Pizza, The Pantheon, Piazza Minerva ... and a Foot

There is no end.

There is no beginning.

There is only the passion of life.

~Federico Fellini

After hanging around Piazza Navona and visiting the churches of San Luigi dei Francesi and Sant'Ivo, I headed to the Pantheon. It's actually about a 5 minute stroll to the east. As luck would have it, my old standby (can I call it this, since I have been on two previous trips?) Pizza Zaza, is right between Navona and the Pantheon! Hurray! My stomach was growling.

On the right, where you see the sunshades, is Zaza, and just across from it, on the left, is the worlds most amazing coffee. Seriously. I mean, I haven't had every cup of coffee in the world but I just can't imagine a cappuccino being more perfect. Heaven, really. It's called Sant'Eustachio, which happens to be a church on this little Piazzetta, and is the name of the Piazzetta as well. Makes it easy. :) Oh, and Zaza uses organic ingredients, which makes the pigging out virtually guilt free!

The white "cork screw" lantern at the top/left, is once again, Borromini's Church of Sant'Ivo.

In Rome, you find your standard, round, pizzas, but you will also find places with big sheets of pizza, and they will cut off however much you want. Then they weigh it, for pricing. I just use my hands to describe how big of a piece I want. If you are Italian is fluent, and know metric weight, I'm sure there is an easier way!

On the left, we have red peppers, mushrooms, cheese and arugula ... on the right (my mouth just started salivating!) cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and pesto, with some parmigiano. O.K., I kind of want to cry now.

Around the corner ... Piazza della Rotunda and the amazing, almost 2,000 year old Pantheon. It was originally commissioned by Marcus Agrippa, but was rebuilt in about 126 AD, by the Emperor Hadrian. Well, not with his own two hands ...

Because it's been in use, since it's construction, and consecrated by the Christian church in 609, it is in fantastic condition. When I went to the Roman Forum, I tried to imagine the ruins in their original form, in this condition, with all of the amazing stonework and beautiful detail!

Can you imagine how mind blowing it must have been for out-of-towners? (It still is, but imagine being a peasant from the countryside!)

Before leaving on my trip, I did a blog post, that featured the amazing, Italian, sculptor Federico Severino. I happened upon his work, in a gallery in Positano in 2010, and was told by the gallery people, that his work was currently on display in the church of San Vitale in Rome  (which we visited before leaving the country.) 

They also told us that Federico had been commissioned to create the Stations of the Cross for the Pantheon. Can you imagine getting that commission?? Well, they were now completed, and I couldn't wait to see his new work!

I was so excited to see his work again, in person, but when I walked in, not only were there his stations of the cross, but a pulpit like the one at the Chiesa di San Vitale. Not sure if they made another, or if they'd moved it to the pantheon?

The artist is the medium between

his fantasies and the rest of the world.

~Federico Fellini

Federico Severino's Stations of the Cross ... well, 4 of them.

Realism is a bad word. 
In a sense everything is realistic.
I see no line between the imaginary and the real.
~Federico Fellini

Saint Anne and the Blessed Virgin
by Il Lorenzone

I try to imagine everyone walking around around in Roman tunics, speaking latin!

A created thing is never invented 

and is never true;

it is always and ever itself.

~Federico Fellini

When you walk out the front of the Pantheon, make a right around the side, so you are going south along the side of it, and almost immediately, you will run into Piazza Minerva. That's where I stayed on my first trip to Rome, at the Hotel Minerva.

There, in the middle of Piazza Minerva, you will see Bernini's elephant. Behind it, the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the only Gothic church in Rome. It's gorgeous, (which you can't tell by looking at the outside) but it was closed, as most churches are, in midday.

Elephant with Egyptian Obelisk by Bernini

Alright, I'm cheating here, since it was closed ... but I really thought you should see it! These pictures were taken back on my first trip to Rome. It was the last day of a wonderful trip, in '08. My friend, that I'd met up with, had left for the airport and the church had opened back up, in the late afternoon.

As you can see, the light was spectacular!

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Built 1280-1370; some renovations, in the 1500s and 1900s

Sisto Fiorentino and Ristoro da Campi

Below is the tomb of Saint Catherine Sienna (1347-1380), a very important and popular saint in Italy, and who died nearby. She is one of the patron saints of Italy, along with Saint Francis of Assisi.

The great early Renaissance painter Fra Angelico is buried here, as well as, Medici Popes, Leo X and Clement VII. 

Two of the masterpieces at Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, are Filippino Lippi's fresco of The Assumption and Michelangelo's Christ Bearing the Cross.

On this trip however, the church was closed, and I was off to find a foot!

Looking at the facade of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, if you go along the little street, on the right side of it, a block or two ... looking to your right, you will see ..

Pie di Marmo

They found it a few hundred years ago, but never found a body. It's supposed to be Isis but I don't know they would know that.The style of sandal? Actually, this neighborhood had a temple honoring her, in Roman times. Imagine how huge the ancient statue would be, if the rest of it were there? I think it's funny they left the foot there, on the side of the road, parked like Fiat. 

It sits on a marble pedestal, which makes it about as tall as the mini cooper behind it.

Oh! On another note, I have a movie rental for you ... if you like old, Italian movies. 

I just rented I Vitelloni. It's an early Fellini film and is largely autobiographical. Because it's one of his early films, it doesn't have as much of the strange surrealism of his later work. Maybe a tiny touch of things to come.

I really enjoyed it. It's about a group of friends, and not wanting to grow up, and move on. There are some funny moments and, being a Fellini film, it's beautifully shot. There is something so fabulously stylish about a great Fellini scene, shot in black and white. Plus, there is a wonderful party scene, which makes me want to throw a theme party. 

To see more of sculptor Federico Severino's amazing work click here.

To see the Stations of the Cross up close (and the ones not shown here) click here and here.

For more pictures and history of the Pantheon, click here for the Sacred Destinations site.

For the official website of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, click here and for more info about the church in English, click here for the Sacred Destinations link.

All art is autobiographical.

The pearl is the oyster's autobiography.

~Federico Fellini

Even if I set out to make a film about fillet of sole,

it would be about me.

~Federico Fellini

Have an amazing weekend!

Blessings and light!

Federico Severino at the Chiesa di San Vitale Rome

Two and half years ago, while browsing the Franco Senesi Gallery in Positano, my parents and I came across the work of a sculptor I'd never heard of, Federico Severino, born in 1953. The work was passionate and emotional, with movement, and a wonderful rawness and organic nature about. Much of his work in that gallery was based on mythology. 

Come to find out that not only was he commissioned to create an altar for a church in Rome, Chiesa di San Vitale, they were showing additional (more biblical) pieces there, as well. We were heading back to Rome so this was perfect! We also found out he was currently working on another commission at that time ... sculptures for the 12 stations of the cross ... for the Pantheon in Rome!

 

The Altar

Eve ...

Eve looking toward The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!

Uh oh ...

Here they come!

To see videos of his process in making the stations of the cross for the Pantheon, check out these videos. Yes, it's in Italian but it's worth the watch!! :)

To Read Federico Severino's Bio and see more of his work, click here.

To see each of the stations of the Cross that he created, click Here and Here.

I'm leaving soon for Rome and can't wait to see his work in the Pantheon in person!!!

I found this on the Gaiam website blog ... Love the Sufi poet Hafiz!!! 

Somehow it seemed to fit with this man's great art. 

I have come into this world to see this:
the sword drop from men's hands even at the height
of their arc of anger
because we have finally realized there is just one flesh to wound
and it is His - the Christ's, our
Beloved's.
 
I have come into this world to see this: all creatures hold hands as
we pass through this miraculous existence we share on the way
to even a greater being of soul,
a being of just ecstatic light, forever entwined and at play
with Him.

I have come into this world to hear this:
every song the earth has sung since it was conceived in
the Divine's womb and began spinning from
His wish,

every song by wing and fin and hoof,
every song by hill and field and tree and woman and child,
every song of stream and rock,
 
every song of tool and lyre and flute,
every song of gold and emerald
and fire,

every song the heart should cry with magnificent dignity
to know itself as
God:
for all other knowledge will leave us again in want and aching -
only imbibing the glorious Sun
will complete us.
 
I have come into this world to experience this:
men so true to love
they would rather die before speaking
an unkind
word,
men so true their lives are His covenant -
the promise of
hope.

I have come into this world to see this:
the sword drop from men's hands
even at the height of
their arc of
rage
because we have finally realized
there is just one flesh
 we can wound.

~Hafiz

Hope this finds you all happy and healthy!

Blessings and light!

And ...

Happy Holidays!