Roma

Here is Rich in his official professor role at Sapienza University. For those of you who think he is not working here!


Yes, we were really there!



Coffee break time, and a break for tired feet.





We were really there too!

View of one of the patios at our hotel. Notice the depth of the walls where the windows are across the way.

The hallway of our hotel

Monk's garden within the old Roman amphitheater

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme

Our hotel entrance is in the arched doorway to the right of the main church facade, partly hidden by the white bus.


Ah Rome-the sun, the food, the wine, the abundant art, the general lack of concern for timeliness and efficiency!

Arrived in Rome on Wednesday evening. The people at the university where Rich was giving a lecture had recommended a hotel so we made a reservation there, without really knowing much about it. Turns out it is in a monastery, attached to a church called Santa Croce in Gerusalemma (Sacred Cross of Jerusalem). We had directions, but as we approached all we saw was a huge old (really old) church building, attached to a huge old (really really old) Roman wall! There was a small doorway that was open, with a light on and it seemed to be the only thing around so in we went and amazingly, that was it! As we found out, this is a 4th century church founded by St. Helen (mother of Emperor Constantine) after she had been to Jerusalem and brought back a piece “of the true cross.” The church itself was built on the site of a huge Roman amphitheater, well-preserved city walls and a point of confluence of several Roman aqueducts! The church has thrived for centuries, with a large monastery since the 10th century, and was significantly enlarged in the 12th century. In the 18th century the church was rebuilt as a baroque building and given to the Cistercian monks who remain there today. But as the number of monks declined, they decided to use part of their facility as a hotel and one wing was rebuilt for that about 10 years ago. It is a very nice hotel, and quite unique, with rooms that were originally monk’s cells and long, corridors with vaulted ceilings. There is still a working monastery here and hallways that you cannot enter because they lead to the monks’ domain. The monks maintain a huge flower and vegetable garden within the walls of the amphitheater and the church is always available if you feel the need! This is truly one of the most unusual places we have ever stayed but we thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of it. ( and each morning for breakfast they provided some of the best coffee I ever tasted!)

[Footnote on odd Italian technology. They gave us a key to the room consisting of an electronic card and a physical metal key with no explanation. We followed directions to our room on the 1st floor (go left, down steps, left again down hall, right through doorway, left down long hall, left to elevator, up 4 flights to 1st floor) and at room 112 saw a large wooden door with a key card slot to the right. We put in the card and heard a click, but the door didn’t open. We finally figured out that the card only allowed the metal key to unlock the door (!??!!?!) and we needed to use the real key to actually open it. Once we got in, the room was very dark (t was late evening). We found and flipped the light switch – Nothing! Tried again – no lights. Used hall lights to try others, then found a circuit breaker box. I flip these several times and lights came on but popped off immediately. So we found the phone & called the desk to report an electrical problem and they told us (stupid us) that we needed to place the key card in another slot inside the room to activate the lights. Since the card remains at the desk when we are out, it assures that all lights are off when we are gone. Good idea but… how about telling us?

Anyway, the reason we went to Rome was because Rich had been invited to give a talk on his sustainable architecture project to the Environmental Psychology Department at Sapienza University. That occurred Friday morning and I went along to hear him. The people were quite lovely and very interested in the work he is doing. I enjoyed listening to him because I rarely get to hear him in one of his formal presentations. There are more people doing this kind of work in Europe at this point than in America and I think it was really very gratifying for him to get this kind of response. His work is cited in several publications by people from this department, so they knew his work and were happy to meet him in person.

Beyond that, Rome was of course amazing. We realized that neither of us had been there for almost 35 years which, as Rachel told me, doesn’t count! Obviously the city has changed a bit, as have we! And of course 4 days is hardly enough to do anything in a place like this, but after resigning ourselves to that fact, we had a lovely time. We concentrated on the old stuff- spent a day in the Forum, the Coliseum and the Palatine Hill, with another half day at the Capitoline Museum. Another half day at the Borghese Gallery enjoying some of the later masterpieces, like those of Bernini, Titian and Carravagio. Beyond that, we walked and we walked and we walked. Went to innumerable churches to admire the architecture and art work inside, and finished with visits to several of the more recent “masterworks” of Renzo Piano (the Auditorium), Zaha Hadid (Maxxi Museum), and Richard Meyer (Museum of Ara Pacis). [see Matt, I do like contemporary architecture!]

And of course we ate… Ate very well, in fact, and washed it down with lots of good wine and gelati, as one is supposed to do in Rome! Roman specialties include lots of fried things, like frito misto and fried zucchini blossoms. And spring had clearly arrived, with strawberries and asparagus on all the menus. On Sunday, we had lunch at a kosher restaurant in the old Jewish ghetto and their specialty seems to be fried artichokes, which are quite yummy. On the day of Rich’s talk, the folks from the Environmental Psychology Department took us out to a local place that specializes in Roman cuisine. Really interesting place with tables in the vaulted cellar rooms and wine from their own vineyards. I had a quite delicious pasta with asparagus and Rich enjoyed rabbit. They kept trying to get us to try the various internal organ meats, but we declined!

The only other notable sight we got to was the grand synagogue of Rome and its museum. The building was built in 1904 and is in a very eclectic style with some art nouveau ornament inside. It was constructed on the site of the earlier religious building from the Ghetto, of which nothing remains. While the walls were in place, the Jews were only allowed to have one religious building, but there were five different groups so they divided the space inside for their different services! (of course). Now there is the main sanctuary upstairs (used by those of the Rome rite and a smaller one downstairs which is used by the Sephardim. There are no Ashkenasim or so we were told by our guide = who was the only surly person we met in the entire stay.)

From Rich: We aren’t the first to say it, maybe the last in fact, but can there be 2 more different bordering places in the world than Austria and Italy. Calm stolid, neat, organized, efficient versus – all possible antonyms of these. The Italians make public emotion a national trait, in Austria children & dogs are expected to be quiet in public. In Vienna we know that we can expect the 4A bus to be at our stop at the scheduled 9:05. In Rome we asked what the schedule was for the 79 bus to the train station (Termini) and it took a few minutes for the hotel clerk to stop laughing. In Vienna you ask for & get whatever you order quickly from a courteous or imperious waiter - in Rome you ask for Gelato, get a smile (a hug if you want one), news about cousins in Brooklyn, and a quick lesson on how to pronounce gelato. Viva la difference!