Photo of the Week: Vroom Vroom, Beep Beep!

Vespas and scooters are one of the most popular modes of transportation in Italy, besides small cars such as Fiats and Smartcars, because of the small streets in the country. I absolutely loved the color of this Vespa, so I snapped a photo of it. It’s super common to see these bikes parked on the sidewalks, as this one was! Would you want to drive around a bike like a Vespa? If so, what color would you want? 

Roman Mythology: Architecture & Artifacts

There are many mythological stories that exist sourced from the Ancient Roman times. Mythology is extremely prevalent in the architecture of both the ancient buildings and the contemporary buildings in Rome. However, most of the Roman mythology stems from Greek mythology. The Ancient Romans renamed the characters of and retold with slight differences the stories of Greek mythology. For Ancient Romans, mythology was not regarded as fictional or metaphorical, but as true historical fact.

Prevalence of Goddesses, Gods, & Angels in Roman Architecture

Just walking around Rome, on almost every corner you turn, you can see an abundance of mythological-inspired architecture. Many of the buildings and bridges are decorated with goddesses, gods, angels, and other mythological creatures. In this post I’ll discuss just a few of the multitudes of mythological stories and details inspired by architecture and artifacts I’ve come across during my studies in Rome (I took a Mythology and Architecture class here, and last week just finished my final exam for that course!).

I asked my local friend Giovanni what his thoughts on the intertwining of mythology and architecture in Italy were, and he told me “During the Roman Empire, Romans took the Greek gods and adopted them to their culture, for example Greek Zeus became Jupiter for Romans. So much of Roman structures and religion was based on Greece, almost all of Roman culture was based on Greek culture. The figures of the gods, the structures of the temples, and the architectural columns were all based on Greek ones. Almost everything started from Greek culture: philosophy, the concept of democracy. Many structures, even in politics, were originated from the Greek”. 

Statue of Flying Mercury/Hermes, Villa Medici 

This statue of Flying Mercury, also known as Hermes, located at the Villa Medici, or the Medici House, depicts Hermes, the son of Zeus and Maia (the daughter of Atlas). In Greek mythology, Hermes was the messenger of the gods, promoting social communication and commerce among humanity, maintaining peace, protecting travelers, and punishing those who refused to assist travelers. In the form of Hermes, this character carries what is called a caduceus, which is a wand with two serpents twisted around it, as a symbol of peace, which is depicted in this statue at Villa Medici. 

In Roman mythology, Hermes was renamed Mercury, and was known as the divinity of commerce, merchants, trades, and gain. In the Roman version of the character, the symbol of peace carried is a sacred branch such as an olive branch. There is a connection in the etymology (word origin) of Mercury and merchant, with merx meaning goods, and mercari meaning to trade. 

Group of the Niobids, Villa Medici

These statues of The Group of The Niobids, located at Villa Medici, or the Medici House, represents the mythological story of the twelve children (six sons and six daughters) of Niobe, who was married to Amphion, the king of Thebes. Because of Niobe’s amount of children, she presumed herself to be a better mother than Leto, whose children were Apollo and Artemis. Apollo and Artemis were upset with the excessive pride of Niobe, so they killed all of Niobe’s children, and the children as well as Niobe herself were turned to stone. Niobe, still living when she was turned to stone, eternally feels the misfortune of this situation. 

The metaphorical moral involved in this story showcases the negative impacts of hybris, the Greek term for exaggerated self pride and arrogance.   

(If you look closely at the bottom right corner of this photo, you can see the peacock that roams around the property of Villa Medici!)

Minerva & Athena: Piazza della Minerva & Athena, Musei Centrale Montemartini

   

On the right is a photo of the central obelisk atop an elephant of the Piazza della Minerva in Rome. On the left is a statue of Athena from Musei Centrale Montemartini, or the Montemartini Museum, depicted in her usual attire: a helmet, a robe, and an amulet. Minerva is the Roman version of the Greek goddess Athena, who was the daughter of Zeus and the sea-nymph Metis. 

Minerva/Athena is primarily known as the goddess of wisdom and war strategy, yet is also the goddess of many other skills and arts, such as handicraft, sewing, weaving, spinning, pottery, cooking, rational thinking, giving good advice, as well as behaving heroically. Minerva/Athena is also known as the protector of agriculture, who invented the plow, the rake, and the action of taming animals. She also has skills in music, and invented the ancient wind instrument similar to flutes or recorders called an aulos. 

I hope you all learned something new and interesting from this post! Are you interested in mythology? If so, do you have a favorite mythological character? Do you like reading historical stories? 

Photo of the Week: A Traditional Hungarian Meal

While I was visiting Budapest, I had the opportunity to try some delicious traditional Hungarian meals! This meal was vegan (meaning: with no animal products, like meat, cheese, or butter, at all!) and was composed of peppers stuffed with bulgur, a type of Middle Eastern durum wheat grain similar to rice, plated with roasted potato, radish, yellow beet, arugula, lettuce, and a tomato-based sauce. 

A Visit to Budapest!

Hanging out in Budapest!

Hey again everyone! Over the weekend I travelled to Budapest, Hungary to visit the city. From Rome to Budapest, the flight is only an hour and twenty minutes, so it’s a very short travel time, and it would even be possible to go for a day trip. I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Budapest and I had such a good time exploring the city! There’s a lot to see, do, and learn in Budapest – here are just a few cool things I got to see, do, and learn!

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

One of the most famous things to do in Budapest is to go to the thermal baths there. I visited the Széchenyi thermal baths located in the City Park, and it was absolutely amazing! The official opening of this spa was in 1913, so the baths are over 100 years old! After an expansion in 1927, this spa hosts 3 large outdoor and 15 indoor pools, with both swimming and thermal section pools. This is one of the biggest spas in the world!

There are many health aspects to visiting the thermal baths. I was told by my home host that along with the large daily influx of locals and tourists that visit the baths, some people also receive doctor’s notes to visit the baths when they need the heated water for medical reasons. When I visited the baths, there was a very diverse mass of people attending the amenities of the spas: the saunas, thermal baths, steam-rooms, and regular pools were all full of people. The water of the thermal baths are supplied by natural thermal springs, and there are many beneficial minerals in the water, as well as the heated temperature, that aid health and help relaxation.  

Vajdahunyad Castle

Vajdahunyad Castle, in Hungarian, Vajdahunyad Vára, is a beautiful castle located in the City Park, right near the Széchenyi Spa, so I was able to see it immediately after visiting the baths. Architecturally, this castle is a mix of a variety of styles, including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque, because of how parts of the castle were built and rebuilt during various time periods throughout history. Today it is the home of the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture. 

 

The castle was originally built in 1896, and designed by Ignác Alpár, who was attempting to feature the architecture of several important buildings from different areas within the Kingdom of Hungary, and most specifically especially the Hunyad Castle in Transylvania (which is in Romania). The commission of the construction of this castle is in regards to the Millennial Exhibition which celebrated 1000 years of Hungary since the Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895. The writer of the 1897 Gothic novel Dracula, Bram Stoker, pictured his story of Dracula to be set in either the Vajdahunyad Castle, or in a castle in Transylvania. 

Heroes’ Square 

In the Hungarian language, Heroes’ Square is Hósök Tere. This square, or what in Italy would be referred to as a piazza, is the largest square in the city of Budapest. The square is home to a massive, symmetrical monument with statues representing historical figures. 

Located near City Park, I was able to see Heroes’ Square after visiting the baths and the Vajdahunyad Castle. Originally, the massive monument in this square was in commemoration of the rulers of the Habsburg dynasty, however these rulers were replaced by figures commemorating Hungarian freedom fighters during a rebuilding of the square after World War II. 

Today there is also a gathering of world flags in the middle of the square and a large sign that reads “Emberek a Békéért” which means “People for Peace”.

Art Installation: Shoes on the Danube Bank

       Along a short stretch of the Danube Riverbank, there is a memorial art installation in memory of the murders of the Jewish people who were killed with arrows by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen along the east of the Danube River during World War II in 1944.

This art installation was developed by film director Can Togay and installed in 2005. The art installation is made up of a good amount of shoes (statues) of both women and men. The story is that the militiamen ordered the Jewish people to take off their shoes and line up on the bank of the river, and then they were shot with arrows in order for the bodies to fall into the river. 

The shoe statues represent the real people’s shoes that were left on the bank of the river after the murders. Seeing the shoe statues was a very surreal, visceral experience. 

       What cities in the world do you want to visit? Would you want to go to the thermal spa baths? What are your favorite public art installations you've seen? 

Also, what kinds of things would you all be interested in having me ask a local middle schooler in Italy? Let me know! See you soon! 

Photo of the Week: John Keats' Grave in Rome

This is a wall plaque accompanying famous British poet John Keats’ grave in the beautiful Non-Catholic Cemetery of Rome. Here’s a transcription of the acrostic (acronym) poem:

K-eats! if thy cherished name be “writ in water”

E-ach drop has fallen from some mourner’s cheek;

A-sacred tribute; such as heroes seek,

T-hough oft in vain—for dazzling deeds of slaughter

S-leep on! Not honoured less for Epitaph so meek!

Easter in Italia: Pasqua e Pasquetta

Traditional Italian Traditions

In Italy, Easter is a highly celebrated holiday, and it goes by the name of Pasqua. In Latin and Greek, Easter is called Pascha. Unique to the cultural celebrations in Italy is that Italians also celebrate the Monday after Easter, which is called Pasquetta, or “little Easter”, which is a holiday that is usually not observed in America, except among certain religious groups. Pasqua and Pasquetta are both public national holidays in Italy. 

There are many traditions that correspond with Easter that are unique to Italian traditions as opposed to American traditions. Easter Egg hunts and the popularity of the Easter bunny are not a part of the Italian traditional Easter celebrations, like they are in America. There are many religious celebrations in Italy such as processions around The Vatican, large masses in all churches, and a public blessing by the Pope occurs every year near The Colosseum. I noticed when I was visiting churches before Easter that the holy crosses were covered in cloth, and after Easter they were revealed: this is a symbol of the rebirth or resurrection of Jesus, which is what Easter celebrates. 

My Italian Celebration

To celebrate Pasqua this year I visited my family in Molfetta, Italy, which is a tiny town on the ocean located in the South of Italy in the region called Puglia. I spent the Easter weekend with my cousin Livia and her friends and family. For Easter we celebrated by having a meal of two types of bruschetta (toast with toppings), one with tomato and one with salmon, as well as orecchiette pasta with a tomato-cuttlefish sauce, which Livia’s mom cooked and prepared for us. For dessert, we opened and ate some of our chocolate eggs (but they are so big – I still have over half of it to eat!) as well as some of the traditional cake invented in Bari that I told you all about last week, called scarcella, with the almond paste and jam. 

Family Easter Lunch!

                      

My favorite thing about celebrating Easter in Italy is the Italian Easter eggs, which are large hollow chocolate eggs that, when cracked open, reveal a surprise present inside (this could be comparable to an Easter egg hunt, but instead of hunting for lots of little eggs with gifts inside, you’re given one big chocolate egg with a gift inside!). My Nonna (my grandma) used to send me chocolate eggs to celebrate Easter when I was young, but this year is the first in many years that I’ve celebrated Easter with a chocolate egg. The surprise inside my chocolate egg this year was little chocolate candies and a heart-shaped keychain!

Our chocolate eggs and Scarcella!

To celebrate Pasquetta, I went with my cousin Livia and her friends to her friend Claudia’s countryside home and we celebrated by having a big meal with tomato-arugula bruschetta, tomato-olive focaccia (a thick bread), salmon and grilled meat, salad, and lots of music, dancing, and laughs. 

Hanging out in the Countryside!

Italian Opinions about Easter

I had the chance to ask my cousin and some of my new friends who I’ve met here in Italy what their favorite parts about Pasqua e Pasquetta are. Here are their responses to my question, “What are your favorite parts about celebrating Pasqua e Pasquetta in Italy?”: 

Livia, my cousin, responded: “I love that people can dedicate some hours or all day with their family, stay together and enjoy the time. I also love the day after Pasqua, “Pasquetta”, because we go to the countryside to celebrate”.

My local friend Claudio, who I met through my study abroad program, told me “Easter in Italy is amazing – Food and food and food, until the explosion”. 

Giovanni, a friend of Livia’s who I met on Pasquetta this year during our celebration in the countryside, responded to me “Italy is quite Catholic; as far as celebrations, we have the Easter chocolate eggs, and we have cakes, for example the taralli, with sugar, we also eat lamb, it’s a symbol of Christ. I’m not too religious, but this is what I remember. Another thing I can tell you, is that one week before Easter we have Domenica delle Palme (Palm Sunday), we traditionally give each other three olives in a symbol of peace. During Pasquetta we usually go out, like we did in the countryside, because it’s a holiday on the calendar, and we see Pasquetta as the beginning of a new season, when small towns especially traditionally start working more”. 

Do you celebrate Easter? What do you all love the most about celebrating Easter?

Photo of the Week: Gelato in Molfetta!

While I was visiting my family in the small town of Molfetta in the region of Puglia, in Southern Italy, I went out with my cousin Livia and her friends and they introduced me to this delicious gelato: one scoop is green tea (tè verde) and cinnamon (cannella) flavored, and the other scoop is hazelnut (nocciola)! The tè verde e cannella flavor is specific to the region I was visiting, and I loved it! What are your favorite ice cream flavors?