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, 04-01-15

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