No one knows what it means but it's provacitive! It gets the poeple going!

Boom shaka laka. I just came back from the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine! Some men were dressed as gladiators outside again, I took pics from afar cause apparently they will scare you into paying them a lot of money after you pose with them. Those funny lookin' D-bags.

Anyways, I also saw about five more Caravaggio paintings this week - all in churches. Which means that with the combination of awful chapel lights and my height deficiency, I took some crap-tastic photos. so there is no point in me uploading them. I will provide links again though! Here:

Crucifixion of St. Peter: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Caravaggio_-_Martirio_di_San_Pietro.jpg/315px-Caravaggio_-_Martirio_di_San_Pietro.jpg

Calling of St. Matthew: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBL7FE8aoes7wP8kT-2j7060YnXtYk2eBskzZmul7h98h8Fkt4qoH_pEeGZ7-IcWTZDgYChIM6dTEWTRWuHdSfDBdT5NUMznW2wBRPOAXWAEvLvf44uEqI4b2bjukZPDeR_cuGeDrCC1h/s1600/caravaggio-call-st-matthew.jpg

Madonna of the Pilgrims: http://www.gnosis.art.pl/iluminatornia/sztuka_o_inspiracji/caravaggio/caravaggio_madonna_dei_pellegrini.jpg

The Martyrdom of St. Matthew: http://www.baroque.us/painting/carava/martyr.jpg

The Inspiration of St. Mattew: http://faculty.txwes.edu/csmeller/Human-Prospect/ProData09/01ModCulMatrix/ModPICs/01Baroque/01aBrqCath/Caravaggio1573/Carr1602MattInsp1177.jpg

And this is a photo I just found online! This is from the Church of St. Louis, from the Contarelli Chapel- three Caravaggio's just there on the wall:

I also got to visit the Roman Forum, what used to be the center of the city and where the emperor would live. Finally got to see Constantine's Basilica and the Arch of Titus!

I also thought I would take this opportunity to just talk about strange little quirks I have noticed in Rome. First off, their female mannequins have nipples. I have no explanation for that. But on that note, I also have a funny picture of the undergarments they offer in one of the MANY lingerie stores in the downtown area of Rome.

Man. I just don't know.

But let me continue with some more oddities. The bathrooms. Not mine - you already know about my one-room bathroom/shower. I am talking about the public restrooms. First off, one cannot simply walk through a door labeled "Toilette" and walk into a private room. The first room is for the sink that men and women share. So though I have not experienced this, I am bound to have awkward eye contact with a stranger after we both just took a dump. And then someone watches the other wash their hands. (Also, the sinks have pedals to pump the *always* freezing water. If one of my firends hadn't spent 15 min. in the bathroom trying to figure this out before me, I would've been lost and bacteria ridden.)

Another thing - I knew that Rome was an urban city but not how urban it truly is. I don't know the names of any of the streets and I doubt the Romans do either because that information would make no damn difference - either way, unless you know where you are headed, you will get lost. There was no city planning while Rome was expanding, it's just all winding roads! And when you're walking around and think you have the right strut in the middle of the cobblestone street, a freakin' car and dangerous gang of Vespas come zoomin' through. Besides the buses, all the transportation is toy-size and could squeeze through a doorway. Freakin' Fiats.

What else is there that's kinda odd?...there is no such thing as coffee to go. Not that no one is in a rush here sometimes, just for some reason, there are no mugs or "to go" cups! You have to drink at the caffe. I suppose it's cause no one drinks coffee here to wake up and get the jitters. It just tastes really good! There's hardly any caffeine and the sizes are pretty modest. No triple shot iced mocha for me till I get back to the states or go to the McDonald's outside the Vatican's walls. Oh yes. Yes, there is a McD, a Burger King and Subway just outside St. Peter's. And I know how to get there using the metro...I got fries last night....

That's all I can think of right now! Arrivederci!

Ruh Ruh Like a Dungeon Dragon

So my week was meh. Just went to the conservation and restoration labs of the Vatican. Here's pic of my professor telling us about all the study that must be done before any restoration can begin on a piece. She looks and talks like the character that make costumes for The Incredibles. She doesn't have the sass though, that would be too much awesome to handle in a 3 hour class.

So behind her is La Pieta by Carlo Crivelli from the 15th century. (here's a link to see it close up: http://i.pbase.com/o6/93/329493/1/115466743.3tHnN4Z8.RomeOct08687.jpg) The odd thing is, I was told told that by the Renaissance period (I think), by another professor that it was considered too dramatic to show Mary (the one that's Christ's mother) as hysterical, so the strong emotion shown here is actually a rarity. It's not that the other Mary's in other Pieta's are not sad, but if you just click on the link and look at Mary in the lower left corner, it's shocking.

Next thing I did was go to a museum dedicated to the Etruscans. Pretty sick shit. This trip was for Ancient Art of Rome and it's by far my favorite class. The professor is a fun-loving as*hole. And those are the best kind. I saw the famous Apollo of Veii (6th c. BCE, http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/upload/q2605930.jpg ) and Sarcophagus of a Reclining Couple (also 6th c. BCE? http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/upload/q2605329.jpg ) there!

Damn. This is a long post. Hang in there. Just a few more things I gotta tell you. I also went to the Borghese Museum where they have SO MANY Bernini statues! They don't allow photographs so I'm gonna make a list with image links for you. Also, the picture to the right is the front of the museum.







The Goat Amalthea with the Infant Jupiter and a Faun (http://www.terminartors.com/files/artworks/3/6/9/36934/Bernini_Gian_Lorenzo-The_Goat_Amalthea_with_the_Infant_Jupiter_and_Faun.jpg)
Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius Fleeing Troy (http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/RM/AenasBernini.jpg)
Pluto and Persphone (http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyemxwBykg1qzko9j.jpg) and an important close up:

Apollo and Daphne (http://www.lib-art.com/imgpainting/9/4/6949-apollo-and-daphne-gian-lorenzo-bernini.jpg)
David (http://bettybaroque.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/bernini-david1.jpg)
Cardinale Scipione Burghese (http://www.bramarte.it/600/img/ber4.jpg)
Truth (http://artmight.com/albums/2011-02-07/art-upload-2/b/Bernini-Gian-Lorenzo/Bernini-Truth.jpg)

Dayum. I also saw about 5 different Caravaggio's there. Freakin crazy. I made another list:

Sick Bacchus (http://www.paintinghere.com/UploadPic/Caravaggio/big/Sick%20Bacchus.jpg )
St. Jerome (http://www.paintinghere.com/UploadPic/Caravaggio/big/St.%20Jerome.jpg)
St. John The Baptist (http://www.caravaggio-foundation.org/St-John-the-Baptist.jpg)
Madonna dei Palafrenieri (http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/multimedia/MiBAC/images/upload/large/4/1249491722491_02.jpg)
David Holding the Head of Goliath:

*If you wanna know, the Madonna painting was originally for St. Peter's altar but was taken down because the Madonna is actually Caravaggio's mistress and the baby Jesus was too old to be naked and slightly scandalous. The Goliath head is also a self-portrait. This painting was made after Caravaggio murdered someone and fled Rome. He made this as a gesture of apology and self-metaphorical/spiritual-penance for the Pope. My professor just casually mentioned the whole murder stuff and didn't go into further detail than what I'm telling you. I will find out more info for sure. Caravaggio just got way more interesting.  

*I just learned a couple of days ago that the Via di Pallacorda  (translates to "ball-rope"; is real damn close to the Pantheon) is where Caravaggio had a tennis match with his sworn enemy and I assume he lost cause he totally killed the bastard and then fled Rome.

Omg, Santa Claus, I need a DVD player

Over the weekend it snowed! Rome is so pretty with snow. There were a lot of people outside during the day throwing snowballs and walking their dogs. Me and a friend even two bros leaving a pharmacy laughing with giant tuberware lids, definitely planning on sledding

Also, there were moon boots freakin' everywhere!!! Check them out, so awesome:

http://www.moonboot.it/#/en/home

My friends and I decided that we would slack off on our homework as a fresh start to the new semester and walk around the downtown area instead. We found that the main shopping street was gated off to cars and everyone was on the streets! (That's what the picture above shows.) It was so cool and I bought a 30 euro purse for only 8 euro. Freakin' steal.

Here's another pic of what I saw Sat night:

Today, I went to listen to some Gregorian chant. Badass. I went to mass for about 15 min to hear the monks and it was amazing. I was so used to just hearing them on my laptop envisioning scary men with black cloaks only holding candles to barely show their faces. This mass was not like that. It was at 9 am first of all, and second, they did not have their hoods up, which would've been pretty awesome, but since it was an average Sunday maybe they chose to take it down a notch.

Then I went to a flee (sp?) market. A giant flee market in Trestevere and it was amazing. They had everything. They sold bras, watches, iPhone chargers, hub caps, food and soooo many jackets. Badass jackets are my thing so it was nice to know I only had 5 euro or...shit would've gone down in my closet. Now I know and am preparing myself for this coming Sunday. Yes mother, I am going to buy another jacket.