rest of the month. To acquire one, I had to find the right newsstand, because not all of them sell the monthly pass. Argh! After I figured that out, though, I had no problem navigating the Metro and then switching to a regional train to get to my apartment. In Italy, one public transport pass works for the Metro, the buses, and the regional train lines. 

So much space!

There was good news when I got to the apartment—this place is really nice! It is a LOT bigger than I thought it was going to be, and I'm definitely not going to complain. Check out that spacious living room! Four people are ultimately going to be staying here, although no one else is arriving until tomorrow. I'm sharing a room with another student, and we'll have two more who are in single rooms. All of the rooms have two beds, but I chose the one with the most space and the most electrical outlets. It also has a little balcony. Hopefully my roommate will approve.

Simple. Comfortable. I like it.

I've also managed to go on my first quest for food. Shopping for groceries in foreign countries is usually a challenge. Today, I didn't manage to find a full-sized grocery store (despite two quests based on information in Google Maps), but I did find a mini-mart and a fruit stand run by a couple of young guys from Egypt. They didn't speak English, and I don't speak Italian, but we managed to muddle through in Arabic! It was awkward, but also fun. I'll be visiting those guys again. 

There is now fruit on the table and milk in the fridge. Success!

For dinner, I think I'll try the pizza place by the train station. It is apparently a usual favorite of people who participate in the Classical Summer School, so I will trust the collective wisdom of AAR-CSS alums and try it out tonight.

It's good to be here!