September 13, 2024
Day 10: Talismans, Things We Carry
September 8, 2024
Gelato: Cole, Adelin, Anjana
Cole – Our tenth day in Rome held the theme of “Talismans.” As a way to start off strong, the group took a field trip to the flea markets at Porte Portese early in the morning. I had been to flea markets before and I held what I assumed to be a reasonable expectation of the size and scope of what the market would be. When I got there, all previously held conceptions were blown out of the water. At first glance it seemed pretty small, just a walkway with sets of stalls on either side in a single file. A pretty standard setup, right? Well this flea market stretched on for longer than I thought was possible. Standing in the center and looking into the distance, I couldn’t even see the end of it. I forgot about the clothes and trinkets being sold at reasonable prices around me; all I wanted to do was see exactly how long this market was.
So I started walking. I walked past bins of clothing and stalls full of kitschy souvenirs and boxes of $30 designer handbags that the vendors assured me were 100% authentic. I didn’t stop, except for one short detour by a book stand that ended in disappointment when I remembered I couldn’t read Italian. So onward I walked. After what seemed like an eternity (45 minutes) I finally reached the end. By my estimate, the market was about a mile and a half in length. Neat!
I had accomplished much that morning. But something felt off. In my vain pursuit of knowledge, I had completely disregarded the day’s theme. My passion for discovering the exact length of the flea market had blinded me for what I was really there for – cheap plastic goods. To remedy this, I bought a gaudy crucifix with fake diamond inlays and a plaster statue of the Colosseum. Which, isn’t that what this trip is really about?
Anjana – Today was my favorite day on the trip. The most flamboyant man I’ve met guided us on a tour of the Domus Aurea, emperor Nero’s famous palace. Initially he insisted on only speaking in Italian, as our tour was booked in Italian. Aly, our “italiano nativo”, struggled as our interpreter:
He promptly switched to English for the rest of the tour. Halfway through the tour we got to take a VR tour of the palace, seeing the gardens in all their glory. With the headset on, we were completely enveloped in the ancient scenery—so much so that someone ended up squatting on their seat to get a better view.
The black mold you see along the ceiling has been trapped in salt crystals due to the cold, humid climate in the underground palace.
The palace was littered with frescoes, which would get continuously repainted as the weather wore them down.
We also learned that Nero considered himself a triple threat (an actor, poet, AND comedian) and would invite students to his oculus room to enjoy performances.
Adelin – During my time in Rome, I had the chance to visit the Domus Aurea, Emperor Nero’s famous palace. Tucked away beneath a hill, the entrance to the Domus Aurea isn’t flashy—you might not even realize it’s there if you’re not looking for it—but once inside, the atmosphere changes dramatically. It was really cooling inside, a much needed change from the sweltering heat outside. There were lots of cats at the entrance and some of them came to us for a few quick pets (maybe we went to them).
Our Italian guide shared stories of Emperor Nero’s reign, and how he had the Domus Aurea built as his personal retreat. This palace was built above ground but much of it was buried or repurposed after Nero’s death by his successors, as they decided to erase all traces of the emperor and his palace. You could see old structures built by Nero as well as new structures built by other emperors for the sole purpose of burying this magnificent piece to the ground. Even though much of it is now in ruins, you can still see traces of the original frescoes on the walls or old mosaics on the floor.
The tour also gave us a chance to experience the palace as it once was, thanks to a virtual reality segment. After exploring several rooms, we sat down and put on VR headsets. Through the VR experience, we could view the Domus Aurea in its former glory, allowing us to see the goldplated walls and lush gardens that once surrounded the palace. It was incredible to see how vibrant and elaborate the space must have been at its peak. One of the most interesting spaces was the Octagonal Hall. This room has a large oculus in the ceiling, which lets natural light flood the space. After being “underground” for so long, seeing how the light illuminated the room was a really comforting feeling.