Gondola's, Scarpa and shiney Murano glass- Venezia anche

Dead ends, watery corners and no bridges- VENEZIA

Leaning towers and snow ball fights - Bologna

Journey North- Florence (aka Firenze)

Dove Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere?

PROJECT UNO-

It crept up on us slowly- transforming from an innocent little site analysis to a full fledged beast that haunted your dreams and kept you up for long work hours in the dark bowles of studio. Ah, aren't architecture projects Glorious?!?

My challange, should I choose to accept it, was

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere-

It provided me the opportunity to explore an entirely different neighborhood of Rome that would have otherwise been foreign to me. Trastevere (literally "across the Tiber") is a relatively residential corner of Rome. Its where "real" Romans live, eat and play. Living off of Piazza Navona, in the Context of Bernini and Borromini, of the ruins of circus' and the foundations of temples gives a different experience, not one is superior over the other- they are merely different.

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere was different in the aspect that it grew up and around the Church of Santa Maria. The church had been founded as an early christian house church, before Christianity had even been leagalized by Constantine and his Edict of Milan circa 310. So pretty much were talking 200 AD ( the time line of European history always astonishes me)!!!! The fabric of the exterior of the piazza is not in the slightest regular as it, especially on the north side, is woven from a fabric of individual dwellings. There are no axis and no grids, but its unregimented character is what makes it so enjoyable. (Everyone likes a little chaos and differentiation in their lives- look at mine :P!)

The Church clock tower which is the highest structure in the Piazza alines (relatively) with a fountain that creates the central hub of the piazza. Now comes a confession I have been withholding up untill now... the fountain in the Piazza may well be one of the ugliest I have ever had the pleasure... or displeasure of viewing. It rises up on an octagonal platform and is embelished with huge SPQR shields that stand aloof while a rather weak stream of water spews from a central collinder into Baroque-Rococo-like shells. Ive seen gargoyles and gutters handle water better... more gracefully at least. :P... but asthetic arguement aside it does serve its purpose of providing an inward focus for the piazza, as well as work as a guide for pedestrian (and rare vehicular) traffic. It does provide for a nice place to sit and sketch or for the more apetite minded- enjoy a slice of pizza or panino.

The character of the piazza transformed from morning, to noon, to night- much like the outfit and mindset of a good catholic college student. In the morning ( especially on sundays) attention is focused around the church, people duck in to admire the Cosmati floors, and the random assortment of collumns ( some trace back to the baths of Caracala), some people arrive for mass or to say a prayer or two- getting on Jesus' good side. In the afternoon people drift toward the exterior- especially the north east corner- stopping to grab a bit at a cafe, or an afternoon macchiato, or simply continuing on their journey to their appartments or their grocer. At night the square puts on its party outfit. Cafe's being closed it becomes a meeting place for those heading out to their respective bars and clubs.

Overall I love Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and so should you. :)

Pause. STOP. Rewind. PLAY.

Allora.....

where did I last leave off? Hmmm I suppose I should rewind till about two weeks ago- with the start and completion of my first project a la Rome. At the commencement of the project I didn't know if I could scrap together enough concentration and motivation to actually "work" on homework while in Europe.

In my mind this continent comes fully assembled, in a nice little package complete with rather detailed and completely mandatory directions:

1- walk till your feet are about to fall off... you can rest when your dead, right now keep walking NO complaining

2-visit every historical site, church and cathedral between where you are standing and the Arctic Ocean... there are NO excuses

3-meet people.... people were made for talking to- and now is the time to do it! Plus if you completely embarrass yourself whats the chance you'll ever see them again?

4- enjoy a few nice glasses of wine- the Italians especially have been making it for thousands of years- its likely they have gotten pretty good at it

5- live life to the fullest... don't miss out on anything if you can help it- you only have so long to acquire the best life stories.... and letting you in on a little secret "so long" is never EVER long enough.

.... and those are only the first page :P

However moving here switched things up a bit. Chores and responsibilities that had never, in the short term, been important had suddenly, in long term , developed as necessary for coexisting harmoniously in a civilized world. Who would have thought it was so important and necessary to accept and complete such things as:

• laundry (you can avoid it... but once people start avoiding you... due mostly to stench- just fess up and pay the 2 euro),
• learning how to cook food that will keep you nourished (alas Fanta and chips won't accomplish this :( i know its unfortunate)
• Stair climbing/ coming to terms with the fact that you will be breathless walking up up up up up and up the spiraling stairs to the apartment two or four times a day, everyday...... for 120 days
• Quick... and cold showers- It has become an accepted fact of life that unless you time it perfectly and side shoulder your neighbor out of your way. You wont be enjoying a hot shower.... for the next 120 days....
• Near death experiences- AKA the fact that you will have to battle an on-slaught of cars and even worse- killer Scooters for the right to cross Corso Victor Emannuel... or any Via for that matter
• and Finally, but by no means any less difficult to deal with the fact that homework, projects and studio did some how manage to sneak into your luggage and follow you even to the other side of the world-

Picture Caption-
(Top- leaving on the Boston-Roma express way!!!)
Bottom- Santa Agnese- out the window of our apartment- sometimes the hike is worth the view :P)

Rome sweet Home!

Just got back from an epic Northern Italy trip- a little worse for wear-( loosing my voice and coughing up a lung- but a nice game of charades with a pharmacist in Como helped solve that- Zeronol I don't know what you are but you make me feel better!! lol :)
On the menu tonight is some Fritata a la Rojo- followed by the Roma- Florence Soccer game- and topped off by the most ultimately American of all American traditions- Super Bowl.
Till Next time-