Magic Hour at The Roman Forum and the House of the Vestals

Confine yourself to the present.

~Marcus Aurelius

After spending the afternoon on the Palatine Hill, the tourists like me, who were hanging on to every last moment, were herded out through the Roman Forum. It too, was bathed in the beautiful  light of magic hour. What a lovely exit!

When you arise in the morning,

think of what a privilege it is to be alive:

to breathe,

to think,

to enjoy, 

to love.

~Marcus Aurelius

Temple of Antonius and Faustina, later the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda

I turned to my left and noticed something. The House of the Vestals was open. It had been closed off, when I'd been there two years before. I had leaned over a fence, to take a photo, but hadn't been able to get in there! Now it was open, and I took my shot!

I hurried in and began taking in the space. What an unexpected score!

Vestals, were priestesses of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, in ancient Roman religion. There were 6 priestesses and if you were going to become one, you entered into the house between the age of 6 and 10, and you had to be cute ... and committed.

The Vestal Virgins had a huge responsibility to keep the fire burning, in the Temple of Vesta (Otherwise things could go very wrong for the Republic, and later, the Empire. Rome's security depended on it!) 

They were involved in all sorts of state rituals, off limits to the male priests. If you were a Vestal and the fire at the Temple went out, you would be scourged, and if you had sex, you'd be buried alive. Being a Vestal was serious business, in Ancient Rome. 

But really, what a beautiful spot! 

Excavated in the late 1800s, the palace had had 50 rooms and had been a 3 story structure.

There is something so peaceful and lovely about this space. With its lovely feminine sculptures of the priestesses, and its pink roses and lovely ponds ... if I could have stayed for hours, I would have. Fortunately, I didn't have to keep any fires burning.

Dwell on the beauty

of life.

Watch the stars,

and see yourself

running with them.

~Marcus Aurelius

At the present day, too, it is a general belief, 

that our Vestal virgins have the power, by uttering a certain prayer, 

to arrest the, flight of runaway slaves, and to rivet them to the spot, 

provided they have not gone beyond the precincts of the City. 

If then these opinions be once received as truth, 

and if it be admitted that the gods do listen to certain prayers, 

or are influenced by set forms of words, 

we are bound to conclude in the affirmative upon the whole question.

~ Pliny the Elder

Book 28, Natural History

If you have a garden

and a library,

you have everything you need.

~Cicero

After about 15 minutes, I was spotted by the Forum workers. I feigned surprise that it was time to leave. "Oh, really? Oh ... O.K. ... " I, very slowly, made my way out ... as if walking in molassas. 

I was so happy, I'd had finally had my moment, in the House of the Vestals. I felt so lucky. I was there, with maybe only 2 other people around, doing as I was ... soaking up every last second! 

I felt strangely connected to that space, in a way that I haven't, in other ancient Roman sites. 

The Happiness of your life

depends upon the quality

of your thoughts.

~Marcus Aurelius

I watched my step, as I made my way across the very uneven Via Sacra, with it's rather large stones ... booby traps, really.

A last look at the Roman Forum ....

And an interesting display, outside the gates...

As I go through my photos, to upload onto this blog, I start really missing Rome. At the same time, I remember certain things, and the feeling of being there, like it was only weeks ago. It's been 5 months! I can't believe it.

For more info about the House of the Vestals, click here and here.

Here is a 2 minute video on the House of Vestals ...

And here is a 6 1/2 minute video with great shots of the Roman Forum.

Hope you enjoyed a little moment at the Forum and House of the Vestals. If you haven't been there, it's a site to behold, and I feel so blessed to have been there.

I did this pastel/watercolor last year, from a photo I had taken, at the Roman Forum, on the previous trip. In what was the old Senate building, they had all these marvelous sculptures from antiquity. I was particularly taken with this one.

Goddess

Watercolor and Pastel on Wallace Paper, 2012

Hope you have enjoyed a lovely May, my friends!

Blessings and light,

Lucinda

Nothing is more honorable 

than a grateful heart.

~Seneca

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!