Rome via Brooklyn

441 words, 2 minute read time.

After over two weeks of anticipation, I was finally able to go inside the Pantheon. A part of me wanted to mess with my parents and say I went to the Parthenon, but then I remembered they don’t really care about ancient history and the joke wouldn’t land (but what’s new). Anyway, this was the final big thing for me to see that I’ve studied in a class before, a great full-circle moment! I’m also realizing as I’m writing this that my memory is really not to be trusted, and I regret for the millionth time not writing these the days they happen.

But onto the actual Pantheon. Actually getting there was an annoying ordeal; I got on the bus going in the opposite direction, then had to take the metro, and still had to walk 15 minutes in the heat, which I was trying to avoid in the first place. Not the best start, but I made it! I still arrived stupidly early despite convincing myself I’d be late (chronic White Rabbit syndrome), so I had a lot of time to just take in everything.

I sat at one of the pews and doodled what I saw for a bit, listening in on the conversation between a group of retirement-aged French people beside me, which I obviously didn’t understand, but it was still fun to pretend.

The Museo Altemps was by far one of the prettiest museums I’ve seen architectural-wise. I’m very easily amazed by a central courtyard structure. The inside was just as cool, I really love how liminal and empty it was. It almost felt like I was traveling back in time to the Renaissance. I saw many beautiful statues of some of my favorite subjects from Roman mythology, but what caught my eye the most was this one of an ox. (Bull? I didn’t get a good look at the testicles.)

This was my exact view from a bench I sat on to catch my breath. The statue was honestly a little unnerving at first, but I warmed up to it. I chilled with this guy for a good while (I drew him too!) until I had to meet the rest of the class. I don’t know about the actual meaning and purpose behind this statue, but I love any kind of bovine imagery in art, so I vibed with it heavy.

My memory is really failing me on any other details of this day, so for all intents and purposes, that is all I did.

–Nico Vila