Rome via Brooklyn

356 words, 2 minutes read time.

This morning had a lot of commentary about setting and the bigger picture. Looking at the mausoleum, the bigger picture was control but he wanted it to appear to be all about family. The wall that was moved to the museum also showed the power, we would have had to crane our necks and not be able to read it as common people, but now it’s accessible. “On the other hand, the Mausoleum was built before Augustus took the title Augustus, that is, well before an ‘Augustan’ ideology as such can be identified. The name mausoleum was used of it from the start; this, and a stepped profile of more or less monumental architectural character, might imply a straightforward rival to the great dynastic tombs of the Hellenistic kings and specifically the tomb of King Mausolos of Caria at Halicar-nassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.” Augustus wanted his importance and brain to be so immortalized, but nowadays it’s not how we look at his legacy, which is something interesting to keep in mind while looking at it, the intention vs how it’s viewed. 

After our class, Jessica and I went to an outdoor book market with cute old postcards. We then went to a few churches, and my new favorite game is “guess where the Caravaggio is”because its what everyone entering immediatly flocks to. We went to the convento dei cappuccini where the crypt is full of 3700 bodies (I wont post the pictures in case it’s too unsettling but I have lots of pics if anyone wants to see). We also went to the St.Peter’s basilica in the Vatican, which was so huge and grand, beyond my imagination. It was crazy to see how much work went into it. When we entered the special doors only open on the jubilee you could sense the energy of importance. The view was stunning, and unfortunately not portrayed well over photos. 

I also think I found the most beautiful water fountain setting and then also the yummiest so far but that might just be because I was parched.