So while this semester seems to be flying into hyper-speed, I'm holding onto the tail end of this semester and digging in my heals with all my might. Of course I am excited to be finishing up with classes (as you could probably gather from my remarks above) but the idea of ending this semester, leaving all of the people I came with and met here, and departing this wonderful country and continent is beyond depressing… Being able to walk everywhere in Roma especially to Giolitti to get the best gelato in Roma, if not the best in the whole world, walking by some of the most beautiful and historic pieces of architecture, and being completely emersed in a culture completely foreign, yet beautiful, to me.
This place that I find myself in is one of beauty, sophistication, history, depth, and fun. The spirit of this place is both freeing and intoxicating; the lifestyle here seems much more healthy - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Obviously I am still an outsider and there are of course many things that I am not aware of and do not see but nonetheless this is a place I want to be, stay, explore, and enjoy many many more times. Its like this trip has expanded exponentially my appetite for traveling, learning, exploring… my appetite for life.
Today I spent the afternoon sketching at Palazzo del Commendatore, San Spirito Borgo, by the Vatican for my studio project. I walked from Campo de' Fiori down towards the Vatican, turned down S. Spirito, and found my way into the courtyard. The sun was shining my whole walk and when the clouds did let out a few drops of rain, my paper and I were safely under the cover of the barrel vaulting of the arcade. When I arrived in the courtyard, I plopped myself on a bench protruding from the wall and began sketching looking out into the courtyard framed by a clear blue sky (which remained clear blue even when it rained with the exception of a couple grayish clouds). I was greeted, after a while, by a charming old man who worked at the Palazzo and asked to look at my drawings. He was excited to talk about my drawings, how I studied architecture, where I was from, and, most importantly, did I like the building? His name was Vincenzo. There was also a woman who informed me that I was not technically allowed to draw there without a permit but both the woman and Vincenzo were kind enough to let me draw for a couple hours, checking on me (and my drawings) from time to time. The woman spoke to me in fast Italian knowing that I was not Italian and did not speak Italian fluently but I have to say, for the most part, my comprehension was good though I'm still not completely sure what she was trying to say to me. But anyway, while I don't have a permit and therefore am technically not allowed to draw there, Vincenzo asked when I was coming back to finish my sketches so I think that means I'm allowed back.
As I mentioned above, Monday was our last history theory class with Dr. Higgins. We will still be having a final in the next couple of weeks but on Monday we not only had our last class but also presented our midterm projects. Our assignment was to express how spolia and/or inglobare is/are important to us as architects, Romans, or Italians (rough translation of the directions, not exact wording)… The assignment was very opened ended and after much thought, I decided that a creative writing piece would be the best way for me to complete this assignment while also taking a bit of a risk by choosing to present a written piece rather than physical piece such as a drawing, model, etc…
Here is my creative piece for our history theory midterm;
We are drawn to the familiar.
It sparks our memories and frees our imaginations.
We are drawn to the similar
Because it reminds us of that which is familiar
What is familiar is comfortable.
It is something with which we can situate ourselves;
Align, identify, or orient.
In the moment, in the physical, in the emotional
It hints at what something might be
It ties us to what is happening around us
All of humanity shares one journey.
A journey that is taken alone but one that is taken by all
For each traveler there is a unique path
A unique path that interacts and affects others amid a common backdrop
A shared backdrop whose physical monuments act as beacons and guides
Some of these remind of the past, some foreshadow the future
The backdrop is communal; a collective memory
Reused elements decorate facades
Hinting at the importance of the space
Invoking the spirit of the place
Interacting paths, overlapping history
Tie the past with the present
Sewing the layers of time together
Reinforcing a sense of identity,
Sense of belonging to the place
Where paths cross and collide
Connecting. Interacting. Uniting.
A journey, a direction, a path
Marked by the familiar
The future is a product of the past,
Combined to justify the present.
Drawing and incorporating from the external
In order to learn, improve, survive.
On that note, clearly I am no poet but, hey, that's why I'm studying architecture :) And continuing with our architecture classes… Tomorrow, bright and early, we are meeting Marina and Eric outside our housing to spend the whole day sketching and touring multiple locations in Rome. Thursday we will be pinning up our analytical part of our final project in studio that we have been working on this week and then Dave Shove-Brown will be arriving sometime at the end of the week to join us on our Southern Italy trip starting Monday.
A sincere thank you to Stanley Hallet who visited last week to teach a film and photography lesson and conduct a film and photography project last week. It was a lot of fun and an honor to work and spend some time with Stanley. He really opened our eyes to the world of film and photography, enabling us to try to see and help others to see the world through a different lense.
Also a bigger thank you to Adrienne Jenkins for sharing the adventure of the last three months with us. Have a safe trip home! We'll miss you and thank you for being apart of our experiences and memories. Hope you enjoyed it as much as us!
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