Agostino Chigi's Villa

Today my Renaissance and Baroque Art class went to see a villa that was built in 1509 near Campo di Fiori. The building was designed by a young Sienese architect and artist. The home was originally built for a wealthy Sienese banker named Agostino Chigi and then later it was sold to the Fernesina family. The groundfloor features a room that combines the artwork of Piombo, Raphael and Peruzzi. Peruzzi painted a horoscope around the ceiling walls because of the fascination that Chigi had with astronomy. Piombo painted Polyphemus, a cyclops who loved Galatea in vain. Next to Polyphemus is Galatea, painted by Raphael. Galatea is shown riding on a shell that is being pulled by two dolphins. Surrounding Galatea is a cloudy sky instead of a clear sky. This is because Raphael chose to paint the sky over a couple days, making the color of the blue different from day to day. Raphael painted over this imperfection with clouds.

The adjacent room on the groundfloor is also painted by Raphael and depicts the story of Psyche and Cupid. The story is a love story that involves the jealous nature of Venus. The room takes us through the main chapters of a book written by Apuleius from the Antonine period. This room was my favorite; the paintings of the people were so realistic and preserved and I loved the story behind the room.

The second level has a room that is called the Hall of Perspective, painted by Peruzzi. The room is one of the highest forms of spatial representation of the time. One of the views that is scene on the wall closest the bedroom is of Trastevere and I have actually walked in the exact area that is shown!

The second room in the second level is Chigi's bedroom. This room features Alexander the Great and his wife Roxanne on their wedding night. The other paintings in the room are of Alexander as a boy on a rearing, "un-tamable" horse and then of a battle. The room was painted by Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, aka Sodoma (nicknamed because of his sexual inclinations).

Fun facts about Rome

Driving in Italy is crazy.
Crosswalk signs and traffic lights are only suggestions.
I take a leap of faith every time I cross the street.
Water is not free, although there are fresh water spigot-style fountains everywhere.
Water is often the same price as wine...tough choice.
I have started to like mineral water (also called water with gas hehe).
Italian women are intimidating, yes, even the old ladies.
Pigeons freak me out and they are everywhere.
Cobblestone roads are super difficult to walk on.
Laundry takes an average of 3 to 6 hours just to wash.
Italian men do not understand that "no" in Italian means the same thing as no in English.
Road signs are very cryptic.

I still have no sense of direction (Rachel, my roommate, and I should not be left alone to find our way home).
Gelato is amazing and I have it almost everyday!

Sorrento, Capri & Pompeii

Sorrento just might be my favorite town in Italy (besides Rome of course). The town is so quaint and charming with cobblestone roads and streets laden with vendors selling scarfs, limoncello (which Sorrento is famous for), and a variety of other trinkets and keepsakes. My favorite store featured ties made with silk from Napoli and scarfs made with cashmere and silk. On our first night spent in Sorrento we went to a pizzeria located in the main square. I had a pizza with mozzarella, salami, and tomatoes, accompanied by pinot grigio, it was wonderful.

On Saturday we took a ferry to Capri for the day. While there we hiked all the way up to the main center of the town, which was quite a hike! I can see why most people take a bus up the center, however, I am glad we decided to walk because we had the opportunity to see the less touristy areas and enjoy the beautiful views of the sea. My favorite store on Capri would have to be this perfume shop, Carthusia,  that features specialty scents made with ingredients from the island by monks. I may have just bought myself a bottle of the Mediterranean blend...

Saturday night we came back to Sorrento and went out to a karaoke club. No, I did not have enough to drink to make me sing ;) but I did own the dance floor.

On Sunday we took a tour of Pompeii. I was surprised by the size of the city, it was a great deal larger than I had envisioned. It was incredible and eerie to see the ruins of the city and especially the preserved bodies of families who tried escaping the eruption.

Beach Day!

On Sunday, a group of students from AUR went to the beach. The trip started out as quite an ordeal with transportation issues correlating with such a large number of people showing up. It took around 3 hours to get to the actual beach; first we waited for a bus and then we took the bus to the train station, where we did some more waiting for the train, and then a final bus ride to the beach after the train. Even though it was a long ride to get to the beach, it was worth the wait. The sand was really fine & silky and the water was cold but refreshing in the heat of the afternoon. We spent four or so hours just sunning and swimming (I got a nice suntan :). Sunday night me and a group of six friends cooked a meal in our apartment. The feast included white wine, salad, fresh tortellini with pesto, and a gelato, wafer cake for dessert.

The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain & much more

This week has been a whirlwind of sight seeing. On Wednesday, ISA, the program that I am studying with, took our group on a tour of Campo Di Fiori (which means Field of Flowers). By day, this piazza is filled with local street vendors selling flowers and fruit,  but by night, it is the hub of nightlife as it is home to many clubs and restaurants. On our tour we walked by the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and various other piazzas. We stopped for a tasty treat at a gelato shop and I tried Crema e Chocolate, which was to die for.

On Thursday we spent most of the day on a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, which was spectacular. It is amazing to imagine what it must have looked like in ancient times, with gleaming white marble and mosaic walls. At the entrance of the Colosseum, we took pictures with some "gladiators" who were all too excited to get our business. I don't even know how many poses we did with them, but my favorite would have to be of one  I saw earlier in the day (one gladiator was holding a baby above his head and the other giving a thumbs down haha).

Thursday night we went to a fun Guinness advertising restaurant, not sure of the name, and ordered some pizza and beer. The guys in there are big fans of us apparently because both times we've eaten there we have been given a round of free shots. On the way to club Mood in Campo Di Fiori, I had a crazy sequin wearing Italian man literally run into me while trying to get off the bus. The only redeeming part of the situation was that another Italian man started yelling at the sequin man, defending me, according to Rachel who speaks Italian. Club Mood was an absolute blast. It was an open bar for two hours with a entry fee and the interior was striking with white, modern decor, strobing colored lights, and a DJ playing hip hop, techno and r&b. Those Italians like to party late, but we ended up giving up around 2:30am even though the place was still hopping.