After listening to the tour, one can't help but compare the Baths to our gyms and spas. Except everything was in one builing; including the troughs in the lower level for the horses. The statues were moved to the properties of patrons that sponsored to excavation.

490 WEEK #1

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25:

WE VISITED THE ROMAN BATHS OF CARACALLA

IT IS AMAZING THAT WE ALL CONTINUALLY COMMENT ON THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES OF THE ROMANS. TWO OF THE ROOMS WERE LIBRARIES. ONE LIBRARY CARRIED ROMAN BOOKS AND THE OTHER CONSISTED OF GREEK BOOKS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE BATHS ACTUALLY HAD A ROOM SIMILAR TO A SAUNA TO CLEAN THE PORES; THEN THE PERSON MOVED ON TO THE TEPID ROOM AND THEN TO THE COLD ROOM TO CLOSE THE PORES. THERE ARE ACTUALLY PIECES OF FLOORING AND MOSAICS THAT WERE EXCAVATED AND ON DISPLAY. THE BASEMENT HAD 25 STOVES TO HEAT THE BATHS. THEY SAY THAT THE WALLS WERE HOT TO THE TOUCH. WHILE IN INTRO TO ART, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ROMAN'S BUILDING ARCHES TO DISTRIBUTE THE WEIGHT OF THE BUILDING, BUT I COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY WERE. I FOUND OUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY BEHIND THE WALLS. IT WAS JUST AMAZING

225 WK #1

While visiting the Spanish Steps in Rome, we also visited the Trinita die Monti. In the chapel, one can find eight side altars by different artists. The most famous are the altars in the church are by Voterra. For our first assignment, we are to select a piece of are and discuss an element of the work; therefore, this writing discusses the composition of the frescoes around the altar. I am selecting a painting at the first altar to the right of the main altar in the church. Since the photographer of the camera did not get the title of this altar, I'll explain that the altar belonged to Pierre Maciac, "the canon of Besacon, since 1534" Trinita dei Monti). After the death of Maciac, the altar was decorated.

According to the information in the chapel, the walls consist of "a cycle of frescoes." The wall over the altar portrays the Storie of Christ and a Nativity. This information also states that the art work over the altar is "a false structure with two columns supporting an entablature." The word entablature is translated into intavoltura in Italian, and it refers to the "superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally on columns and their capitals" (Wikipedia). Capitals come in three designs: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

Fesco/es according to Wikipedia, are several "related painting types" usually found on walls and ceilings and done on plaster (intonaco, It.). There are three types of fescoes: Buon Fresco, Secco, and Mezzo-fresco. Buon fresco is also referred to as painting in pigment. To paint buon fresco, the painting pigment is mixed with water on fresh, new lime mortar or plaster that is thin. In contrast, secco (dry, It.) is done on a dry plaster and needs a medium that will bind it to a wall. Egg, glue or oil can be used as a binding medium to keep the paint in place. The last form of fresco, mezzo-fresco, requires a nearly-dry plaster and the pigment slightly penetrates into the plaster. Due to the advantages of mezzo-fresco, this technique makes buon fesco less popular. There are several advantages of mezzo-fresco. First, it is a quicker technique; second, it is more forgiving when it comes to mistakes because they can be corrected; thirdly, the color of the pigment only soaks slightly into the intonaco; and finally, the colors tend to be more consistent. The artist name
is unknown.

325 week #1

While visiting the Colosseum, Forum and Trevi Fountain, it is difficult not to get caught up in the feelings of the past. Supposedly, the Emperor sat in the best seat for the games; but while standing on the second level of five, my feeling is that the senators and politicians had the best seat in the house. All the seats were made of marble except the fifth level (women and children's level). From the second floor on up the floors were made of brick in a herring bone pattern. The basement consisted of rooms for animals, gladiators and storage of scenery. The colosseum actually had lifts to bring animals, gladiators and scenery up from the basement level. Standing on the second level, one is amazed at the enormity/greatness of the building. It is also difficult to understand the cruelty of man on man or animal. During a 100 day inauguration, 5,000 animals were killed, and in a 3 day event 1000 animals were killed.

Ten years ago, 2 trees and a vine were planted on the ruins of the Forum. One tree is an olive tree to represents of olives/olive oil industry; the second tree is a fig tree to honor the myth of Romulus and Ramos' survival as infants; the vine is representative of the wine industry.

The myth surrounding Romulus and Ramos: It is said that the infants were found by a she wolf and she suckled them for survival. Romulus founded Rome and Ramos has two possible stories. One is that he died and the other is that he went off to establish Sienna.

For a geography class at Kent, I wrote a paper about the sadness of flooding the Yangtze River and drowning the ruins along the river; so much will be lost. When I come away from this trip, I hope that my experiences will leave me with a more profound respect of culture of the past and future. I've already formed love for gellato :-) Gellato was never one of my favorites at home, but it is a nicer texture than ice cream and very good here.

I have created a new blog. Let's see if it works.