Day 2 - Circus Maxiums, Baths of Caracalla, Theatre Marcello, and the Pantheon

DAY 2:

We started off with taking a short walk to a famous Church. We went into the crypt (?) which was decorated from baseboards to the ceiling in human bones. It was amazing, once you got over the initial shock that they were, in fact, actual bones. We were not allowed to take any pictures, but I'm sure most of us will not need them to remember that crypt. From their we took the Metro A-line down to the Circus Maximus to truly start our day. I was in the group that studied the Circus, so I was very excited to finally see what I had been studying (and I was also excited that we were the first group to lead a tour). Below is a picture of the Circus Maximus in its entirety.

(The Circus Maximus)

There were several different Circus Maximuses, two of which were made out of wood, but were then burnt down. The third Circus Maximus (and the one we see in our imagination, the one Ben-Hur raced in, the one our group primarily studied) was made of stone. It was over 600 meters long and about 250 meters wide. Historians and archaeologists are still arguing and debating an approximate height of the Circus Maximus, but can imagine that it was very, very tall as it seated thousands and thousands of spectators. For more information you can read my past blogs and the blogs of my teammates. While we were at the Circus Maximus several of us climbed the hill to the right (as you come off the Metro, looking down the track to the buildings) and took a view good photos. Here is one of the better ones.

(Here is the Circus Maximus from on top of the hill)

After leaving the Circus Maximus we made our way to the Baths of Caracalla. Alison led this short tour, but we mostly explored the inner and outer-lying ruins for ourselves. While the baths were point of interest in one of our PBLs it was Alison who focused on this topic, so I all know is what I remember from our presentation. Caracalla was actual Marcus Aurelius and the baths were made in his honor. The baths were open to the public, however there was an entrance fee and because of the expense to get in as well as the time one would spend in the baths, most of its users were of the higher class status. There were hot saunas, frigid baths, a gymnastics center, a full pool, and many other relaxing additions. All of the floors were heated by use of steam, as were the hot baths.

(The ruins of the Baths of Caracalla)

Outside the baths were vendors of soaps, oils, and other wares. The first thing that hit me about the baths was how incredibly large they were. Even thousands of years later (years of sacking and looting and natural disasters) it still stands. As a student of architecture, it really made me stop and think about the sustainability of some of this buildings versus the ones we are constructing today. However, the Romans did use marble and stone, so that may play a huge role in why they are still standing. While all of the ceilings were gone, many of the exterior walls (and a few of the interior walls) remained. The huge spanning arches were beautiful and the mosaics that were leaning up against the wall (or in some cases still embedded in the floor) really helped you to imagine what the Baths would have looked like in their prime. Below are a few of my better pictures from the Baths.

(A cool shot looking down through several arches in the Baths)

(One of the many arches of the Baths)

After finishing the Baths we walked the streets east to reach the Theatre of Marcello. I honestly don't remember that much information about the Theatre of Marcello, but what I do remember (and what I really wanted to see there) were the pillars. The Theatre had three levels and each level was assigned a different class of pillar. It went Doric to Ionic to Corinthian at the top (can you tell I love columns?).

(The three tiers of the Theatre of Marcell0)

After the Theatre we all split up into groups to find lunch and to meet at the Pantheon (which lay North-East of the Theatre) by 3 pm. I ended up tagging along with Philip and Ashley from the Forum/Scroll group and we ended up having a great lunch at a small bistro off the beaten track (We wanted to "immerse ourselves" in the culture, rather than looking for a simple pizzeria). We actually ended up deep in the Jewish Ghetto after lunch because we took a few wrong turns. While the word "ghetto" may have a negative connotation, this cultural locale has experienced a transformation in the past decades and has become a brighter section of Rome, while keeping its deep roots. After wandering somewhat aimlessly down numerous Roman alleyways (many aglow with dangling icicle lights), passing through the Piazza de Navona three times, and checking the map about 15 times (my guesstimation) we finally stumbled our way unto the Pantheon... 30 minutes late. Just in time for my camera batteries to die, so I was unable to take any pictures of the inside of the Pantheon.

(The piazza outside the Pantheon)

On a side note: I love the Pantheon. The summer before my senior year in high school I was allowed to take part in a summer architecture program at the University of Notre Dame, and while I was there I drew (to scale) the Pantheon's front elevation, its entire floor plan, and section cut. It took me almost a week (take pity on me, I was new with drafting), and from that point on I was in love with the Pantheon. So for me, simply walking into the Pantheon was like a dream. I was finally able to see what I had drawn, finally able to understand how each of the niches stood, and finally able to look up from the Pantheon and see, for myself, the clouds go by instead of hearing it from one of my professors. To be honest, I didn't give one thought to the group who presented on the Pantheon (later I thought back to their presnetation), but for the time I was in the Pantheon I simply walked around with my jaw hanging open like an idiot. Sitting here, I now wish I had snuck away someday and went back to take pictures, so at this point I'll have to steal them from my fellow students.

After the Pantheon Philip, Ashley, and I went looking for a store we found while we were lost, ended up lost again (this time in the rain), found our way into a very decorated (well, at that point I thought it was decorated... after seeing more churches I realized that they were ALL decorated), and finally made it back to the Hotel with five minutes to spare before heading off to an art exhibit at the Galleria Nationale, right next to the President's Palace. After the exhibit, our little group went in search of food and ended up back at the Piazza de Barberini (where our hotel is located) and ate in a glass-box restaurant called "Ciao Bella". That dinner, was quite simply the best food I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. The service and atmosphere was truly Italian and just what I wanted to experience. Three hours, one meal, and several drinks later, Ashley, Philip, and I made our way back to the hotel. Such was my first day (well, in my eyes first true day) in Rome!