Rome via Brooklyn

341 Words, 2 Minutes

Exploring the Capitoline Museum reminded me, perhaps obviously, of being at the Met. Crowds of people from various countries, different languages flying around, photos, etc. However, it differs in some key ways. In the Capitoline Museum, hardly anything is locked behind glass or roped off. I was able to get extremely close to most of the pieces and often had to resist the urge to touch them. Additionally, the extreme importance of the location to history was a contrast to the Met. 

Reading about the humble origins of the Capitoline Hill struck me with a sense of awe. To think that such a historically important place began, allegedly, with the discovery of what was believed to be an omen of prosperity, the buried human head, instilled several reflections. Whose head was this? Could they ever have imagined their remains would have such great significance? Although the interpretation of the discovery was ambitious to begin with, was their vision of the city in line with the scope of reality? The quote from Seneca the Elder was particularly inspiring: “Climb down the family tree of anyone you wish: at the bottom you will find a humble birth… amidst all of today’s towering structures, nothing is more respected than the hut of Romulus… can you find fault in the Romans for displaying their humble origins… believing that nothing is great unless it appears to have started small? (Debates 1.6.4)”

The scale of some of the pieces, namely the statue of Constantine and The Burial of St. Petronilla, was striking. I stood in front of them for a while, just taking the vast amount of detail. It’s inspiring to imagine the effort that went into them. And even the smaller items, like the ancient tools and the Renaissance figurines, provoke a sense of wonder. I also, of course, loved seeing the chariot.

Despite all these positives, the layout of the museum was a bit confusing. Me and Isabel wandered for a good 30 minutes or so looking for the paintings.

That’s all for now!

– Joseph