Viaggo in Italia

After experiencing Rome for 2 days, it was time to see Rome ala Jim Dart style.  We started off from the Derby onto the Garbatella station, which is the Metropolitana B line.  We got off at Termini, the main station in the heart of Rome, and headed on the Metropolitana A line.  The air conditioning on that train was beautiful to feel because it has been over 90 degrees with high humidity everyday so far.  In addition to that, no letting up of the relentless heat was in sight.  Anyway, we got off at Piazza del Popolo.  Our first venture was the Santa Maria del Popolo and it was one of the first on our Journey.  Bernini designed the 2^nd dome on the left side aisle and it was a nice sight to see.  In addition, the church itself was just one of the magnificent churches we would see in Rome.  The church was very Baroque and the aura of lighting striking the center of the pedestal was amazing.  Of course the Baroque had to create great spectacles when designing these churches, I mean they had to keep up and hopefully succeed the Romans during their rein of glory.

Santa Maria Del Popolo - The great bands of lighting hitting the interior of the church

Sketch of Santa Maria de Popolo

Next we traveled to many locations, some too quick to snag a good photo and only enough time to draw a quick parti, or elevation, or section.  Either way I managed to get a church, which the name escapes me right now but it is major baroqo-qo-qo-qo. The phrase basically means Baroque gone nuts with way to much money.

Baroqo-qo-qo - Baroque to the extreme with too much money

After visiting this church we made our way to the famous Piazza Navona and the Sant’Agnese Church.  Of course, controversy followed even into the times of the Baroque when it came down to 2 architects; Bernini and Borromini.  With the Sant’Agnese and the sculpture/obelisk that marks its importance, Borromini’s sculpture and Bernini’s design for Sant’Agnese clearly express the controversy behind the two architects and more importantly the design for Piazza Navona.  Borromini had the forefront design when dealing with the entire Piazza, but Bernini got the church.  Needless to say the contradictions really do make the Piazza Navona great.  Maybe the pursuit of not just being an iconic architect, but the better architect of the two top architects of their time really pushed both of them to be equally great.

Sant'Agnese in Piazza Navona - The church and the statue with the obelisk in front of the church

Next we traveled to the jaw-dropping Pantheon.  Unfortunately, the exterior had scaffolding on half of it; that really was disappointing because my nifty new camera would have caught a nice shot of the front.  Oh well, the real architectural prominence happens on the interior with the center oculus shining light and glimmering the walls and amazing long spanning dome.  I planned on photo stitching a 360 dome like image encompassing the whole dome all the way until the walls hit the floor.  The image and more importantly the stitching is proving to be challenging.  Hopefully I will have time later to finish it.  In the mean time, a placeholder until that nice image comes.

A vertical panoramic view of the Pantheon

Next came the Campidoglio by Michelangelo and the “Wedding Cake” in front of the building.  The disappointing building had angle statues on the roof that needed cross bracing between the wings to support the sculpture.  In my eyes, that is a complete failure and incompetence of the architect and/or sculpture to not use a stronger metal that could handle the stresses.  More interesting is the Campidoglio and the large procession that leads to the trapezoidal center.  In this process, the Person Pic of the Day goes to Neil.

Campadoglio designed by Michealangelo

Person Pic of the Day - Niel

Finally, we ended in a church that was a designed by Bernini that so happened to be focused on the polish community in Rome.  We finally sat down inside and did a few sketches of the inside mainly plan and section with a few details around the page.  Additionally, I grasped a shot of Jim Dart looking straight up and contemplating how Bernini was just awesome.

Jim in Bernini church

That completes the day with our travels to Roma.  Quite amazing.  Tomorrow we have a trip to the country side to Villa Farnese and Villa Lante.  Going to be relaxing with not as much walking and great site seeing.

Ciao I Arrivaderci