Category: Rome

(Man with tri-color beard for Italian Labor Day)

Today was a very hectic and crowded day in Rome. May 1st is the Italian equivalent of Labor Day. Every year the three biggest unions in Italy hold a free outdoor concert in the center of Rome. Also in honor of this holiday, all of the museums owned by the City of Rome (opposed to those owned by the State of Italy) are only one euro today and tomorrow. To top it all off, the Vatican chose to hold the Beatification (first step in becoming a saint) of the late Pope John Paul II this same day. Most Italians thought I was crazy for wanting to be anywhere near the center (think someone from NJ’s reaction to the idea of going to NYC for NYE), but how could I miss all of this?

I went to the Museo di Roma – Palazzo Braschi with Daniele earlier in the morning. I liked it. It told a good story of the different periods of Rome, opposed to focusing on only one. Also it was not just room after room of “Madonna with Child” like so many Italian museums.

We avoided going too close to the Vatican and the Beatification of the late Pope John Paul II. I feel like they could have planned better and chosen a better day, but I’m sure the day has spiritual significance for this sacred ceremony that I am not aware. Most Italians I know chose not to attend and only commented on what a nuisance it was going to be having so many people coming to Rome. It may have been a cool thing to say I was there for, but I’m not that interested in Vatican affairs, so I skipped this to go to the one euro museums and free concert instead.

Daniele headed off to work and I spent the day at this outdoor concert. All of Italy’s biggest artists come to this. The lesser known or newer artists play in the day; the big names play at night. Italians pack into Piazza di Porta San Giovanni and all the space around it. Men from Africa and Bangladesh push through the crowds offering to sell beer, water, or umbrellas for the sun.

I saw almost the whole concert, I was there from about 1:30 PM until it ended at 1:30 AM. In hindsight I should have probably gone to another museum or something else instead of spending so much time there. I left for a little while when I got uncomfortable sitting on the ground. Daniele and I met back up at 10 PM, when he got out of work and we had dinner. When we came back enough people had left that we were able to go right up front. Woo!

The bands and the music were almost all Italian pop. In general each artist came on, performed maybe three numbers, then there was a ridiculously long pause where someone would talk before the next artist. I didn’t really listen, but I presume it was pro-union propaganda. I know very few of the artists, but I listen to enough radio that I recognized a fair amount of the songs, which was fun.

The crowd was largely composed of what I will refer to as European hippies. That is hippies in the modern sense of the word: slightly dirty, typically young people, with dread locks, who may or may not be fighting for a cause. And if you think the American version of these people are dirty, imagine for a moment their European counterparts (you don’t have to imagine, I took pictures). Many of these people had shirts promoting some political message. All of them and most of the “regular” people at the concert were wearing “Stop Nuclear” stickers.

(There were dirtier groups, but I try not to get too close to anyone that might have something contagious while I’m traveling.)

As a back story, as few years ago Italy voted to not allow the development of nuclear power plants and today there are none in the country. As such, they have to buy much of their energy from abroad. A great deal of that comes from France, who has plenty of nuclear power plants, a fair amount of which are right on the Italian boarder. So the risk is still there, but they pay more and to France at that. For to this reason there is a bill now to allow nuclear plants in Italy. However many oppose it and want to keep it out of Italy. End side note.

I always considered Europe ahead of the US in terms of environmental awareness. But I was shocked… SHOCKED at what I saw at this concert. These same people who were wearing “Stop Nuclear” stickers, where tossing the “Stop Nuclear” fliers on the ground; along with other political and environmental fliers and newspapers. All the beer and water that everyone was drinking, the bottles were left right were they were, at most they ended up at a curb. What angered me the most was hundreds of “RAI Radio 2” balloons were handed out to the crowd on only strings. They all quickly ended up in the sky, and soon they will all be in the ocean. Moments after the concert ended the area was filled with machinery and workers who would stay up all night cleaning the mess. They actually used plows to pile the beer and water bottles, effective, except when the tires go over the missed bottles and shoot broken glass to the side. I was taking some pictures after the last act, but literally had to run, yes run, from flying broken glass as the plows started the cleaning. I think every worker in Rome was out sweeping and hosing for miles around– I have never seen such a mess.

(These people must really, really care about the environment to hand out all those fliers)

Umm, guys, I think you forgot your trash…

Run for your lives!

All the pictures from the day:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111221349198606775660/20110501LaborDay#

Amici di Roma is a group of academics with interest in the archeology and art history. During Culture Week in Rome they hold a series of events for free or with a guide for 10 euros. Daniele and I made reservations to see the Palazzo Quirinale and Colosseo on a day Daniele was free.

We had a tour of Palazzo Quirinale in the morning, which I believe is open once a month normally. Our guide was really good and I actually understood most of what she said (it was in Italian). The palace was amazing, just room after room with beautiful glass lamps and wall decorations. In roman times this hill was home to a complex of baths and statues. As the tallest hill in Rome it was a very desirable place for palaces. In 1583 Pope Gregory XIII build the Palazzo Quirinale here as a summer home to escape the humidity of the Tiber River. In 1870 when the papel state was overthrown, Rome joined the rest of united Italy. Immediately after in 1871 Rome became the capital and the palace became the home of the king. In 1946 the monarchy was abolished and the palace is now the official home and office of the president.

In the afternoon we went to the Colosseum or “Colosseo”. It was free for culture week, so it was super crowded. Luckily we were with the “Amici di Roma” group and didn’t have to wait in line. Unfortunately this guide (or more the other person “organizing”) was not very organized and lost half of our group. She was practically running through the crowds and our group split in half at some point. Luckily someone with us had the number of someone with them, so we got reunited after a little confusion.

The point of this tour was not to see the normal inside of the Colosseum, which you really only need to do once and I had already done. They brought us underneath and on top to areas normally restricted. In fact as we were let through locked gates I heard at least once “how come they get to go through?”.

First we went underneath. The area has only just been opened to anyone besides archeologists. The guide was difficult to understand, but she showed us where animals (or whatever) where brought to the stage level on pulleys. Also where water was brought in from the aqueducts to flood the Colosseum and stage naval battles.

Then we went up top. Like top top. I’m pretty sure were were right where Alberto Sordi threatened to jump if not brought to the US in “Un Americano A Roma” (recommended film). Up top our guide told us more about the history of the Colosseum. All the shows were free and they could load everyone in and out in a few minutes. The seats right up front were for the senators. The only woman allowed on the first floor was the emperor’s wife. All other women were on the higher seats because the shows were considered a thing for men. Not far we could see the field where the gladiators would have trained.

Before the Colosseum was build the valley was a swamp. The Ancient Romans lived in the hills. Nero drained the water from the swamp because he wanted to build a giant villa. He died before finishing it, and the Flavi family used the materials to start building the Colosseum.

After Constantine converted the empire to Catholicism, they started using the Colosseum less and less. It just wasn’t considered very Christian. Eventually everyone stopped caring about it and it fell to all different kind of uses over the years. The papacy even made it into its personal quarry, using its marble to build up the Vatican. That is why a whole chuck of the side is missing by the exit. The Romans, who invented cement, did not use any on the Colosseum, they held the stones together with bronze clamps, which were also taken, leaving those pock marks. For a while people even had apartments inside; if you look you can see the retrofitted windows.

The story ends well, in 1749, Pope Benedict XIV declared the Colosseum a secret site saying that martyrs had died there. He began reinforcement and excavation and more was done by Mussolini. Today, of course, it is one of the most popular tourist sights in the world.

Pictures from this fun day are in my Rome and Monterotundo Album: https://picasaweb.google.com/111221349198606775660/20110225RomaAndMonterotondo

Today is the 150th birthday of Italy. It has been one nation under one flag that long. In celebration, Rome had a “white night” last night. Everything was open until 2 AM and all the museums were free as well as some things being open to the public that normally are not, like the senate and some special ruins.

Daniele, his brother Emanuele, and I went into the center together to celebrate. Many of the monuments were lit up in the tre-colore. We made it inside Musei Capitolini and Museo del Mercato di Traiano.

Then we went to the senate, which I was excited about, but the line moved so slowly that we had to give up to catch the metro back home. We were pretty tired by then anyway, so it was for the best.

Meanwhile, all over Italy everything from billboards to the “tre-colore” lettuce I bought today is celebrating the 150 year landmark. Since who knows where I’ll be for “200 Years” and I probably won’t be up for running around all night at the age of 75, I’m glad I got to partake. Happy Birthday, Italy! Tanti Aguri!

All the pictures from this night:
https://picasaweb.google.com/kaitlyn.hanrahan/20110316150YrsOfItaly#