CAS in Rome - Mia E. Briceño

A Hesitant (Yet Long-Winded) Comment on the Trial in Perugia

2009-12-08T01:00:00.008+01:00

About the only thing I can write with certainty about the Amanda Knox trial is that I'm glad I wasn't one of the jurors. When I first read of Knox's conviction last Friday, I immediately considered exploring in writing the media coverage of the trial and the ways in which both Knox and the Italian legal system made such fitting targets for soundbyte-ing and stereotyping. I quickly realized that just about every other journalist and blogger had that angle covered. As I read article after article about the trial, glimpsed image after image of Knox being escorted from the courtroom, and watched testimony from Knox's mother and the family of the victim, Meredith Kercher, I felt less and less as though I had a clear opinion about any element of this two-year-old case.

Sollecito, Knox, and Guede

I do think that it is at least worth noting (to what ends I'm not yet sure, but I have some uncertain arguments in there somewhere), in terms of the rhetoric of this trial, that while the two other suspects in the case - Rafaelle Sollecito and Rudy Guede - also were convicted of taking part in the killing of Kercher, they nearly always only receive a sidelong mention in a larger report featuring Knox. This has been the 'Amanda Knox Murder Trial,' in spite of the fact that there have always been three suspects under scrutiny. There has been a lot less concern about the conviction of Guede (which occurred over a year ago) or the evidence produced against him. Guede, like Knox, is non-native of Italy, but unlike Knox, is a black man originally from Cote d'Ivoire. In all my poring over articles about this trial, I've learned slim to none regarding Sollecito (an Italian citizen), but I've seen the same video of Sollecito and Knox kissing and comforting one another ('inappropriately') around the time they learned they were suspects. And in a move that is well precedented, there has been little attention paid to the victim, Meredith Kercher, although she is often remembered in interviews as a good friend and sister, and a person who is dearly missed by those who love her.

Kercher

I hesitate to boil the entire trial down to this, but I want to consider the point (and it's likely an obvious one): the media coverage here bears a striking resemblance to other cases in which young, white, blond, U.S. American women feature in one way or another. A ready example is the Natalie Holloway case - clearly different from the Knox trial in so many ways, but also illustrative of emphasizing one family's plight over the innumerable tragic cases that involve less camera-ready individuals and families. I make this observation not to devalue the tragedy of Holloway's disappearance, but to consider the media coverage in a slightly different way than the Knox op-eds have thus far. Concerns over the sensationalizing of Knox's gender have been explicated in numerous ways, however, this isn't only about Knox's gender, but her national origin, as well as her classed, raced, and sexualized identities, especially as perceived by international media that have offered strikingly similar reports of the case.

CAS in Rome 2010

2009-10-05T20:24:00.002+02:00

Next summer's program info is up! Have a look see.

Not Quite a Conclusion . . . Oh, and About Italian Wi-Fi

2009-09-16T23:27:00.005+02:00

I've been back in the States for almost three months now, but studying furiously for comprehensive exams (I love that there's a Wikipedia entry about them), hanging out with this four-legged guy, and catching up on sleep kept me from notifying the five-ish folks who actually read this blog. My apologies to the small lot of you.

Anywho, I'm now in the midst of comp-ing (two down, two more to write), and as I was cramming a bit for tomorrow morning's set of questions, I couldn't help but take myself away from the intensity of the present task and check out some Rome blogs and related Italy Internet fun. In doing so, I happened upon a "Q&A" section of The American in Rome (linked to the right there) that has some great advice on Wi-Fi spots in the Eternal City and how to access them. Wish I had encountered this info sooner, but perhaps it will be a help to the person who just clicked "Next Blog" and ended up here randomly. Or maybe I'll get to make use of it the next time I'm in Rome . . . hopefully there is a next time in my future.

Where I've Been/Where the Time's Gone

2009-06-25T12:42:00.008+02:00

I've been a delinquent blogger this past week, mainly due to the fact that we've been wrapping things up in class and enjoying farewell social activities. I've also had my head elsewhere (mainly packing and looking ahead to my summer of studying for comprehensive exams in State College), so the blog was temporarily orphaned. I must say, though, although it feels like I've been busy, I'm not exactly sure where the time has gone. This is true not only of our last week here, but of the program overall. There are days when the brief semester here feels like it might last for seven months rather than seven weeks, but then you wake up one day and realize that you've only got about three days to check off everything on your to-do list and buy chintzy souvenirs.

Rome was especially beautiful after last weekend's thunderstorms cleared the air, leaving the skies a saturated blue and the clouds extra fluffy. I thought I had enough pictures of the Colosseum and Via dei Fori Imperiali, but all this city has to offer looks quite different in the cooler days following a good storm. That's why you're getting the gratuitous shot of one of the most photographed images in Italy (top left), and I don't feel the slightest bit cliché for including it.

I'm including one more photo, as all of the action that's gone down in Iran has not yet made its way into this blogspace, which I think is a significant absence but also difficult to work into the overall theme (sorry for all the clauses in that sentence). We passed this CGIL poster, which I can't translate fully, but basically expresses sympathies for and solidarity with the women and men of Iran, who have voted for change in the recent elections.

I See Right Through That Kimono (Not in a Gross Way)

2009-06-19T17:29:00.006+02:00

The heat is still on in Rome, and when that's the case, I prefer indoor activities that include air conditioning in the cost of admission. I'm also a sucker for museums - I think it's because museums allow me to engage in one form or another of elitist escapism while simultaneously putting my rhetorical critic skills to work (think of it as scholarly self-flagellation infused with Catholic guilt - fun, right?). Today's museum encounter was no exception, as I laid out 9 euro (which, by the way, would've been 7 euro if I was under 26; a mini, just-over-quarter-life crisis ensued but ended quickly) for the Hiroshige exhibit at the Museo del Corso. The exhibit consists of ink and paper and wood block prints from the James Michener C ollection at the Honolulu Academy of Arts (PA sidenote: the James A. Michener Art Museum is located in Doylestown, in Bucks County - Michener's hometown).

So I'll start with the escapism elements: the pieces themselves are simply displayed, complete white matting and plain wooden frames. The blues in some of the scenes are phenomenal - gorgeous stuff. And now for the critic: the exhibit is curated in such a way that you first walk onto a faux-Japanese bridge in a faux-Japanese garden, and silhouettes of human figures dressed in kimonos populate these scenes, although sparsely. The folks policing your museum experience, whom I usually expect to be wearing burgundy blazers and black slacks or some awful variation thereof, are instead dressed in pseudo-kimono inspired tops and black skirts. All of said 'policers of experience' are Italian women.

Further, visitors are invited to keep a record of their travels through each of the four rooms of the exhibit inspired by Japanese travel diaries (the best explanation of which I found here, after doing a basic search of the surface Web). You just pick up a blank booklet and a stamp in each room (the stamps are elements taken from Hiroshige's scenes) serves as evidence of your journey. Now you're faux-traveling like a real Japanese person. Here's the evidence of my journey:

Did I enjoy the exhibit? Most definitely. Am I a little weirded out by the presentation and abbreviated explanations of the ways in which visitors are to inhabit a particular moment in Japanese history and culture? But of course. Is this what it is to experience a conflicted trip to the museum with Mia? You betcha - and I didn't even touch the Michener stuff. So who's up for a visit to the Palmer when I get home?

Hiroshige poster taken from Museo del Corso website.

A Bit of Lancaster in Rome

2009-06-18T17:11:00.004+02:00

Yeah, I know. Doesn't make a lick of sense, does it? Please allow me to put this in context for you.

Lately, I've spotted some folks in Rome and also some celebs on trashy gossip sites (come on, what's a grrrl to do without trashy TV?) wearing clothes conspicuously marked with the logo Franklin & Marshall. For my Pennsylvanians, that name might ring a bell as Franklin & Marshall College, a small liberal arts school located in Lancaster, PA. Was I wrong to connect fashionable young Italians with small town U.S.A.?

It turns out I was wrong to think that there wouldn't be something wildly profitable in a Veronese clothing company that operates under the guise of promoting vintage, American, college style across the pond from the place where it was allegedly born (wait, why does it smell like Abercrombie & Fitch all of a sudden? I hate that smell). The creators of the F&M clothing line are a couple of Italians who were inspired to create the line in 1999 when they spotted a second-hand Franklin & Marshall sweatshirt a London flea market. According to Wikipedia, they almost didn't get away with their presumptuous branding, but the college decided not to sue and instead to accept a licensing fee from F&M clothing to continue producing cheeky sweatsuits bearing the name.

In a portion of the F&M clothing website entitled "The Heritage," the history of the clothing company and the college are strangely intertwined. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this fashion phenomenon, and when we happened by one of the F&M stores off of Campo de' Fiori this morning, I had to head home to do a little research. I'm especially concerned that a slightly edgier A&F has gained its footing in Rome (of all places! you can have your McDonald's, but leave your faux-vintage distressed hoodies to the college towns of the Big 10!).

Stores are peppered throughout Europe but conspicuously absent from Lancaster.

Top right: F&M store in Rome.

Different Ways of Seeing Rome

2009-06-18T16:35:00.007+02:00

Over the past five weeks, our students have become intimately acquainted with Rome via countless hours and kilometers passed walking about, exploring, and getting lost in la città eterna. This morning, we capitalized on their knowledge of Rome's better and lesser known sights and asked them to lead us on two guided walks through our temporary hometown.

Although all of our students created walks, they were asked to limit our morning adventure to two. The lucky leaders were Nicole Arcidiacono, who designed a walk she titled "Rome on the Silver Screen," and Aimee Boyd who loves her gelato so much, she had to share it with the rest of the blogosphere.

The guided walking tour of Rome is one of the last assignments that students are asked to complete as a component of the Street and Studio blogging course. You can link to all of our undergrads' walking tours and maps (even those from last year's CAS in Rome group) via Dr. Benson's Rhetoric of Rome: Street and Studio page. They've come up with some unique ways to see this city - lovely additions to your own maps and guidebooks.

Top left: Aimee schools Dr. Browne about gelato.
Bottom: The gang at the Trevi Fountain, the last stop on Nicole's walk.

The Roman Food Gods Will Have Their Revenge

2009-06-17T17:54:00.003+02:00

On Monday, Una and I threw touristic caution to the wind and gave in to our basest desire as U.S. Americans - the desire to eat hamburgers. We've been dying for some burgers and fries, and we thought if we were gonna go all-American, we better sell out big and hit up the Hard Rock Cafe on Via Veneto. I was silly to think I'd get away with such a foolish move. Not 24 hours later, I was struck down by the Roman food gods, punished with that most unpleasant effect of undercooked meat - food poisoning. That burger was apparently destined to put me out of commission from the very first mouth watering bite.

I'll tell you what, it has not been a pleasant couple of days, folks, but I'm finally feeling a bit better. What I've learned from this: trust your tourist guilt, and stay out of the burger joints . . . especially the spectacle that is themed chain restaurants. Anything cooked in the shadow of Elton John's 'Crocodile Rock' suit and gigantic glasses should be eaten with scrutiny, if at all.

Image top right (found here): Ceiling at the Hard Rock in Rome. Note: Rock n Roll putti do not ensure safe meal passage.

I Am the Weekend Warrior

2009-06-14T22:37:00.010+02:00

To borrow a phrase from Una, what didn't I do this weekend? Well, I got a second wind, that's one thing, and I decided to go a tourist-ing. Traveling through Italy is wonderful, but I love a nice, relaxing weekend in Rome, and with a semi-empty apartment and a little extra time on my hands, I rested up nicely for two different ends of the tourist spectrum in Rome.

On Saturday, I visited Terme di Caracalla (ancient public baths, people). I'd dare say these are the best ruins in Rome, and admission isn't all that expensive (six euro, please). The immensity of the walls of the baths can't quite be communicated in these photos, but I'm including them anyway, so just do me a favor and try to imagine it. One of the best characteristics of this site is that looking down has just as many benefits as looking up - there are remnants of the marble and mosaic floors of the ancient baths here and there, so it's best not to get distracted by everything above eye-level (not too difficult for those of us closer to the ground).

The next day, I finally got around to seeing two exhibits that have been on my radar for quite a few weeks now. At Palazzo delle Esposizioni, I indulged in jewelry and photography for over two hours. Although the air conditioning was a big draw (seriously. huge. it's 90 city degrees here.), I was primarily interested in the historic, kind-of-retrospective Bulgari exhibit, celebrating 125 years of the Italian jeweler. Especially exciting (for this nerd) were the items from Elizabeth Taylor's personal collection and the jeweler's connections with the most recognizable Italian actresses of the 20th century - Gena Lollobrigida, Anna Magnani, and Sophia Loren.

FotoGrafia, the other exhibit at Esposizioni, is a touch overwhelming at some points, but overall is a fantastic chance to see a whole heck of a lot of photography that covers a pretty wide range of subjects, objects, topics. A special treat for photo lovers is Nan Goldin's Heartbeat, where the exhibit begins. This slideshow is not for those easily offended, but it's quite cool to experience - I especially enjoyed the music sung by Bjork (composed by Sir Jon Tavener) that played as a soundtrack as the photos were projected onto a large screen in a dark, dark room. A hallway of simultaneous slideshows and soundtracks overstimulated my eyes and ears a little, but there are plenty of benches where you can rest your bones and take your time soaking it all in.

All in all, for my second to last weekend in Rome, I don't think I did so bad.

Elizabeth Taylor in Bulgari found here.

Pittsburgh vs. Rome - Liveable Cities?

2009-06-10T14:10:00.005+02:00

I try to keep up with what's shakin' in the States while I'm here in Rome. I'm especially invested in the goings-on in and around Pittsburgh (it's home, people!). While checking out the Post-Gazette today, I happened upon an article on The Economist's "Liveable Cities" rankings. Turns out Pittsburgh is ranked 29th overall and the most liveable U.S. city by this poll's standards. That's proud news for Pittsburghers, I suppose, but I think we better not hold our collective breath that it indicates an increase in popularity or even that it affects the standard Steel Town image that the city's history invokes in most people's minds. Not that we might want folks to flock to Pittsburgh or that we're ashamed of its working class history, but to what extent is such an "honor" a boon for local economies? According to the Post-Gazette: "[T]he value of such publicity to the Pittsburgh area (priceless)." I'm not sure I'm sold on that.

So, what does this have to do with Rome? Well, my immediate reaction was to search for the entire list of "Liveable Cities" in order see where Rome falls in the rankings. I think I might need the print version of The Economist for that, so if anyone can provide that information, please do share. It's at least clear from the info available online that Rome did not make the top ten in 2009. In spite of this, and in relation to my musings above, populations seem to continue to boom in the places like Rome and where you'd expect - crowded urban and cultural centers like New York, LA, London, etc.

I used to think I'd like to live in a city like Rome. Now that I'm a little older, a touch stubborn, and more particular, I don't know that I'm so into it. It's wonderful to have the experience of seven weeks in an education abroad program here, but how would I be able to truly live here? Picking up the language could happen, but the euro is sure to kick my butt financially eventually. It's about as crowded with tourists as any place can get (although I can't speak for the 'off' season), and I'm certain that I'd miss my family and friends in the States too much to make it here long term.

Aside from The Economist's 'objective' standards, I think I'm ultimately questioning what makes for a 'liveable' city? It's got plenty to do with the rhetoric of the developed versus developing worlds, and I'm not without my biases toward the former. I do know quite a few folks, however, who put a lot of stock in the quality of the city's football team.

Vision of the Past . . . and the Future

2009-06-09T18:47:00.008+02:00

My dear readers, you know my affection for Anna Magnani is strong, but this week's film, Mamma Roma, calls us to pay some close attention to one of its lesser characters. Bruna (played by Silvana Corsini), is Mamma Roma's worst nightmare, as she is a clear reflection of the aging prostitute/fruit vendor in her youth. Bruna is the young, single mother of a two year old son, she has no prospects in terms of work or family, and she exchanges sex with the young men in her neighborhood for gifts. We can see the fear and resentment in Mamma Roma's face as she eyes Bruna in the market - at least Mamma Roma was a bona fide hooker; Bruna is merely a promiscuous girl who stupidly expects she might get ahead in some small way using her body.

Bruna gets the short end of the stick in Pasolini's second outing as a film director. Were Mamma Roma to recognize the similarities between her life and Bruna's, were she to show the girl some compassion, were she to open her eyes to her own sons misguided decisions, the viewer mightn't be so opposed to Bruna's misguided decisions. Bruna is not so stupid as Mamma Roma assumes - she inhabits a space in which it makes sense for her to keep the gang of local boys on her side. They have no qualms about assaulting her, and she has no means to get out. When the boys are enraged over her decision to 'go for a walk' with Ettore, she sides with their violent group. This move appears cold, but I believe we are left to wonder what might happen to Bruna were she to reject them for Ettore's company.

This situation parallels Mamma Roma's - she who finds herself at the mercy of her old pimp. He needs money, so she must find her way back to the street and pay up, or face several consequences that are, I'm sure you know, undesirable. In spite of Mamma Roma's claim that the individual is responsible for her lot in life, Mamma Roma is very much a film about constraints, context, and inhibiting structures. Bruna gives us a glimpse of those constraints on Mamma Roma's past as the character of Mamma Roma provides insight into how they might affect Bruna's future.

Image found here.

When in Rome, go south!

2009-06-07T20:32:00.005+02:00

Una and I are back from a weekend in Sorrento. We couldn't quite escape the scooter noise from Rome (our hotel room faced a busy street), but at least we were rid of the barking dog and cawing gulls for a couple of nights.

We took a ferry to Positano on Saturday, and I somehow managed to capture a pretty darn good photo of the Amalfi Coast's famed bouganvillea and picturesque buildings stuck right into the hillside (if I do say so myself). See . . .

It was weird to feel like I was actually on vacation this weekend, but I definitely enjoyed our downtime - especially the strolls through Sorrento's and Positano's narrow streets lined with shops. Eat, shop, enjoy the views - that's about it around these parts, and I was happy to indulge for just about 48 hours. All things are fabulous in and around Amalfi, as emphasized by this guy who apparently just hangs out in front of Missoni in Positano all day.

Fauna, Fauna Everywhere

2009-06-04T19:10:00.004+02:00

Class time consisted of a walk on the Aventine Hill today, and every place we went, we encountered busy little animals either hanging out in their habitats or eager to interact with all of the people infringing on their habitats. I figured a gratuitous photo entry was in order. You may want to shield the kiddies' eyes from the beetles pic.

Friendly kitty at the Protestant Cemetery.

Snail that almost met its end at the sole of my sandal in the Protestant Cemetery.

"Busy" beetles at the Protestant Cemetery.

A rather tame herd of humans at Giardino degli Aranci.

Happy dog and his pine cone in Giardino degli Aranci.

Curious kitten in Giardino degli Aranci.

The bee does its part in Roseto Comunale.

MU-JI-Oh(!)

2009-06-04T13:53:00.001+02:00

There's a tempting little store on Via del Tritone called MUJI. I'm a little bit in love with it, but I also cannot make a solid argument to myself in favor of actually making a purchase there. The Japanese company's "philosophy of 'no brand quality goods'" is reflected in the minimalist packaging and store design. I'm a little perplexed, however, how they maintain a reputation for earth conscious production and packaging when most of their appealing little products (and I do mean that they are actually wee little things) are mostly plastic and kind of unnecessary.

I think I might hold out for one of the MUJI stores in the States, since the prices in euros seem to differ greatly from the prices in British pounds (both are printed on the tags), and I don't think it's simply a matter of currency conversion. So the next time I make it to the Big Apple to visit my girl Jenny, I think a little trip to MUJI SOHO might be in order.

*Google tells me that today, this is the euro-pound equivalence: 1 Euro = 0.866634158 British pounds.

A Man and His Dog . . . and the Maid

2009-06-03T23:54:00.007+02:00

I'm sure you've all been on the edge of your seats wondering what this week's film selection was for CAS 415 in Rome. Lucky for you, the wait is over. Today, we watched Umberto D, another neorealist staple directed by Vittorio De Sica. Critics love this movie, which succeeds in so many ways in spite of it's fundamentally trite premise (did you catch the title of this post?).

Maria-Pia Casilio plays Maria, the maid in the boarding house where Umberto rents a room and from which he is soon to be evicted. Although it has the potential to develop as maudlin and exploitative, empathetic is the way in which I would describe the relationship between Maria and Umberto. She seems to have no significant ties to family, but she does not seek out Umberto as a surrogate father or grandfather, nor does she wish to be his caretaker. This might have been an easy move for De Sica to make, but he is appropriately restrained in the presentation of Maria and Umberto's friendship (which might also be stretching it).

Maria is rather no-nonsense, but then, she must be, as she is three months pregnant and on the verge of poor, single motherhood. However, De Sica does not neglect her the complex character portrait that such circumstances require - she cries quietly over her situation as she makes the morning coffee, alone in the kitchen, but she does what she can to help out with Umberto's dog when he requests it. The stereotypical notion of the Italian mamma who feeds others' problems with a heaping plate of pasta in red sauce is lost on De Sica and neorealism generally. Maria has her own business to worry about, after all.

Umberto D poster found here.
Maria-Pia Casilio image found here.

02.06.2009

2009-06-02T17:46:00.005+02:00

Today is a national holiday in Italy, folks. I blogged about it a touch last time around, but I've got a very different perspective on it this year. Part of that different perspective is based in geography. This year, we're living in an area that is directly in line with the parade route, and today's parade route is, on most days, the most efficient way to walk to our classrooms off Piazza del Collegio Romano. As Una and I walked along Via dei Fori Imperiali this morning, however, we were trapped like rats - forced to watch the parade of endless segments of the Italian military marching in all their masculine, uniformed, glorious lock-step. I didn't think I'd be up for it, and especially not without at least one cappuccino under my belt.

The point is, we beat a hasty retreat out of there, roundabout though it was, and did the more sensible thing - hung around a group of military folk just off of Piazza Venezia in white riding pants, gold chest plates, and patent leather riding boots. It was their beautiful horses rather than the sharp dressing that drew us in, which to us, did seem more sensible.

Okay, so aside from the way in which today's parade makes the navigation of a chaotic urban center feel even more chaotic than usual, I am uneasy about the show of military might (warranted or not) that is Festa della Repubblica. There have been alternative parades for peace in previous years, especially during the 'W' years and the height of the Iraq war, but I found no information on any alternative celebrations this year. The symbolic purchase of flexing the national muscle in the June second parade has somehow become less significant to peace movements in Italy, or in Rome at the very least, in this, the year of Obama. As with the declaration of a 'post-racial' era in the U.S., I have to imagine/hope the lack of alt festivities does not necessarily prove this to be true.

On a lighter note, do check out Joe Augello's blog for the most surreal experience that any of us CAS in Rome folks had on Festa della Repubblica this year. You won't be disappointed.

Top: Firefighters scale/hang out on the Colosseum.
Middle: The horses . . . with distinctive haircuts.

Perugia and a Railway Education

2009-05-31T17:59:00.006+02:00

I spent this Friday into Saturday in Perugia, a lovely little hill town with gorgeous views and lots of those little picturesque archways and cobblestone streets that one expects to find in Italy.

I made my way back to Rome yesterday, due to the fact that I was feeling a little under the weather and in need of some Benadryl and a little time to sleep off the ickiness in my own bed (tiny and cot-like though it may be). My route home was a touch annoying (I did a lot of waiting around in train stations yesterday), but as I waited out the train to Termini in Terontola, I noticed a plaque on the wall devoted to a one Gino Bartali. What I could decipher from the Italian text on the plaque was that this guy was a cyclist, and an accomplished one at that. I wondered what kind of cycling legacy earns someone train station plaques, and while nosing around for some info on 'Gino the Pious,' I realized that not only is my Italian icons-of-sport history a little shaky, so too am I un-savvy regarding contemporary cycling. In all of our football fervor, we've been ignorant to the Giro d'Italia, which has been in progress since we arrived in Rome. The race ended today(!); Russian Denis Menchov is the winner.

Top left: Kids playing football in Perugia.
Bottom right: Gino being not-so-pious. Image found here.

Caught Red-Handed (Snouted?)

2009-05-28T20:02:00.005+02:00

Una and I have taken to sleeping with the doors open - that is, there are doors in our room that open onto a very small terrace, and because we've been on the verge of heatstroke lately, we do whatever it takes to encourage even the tiniest breeze as we settle in to catch some ZZZs each night (what, you thought there would be AC?). The problem with the open door (and it probably wouldn't matter much if we closed the stinkin' thing either) is that all of the sounds of the streets below and apartments beside us drift in without regard for our beauty sleep.

I've been trying to sleep with earplugs in and sometimes my iPod on, but there is one noise that breaks through seemingly any barrier I attempt to put up. That noise comes from this little guy or grrrl:

Can't you just see the guilt in his/her eyes? His/her posture? He/she was fully aware that I was snapping this photo of the booming bark in action, and so the he/she turned away in shame!

This dalmation lives across the street and below us (hence the bad angle on the photo), and the owner seems to leave it outside throughout most of the day. This isn't necessarily bad dog-owning practice in Rome - plenty of animals are more of the "outside" than "inside" variety. We've taken to calling the pup 'Vega Due,' after the ill-fated animale domestico in Tim Parks' Italian Neighbors.* The clear difference between our Vega and the original - this dog will continue to bark all day long, long after we've departed Rome.

*Parks, Tim. Italian Neighbors. New York: Grove Press, 1992.

This Week in Film . . .

2009-05-28T17:00:00.002+02:00

Lo sceicco bianco - Fellini's debut as a solo director. Although a "logical" narrative can be culled from film overall, there is much in it that is whimsical, nonsensical, and reliant upon spectacle, making it hard to make sense of in the midst of our neorealist undertakings. One thing that I think is clear, is that Lo sceicco bianco is fraught with questions about feminine identity and agency, and although the protagonist, Wanda, takes her fair share of missteps, it is her husband, Ivan, and the object of her desire, the White Sheik, who inhabit buffoonish roles, perhaps to the ends (arguably progressive within the historical context) that Virginia Pichietti describes:

"Because it problematizes femininity, Lo sceicco bianco stands as an insightful reflection of the dilemma that women faced in the gendered performances advocated by 1950s popular culture. At the same time, it cleverly unravels this performance to expose the contradictions on which it is built. While Wanda is not a protofeminist character, her movement between roles subtly reveals the wilful interpretation of the self's position in social intercourse. Unfortunately, within the conventional, institutional universe of Fellini's film, her vision must ultimately be confined to the role that guarantees a moral euphoric ending for her to participate as a functioning member."*

The ending, considered by Pichietti to be 'confining' and 'conventional' for the main female character, is often the one that our small audience of CAS in Rome finds the most comforting, as it is the closest we'll get in our film class to a happy Hollywood ending. Hmmm . . .

*Picchietti, Virginia. "When in Rome Do as the Romans Do?: Fellini's Problematization of Femininity (The White Sheik)." In Federico Fellini: Contemporary Perspectives, edited by Frank Burke and Marguerite R. Waller, 92-106. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002.

Image of Fellini found here.

Calcio: Senza Alcol Edition

2009-05-27T17:53:00.007+02:00

Playing host to major football matches in Europe, Asia, and well, anywhere outside of the U.S., can be an anxiety inducing affair. There has been a noticeable influx of fans into the city of Rome this week, and with more soccer fans, there has historically been an increased chance of violent conflicts. Ever since the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, hosting cities' officials have taken precautions, like increasing police presence, in the hope that the site and its reputation remain in tact - no culture/football capital wants to be the place where more people lost their lives over hooliganism than Heysel.

As a means to deterring conflicts in Rome for the Champions' League final tonight, a ban on alcohol sales has been in effect since last night (Tuesday) and is supposed to remain in effect until early tomorrow morning (Thursday). Una and I were unaware of the ban until our students mentioned it in class this morning, but we were doubtful of its effectiveness, considering we had ordered wine at dinner last night and sat amidst plenty of folks at lunch today who partook in a fair share of beer to wash down midday pizzas.

We'll see how the ban continues to be enforced/ignored as we head out to watch the match in a bit. One rule that I wish they had put into place rather than the ban: all Man U fans must keep their shirts on in public throughout their stay in Rome, no matter how hot it gets. Think of all of the trauma that could have been prevented.

Image of Heysel Stadium from Channel4.

"Inside" Sunday/At Home with Il Duce

2009-05-24T20:03:00.008+02:00

Alright, I admit it. I slept in today. In spite of the non-stop barking from our neighbor's dalmatian through the wee hours, I was whooped enough to stay in bed nearly until 11am. However, I was still able to make a day of it once I peeled off my sleeping mask (it's necessary sometimes, and I only have one because they gave it to me on Air France last year; no judging, please). I thought something relatively close to home and indoors would be the best choice on this HOT Sunday, so I decided on a visit to the Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, just around the corner from our classrooms off Piazza Collegio Romano.Seeking a respite from the heat in Rome's museums can turn into an expensive strategy, so I don't think I'll be resorting to it all that frequently. Palazzo Venezia was actually worth it, but that's mainly due to the fact that the current temporary exhibit is La Mente di Leonardo, and all critical perspectives aside, it was pretty cool. The permanent exhibit includes wooden sculptures, which is interesting considering the overwhelming amounts of stone and marble pieces that we usually encounter in the museums, piazzas, and churches here.

One last note on Palazzo Venezia - Mussolini often stood on one of its balconies that faces the piazza of the same name (a large, busy traffic circle/roundabout) and delivered speeches to the massive crowds below. Check out this entry from Dr. Benson's Senses of Rhetoric blog, where he posted an illustrative video of Il Duce and the aforementioned crowds in Piazza Venezia.

Image found here.

A Weekend In/Around Rome

2009-05-23T17:21:00.005+02:00

Although the weekends are often a time for residents of Rome to get the heck out, I was unconcerned with planning a trip out of town this weekend. Turns out, that wasn't such a bad move, as there is plenty I've yet to see, do, and stumble upon in the Eternal City.

Una, Matt, and I took an hour's train ride out of town to Nettuno for a beach day on Friday. If one can manage a trip to one of the beaches near Rome on a weekday, it is to her great advantage. There were only a sprinkling of beachgoers when we arrived (as opposed to the packed Saturdays and Sundays on the coast), which made for a quiet afternoon, and also meant we didn't have to navigate too many bronzed Romans in speedos - a difficult thing for many U.S. Americans to get used to. We didn't make it to the World War II cemetery at Nettuno, but it's on the 'to do' list for a potential future visit.

Today, I did some walking on the Aventine hill after strolling through the Protestant Cemetery in Testaccio with Una and Matt. On this trip to the Protestant cemetery, I was most taken with the different varieties of flowers scattered among the graves, and so it seemed to make sense to make it a day of cemeteries and flowers and visit the rose gardens (Roseto Comunale) on the Aventine, as well (the Roseto used to be the Jewish cemetery in Rome). In spite of the pre-summer heat, the roses were still in bloom and looking quite beautiful. I had to stop taking photos thanks to low battery, but I think you get the picture . . .

Calcio

2009-05-21T16:25:00.004+02:00

Euro 2008 was a highlight of our stay in Rome last year, in spite of Azzurri's loss to Spain in the quarterfinals. Women's Euro 2009 is being held in Finland this year, but we don't have a TV, and it won't get underway until August, anyway. However, next week's Champions League final is in Rome - Barcelona v. Manchester United. I'm fairly certain one does not come by tickets for the final easily, so my hope is that we can squeeze in at one of Rome's Irish-themed pubs and watch the match over a pint. For those of you less interested in football and more interested in prettyboy footballers, come to the match for Ronaldo, but stay for the soccer.

Image taken from this site.

More Fun with Neorealism

2009-05-20T17:42:00.005+02:00

We're moving right along in our Italian film course, and this week's offering was Ladri di Biciclette. De Sica's 1948 film tends to still ring a bell in U.S. popular culture contexts, but the title is frequently mistranslated as The Bicycle Thief, committing a perpetual injustice to the film and its audiences (once you've watched it, I'm willing to bet you'll feel the same way).

As I continue to think about female figures in Italian neorealist film, I am reminded that the women in this film are seemingly minor characters but clearly integral to the progress(?) of the story. Maria Ricci figures most prominently, making the significant decision to give up her dowry (sheets, for goodness sake) for her husband to get his bicycle out of hock in the first place. I'm also partial to the character of La Santona, "the one who sees," who both women and men frequent for advice and predictions about their futures. In a historical moment in which many folks are struggling to earn and maintain some kind of salary, La Santona's waiting room is packed with clients, eager to hand over whatever lire they can spare.

One last crucial note about the large cinematic shadow cast by Ladri di Biciclette - the epic narrative, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, is arguably a loose intrepretation of Antonio Ricci's quest to reclaim his bicycle. I thought I caught a hint of that brilliance watching Paul Reubens as a six-year-old.

Image from TrovaCinema/laRepubblica.

Home Is Where My Cot Is

2009-05-19T16:25:00.005+02:00

Una has already taken the time to blog a bit about our living quarters, but I thought I might put my two cents in (you know, for good measure . . . oh, and because we can never say enough about, well, anything).

Our humble apartment's address is Via Labicana, about half a mile from the Colosseum, just around the corner from one of my favorite churches, San Giovanni in Laterano, and la Scala Sancta, and across the street from la Basilica di San Clemente. Not a bad location for a couple of grad students kickin' around Rome for a few weeks.

The living is relatively easy (thanks to the elevator), but it has become a bit of a chore to walk home from Piazza del Collegio Romano in the afternoon sun, navigating through crowds of tourists along Via dei Fori Imperiali and dodging those kids who want to scam you on some ticket that allows you to jump the line at the Colosseum (no thanks).

Once I get past all that, and I decide I'm going to be a trooper and walk up the 100+ stairs to the apartment, I'm pleased as punch to relax on my squeaky little bed before reviewing the undergraduates' weekly journals or washing the stink off in our only bathroom (that's for six people, by the way). Thank goodness for that thin mattress and those two old pillows. I sleep like a baby on it nearly every night, and I hesitate to lift my body out of it early each morning. That's how I know I'm at home in Rome.

Above left: view from my room; Right: the bed!

Monte Celio, Mother Theresa

2009-05-17T18:09:00.006+02:00

Una and I went for a Sunday stroll to break up our reading and journaling in the apartment. Sundays are big park days for folks in Rome, so we thought we'd head up to nearby Villa Celimontana to see how jumping it is on a hot weekend day. The villa is located on one of Rome's seven hills, Monte Celio, and like so many places in this city, there's a lot of stuff to see aside from the park area.

We walked alongside an outside wall of the park on Via di San Paolo della Croce, and I continued down Clivo di Scauro to San Gregorio Magno (above). In the center of the piazza outside San Gregorio Magno sits a bust of Mother Theresa. The inscription on its base indicates the bust was a gift from India, although I'm having a difficult time researching the impetus for such a gift (certainly we can safely assume something Catholic is going on here).

So many of the busts one encounters in her explorations of Rome are ancient and seemingly meant to honor some masculine legacy of imperialism. Sure, there's the classic figure of the Virgin Mary who has her fair share of makeshift altars and honorary portraiture throughout the city, but Mother Theresa is posted, in one way or another, at several sites, as a significant contemporary female figure of Catholicism that Pope John Paul II put on the "fast track" to sainthood shortly after her death by nominating her for beatification. It's interesting to think about where the memory of Mother Theresa stands six years after beatification and four years after the death of Pope John Paul II.

Check out a couple of good articles for comparison published when she was beatified in 2003, from the BBC and everyone's favorite Atheist, Christopher Hitchens.

Expanding the Roman Blogosphere

2009-05-15T16:02:00.004+02:00

Yesterday, we had our first Street and Studio class in which all of the students in the Rhetoric of Rome program initiated their own blogs that they will cultivate and maintain throughout their education abroad experience in Italy (and possibly beyond). You can visit the Rome - Street and Studio page (via my 'Related Links' section) to connect to all of this year's students' blogs, as well as last years'. Here's a little glimpse into our blogging-in-action . . .

The Personal and il Politico

2009-05-15T14:34:00.005+02:00

The topic of the Italian prime minister's marriage - and now, his divorce - has played out rather scandalously in Italian and international media outlets in the past five years. My poor reading skills in Italian leave me guessing a lot about what is being reported in la Repubblica, so I turn to the BBC and New York Times for supplemental information about and narrativization of the Berlusconis' very public marriage woes.

In several of the recent articles following Veronica Lario's (Mrs. Berlusconi, if you weren't quite sure) public outing of Berlusconi's alleged affairs with very young women, I have noticed an interesting move on the part of journalists to frame Lario's actions as decidedly feminist. In spite of the disapproving few who believe the Lario/Berlusconi saga should be worked out behind closed doors, Lario has chosen to remain vocal about Berlusconi's extramarital activities as well as what she sees as his inabilities as prime minister. Lario has even gained a following online that supports her election to a major political office - apparently not a regular occurrence for the First Ladies of Italy. The public airing of Lario's and Berlusconi's "personal" issues and the journalistic and popular responses to the situation serve as demonstrations of the blurring of personal and political realms. Further, Lario's insistence on publicizing their marital conflicts (and Berlusconi's subsequent insistence on a public apology from Lario) as an exemplar of how Italian women must hold their own in relationships with Italian men, suggests a possible challenge to a presumed, strict cultural divide between private and public in an Italian national context.

Image from the New York Times.

Magnani and Me

2009-05-13T13:40:00.009+02:00

We begin our coursework in Italian cinema today with Roma, città aperta, perhaps the quintessential Italian neorealist film. Neorealist offerings are a far cry from the Hollywood-happy ending, popcorn-and-soda flicks many U.S. audiences are used to, but the films we watch throughout these seven weeks are a crucial component of Italian history and cultural memory that enrich our readings of our experiences in Italy and cinema more generally.Although there is much darkness in films like Ladri di Biciclette and Umberto D, we begin and end with movies that feature the bright performances of Anna Magnani (the last film being Mamma Roma, by the by). The neorealist narrative is, more often than not, a male-centered one, and so it is through Magnani that I have begun to think about the roles that women do play in cinematic and nationalist histories. Through their marginal presence or glaring absence, we might begin to think about the ways in which the function and depiction of women in film has potentially transformed as the rhetoric of film has evolved.

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

2009-05-12T14:36:00.005+02:00

When I was in Rome last year, Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona was completely covered in scaffolding and under repairs, so I was denied a proper view of it. As Una and I took a walk through Piazza Navona today after orientation meetings, I finally got a glimpse of the fountain (along with hundreds of other tourists), finally stripped of its construction-site aesthetic - another sign of the complex relationship between change and preservation in this city. Also, not a bad way to begin the Roman summer/semester.

This Old Classroom

2009-05-11T21:31:00.002+02:00

Mark recently sent last year's Rome vets a great article about the Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj (now a gallery) which is the larger building that houses our classrooms here in Rome. I think the theme of "change" in the article relates well to the way in which I anticipate embarking on this experience for the second time. Have a look see.

One more time . . .

2009-05-11T21:00:00.002+02:00

I'm getting the ol' blog up and running again! I arrived in Rome this morning for another round as a teaching assistant in the Penn State CAS in Rome education abroad summer program. Being in the Eternal City feels excitingly familiar, but the shape of the program is a bit different this time. Perhaps most notably, we are small in numbers this year - the CAS program is composed of six undergraduates, two graduate teaching assistants, and one faculty member. We're living in an entirely different section of the city (closer to the bustling city center, only a few blocks from the Colosseum), and it's already quite hot for this early in May. Change is good, though, no? I'm looking forward to what's to come in the next seven weeks here in Rome and possibly on a few side trips in Italy. At the moment, I'm especially looking forward to starting my day with a delicious cappuccino tomorrow morning (arrived too late for one today!) and meeting together as a group for orientation at the Sede di Roma. I hope you'll stick around to see how things shape up this year. Ciao.

Back in State College

2008-07-01T15:45:00.009+02:00

After wrapping up classes last week, I spent a lot of time trying to "get everything in" before boarding a plane back to the States. I finally got to the Palazzo Barberini, Santa Maria della Vittoria, and the Galleria Doria-Pamphilj. I did lots of souvenir shopping and made one last trip to the Villa Borghese.

On Saturday, I began the three-ish day process that was getting back to State College (I'll leave the frustrating details out). Tomorrow, I begin teaching during the second summer session at Penn State (Public Speaking, of course), and I hope the immediacy of my Roman experience does not disappear in the midst of grading and learning from this batch of LEAP students. Here are some photos from a busy but wonderful last week in Rome.

Arrivederci!

Group Walk

2008-06-25T20:20:00.006+02:00

This past Monday, our small groups convened at various meeting points throughout the city to participate in guided walks put together by the undergraduates. My group (Carley, Kelley, Brooke, Brian, Traci, and Joe) met at Campo de Fiori to explore the morning market and then proceeded to several bars/cafes and a couple of other interesting sights as we walked north toward Piazza del Popolo. Everyone humored me (what great sports!) and allowed me to take photos in front of the fountain in Piazza della Rotonda (near the Pantheon).

Although the heat was extreme, everyone was in good spirits. We compiled our individual knowledges of Roman points of interest and took turns teaching and learning. I have included the aforementioned photo (purely for embarrassment purposes).

Jenny in the Big City

2008-06-25T19:41:00.012+02:00

Last week, my friend Jenny sent me an e-mail that I was sure I was misreading. In the message, she said her employer would be sending her to Rome at the last minute for a conference. I wondered how this trip would come to fruition since she did not have a passport. Well, Jenny took care of all the necessary document business and landed in Rome last Thursday. After her long days working at the conference, I ran her ragged all over the city, trying to fit in as much as possible in the four-day span she was afforded in the Eternal City. It was an almost unreal experience to be the Roman tour guide for my close friend, especially since I have spent all of my time here with PSU folks until Jenny arrived (and they with me, of course--that can't be too much of a picnic). To get outside of the education abroad bubble was valuable, and in some ways, it refreshed my eagerness to experience Rome and in different ways (and to re-experience some of the sites I had visited previously). Evidence of our (mis)adventures can be found below.

It's hot . . .

2008-06-20T17:47:00.002+02:00

Since we arrived in Rome six weeks ago, the weather has been a bit erratic--clear skies in the morning and downpours in the afternoon; one day it's scalding hot and the next, we need to wear jeans and sweaters to walk around the city. All this time, we've been waiting for the weather to conform to the information that past participants in the Rhetoric of Rome program provided us. Lucky us! It's finally happened (now, go back and read the two preceding two sentences sarcastically). We've had nothing but ninety degree weather (plus) for the past few days, and it looks like it will remain that way until the end of our brief semester. Keep up with the Roman weather here.

"Protestant" Cemetary

2008-06-19T16:03:00.013+02:00

The "Protestant" cemetary isn't solely for Protestants . It's actually a cemetary for non-Catholics (it was originally restricted to Protestants and practicers of Orthodox faith), and it's located just a few blocks from our apartment in Testaccio. I went for the first time today with the crew of instructors and a few undergrads. The cemetary contains the graves of Antonio Gramsci, John Keats, and Percy Bysshe Shelley, some friendly cats who act as pseudo-keepers of the graves, and tons of colorful and smartly kempt but unkempt flora.

In order to be eligible to be buried in this cemetary (yes! it's still a possibility), one must be a non-Catholic or non-Italian national who was a resident of Rome or died near Rome ("FAQ"). As burial sites go, I preferred this one to the catacombs we visited on the Via Appia Antica (San Sebastiano). Perhaps I gave into the romanticism of the dead poets and intricate marble gravestones . . . nah, I'm sure it was the kitties.

"FAQ." The Non-Catholic Cemetary in Rome. 19 June 2008. 2008. .

Musei Vaticani

2008-06-18T18:54:00.006+02:00

Oh, the hours I passed today in the Vatican Museums. Aside from having to bump up against sweaty tour groups in a few of the rooms, this was a thoroughly enjoyable museum visit. I paid the extra six euro for the audio guide, which was completely worth it. It's difficult to do all the necessary (and unnecessary) preliminary research ahead of your visit because there is so much to see in these museums. Relying on the audio guide turned out to be a more than suitable alternative, and that fashionable lanyard around my neck was less cumbersome than carrying around my Eyewitness guide. My favorite fresco--the School of Athens in the Stanza della Segnatura.

On Your Honor, You Will Bike

2008-06-17T18:31:00.005+02:00

Walking around Rome these past few weeks, I noticed some road work--or what appeared to be road work--where short, metal posts encompassing lots of colorful wires were being run into the ground in long rows. Two-ish days ago, I finally found out what the deal was. Rome has implemented a bike-sharing program, and oh, how I wish I could join (but alas, I leave in about ten days). The bikes are bright red (and super shiny at this point in their lifetime) with an all important basket in the front. I do enjoy walking and busing in Rome, but a bike would be a great option in a pinch, and with a bike-share program, can pick one up at various locations throughout the city whenever the mood strikes or it somehow becomes necessary. In the process of researching Roma'n'Bike online, I found a bike-sharing blog out of Washington, D.C. that recently posted some details (and a great photo of VIPs in suits on bikes), so I'll just link to it here.

Euro 2008

2008-06-14T16:04:00.004+02:00

In case you were unaware, my dear readers, Euro 2008 is in full swing. Italy's performance thus far has not been stellar (a loss to the Netherlands, a tie with Romania), but we'll see what happens with France on Tuesday. Do check out this website if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Città dei Ragazzi

2008-06-14T16:02:00.004+02:00

Yesterday, we visited Città dei Ragazzi (Boys Town) in Rome--actually, it's a few longish bus rides outside the center. We were given a tour of the town, learned about its structural aspects (education, self-governance), and were educated on the founding. While Father Flanagan is the historic face of Boys Town in the U.S., Father Carroll-Abbing, an Irish priest, is responsible for the founding of Città dei Ragazzi in Rome. There is also a Girls Town, Città delle Ragazze, that was established when American actress Linda Darnell donated funds for Carroll-Abbing to do for the poverty-stricken girls of Rome what he had done for the boys.

Ostia Antica

2008-06-14T16:01:00.005+02:00

top to bottom: "Can you spot the bug?" and "Mia in front of the Forum at Ostia"

Last Tuesday, we visited Ostia Antica as a class. This ancient port town is a little further away from Rome's busy city center, just a few stops out on the train from Ostiense (past the E.U.R.--Fascist suburbs are weird). There are some gorgeous ruins (lots of them) to see here, and having spent the previous weekend sandwiched between tour groups at another popular site for ruins--Pompeii--it was nice to meander through the wide open and virtually empty streets of Ostia Antica at my own pace. It is prohibited to pick the wildflowers growing in and about the town, or to climb on the ruins, so I had to exercise some restraint and settle for photos.

Bush Protest

2008-06-14T13:16:00.009+02:00

As you may be aware, Dubya set out on his last "grand tour" of Europe this past week. Lucky us, he made a stop in Rome (you know, the usual Papal audience, blah, blah, blah), and we had the opportunity to attend a protest/march/demonstration in response to his visit on Wednesday afternoon. The initial meeting point was Piazza della Repubblica and, according to news reports, we were four (Hillary, Jessica, Mark, me) among only about 2,000 demonstrators. Anti-Bush protests in previous years have drawn folks in the tens of thousands. In spite of the smaller turnout, it was nice to see people gather, and under the banners of several important causes (and speaking many languages). Here are some photos.

Challenging Bidet Assumptions

2008-06-10T19:07:00.007+02:00

Admit it. It's a word that make you snicker. You couldn't possibly be expected to have an adult conversation about a bidet. I say stop blushing and discover the utility of these little guys (I'm not quite sure why I've gendered them male)! Bidets are commonly found in Italian bathrooms, and yes, they were perhaps invented with a particular function in mind, but I shall attest to the fact that they are more than they seem to prudish (U.S.) Americans.

I spend a lot of time walking in Rome, and I sincerely enjoy it. The Eternal City is very pedestrian friendly (although one must be vigilantly on the lookout for scooters, buses, taxis, and Smart Cars when crossing the street). The best part about all of the walking: it's the sole reason that I feel no shame about eating gelato on an almost daily basis. Anyway, the point is that my sandal-clad feet tend to get a little dirty after a day's worth of walking around the city, and I hate to get into bed with dirty feet. No worries, though, for the bidet is great for doing the pre-lights out foot rinse. You laugh, but it's super convenient.

Bidets are also useful in terms of conserving bathing water. Rather than running the shower each morning or filling up the bathtub, some folks prefer to go the bidet route and use it as a wash basin. There is also plenty of information online about the bidet's functionality for elderly and/or disabled persons, for whom the bath tub/shower experience may not be feasible. Many sources note the (U.S.) American dissonance regarding their obsession with cleanliness and their simultaneous revulsion toward the bidet, which is considered elsewhere to be a means to achieving good hygiene.

The photo above is the bidet in our swanky bathroom at our hotel in Sorrento. I washed my feet in it after a day of traipsing about Southern Italy. Here's an online history about the subject. Still afraid of bidets?

Back in Rome

2008-06-09T15:48:00.008+02:00

In spite of the mostly rainy weather this past weekend, Hillary and I enjoyed our trip to Sorrento (and while we were at it--Pompeii, Amalfi, and Capri). We passed a lot of time on one form of transportation or another--metro, bus, ferry, funicular (ATTN: Pittsburghers--that last word means "incline"), and I was mildly to more-than-mildly nauseated for most of the bus rides. I had not anticipated the amount of twists and turns that one must endure in order to get from one coastal town to another. In spite of the motion sickness, the trip was (of course) completely worth it. Please see evidence for this claim above.

Blogging to be continued . . .

2008-06-04T15:31:00.002+02:00

This weekend (which is starting on Thursday, thanks to a short week of classes), Hillary and I are making our way south, to Sorrento. We're hoping to also do Pompeii and maybe Capri while we're there. This is the kind of trip that means no Internet access for a few days (which is fine with me), so I won't be blogging until Sunday (June 8th) at the earliest. I'm off to the land of lemons for now--back online soon. Arrivederci!

Some Photos

2008-06-03T17:02:00.016+02:00

There are only so many things a traveling blogger can attend to, so here are a few images of Rome and beyond that I'd like to share with you (yes, you) and brief descriptions.

From top left: cappuccino freddo (mmm); Jerry Lewis DVD set at a newsstand (awesome); Immanuele Monument; marching Polizia (view from the Pincio); Jessica attempts to buy stamps at the Vatican (and fails); I am studious when I travel (on the train to Siena); Piramide di Caio Cestio (in Testaccio)

Two-Wheeled Observations

2008-06-03T14:17:00.000+02:00

I have been a serious slacker in terms of my scooter/motorcycle posts, and one of the reasons is that it's difficult to get photos of the darn things in action. I will thus do my best to illustrate that Romans can accomplish tasks while driving these vehicles that put the cell phone conversation while driving your Ford Focus to shame.

The first feat of scooter multitasking that I witnessed on the streets of Rome occurred during our morning bus ride to the Sede di Roma. While we were stopped at a traffic light, a woman on a scooter next to the bus received a call on her mobile phone, answered it, placed the phone snugly between her helmet and her ear, and drove away engaged in a hands-free conversation. No Blue Tooth necessary here. Also, it was rather amazing to think that she could hear the person on the other end of the call above the noise of morning traffic.

The second observation worth noting is that scooter & motorcycle riders travel with animals on board. "Sure," you're thinking, "there's probably a basket or sidecar thingy that one can purchase for driving with the pets." Perhaps there is such an item for purchase, but that seems unnecessary when you can ride along with your parrot on your shoulder (Jessica actually saw this one) or your dog on the footrest (I saw this in Trastevere). Because the city traffic doesn't allow vehicles to travel too fast, I suppose this animal transport system works somewhat safely. Please do not try this at home, however.

Festa della Repubblica

2008-06-02T18:21:00.003+02:00

Today is the Festa della Repubblica. It is the anniversary of June 2nd, 1946--the day that Italy became a republic (just thought I'd spell it out for you). Streaming into the open windows of our apartment last night, we could hear the sounds of the extended celebrations--including fireworks and late night/early morning conversations--that were taking place on Via Ginori and beyond.

This morning, the streets of Testaccio were eerily bare by contrast. Only the dog-owners were out and about for their morning walks, and the shutters were pulled on nearly every business. We were happy to find that the buses were running on normal schedules, and the 95 was forced only slightly off course in order to accommodate a parade route. Although Rome looked a bit like a ghost town in some spots, the presence of Carabinieri and Polizia was almost overwhelming. Check out Allison Columbus' blog for more information on the different types of police in Rome.

Cremolatta di Frutta

2008-06-01T18:41:00.006+02:00

I've been eating more than a fair amount of gelato lately. While I have been thoroughly enjoying trying a different flavor every time (my favorite is the cannella--cinnamon--at Giolitti), it's nice to break up the dessert pattern every once in a while. After our long walk on Via Appia Antica on Saturday, Hillary and I tried a gelato substitute at the Cafe du Parc, near the bus stop at Ostiense. Cremolatta di frutta is basically an enhanced fruit experience (and when I say "enhanced," I mean there's a ton of sugar in it). It's thicker than Italian ices that we usually get in the U.S., full of fruit chunks, and has a goopy consistency--I think goopy captures it. I had fragola--strawberry--and it tasted quite a bit like strawberry shortcake. Man, I'm going to miss Italy.

Appia Antica

2008-06-01T18:13:00.007+02:00

Since I was too whooped to participate in sightseeing activities on Friday (there was extended napping--I'll say no more), I was happy to get back into the swing of things on Saturday morning (see the smiling evidence above). The weather was just about perfect for walking along Appia Antica, on the outskirts of Rome. There, we had lots of beautiful scenic moments, saw a ton of random ruins, and ended the day with a tour of the catacombs of San Sebastiano. This trip was a welcome respite from the indoor sights and large touring groups within the city proper.

We walked just a small portion of the ancient street--one can only make it so far on cobblestones (unless you're the Roman woman who was doing the whole thing in wedge sandals). Renting a bike from one of the nearby vendors is probably the best way to see more on Appian Way, especially for outdoorsy folks who want to make a longer day of it. There are plenty of water fountains along the path, which we shared with cars, horses, runners, dogs, and bikers. Touring the catacombs after a few hours in the sun was a nice choice (it probably sounds weird to say it was "nice" in the catacombs)--it is substantially cooler several meters below ground. The church of San Sebastiano above-ground is small but it houses two sculptures, by Bernini and one of his pupils, that are worth passing a little time inside.

We've learned to share in Rome . . .

2008-05-29T18:43:00.007+02:00

As we we waited to begin our tour of the synagogue and museum in the Jewish Ghetto, a downpour began. The few folks who had umbrellas were kind enough to share. Opportunities for cute photo-ops ensued (evidenced in the image to the right).

Museo-Atelier Canova-Tadolini

2008-05-29T18:30:00.009+02:00

We held a meeting of the minds this past week (A.K.A. an instructors' meeting), and Jenny & Mike picked a great spot for it: Museo-Atelier Canova-Tadolini. We walked up Via del Corso, toward the Spanish Steps, and meandered into a cafe/museum on Via Babuino crowded with plaster casts of sculptures large and small. We sat among the sculptures and talked shop, enjoying over-priced (but I have to admit, kinda worth it) cappuccini and spremute. This "museum" was once the studio of sculptor Antonio Canova and then his student Adamo Tadolini. Definitely beats grading speeches on a coffeehouse couch in State College.

Palazzo Pitti

2008-05-26T16:22:00.011+02:00

After we wore out our welcome in Siena, we set out for Firenze on Saturday morning. The line to see Michelangelo's David at the Accademia was absurd (and there was no guarantee that we would get in), so we headed south, crossed the Ponte Vecchio, and paid the entry fee for the Pitti Palace. Hillary and I bought the second ticket option (for ten euro, not too bad), which was good for all of the special exhibits as well as the Boboli Gardens that sprawl out behind the palace.

I enjoyed all of the exhibits (really, it's totally worth the ten euro), but I was most pleasantly surprised to find out that there was a fashion exhibit--Galleria del Costume. No photos were allowed, so you'll just have to believe me that it consisted of women's and men's clothing from the past three centuries, as well as two extra special exhibits: one that showcased buttons (they ranged from functional to artsy to blatantly imperialist to markers of status) and another that featured the burial clothing of two of the Medicis (quite the macabre scene--extremely low light, decomposed dress parts, and codpieces--oh my!). There was a disclaimer at the entrance explained that the focus of the exhibit is the concept of "being in fashion." Also included were some broader questions about humans and dress and the historical and situational constraints that interact with our personal choices of what (not) to wear:

"Being fashionable means following the taste of the time and adapting to the latest novelties. But what room does this leave for personal choices in dress? And to what extent do we really want to distinguish ourselves by what we wear? Does the tailormade garment really succeed in expressing our innermost identity? Finally, what role do the dressmaker and the designer play in our choices?"

These questions speak to the rhetoric of fashion broadly, as well as my specific concern with the rhetoric of fashion in Rome. Fashion is a way of communicating meaning, and is thus rhetorical. As much as what we wear is a choice, it is also a product of interacting economies (be they cultural, political, financial, etc.) and relative systems of power.

(In lieu of photos of the exhibit, I've included a peony from Boboli Gardens above.)

Siena

2008-05-25T18:45:00.003+02:00

Turns out we made a great choice for our first weekend excursion. We arrived in Siena Thursday night and spent the day there on Friday. Siena once competed with Florence and other larger Italian towns in terms of economic and military power, but damn that Black Death for seriously diminishing its population and ruining its chances at world domination (Steves 455). No matter, for Siena is a hopping little tourist town today, and it has retained a certain charm that is not as salient in the larger urban centers.

Siena is also a university town, which is perhaps why the local population appeared to be quite young. The shops are cute, the Internet points are numerous, and nearly everyone's demeanor and dress casually indicate her/his hipness. Even the infants in their strollers were dressed to impress and definitely working it.

As far as our "experience of the culture" of Siena goes (a problematic claim no matter how you attempt to explain it away), we climbed the Torre del Mangia (330 feet tall and a splendid view), walked amidst folks socializing in Il Campo (the town's main square) at night, and found a good deal of wine shops full of souvenir-sized bottles of chianti, grappe, and the traditional Tuscan dessert, panforte. We also snapped some photos of the Duomo (pictured above).

It was a bit easier to observe who is a tourist in Siena, considering there is a lot less noise (in the auditory sense and otherwise) than we have to contend with in Rome on a daily basis. I heard a lot of folks speaking German and French. There were also a good number of tourists and Siena natives communicating in English, although English was not the first language of either person involved in the interaction.

Oh, and lest I forget, our hotel was as small and charming as the city itself, right down to the shower over the toilet. If not for the modest shower curtain, there is no differentiating between the space for showering and the space for toiletting (I think that made up word is enough for you to get the picture). I was so pleased with our time in Siena, I was more than happy to shower over the toilet, and I would be more than happy to do it again.

Grading in Rome

2008-05-22T12:27:00.003+02:00

We're just getting back from a morning spent at St. Peter's. We got there before the crowds got too large, so the line to get in was nice and short. The sun was out for a bit (the first time in days), but there's a downpour at the moment. Students are wandering in for Thursday Studio--a few are a bit drenched and over the rain. Hopefully, the weather will clear up soon.

I have spent a substantial amount of the past three days grading undergraduate journals, and so blogging has taken a backseat. I have had some time to put up a flickr site, so you can view more of my photos there, my dear readers (it's a bit thin at the moment, there are more that need to be uploaded). Later today, Hillary, Jessica, Mark, and I are taking the train to Siena and will spend some time there and in Florence. We'll be back in Rome Saturday night, and blogging may resume on Sunday. Until then!

A Surprise in the Park

2008-05-20T14:55:00.006+02:00

As the 95 bus we were riding pulled up beside my "place"--the park in the Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice--we noticed there was a small fair set up with vendors and some shady looking carnival rides (my favorite). I haven't quite figured out what the celebration is about, but I was pleasantly surprised to happen upon it. After dropping heavy school bags off in our apartment, we walked through the park, and I caught a few photos. There were lots of families, babies, and dogs--the fair attracted more folks than might normally be out on a Monday evening. The children appeared to be more interested in the existing playground equipment than the impromptu rides. The assorted vendors' inventories included breads, wines, cheeses, t-shirts, Native American art, pottery, and CDs and DVDs.

Porta Portese

2008-05-19T17:41:00.002+02:00

Yesterday, Hillary, Jessica, and I meandered over to the Sunday flea market just across the river in the neighborhood of Trastevere. The Porta Portese market is loud, bustling, and (apparently) a good place to have your pocket picked. Fortunately, we all returned with all of our valuables, and a few extras (for example, a travel alarm clock--something I completely forgot and is definitely a necessity). The deal at this market is to bargain your way down from the vendor's stated price. The most popular advice is to offer half the original amount and walk away, getting the vendor to "bite" and haggle with you. I was hoping for more food stalls, and perhaps some diverse kinds of foods, but alas, there were only the usual panini and pizza vendors. What we did find were lots of small electronics, clothing, bags & luggage, and shoe vendors.

Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice

2008-05-19T14:09:00.004+02:00

The nearest piazza to our apartment on Via Ginori in Testaccio is Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice. Compared to the piazzas downtown, which tend to be more open spaces (aside from the Piazza del Collegio Romano near the Sede, which is basically a parking lot) that have the ability to morph into different types places throughout the day, this piazza has a small, permanent park in the middle. I have chosen this park as the place I will observe and comment upon for our Street and Studio course. Much like the piazzas where there might be a market in the morning, socializing by afternoon/evening, and busy restaurants at night, the park in the Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice attracts different populations at different times of day and different days of the week. The movement of patrons between the businesses that surround the park and the park itself also demonstrate the permeability of boundaries between shop entrance, sidewalk, street, and park. Something about the position of the park, away from the bustling city center, makes for a different feel than the larger, more crowded piazzas like Navona or Campo di Fiori.

Scooter/Motorcycle Culture in Rome

2008-05-18T17:29:00.004+02:00

It seems like a stereotype from old Hollywood films set in Italy, but the presence of automobiles with only two wheels is pervasive in Rome. Their constant presence is astounding to Americans (U.S.) who are accustomed to the grossly over-sized SUVs that populate highway traffic and even crowded streets in major urban centers. My fascination with this difference is what led me to choose scooter & motorcycle culture in Rome as a second theme to cover in this blog. Scooters & motorcycles are perfect for navigating the narrow streets and alleyways (and sometimes sidewalks) in the city, and it seems there are few restrictions (age, gender, socioeconomic class) on who can and does travel this way.

Must one "walk" Rome?

2008-05-17T14:17:00.003+02:00

As I've walked on Rome's cobblestone streets, through its tiny passageways, up and down its innumerable steps, and dodged its speedy scooters and Smart cars, it seems to me that this may not be the most wheelchair accessible city. This may be the wrong assessment, however. In the Musei Capitolini today, I found several elevators and even chair lifts on some of the staircases. However, the elevators are not as wide as Americans (U.S.) might be accustomed to. Not having visited all there is to visit in Rome, I cannot comment on the extent to which touristy and less touristy sites are accessible to everyone. Instead, by the magic of the Internet, I searched for what others have to say on this topic. Below are some links to sites where folks have recounted their experiences, expressed opinions on the matter, and provided tips for making Rome "accessible" in different ways.

"Accessible Rome"

"Wheelchair Accessible Travel in Rome"

Shopping in Rome

2008-05-16T15:33:00.008+02:00

View from second floor of La Rinascente.

Fashion is quite obviously tied into consumerism; clothing choice is (potentially) a manner of self-expression as well as a marker of social/socioeconomic class. Although the concept of the department store may present itself as universal (or we might perceive it as such), there are different dynamics in the places where consumption occurs, even within the seemingly homogenous realm of department stores.

Today I visited two department stores in Rome and observed evidence of these differences-UPIM and La Rinascente. UPIM "[offers] moderately priced medium quality clothes and a variety of household goods," whereas La Rinascente "[is] good for ready-to wear clothes . . . household linens, and haberdashery, and [has] well-stocked perfume counters" (Wild 335). The differences in clientele are not easily observable (to be discussed in a future post!), however, the aesthetics and geographies of the two stores reveal quite a lot (also points for further posting). A quick scan of the chains' respective websites demonstrates what I would characterize as their "accessible" versus "sophisticated" atmospheres. Specifically, see the "About Us" section of La Rinascente site and "Discover the New UPIM" on the UPIM site for the ways in which the stores have posited their respective "missions" and who their target customers (audiences) are.

Wild, Fiona ed. Eyewitness Travel: Rome. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2007.

Roman Fashion and Rhetoric

2008-05-15T16:47:00.001+02:00

One topic area that I have chosen to reflect upon in this blog is Italian fashion. Fashion as a visual rhetoric is not limited to the "art" pieces that are sent down the runway. Although designer names may enter into my discussion of fashion-specifically, Roman fashion-I intend to focus on clothing as rhetoric for inhabitants of Rome, especially as it relates to their daily lives and constraints, or lack thereof, that it places on fashion choices. In addition, I am interested in how Roman fashion might compare with an American (U.S.) conception of what is fashionable and what functions fashion serves. Below are a couple of links with more information and commentary on historical and contemporary functions of and perspectives on Roman fashion.

My Street and Studio

2008-05-15T16:44:00.001+02:00

One of the main objectives of this blog is to reflect on the rhetoric of three different topics related to Rome and Roman life. The topic areas are: a theme (e.g. gelato, scooters, street signs), a place (e.g. a piazza, a museum, a bar/cafe), and a third topic that can be from either of these two categories. As such, I will include postings that are labeled and archived relative to their particular topic area. My specific topics are still to come-stay tuned.

San Pietro in Vincoli

2008-05-15T13:54:00.002+02:00

When we found that it would cost us a substantial amount of euros to go into the grounds of the Forum, we improvised and made a trip to a church, San Pietro in Vincoli. The connection between the two sites is St. Peter himself. The church houses the chains that shackled St. Peter while he was held in the Mamertine Prison, which we had visited not fifteen minutes earlier. Michelangelo's Tomb of Pope Julius II is also housed in the San Pietro in Vincoli and is what the church is best known for (Wild 170).

Wild, Fiona ed. Eyewitness Travel: Rome. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2007.

Already hard at work

2008-05-14T18:20:00.001+02:00

Students fought the jet lag today and got into the first full day of class. A discussion of our first text, The Marble Faun, and a viewing of Rome, Open City and The Battle of San Pietro forced us all to face our brief semester head-on. Nothing like a little Italian neorealism and U.S. propaganda to perk up your day! On the break between classes, people scattered for lunch, and some folks took set out on a quick excursion to find Hilda's tower (pictured above, from The Marble Faun).

Tomorrow, the Forum!

It begins...

2008-05-12T13:06:00.000+02:00

Undergraduate students arrive, and the Rhetoric of Rome education abroad program begins today!

Countdown to Rome

2008-05-08T20:02:00.000+02:00

Welcome to my travel blog! I leave for Italy tomorrow along with the three other grad assistants for the Rhetoric of Rome program-then the interesting posts will begin (they should, anyway)! Until then, it's back to packing and preparing. Ciao for the moment.