Agenda for Day 19, 06-05-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Yes, you read that right: Day 19. Unless you've made other arrangements with Dr. Spinner and me, this is the day that you'll post your final blog entry, the envoi.

As noted on our Writing page, the purpose of the envoi is to give you an opportunity to say some final words as a Roman writer:

An envoi is the conclusion of a written work, which often includes the author's parting words. Your envoi will be your final blog entry, posted 48 hours after the tour is over, where you will look back on your Roman tour and bring your writing of it to a close — for now.

Also, if you have outstanding blog posts, please make sure you have entered them before you post your envoi. Following this, Dr. Spinner and I will re-read everything, confer, and send your grades to the registrar.

For now, I hope this post finds you happy, healthy, and satisfied. Travel well, Romekids.

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 16, 06-02-15 (evening)

Dear Writers of Rome,

The agenda for our final evening in the Eternal City will be as follows.

(1) Gather in the Common Room at 7:00 p.m. sharp with your audio devices ready to be redistributed to those flying back to JFK on. If possible, please repack your device in the original bag(s), with the batteries removed.

(2) Also at this time, we'll review the check-out procedures, which we posted previously.

(3) After these preliminaries, we'll make some closing remarks and ask you to fill out course evaluations. Our peer mentor will collect them and mail them to the Classics/Religion administrative assistant upon landing in the U.S.

(4) At 8:00 we'll head out to our farewell dinner at L'Osteria Centouno. Thanks to the euro being in our favor, your personal allowance at the restaurant (excluding alcohol) will be 50 euros.

(5) Finally, bear in mind that those traveling to New York with Dr. Spinner will depart via shuttle at 6:30 a.m. the following morning.

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 16, 06-02-15 (morning)

Dear Writers of Rome,

As you are aware, tomorrow is the country-wide Festa della Repubblica, which commemorates the nationwide referendum of June 2, 1946 — the date on which Italians voted to abolish their constitutional monarchy and institute a full parliamentary system of government.

It's a national holiday akin Independence Day in the U.S. Nowhere are the celebrations grander than in Rome, the capital. Here's both what you can expect regarding transportation and other services on your last day in Rome, and how we plan to observe some of the festivities.

First, buses and the Metro will operate on the reduced-run festivo schedule; in fact, the Colosseo Metro stop might be closed the entire day to accommodate the ceremonies near the Wedding Cake.

Second, many archaeological sites (such as the Forum) will be closed, as will many other shops — though not all. You'll still be able to visit quite a few museums, churches, and other destinations for your solo excursions; and you'll still be able to shop. The important thing is to do your research before you head out.

In Rome on Republic Day (as we call it in English), there are several events of interest to us as a class:

• 9:15 a.m.: The President of Italy will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (as described in Kristen's site report);
• 10:00: There will be a military parade on the Via dei Fori Imperiali from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum;
• 11:00: Fighter jets will release tri-color smoke and create an aerial Italian flag.
• In the evening, there will be fireworks.

The parade is a fitting culmination to our study of Rome. We have often noted how power and authority are publicly displayed in spectacles. Ancient triumphs and medieval processions were continued in Mussolini's parades on the Via dell'Impero. Their spirit survives into the present day every June 2.

We invite you to join us for any or all of the above. Tomorrow morning Profs. Curley and Spinner will be stationed on the the Capitoline Hill between the new wing of the Capitoline Museum and the Palazzo Senatorio, overlooking the Via dei Fori Imperiali. Look for us there by 9:30 if you want to meet up. Otherwise, feel free to find your own place to sample the spectacle.

Note that attendance is optional, but we hope you'll make the most of this Italian, and uniquely Roman, holiday.

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 15, 06-01-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Here are the most important things to know about our visit to the Vatican Museums on Monday, June 1:

• We will leave at 9:00 sharp from the Common Room. Vatican reservations (ours is at 9:30) are very strict.
• Please have your Skidmore ID (to verify your U.S. student status), your Blue Guide, and your tour equipment.
• Be dressed for church: the Vatican likes appropriate dress in the museum and especially at the Sistine Chapel.

If you are late or do not have the appropriate gear, we will not wait for you. Although we won't be running to the Vatican, we'll need you to stay with the group, since we'll be using the audio devices to fill you in as we walk.

More tomorrow,

DC

Agenda for Day 14, 05-31-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Our agenda for Sunday, May 31, are as follows:

Meet at the Common Room at 9:00. We'll take the Metro to Piramide, and then the regional rail to Ostia Antica.

Once at Ostia, you can explore the remains of Rome's ancient port city mostly on your own. This visit will help you envision what ancient Rome was like, before it was built up over the years. At a prearranged point we'll meet at the theater and from there move on to the ancient synagogue.

While at Ostia you'll do your Writer's Choice assignment (Ekphrasis, Momentary Blindness, Space & Place or Voyeur).

In the afternoon we'll head to the Lido di Ostia (Lido Centrale) and head to the beach. As noted, feel free to rent a chair from a private resort or to use the public beach (we'll show you both options).

Allegedly, the last train back to St. John's is 11:30 p.m. We'll try to confirm that during transit. If you miss the train, you'll have to get back via bus or taxi. I wouldn't stay out too late, though: we'll have a 9:00 start the next day at the Vatican Museums.

DC

Checking Out, 06-03-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Alas, it's time to start thinking about end-of-course matters, such packing up and leaving the St. John's Rome Center on June 3rd.

You might have noticed in the elevator a piece of paper detailing our check-out procedures. The salient information is here.

EVERYONE:

• Bag up all trash and remove all personal items. You may leave one bag of trash per person outside your door in the red trash bin. If you leave excessive trash you might be charged an additional cleaning fee.
• Leave all linens on the beds.
• Return e-key to the security desk when you depart and sign the "Return e-key log." Failure to return the key will result in a 100-dollar fine.

THOSE DEPARTING FOR THE USA:

• Pick-up by airport shuttle, 6:30 a.m. Drop off your key just before you leave.

THOSE WITH OTHER DESTINATIONS:

• Check out of the center by 10:00 a.m. Drop off your key just before you leave.
• Your bus passes will get you to the train station, where you can purchase tickets for other destinations (including the airport).

Please let us know if you have any questions.

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 13, 05-30-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Tomorrow, May 30, we head to the Protestant Cemetery, where we'll see the remains of many Grand Tourists. Here's our agenda:

Gather in the Common Room at 8:30. Yes, this is early for a weekend, but we want to give you as much time the rest of the day to enjoy the city and make solo excursions.

We'll travel by Metro to the cemetery. The rules for admission call for polite behavior and respectful dress. They also ask us to break into two groups, but once we get into the older part of the grounds, we can stand together.

After our final site report, we'll make a quick jaunt to the Monte Testaccio itself, and admire from the sidewalk the artificial hill that gives the quarter its name. After that, you're on your own.

DC

Agenda for Day 12, 05-29-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Our agenda for Friday, May 29, is shaping up as follows:

We'll gather in the Common Room at 8:30 and take the Metro to the Circo Massimo stop, transferring at Termini. From there it's a short walk to the Baths of Caracalla, the best preserved ancient baths in Rome. Our principal guide for this excursion will be none other than our beloved Peer Mentor herself.

After the Baths, we'll board the infamous 118 bus and make our way out onto the Appian Way, or Via Appia Antica. We'll have a picnic at the Villa of Maxentius, and then learn about the road itself. Make sure you have, in addition to your must-bring items, some food to eat: facilities on the V.A.A. are both sparse and bleak.

We'll linger in the area, visiting the Tomb of Cecilia Metella (courtesy of our Baths of Caracalla ticket) until 2:00, the appointed hour for our tour of the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. Once the tour is over, we'll head home by bus and Metro.

As if all of this weren't enough, you are invited by our friend Alessandra to attend a reading from her New Anthology of American Poetry: several of the Romekids have volunteered to lend their voices to this event. The reading will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Libreria Caffe N'Importe Quoi, in the former Ghetto. It will be a unique opportunity to observe Roman literary culture in action.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC

Agenda for Day 11, 05-28-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Our itinerary on Thursday will be another double-header, but it is the second-to-last one of these. As before, we've build in rest and food breaks, and we promise much serenity to go around.

We'll gather in the Common Room at 8:30 sharp for an immediate departure. Please be on time. We'll grab the 70 or 87 bus to the Largo Argentina and walk from there to the Great Synagogue of Rome. There we'll meet our guide, David, who will give us a tour of the former Ghetto, which will also include a visit to the Museo Ebraico.

Lunch will be a group affair, with a tasting menu at Nonna Betta, one of the best restaurants in the Ghetto. The owner, Umberto, has offered to say a few words about the traditions of Jewish cuisine in Rome.

After lunch and a break, we'll hear a presentation on Tiber Island, then head up the Aventine Hill to hear about the Basilica of Santa Sabina. While on the hill we'll also visit the Giardini degli Aranci (the Orange Garden) and write our Momentary Blindness exercise.

DC

Dear Writers of Rome,

The forecast for this afternoon calls for 100% chance of precipitation (scattered showers), so please be prepared.

Beyond that, it looks as if we might not encounter anymore rain during our stay in Italy.

I hope everyone is feeling refreshed. See you soon,

gs

Agenda for Day 10, 05-27-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Our agenda for Wednesday, May 27, looks like this:

We'll meet at 8:45 in the Common Room and walk over to Piazza San Pietro, where crowds will be arriving for the Papal General Audience. Here we'll do our Voyeur writing exercise. Once you're finished, you can stay for the audience (standing room only) or leave on other excursions.

We'll reconvene under the north colonnade in the Piazza at 1:00 p.m. Lines to get into the Basilica San Pietro may be long, so we'll have to be patient. Wear your best church clothes.

Once we've cleared security and are in the Basilica, we'll use our audio equipment to orient us inside the structure, and then let you explore it on your own. Bring your Blue Guides.

Admission to the Basilica is free. At your option you may pull a Florence Nightingale and pay to ascend to the cupola (an elevator will take the faint of heart half way up). The view of Rome from the top is unparalleled. Note that if you leave the Basilica through the official exit before you visit the top, you'll have to get back into the long line and enter the Basilica again in order to ascend.

We'll end our day by hearing about the Piazza itself.

Enjoy your day off; you've earned it.

DC

Agenda for Day 08, 05-25-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Our agenda for Monday involves still more touring of the Campus Martius, but also a trip to the outskirts of the city. Here's the breakdown.

We'll gather in the Common Room at 8:30 and make our way to the Pantheon at 9:00. We'll spend some quality time there, studying it as a Roman icon, and then head for a coffee break at Tazza d'Oro (one of the two best coffee bars in Rome).

From there we'll move to Piazza Navona, after a brief stop at San Luigi dei Francesi to see Caravaggio's St. Matthew series, and the Basilica of Sant'Agnese in Agone.

Following a lunch break we'll meet at the statue of Giordano Bruno at 2:00 p.m. (14:00) in the Campo de' Fiori before moving on to Termini Station and the fragments of the Servian Wall. From there it's off to the Porta Maggiore before ending at Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano.

In and around these delights we'll visit our last two Talking Statues of Rome.

We know this will be as long a day as we'll have in Rome. But it's all good stuff. We'll take breaks, and by the end of it, we'll have earned our day of rest.

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 07, 05-24-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Tomorrow's Pentecost Mass at the Pantheon begins at 10:30 a.m. It's a popular event, so if you plan to go, you should be there at least by 9:30, and make it clear that you mean to attend the mass (as opposed to simply being a tourist).

The mass will last about an hour and a half, and you'll very likely be standing for most of it. But when the petals drop at noon, you can say you've witnessed a singular Roman experience.

(If you miss it, you won't miss the Pantheon. We'll be back on day 08.)

In the afternoon, we'll convene at the top of the Spanish Steps at 1:00 p.m. (13:00), outside the church of Trinità dei Monti. After hearing about the Piazza di Spagna, we'll continue our tour of the Campus Martius, including the column of Marcus Aurelius, the Horologium of Augustus, the Area Sacra of the Largo Argentina, and (of course) more Talking Statues of Rome.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 06, 05-23-15

Dear Roman Writers,

As noted, we're working on shuffling around the agenda of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, while still keeping our free day of next Tuesday intact.

The upshot for Saturday is that we'll be moving the presentations on the Column of M. Aurelius, Piazza di Spagna, and  the Horologium of Augustus to either Sunday or Monday.

The itinerary for Saturday posted on the web is the correct one. Please meet Dr. Spinner at 8:30 a.m. in the Common Room, to arrive at the Villa Borghese in time for our 9:00 entry. The forecast is calling for scattered showers, so please be prepared.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC

Agenda for Day 05, 05-22-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Can you believe it's almost been a week since our tour began? We on the instruction team are very happy with how things have been going, and we hope you are, too.

Tomorrow we'll gather in the common room at 8:30 sharp. We'll keep the remarks to a minimum, because to get to the Capitoline Museum, we'll have to take the 70. A great bus — it makes far fewer stops than the 280 — but it can be a little uneven in service.

As noted at the end of today's session, you'll have to check large backpacks and bags in the checkroom. But please be ready to carry, at a minimum:

• your audio equipment
• Blue Guide
• pencil (no pen) and notebook

You may take pictures without flash of the regular exhibits; you'll probably want to bring your phone, if only to help keep track of time.

I'll reinforce this idea at the morning, but we'll have at least one occasion during our visit when we'll reconvene as a group. So it will be important that you NOT exit the museum before that time. More on that tomorrow.

At the museum, we'll hear from Sarah Donovan about the Talking Statues of Rome; we'll also hear more about the statues later that day (and on Saturday and on Sunday).

In the evening we'll hear from our friend in Rome, the poet Alessandra Bava. Meet at the Piazza Farnese at 6:45 p.m. (18:45) for an interview and a poetry reading, followed by a fine dinner at Al Pompiere.

DC

Agenda for Day 04, 05-21-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Not much to say for tomorrow, when we tour the Palatine Hill and the Forum Romanum. Most important are these two items:

(1) Meet in the Common Room at 8:30 a.m. sharp.
(2) Please bring your Blue Guides with you.

The BG will fill in the details of the Palatine Hill, which (as you know) is a warren of structures, mostly from the Imperial period. There's no need for us to turn over every stone, but the Guide can help you understand the things you are interested in.

Again, our Itinerary: http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html.

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 03, 05-20-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

As you have probably heard by now, we're gathering on Wednesday in the Common Room/Lounge not at 8:15 but at 8:35.

Our itinerary tomorrow includes a tour of the Colosseum, followed by a visit to the Basilica San Pietro in Vincoli. After lunch, we'll convene at the Basilica San Clemente for another stellar site report.

Given this itinerary, be prepared to enter two churches.

As always, our itinerary can be found at: http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html.

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 02, 05-19-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Thank you for a splendid first day. I think I speak for Prof. Spinner when I say that we are very pleased with how things went, and we hope you have a sense of how Reading Rome has given you a context to appreciate the many things the city has to offer.

As noted, tomorrow morning you are on your own to either plan your site reports or make a solo excursion. As you know by now, the list of excursions is both on the Writing page of our website and in the libretto (little book) of site reports.

We'll meet at 1:00 p.m. (13:00) sharp outside the Colosseum Metro stop. Remember that the stop is on the Blue Line (Line B); so you need to take the Red Line (Line A) at Lepanto and transfer at Termini. Be sure, when you transfer, that you're heading in the right direction: to get to the Colosseum, follow the signs for Laurentina (the southern end of the line).

Also be sure to have your must-bring gear, including your audio equipment. And be dressed appropriately for the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli. And if anyone runs across that extra set of batteries, let us know.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC/gs

Website PDF

Dear Roman Writers,

This is likely my last post until we reach Rome.

I've made a crude PDF of our website for you to have in case our wireless access is delayed:

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/campus-only/handouts/Website%20backup.pdf

The document contains the Syllabus, the Itinerary, the Writing guidelines, and Site Report guidelines. I strongly suggest that you save a copy on your laptop or other device, and perhaps even go so far as to print a hardcopy and bring it with you.

I've added this document your pre-departure review checklist.

Bear in mind, though, that the official syllabus is on the web and is subject to some changes as our tour proceeds.

Travel well!

DC

Agenda for Day 01, 05-18-15

Dear Roman Writers,

What follows is, so far as it is possible to determine, our agenda for day one. This post covers what will happen when we deplane, when we arrive at St. John's, and beyond.

Please take the time to read this post (which is part of your pre-departure review checklist), since not everyone is arriving on the same flight, and since it will not always be possible to speak with you individually or as a group during transit.

(NOTE: Not every post for every day of our tour will be this detailed: that's why we have an Itinerary posted on our website.)

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

AT LEONARDO DA VINCI AIRPORT

You might have heard that the International terminal at Rome's airport suffered a fire over a week ago. What this means for us is that the process of going through customs and getting our baggage will require some patience. Dr. Spinner tells me that lines were long and tempers short when he went through last Monday. It might be that the Italian authorities now have better workarounds in place. Regardless, our arrival will probably be the most variable part of our day.

Normally, one deplanes and takes the Skytrain to customs, and then to the baggage claim area. While there will be bathrooms along the way, wait until we're at baggage to heed the call of nature and freshen up. Help us keep our momentum through the airport by staying with the group.

Once through baggage we'll hopefully find our bus driver waiting for us; we'll board and head to Prati and St. John's. Along the way, you might contemplate what Rome is from the standpoint of size. You'll recall from our discussion of the modern city how the Regulatory Plans kept expanding outward from the historic center. This kind of concentric urbanization is what you can expect to see on the bus ride.

Those of you not arriving on the group flight are responsible for getting to St. John's on your own.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

AT ST. JOHN'S

In a perfect world, we'll arrive at the St. John's Rome campus before noon, where Dr. Spinner will be waiting for us, looking relaxed and refreshed.

Here, too, there will be some variability. We know that the staff of St. John's wants to give us a brief orientation. We also know that in order to access the wireless internet, laptops have to be registered by St. John's IT personnel — a process that will require us to physically loan them our equipment so they can install the wireless protocols. If we get to the Rome Campus early enough, this will hopefully be done by the end of the workday. If not, we'll have to wait until Tuesday to have wireless.

At some point we'll be given our St. John's IDs, which we'll need when we return to campus from our excursions, and our passwords for the computer lab, where the computers are hardwired for internet access. And you'll want to get to your rooms, freshen up, explore the area, get money, and eat a little something.

All in all, there will likely be some down time between our arrival on Campus and when we convene in the late afternoon for our first excursion. It is strongly recommended that you avoid sleeping, if you can help it. The later you go to bed this first night, the more your internal clock will have a chance to reset itself.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

OUR FIRST EXCURSION AND DINNER

For now it looks as though we'll convene in the St. John's Common Room at 2:30 (or 14:30 in European time). Prior to meeting up, be sure you have all the must-bring items on your excursion list (as noted on our Syllabus under "Class Participation."). If we haven't yet had a chance to distribute our tour equipment, bus passes, and booklets, we'll do so at this meeting. The instruction team will make some preliminary remarks, and then we'll be out the door.

Our destination will be the Janiculum Hill, by way of Trastevere, which we'll reach via bus. On this first ride, you'll validate your bus pass (which process we'll explain beforehand). Once we reach the summit of the hill and have had a chance to look out over the city, we'll hear our first report from our Peer Mentor on the Fontanone (Big Fountain) of the Acqua Paola.

Following the report and a little time to orient ourselves both on the Janiculum and within the larger cityscape, we'll descend again into Trastevere and have our welcome dinner at Dar Poeta, a wonderful and authentic Roman pizzeria. Our reservation is set for 6:30 (18:30), so we might spend some time in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere beforehand — it all depends.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

BACK TO ST. JOHN'S

One of Professor Curley's favorite things to do, especially on the first night, is meander along Rome's dusky streets and reacquaint himself with some old friends: the Campo de' Fiori, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and many more. If you want to join him on the long walk back to St. John's for any or all of this experience, you are more than welcome. If you'd rather head back to St. John's directly we'll point you in the right direction and/or make sure you get on the right bus. If you'd rather do your own thing entirely, no problem.

Before we part ways, we'll have said something about Day 02. For now just remember that the following morning is reserved for solo excursions and site-report planning. We recommend that you rise as early as you can and make the most of it.

DC/gs

Pre-Departure Review Checklist

Dear Writers of Rome,

This is arguably the most important post I'll make before we touch Roman soil. Please read it carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

As our departure looms, the thought occurs that it would be helpful to put the essential Writing Rome information we've sent over the past two weeks in one place for your review.

You should go though the following posts and pages to make sure you know exactly what to expect on our study tour. Check them off as you proceed.

ESSENTIAL BLOG POSTS:

• At the Airport, 05-17-15
• Agenda for Day 01, 05-18-15

ESSENTIAL WEBSITE PAGES:

• Syllabus (esp. the Textbooks and supplies section)
• Writing (esp. the guidelines for the Giornali assignments and the schedule)
• Sites (details on our site reports).

ESSENTIAL OCSE DOCUMENTS:

• Official travel information
• Travel tips
• St. John's Rome Center orientation

ESSENTIAL DOWNLOADS:

• PDF of our website (Syllabus, Itinerary, Writing, and Sites pages)

DC/gs

Grading Reading and Writing Rome

Dear Writers of Rome,

Spring 2015 grades will be officially released after Tuesday, May 19. Dr. Spinner and I were able to submit many of the CC 265 grades around the time senior grades were due; if that was the case, you've probably already seen your grade for Reading Rome on your unofficial transcript.

If you would rather not wait until Wednesday or Thursday of our tour to get your grade, please send me an email and I'll reply with a breakdown of your scores this past term.

Note also that on your transcripts, your grades for Writing Rome will be recorded as an "I" (for Incomplete), which is simply a consequence of our having a travel seminar at this time of year. No need for alarm.

Once the seminar is over and all work turned in, Dr. Spinner and I will award your grades for TX 200, well in advance of the "I" deadline (June 19).

DC

Website Update: Resources

Dear Roman Writers,

I'm happy to announce that the final page of the Writing Rome website, Resources, is now live:

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/resources.html

The page contains information on the following:

• Reading and Writing Rome, including travel information and our preparedness plan;
• The St. John's Rome Center;
• food and language; and
• transportation in Rome.

Much of this material you have seen before, either in class or during our OCSE orientation. This page puts it all in one place.

And with that, the website for Writing Rome 2015 is complete.

DC

Website Update: Writing

Dear Writers of Rome,

I'm thrilled to announce that the Writing page of the Writing Rome website is now live:

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/writing.html

Here you'll find the following:

• objectives for the writing assignment;
• assignment descriptions, including guidelines for the solo excursions of your Giornali;
• a complete list of due dates; and
• the familiar writing tips.

I cannot urge you strongly enough to familiarize yourself with this page before departure. Our course is called Writing Rome, after all, and the writing assignments themselves are worth 40% of your grade.

Our Itinerary has also been updated to include the writing assignments.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

DC

Last Call: "At-A-Glance"

Dear Writers of Rome,

Just an urgent note about the At-A-Glance handouts for the site presentations in Rome, which were called for several days ago in this blog post.

I'm missing seven of them: if I've emailed you, you know who you are. But please read on.

I won't waste your time and mine by calling this situation unacceptable: it clearly is, as is the fact that I have to badger some of you to submit your work.

A larger, more concerning issue is that I've heard from several of you that you had no idea that we need handouts and are making a booklet.

This news is worrisome because, as both Dr. Spinner and I noted before the end of the semester, this transitional time between Reading and Writing Rome is critical to the success of the travel seminar. We have posted and will continue to post notices up until departure and in Rome, so you must read everything that comes across your screen fully and carefully.

In the meantime, if those of you with outstanding At-A-Glance sheets could please get them to me by noon tomorrow (Tuesday), I'll have time to include them in the booklet: Office Services tells me that they can work with a truncated production schedule.

Please review the original At-A-Glance post and follow the formatting specs to the letter. I've spent the better part of the day deformatting many an improper handout, and time is running out.

If I don't receive a handout from you, the book will have to go to press as is, and you'll start TX 200 with red in your ledger. That's regrettable, but there's nothing else for it.

Thanks for your attention in this matter.

DC

At the Airport, 05-17-15

Dear Roman Writers,

This post is for the many of you who will be on the group flight from JFK to Rome on May 17, and who have been asking about the general order of business prior to takeoff.

If you are on that flight, please take the time to read this post in its entirety.

As you should know by now, Dr. Spinner will have traveled ahead to Rome and gotten things ready for our arrival at St. John's. That means you should look only for me at the airport, where I'll be happy to greet you and your families and to hand off the audio equipment before we go through security.

I plan to take a series of trains to the airport starting mid-morning Sunday, departing from the Albany Rensselaer Amtrak station. If anyone wants to train it with me, they're welcome to join; just let me know in advance. Otherwise, I'll assume you're getting to JFK under your own steam, whether on the Albany airport shuttle or by other means.

I'm planning to arrive at the airport around 2:00 p.m. and to check in as early as possible. I'll linger in the check-in area, and that's where you'll be able to find me for a meet and greet with anyone of your family and/or friends. Hopefully you'll arrive around 2:00, too — within the three hours the airline recommends.

Meet and greet or no, please don't go through security without getting your audio device from me. As you know, it's probably not the best idea for one person to carry a slew of uncommon electronic equipment through the screening lines. Ideally, I'd like to have each one of us on the flight carrying on one device each, two at the maximum.

I'll probably go through security myself around 3:30 or so. Once I hand off the device to you, you're free to go through and proceed to our departure gate as you see fit. But, if you want to go through with me, that's fine.

If you arrive at the airport after 3:30, you should check in and proceed through security on your own. If you do plan to arrive that late, I'd appreciate a call or a text: I'll provide you with my number if you don't already have it.

If the catastrophic happens and you miss the flight, you should call our travel agent, Steve, who will work with you to find an alternate flight; his information should already have been provided to you. But the bottom line is, we cannot hold the flight if you are late.

I hope this all makes sense. In a future post I'll detail what to expect in the time after takeoff and on the ground in Rome when we land. In the meantime, please let me know if you have questions.

DC

Website Update: Site Reports

Dear Roman Writers,

Our Site reports page is now available on the official Writing Rome website. Please navigate on over and have a look.

The page offers, in addition to a rudimentary schedule of presentations, guidelines for successful reports as well as the evaluation form that the instructional team will use for grading purposes.

We suggest that you spend some time now looking over both the page and the form so you can begin, if only subconsciously, to plan ahead.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

DC/gs

What "Two Pages" Means...

"At-A-Glance"

Dear Readers and (soon-to-be) Writers of Rome,

Allow us to clarify what we are looking for in a site presentation handout, or what we are now calling "At-A-Glance."

We would like your (unannotated) bibliography, selected images, and major bullet points (not all your own talking points, but the most important names, dates, and themes you want to register with your audience). This information should occupy no more than 2 single-spaced pages. (See the additional technical requirements, below).

Some of you will have to edit down the handouts you've already shown us. You might be able to pare them down by using single-spacing, but avoid having huge blocks of text. Do use spacing to differentiate major blocks of information, and make the reading easier.

The technical:

• MS Word document (no PDFs);
• 2 single-spaced pages;
• 12-point Times New Roman font;
• one-inch margins;
• no page numbers, headers, or footers.

As noted, we'll assemble the handouts into a booklet that all of us will consult on-site during the reports. As such, we might have to do some minor editing; the above technical requirements will hopefully keep that editing to a minimum. Bear in mind that your pages will be shrunk down 25% to fit the booklet format.

Please submit your "At-A-Glance" document no later than Sunday, May 10 (although earlier would be appreciated).

We are excited with how the site presentations are shaping up, and looking forward to hearing them in their full glory while in Rome.

DC/gs

Share Your Voice in Rome!

Dear Roman Writers,

You should hopefully know that on two occasions we'll be meeting up with Alessandra Bava — poet, translator, and Rome enthusiast — whose poem on Giordano Bruno we discussed on the last day of Reading Rome.

Alessandra has written to me with yet another opportunity for us while we're in the Eternal City. She has recently completed translating and editing an anthology of American poetry, Nuova antologia di poesia americana (Ensemble, 2015). On Friday evening, May 29, she hopes to organize a reading of selections from the volume in the historic center.

She has issued a warm invitation to any and all of us to read from the volume (in English) for the audience of invitees — in other words, to inject some American voices into the proceedings. I hope to participate in this extraordinary opportunity, and I hope that some of you will join me.

If you're not sure at the moment, perhaps you'll change your mind after meeting Alessandra the week before. In any event, I wanted to put this chance to experience Rome's literary and artistic culture on your radar as soon as possible.

Please let me know if you're interested in participating, or if you have any questions.

DC

PS: I realize that not all of us are Americans, strictly speaking; and that America is (or the Americas are) much more than the United States. But, for the purposes of this event, we can be considered de facto Americans due to Skidmore’s location.

Website Update: Syllabus

Dear Writers of Rome,

This post is to alert you that the Syllabus page of the Writing Rome website is now complete.

Please browse on over and read the page carefully and in its entirety. Not only does it discuss the breakdown of your Writing Rome grade, it offers lists of essential gear — both the things you should not leave home without and the things you must bring on our daily excursions in the city.

Let us know if you have questions.

DC/gs

Benvenuti a Writing Rome!

Dear Roman Writers,

Welcome to the official launch of the Writing Rome blog. Despite all of the hoopla, you'll find it looks and feels exactly the same as the Reading Rome blog. (That's not a bad thing, actually.)

This means the URL for the blog is the same as it ever was: http://readingrome.blogspot.com/

While we're on the subject, the URL for the official course website is: http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/

Currently the site contains a spare syllabus and the tentative (but likely) itinerary for our trip. As noted in class, we'll be adding to the website in the coming days, and we'll alert you to major updates and changes on the blog (and, hence, via your Skidmore email).

Do note that the website and the blog are interlinked: you can reach one from the other, and vice versa.

Finally, one new item on the blog is the blogroll, or list of your and your peers' blogs, on a long menu on the left side of the page. The index consists not of your first names, but of your initials (more or less). The motivator is a semblance of privacy, but it's a lot of fun to say, for example, "ATHoc" and "EASto." Try it at home!

Those of you who have yet to send us a URL, we've sent an email pestering you. Please set up a blog as soon as possible.

Onward,

DC/gs

Extra-credit Quizzes for the Exam Period

Dear Roman Readers,

Welcome to what might be the last post before this blog changes its name to Writing Rome.

Appropriately, this post is about the extra credit quizzes Dr. Spinner and I have decided to offer from now until the end of the exam period. Please read it carefully so that you can make an informed choice about whether or not you want to participate.

We've looked at the averages for all the multiple choice quizzes this term. Not counting the tragedy that was quiz 25, which is too fresh to permit any kind of retake, these three quizzes had the lowest overall averages:

• Quiz 7: Advanced Roman Topography (avg. 27 pts. / 32 total);
• Quiz 20: Popes & Pilgrims (avg. 20 pts. / 25)
• Quiz 21: Medieval & Renaissance Rome (avg. 29 pts. / 34)

If you're interested in earning bonus points toward your quiz total, which was sent to you by email this morning, you can take any or all of these quizzes by 11:59 p.m. on May 8, the very end of the spring exam period.

However, to earn the points, you have to beat the class average on any given quiz. So, if you take quiz 7, you need to score a minimum of 28 in order for the points to count; quiz 20, 21 points; quiz 21, 30 points. We've put this condition in place to help ensure that the retakes are thoughtfully done.

When you take the quiz, all protocols and procedures are the same as they were during the regular term. You may access any quiz as often as you like, but you may only submit one set of answers; and you'll get an email confirming your score.

If that score beats the class average, your total will be increased by that number of points. If your score meets or falls below the average, the points will not be counted.

Note that there will be no penalty to your current totals for wrong answers. You can only earn points, not lose them. And, this opportunity is optional: if you're happy with your current totals, you needn't do anything at all.

Good luck, and please let us know if you have questions.

www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/login-only/quizzes/

DC/gs

Practice Presentations: Revised Guidelines

Dear Roman Readers,

This is the first of our posts outside of class to alert you to important developments.

We're happy to announce that the revised guidelines for the site report dry runs are now available on our website. You'll find them at the very bottom of this page under Milestones > Practice presentation:

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/sites.html

Please read them and follow them scrupulously: to do so will significantly increase your chances of success on the site-reports portion of your grade in Reading Rome, not to mention in Writing Rome, too.

Please let us know if you have questions.

DC/gs

Quizzes for Week 15

Dear Readers of Rome,

Our last round of quizzes — due Tuesday, April 28, at 11:59 p.m. — are now up and running:

• Quiz 1: Basic Roman Topography (17 pts., 90 seconds)
• Quiz 25: Modern Rome (37 pts., 8 min.) 

Quiz 25, multiple choice, synthesizes material on modern Rome (the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries). Reviewing the timeline of modern Rome will very important, but other presentations and readings should not be neglected.

Quiz 1 brings us back to the start, now with a timer at 90 seconds. Can you do it?

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/login-only/quizzes/

Please remember that the due date is Tuesday, the last day of classes, not Wednesday.

Good luck!

DC

Assigment for Monday, 04-27-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

For our last Reading Rome class on Monday, April 27, please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read Alessandra Bava's poem, "In the Shadow of Giordano Bruno." In lieu of a factsheet about Alessandra, who is too modest for such things, I'll say a few words about her in class. For now, it's enough to note that she is a Roman passionate about Rome and that we'll spend some time with her during our residency in the city.

(2) (Re)download, (re)print, and (re)read "City Imaginaries" by Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson, the essay with which we began the semester. IMPORTANT: As you revisit this piece, write down one way in which you feel Rome has fit into the Bridge-Watson range of imaginaries in any of our four units. We will invite everyone to share their examples in class on Monday.

(3) If you haven't done so already, create a blog and share the URL with all three members of the instruction team. Guidelines for doing this have already been published previously.

(4) If you missed it in class, download the narrative timeline of modern Rome. As I noted yesterday, you should read it at least twice: once, just to get a sense of its scope; a second time, after a break but before before taking the quiz to be based on it (on which more in a follow-up post).

Finally, please bear in mind that Monday's class will be packed to the gills with both concluding  remarks about Reading Rome and reminders about Writing Rome. I urge you in the most violent and animated language possible to be on time.

We look forward to receiving your giornali by noon on Sunday.

DC

Setting up Your Writing Rome Blogs

Dear Readers of Rome,

As mentioned in class today, between Friday and Monday please set up your Writing Rome blogs, which you will use to submit your writing assignments during the travel seminar.

Below I'll offer some guidance on setting up a blog, if blogging is new to you. But no matter what your level of experience, your blog should observe the following requirements:

• It should be, at the very least, accessible to those with the URL (no passwords or special accounts required for access). We'll be posting the links to your blogs on a sidebar of the Writing Rome blog, so it's important that access be open.
  
  
• If you already have a blog, make a new one just for Writing Rome -- a nod to our blogging as an educational endeavor.
   
• Email all three members of the instruction team with the name and URL of your blog once you have it.

That's it. Watch for Friday's assignment, coming sometime tomorrow.

DC

*                   *                   *                   *                   *

First of all, the term blog is an abbreviation of web-log, or a diary kept on the web. Now you know.

The three most common blogging services are Blogger (which hosts this blog), WordPress, or Tumblr. All are free, though you will need to register to use them; if you already have a Google account, then you can begin using Blogger. Generally speaking, neither one of these services is far superior to any other, though each has its advantages and disadvantages -- and its own loyalists and detractors.

All of them permit a high degree of personalization, but don't worry about perfecting the look and feel of your blog just yet. You can tinker with it after the semester is over and before the trip begins.  The important thing is to get your blog set up so we can create our blogroll (roster of blogs) in preparation for Writing Rome.

You will, however, have to name your blog. For all sorts of reasons, it's probably advisable not name it something like, "[Your name] Spanks Rome's Booty," not least because a future employer might find it. But do be appropriately creative. And no, "Roman Roaming" and its variations are NOT creative, in case you were wondering.

As noted, make sure that your blog is publicly viewable on the web. It's up to you whether you want comments to be enabled. We will not use them to offer feedback (we'll do that by sitting down and talking with you in Rome). If you do allow comments, take care to guard your privacy and to set some restrictions on who may comment, lest your posts get spammed.

If you need help setting up a blog, your instructors or your peers will be delighted to help you.

Assignment for Wednesday, 04-22-15

Dear Roman Readers,

On Wednesday, April 20, we move into the 1980s with two Roman essays from esteemed travel writer, Paul Hofmann. Please do the following:

(1) Read Hofmann's 2008 obituary in the New York Times, which will also serve as a factsheet.

(2) Download, print, and read the two essays from Hofmann's 1983 memoir, Rome: The Sweet, Tempestuous Life: "Coffee and Ice Cream" and "Time in an Eternal City." Not only will you enjoy these, but they'll offer you something aspirational for your own writing in May and June.

DC

Quizzes for Week 14

Dear Readers of Rome,

Our quizzes for next week are now up and running. Due Wednesday, April 22, at 11:59 p.m., they are:

• Quiz 19: Basic Roman Basilica (11 pts., 3 min.)
• Quiz 23: Grand Tourism (15 pts., 4 min.) 
• Quiz 24: Women in Rome (10 pts., untimed.)

Quiz 23, multiple choice, synthesizes material on the Grand Tour, Nightingale, Petigru Carson, and Piranesi.

Quiz 24, a short-answer quiz, asks you to select and discuss two paragraphs from the Roman letters of Nightingale and Petigru Carson.

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/login-only/quizzes/

Good luck!

DC

Assignment for Monday, 04-20-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

For Monday, April 20, please do the following:

(1) Read the last section of the Historical Sketch in the Blue Guide, "Rome, the Secular Capital" (pp. 29–30).

(2) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Borden Painter's excellent book, Mussolini's Rome: Rebuilding the Eternal City (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2005).

(3) Download, print, and read Alexander Stille's essay, "The Double-Bind of Italian Jews."

All of our readings will speak to both the continuing transformation of Rome into a modern capital, and the costs that come with that transformation.

DC

Assignment for Friday, 04-17-15

(NOTE: This assigment is missing one of the readings, which will be available tomorrow. You can expect to see this post again in completed form.)

Dear Roman Readers,

As noted, Friday's class was to have been a Skype conversation with previous Romekids about travel in Rome and Italy; but it's been posponed until next Friday, April 24.

For April 17, please do the following:

(1) Read the following sections of the Blue Guide:

• "Revolution" in the Historical Sketch (pp. 27–9); and
• "History of the Vatican City" (p. 472).

(2) Download, print, and read the factsheet on the Great Synagogue of Rome, which includes a description of synagogue rituals.

(3) Download, print, and read the annotated timeline, From Napoleon to Mussolini, which will take us from the 18th to the 20th centuries. (Coming soon!)

(4) Download, print, and read the packet on Albany, the Empire State, and the Nelson E. Rockefeller Plaza in preparation for our trip on Saturday.

As noted, the reading for item 3 will be available tomorrow, along with a new version of this post.

DC

Assignment for Wednesday, 04-15-15

Dear Roman Readers,

The assignment for Wednesday, May 15, is not large, but it is multifacted. Use this post to help you keep track. Please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Piranesi, the premier 18th-century illustrator of Rome and its ruins;

(2) View the Piranesi prints of Rome through the special View-o-matic program I've written for you (instructions below);

(3) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Florence Nightingale, British nurse extraordinaire and (before that) intrepid Roman traveler;

(4) Download, print, and read Nightingale's letters from Rome, which detail her adventures in the city during her Grand Tour;

(5) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Caroline Petrigru Carson, South Carolina socialite turned expatriate artist in Rome; BONUS: her obituary in the New York Times on p. 2;

(6) Download, print, and read Petrigru Carson's letters in Rome, which span the time of her first arrival until her death; and

(7) View Petrigru Carson's paintings of Italy, which are as valuable to understanding her time in Italy as her letters.

*                    *                    *                    *                   *

Sure, seven items — but manageable ones. The factsheets won't take you long; and the two collections of letters are together about as long as many of the readings we've given. As for the images, Carson's paintings are assigned to give you a sense of her as an artist; Piranesi's will require a little more time to get through, but they are exquisite and ought to fuel your imagining of Rome...as they were meant to do.

Regarding the View-o-matic: When you access the first page, you'll have the choice of (a) downloading the images, (b) viewing them at random or (c) viewing them in sequence. Choose only (a) or (c) at this point; (b) will be for testing your recall later on.

If you choose option (a), you can download the images as one big .ZIP file and (once unzipped) view them in your favorite image viewer.

If you choose option (c), you'll stay within the View-o-matic program. Click the arrows at left and right to scroll through the images, which will be clearly labeled. Click on an image to enlarge it and savor it in a higher resolution.

We'll look forward to our last student-led discussion of Nightingale and Petigru Carson with Team F.

Go in peace, children, and beware of Roman procuresses!

DC

Quizzes for Week 13

Dear Readers of Rome,

Our quizzes for next week are now up and running. Due Wednesday, April 15, at 11:59 p.m., they are:

• Quiz 1: Basic Roman Topography (17 pts., timer now at 100 seconds!)
• Quiz 21: Medieval and Renaissance Rome (34 pts., 7 min.) 
• Quiz 22: Masterpieces (10 pts., untimed.)

Quiz 21 synthesizes much of the material from the past two weeks. Careful review, especially of the various timelines and factsheets, will be key. PRO TIP: Use this blog to backtrack through the assignments and the readings.

Quiz 22, a short-answer quiz, asks you to select and compare two works from our trio of Renaissance Roman artists.

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/login-only/quizzes/

Good luck!

DC

Assignment for Monday, 04-13-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

As we embark upon our last full unit, Modern Rome, please do the following for Monday, April 13:

(1) Read the following sections in the Historical Sketch of the Blue Guide:

• "Years of Decline" (pp. 26–7); and
• "Napoleon in Rome" (p. 27).

(2) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Jeremy Black's book, Italy and the Grand Tour (Yale 2003).

(3) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Edith Wharton.

(4) Download, print, and read Wharton's short story, "Roman Fever."

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

Our concern on Monday will be making sense of tourism in Italy, which although not exclusive to modernity, is nonetheless a fixture of it. Who participated in the Grand Tour and why? Were the experiences of men different from those of women? How do their experiences and expectations differ from those of modern tourists? How are they the same?

We'll look forward to your outlines on Sunday, noon.

DC

PS: The PDFs for Monday will look quite long in terms of page length, but I assure you, this is because they are generously spaced.

Assignment for Friday, 04-10-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

On Friday, we'll have a student-led discussion focusing on the controversial figure of Giordano Bruno, a Renaissance polymath who was burned at the stake in the Campo de' Fiori in 1600. We'll use Bruno's example to engage some broader issues in how the Counter-Reformation constructs the category of heresy.

Please do the following:

(1) Read the section on Bruno and the Campo in the Blue Guide, p. 211.

(2) Download, print, and read the sketch of Bruno's life and work.

(3) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Imerti's translation and discussion of The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast.

Bruno is not an easy read, but Imerti's introduction explains what the wily Nolan is up to, giving you a good sense of how to read this satirical, allegorical dialogue. 

gs

Assignment for Wednesday, 04-08-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

(I am re-sending this message, as the third link was inactive the first time it was mailed.)

On Wednesday, our topic is "Ghetto Life." While we have touched upon the contested relations between Church and Synagogue previously, we will now analyze that dynamic more carefully, to better follow that story into the modern period.

Please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read the overview of the Roman Ghetto (historical map included).  The papal bull Cum Nimis Absurdum created a ghetto within Rome, thereby altering patterns of city life for both Jews and Gentiles, and profoundly impacting the Jewish community that had lived there since before the time of Jesus.   

(2) Download, print, and read the excerpt from Ruderman, Preachers of the Italian Ghetto. Ruderman not only places Italian ghettos into a larger historical context, but he summarizes scholarly arguments in which Jewish culture is "paradoxically" furthered by Christian discrimination - - a perverse dialectic of repression and expression.

(3) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Raz-Krakotzkin, The Censor, The Editor, and the Text, which focuses on the burning of the Talmud. Raz-Krakotzkin also sets this incident into a larger context, examining the wider role of the papacy in censorship.

 *                    *                    *                    *                    *

How do these sources inform our understanding of Rome? We are very much interested in your own responses, but allow me to highlight some aspects we might consider:

As noted earlier, Roman Jews played a part in the ceremony for crowning a new pope, in which they hand the pontiff a Torah scroll that he lets fall to the ground. Samuel Gruber argues this exemplifies  "selective inclusion," for Jews were being acknowledged as denizens of the City even while they were being ritually humiliated and subjected to papal authority. This pattern of selective inclusion continues on and deepens, perhaps darkens, in the Counter-Reformation, when certain popes authorized new forms of discrimination against the Jews. So Jews are simultaneously forced to be Other, physically set aside from Christians and marked as "outside" of proper society, and yet (as Raz-Krakotzkin argues) Jews are increasingly included within the purview of the Church, as their sacred texts and very persons are treated more and more akin to those of Christian heretics.

gs

Assignment for Monday, 04-06-15

Dear Roman Readers,

On Monday, April 6, we proceed past Renaissance Rome to the Baroque. Our representative artists are the sculptor, Bernini, and the painter, Caravaggio.

Please do the following:

(1) Read these sections in the Blue Guide's Historial Sketch:

• Rome and the Counter-Reformation (pp. 23–25); and
• Baroque Rome (p. 25).

(2) Download, print, and read these overviews:

•  "Bernini and Rome"; and
• "Caravaggio and Rome".

(3) Spend some time with the following image groups on Artstor:

• Bernini; and
• Caravaggio.

We'll be anxious to hear your reactions to these artists and their works, which are found far and wide in the Eternal City.

DC/gs

Quizzes for Week 12

Dear Readers of Rome,

Three "maintenance" quizzes for you next week, all on ancient Rome and due Wednesday, April 8, at 11:59 p.m.:

• Quiz 2: Hills of Rome (a two-parter) (20 pts., 3 min.)
• Quiz 7: Advanced Roman topography (32 pts., 6 min.) 
• Quiz 10: Basic Roman Infrastructure (19 pts., 6 min.) 

Quiz 2 asks you first to type the names of the 10 natural hills of Rome, and then to state whether they are or aren't among the canonical seven. Remember to do the two parts one right after the other.

Quiz 7, multiple-choice, digs into the text portions of the Basic Roman topography page.

Quiz 10, a map quiz, asks you to locate key features of Roman infrastructure. Use the best browser you can, and a large monitor.

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/login-only/quizzes/

Good luck!

DC

Assignment for Friday, 04-03-15

Dear Roman Readers,

On Friday, we proceed into the Renaissance on display in Rome. Our representative artist for this period is Michelangelo, though we'll also glance briefly at Donatello, Botticelli, Raphael, and DaVinci.

Please do the following:

(1) Read these sections in the Blue Guide's Historial Sketch:

• Renaissance Rome (pp. 21–22); and
• The Reformation and the Sack of Rome (p. 23).

(2) Download, print, and read the overview, "Michelangelo and Rome."

(3) Spend some time with the following image groups on Artstor:

• Renaissance Masters; and
• Michelangelo.

As mentioned above, the various works by the Renaissance masters (only two of which can be seen in Rome) are there for context and contrast with Michelangelo. Into this group a few images of works from the ancient world have been mixed in, works that were touchstones for Renaissance artists. Can you spot them without looking at the captions?

The overview on Michelangelo is, as these things go, very brief; it focuses only on his Roman works, and the Artstor image group (with the exception of David) follows suit.

The last thing we'll do on Friday is learn about the layering of St. Peter's Basilica, from the Circus of Nero, to the Necropolis, to the Constantinian Basilica, to the current Basilica, in which Michelangelo had a hand.

DC/gs

Quizzes for Week 11

Dear Roman Readers,

The quizzes for Week 11, due Wednesday evening (April 1), at 11:59 p.m., are now up and running.

Please take the following three quizzes:

• Quiz 18: Christian Rome Review (26 pts., 5 min.)
• Quiz 19: Basic Christian Basilica (11 pts., 3 min.)
• Quiz 20: Popes & Pilgrims (26 pts., 5 min.)

Quiz 18 compiles the biggest, boldest questions from the Unit 2 multiple choice quizzes, and adds a few new ones. This is a maintenance quiz, designed to stimulate your recall of essential facts.

Quiz 19 is a visual matching quiz on the features of the idealized Christian basilica plan.

Quiz 20, multiple choice, recaps our discussions of the papacy and pilgrimage from last Monday and Wednesday.

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/login-only/quizzes/

Good luck!

DC/gs

Assignment for Wednesday, 04-01-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

On Wednesday, we will have a student-led discussion on "Saints in Agony and Ecstasy," featuring both texts and images of Saints Sebastian and Teresa of Avila. The readings given below are all brief, and accompanied by images from Artstor.

Please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read the chapter on Sebastian from The Golden Legend.

(2) Download, print, and read the short overview of Teresa's life and writings by Stephen Fanning, "Spanish Mystics of the Golden Age."

(3) Download, print, and read the excerpt from Teresa's autobiography.

(4) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Teresa's The Interior Castle.

(5) Click the link and view the selected images on Artstor.

For those who have not used this resource previously, here are some easy guidelines:

When you load the Artstor image group, double-click on any thumbnail to launch the slide-show view (new window). Use the arrows at the bottom of the window to scroll through the collection of images, and use the +/- buttons to enlarge an image (or select an area of the image with your mouse). The images are labeled (artist, title, year) both in thumbnail view and in slideshow view.

As you review these materials, notice any significant differences between (a.) reading hagiography and autobiography, and (b.) the textual and visual representations of saintly sufferings.

Finally, (6) be sure to review the guidelines for our upcoming trip to Albany and the Empire State Plaza  and come to class with questions.

DC/gs

Assignment for Monday, 03-30

Dear Readers of Rome,

Monday's topic is Rabbis and Renaissance Men, in which we (a) look at ongoing forms of Jewish learning, and (b) consider Petrarch as our exemplar of Renaissance letters.

Please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read the overview of Jewish Learning.

(2) Download, print, and read the excerpts from the Talmud, on the duty to marry and raise a family.

(3) Download, print, and read the excerpts from the Zohar, commenting on Genesis 5:1-2.

(4) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Petrarch, the so-called "father of Humanism."

(5) Download, print, and read the two Letters from Petrarch, in which he talks about his peregrinations through Rome and addresses "my Cicero."

DC/gs

Assignment for Friday, 03-27-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

On Friday, we will review a long stretch of history that includes Crusades, various schisms, some monastic orders, and some sackings. While our our focus remains on Rome, notice how events happening in other places (such as Jerusalem and Constantinople) impact what happens in the West. A chief concern in this historical sweep is for us to recognize the tension between power ( as in commanding armies or controlling wealth) and authority (as in leading and learning an apostolic life), and how that dynamic is played out on the urban stage that is Rome. 

Please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read the timeline, Monks, Mendicants, Crusaders & Anti-Popes.

(2) Download, print, and read the short selection on the 1527 Sacking of Rome from Charles L. Stinger's  book The Renaissance in Rome (Yale, 1985).

(3) Read the section "Dissent and Schism" in the Blue Guide's Historical Sketch (pp. 19–21).

The materials we review on Friday are valuable not just for contextualizing what we learn in this current unit (Popes, Pilgrims & Heretics), focused as it is on the Middle Ages and Renaissance; they also anticipate important events we will cover when we get to the Modern Period.

gs/DC

Assignment for Wednesday, 03-25-15

Dear Roman Readers,

The assignment for Wednesday, given in advance in case you want to get started now, is a little thick in terms of page count; don't miss the reading strategies at the end of this post to help you manage.

On March 25, we'll be exploring the topic of pilgrimage to Rome: the journeys undertaken by Christian travelers (pilgrims) to the Eternal City.

Please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read Charles L. Stinger's short discussion of Roman pilgrimage from his book The Renaissance in Rome (Yale, 1985).

(2) Download, print, and read the selections from the Mirabilia Urbis Romae (Marvels of the City of Rome), a kind of Blue Guide for medieval pilgrims, originally written by a priest of St. Peter's basilica in the 1140s and copied and expanded for centuries thereafter.

(3) Download, print, and read the excerpt from chapter 4 of Herbert Kessler and Johanna Zacharias' book, Rome 1300: On the Path of the Pilgrim. Kessler and Zacharias recreate the experience of a Roman pilgrim in a medieval jubilee year. This fourth chapter, like much of the book, is concerned with the procession of the Acheropita through the city, in this case the Forum Romanum. (Recall that the Acheropita is the relic-painting of Christ begun by St. Luke and finished by an angel, previously noted in the Relics factsheet.)

(4) Read the following sections in the Blue Guide to supplement the above:

• "Holy Years & the Pilgrimage Churches," p. 276; and 
• "Rome as a Centre of Pilgrimage," p. 432.

 *                    *                    *                    *                    *

Strategies for reading the Mirabilia and Kessler-Zacharias:

• Do use your foundational knowledge of the physical city to make sense of these texts. That's one of the reasons we're reading them, to help you appreciate the layering of the centuries.

• Do focus on the ideologies at work and how they illuminate the Christian mindset. A faithful pilgrim must approach an old pagan city with a certain value system. What are the tenets of that value system?

• With regard to the jubilee procession, think again about other processional routes we have studied. The best parade routes are often practical (which locations maximize the spectacle?) and are always meaningful (which locations offer the most resonance and wonder?).

• Don't skim the texts; read them carefully, but don't worry so much about every last detail.

DC

Assignment for Monday, 03-23-15

Dear Roman Readers,

Prof. Spinner and I hope your break has been restful.

It's time to start gearing up for our last month of Reading Rome. On Monday, March 23, we begin our journey to the Renaissance and beyond. We'll start with an overview of the unit, and then launch into part 2 of my presentation on the development of the basilica. Then my esteemed colleague will lead us in a discussion of the popes and the papacy, for which we'll consider parade routes through Rome, pagan and Christian.

In preparation for our reunion, please do the following:

(1) Download, print, and read Dr. Spinner's stunning three-page overview of the papacy. As you peruse it, please bear in mind that he wrote it especially for you: I do not exaggerate when I call it a masterpiece of erudition and abbreviation.

(2) Download, print, and read Charles L. Stinger's brief discussion of the possesso, a special papal procession across Rome, from his book The Renaissance in Rome (Yale, 1985).

(3) Please read the following sections in the Blue Guide:

• "The Papacy and Medieval Rome," pp. 16–18;
• "Popes and Holy Roman Emperors," pp. 18–19; and 
• "Popes and the Papacy," pp. 31–33.

All three selections will not only complement Dr. Spinner's overview, but also move us forward in time.

DC

(No) Quizzes for Weeks 9 and 10

Dear Readers of Rome,

After the quizzes due tonight (Week 8), there will be no quizzes due Week 9 (the week of break) or Week 10 (the week after). Rather, Prof. Spinner and I want you to concentrate on the annotated bibliographies for your site reports, due Sunday, March 29 (not the 28th, as mentioned in class today).

We'll resume with quizzes in Week 11. At some point you can expect a large review quiz on Unit 2, but not just yet.

Happy researching,

DC

Mandatory Orientation on Friday, 03-13-15

Dear Readers of Rome,

My absolute last, final, definitive reminder about Friday's class, the MANDATORY orientation session held by OCSE to prepare us all for Writing Rome.

How MANDATORY is it? So MANDATORY that, if you're not there, you're not going to Rome. That's how mandatory it is. OCSE is legally obligated to provide information to departing students.

So bring your questions and your smiles (because it will also be picture day for your St. John's IDs); but above all bring yourselves to this MANDATORY session. It would be a shame if, after so many weeks of hard work, you were exiled like Ovid from Rome; or kept from the Promised Land like Moses; or...

DCurley

PS: Have I mentioned the session is MANDATORY?

Assignment for Wednesday, 03-11-15

Dear Roman Readers,

For Wednesday, March 9, please do the following:

(1) Download, read, and print Amanda Claridge's short and sweet treatment of the basilica from classical to Christian Rome.  (Note: Claridge's archaeological guide to Rome will be an essential source for most of the site reports in Writing Rome.)

(2) Download, read, and print the two letters by St. Jerome, which also double as a fact sheet. We'll talk more on Wednesday about Jerome's incalculable contributions to Western civilization; but for now let's place him on the same shelf as Tertullian and St. Augustine, who also wrestled with being Roman Christians.

DC

Assignment for Monday, 03-09-2015

Dear Readers of Rome,

On Monday, Team C will lead a discussion of an assortment of texts.  While we can only sample a small selection from the many volumes of the Latin Fathers of the Church, we have chosen some really interesting materials, and provided some rabbinic counterpoint.

(1) Download, print and read the fact sheet about the Latin Church Fathers.

(2) Download, print and read the excerpts from Tertullian's De Spectaculis.

(3) Download, print and read the rabbinic sources, "Foreign Gods & Greek Wisdom." 

(Rabban Gamaliel is a major Jewish figure of the first century C.E. Note that he was mentioned on the Ancient Judaism timeline. Gamaliel was the grandson of the revered teacher Hillel, and he served as the head of the Sanhedrin not long after the time of Jesus, and before the destruction of the Second Temple.)

 (4) Download, print and read the excerpts from Augustine.

In looking at these texts together, we want to consider how Jews and Christians defined themselves in a predominantly pagan world. While these groups shared an aversion to what they deemed "idolatrous," they still had to negotiate their relationship to classical learning, as well as debate their participation in aspects of city life, such as attending circuses, theaters, and baths. Both patristic and rabbinic texts exhibit a wide gamut of views, ranging from tentative forms of approval to sharp opprobrium.

gs