History of Art and Architecture in Italy and Greece

Philip Richardson

History of Art and Architecture in

Italy and Greece

2013

HISTORY OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN ITALY AND GREECE 2013 PROFESSORS: DOUGLAS ALLEN LIBERO ANDREOTTI ATHANASSIOS ECONOMOU

BY: PHILIP RICHARDSON

TABLE OF CONTENTS Car to Atlanta, GA + Plane to Chicago, IL + Plane to Rome, Italy COA 3115 WEEK 1 01. Establishment of Rome 02. Forum Romanum + Pallatine Hill 03. Colosseum + Imperial Fora + Pantheon 04. Ostia Antica 05. Hadrian’s Villa + Villa D’Este WEEKEND 1 - Pantheon + Trevi Fountain + Papal Mass at St. Peter’s WEEK 2 06. Santa Sabina + Santa Maria in Travastere + San Clemente 07. Campidoglio + Piazza Del Popolo + Santa Maria del Popolo 08. Villa Giulia COA 3116 09. Vatican City + Piazza Navona 10. St. Ivo + Sant’Ignazio + L’Archivo Storico Capitolino + Baths of Diocletian + Santa Maria della Vittoria + San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane + Sant’Andrea al Quirinale WEEKEND 2 - Vittor Emmanuele II Monument + Spanish Steps + Bus to Florence, Italy WEEK 3 11. Piazzale Michelangelo + San Miniato al Monte 12. Santa Maria Novella + Palazzo Davanzati + Piazza della Signoria + Palazzo Vecchio + Orsanmichele + Santa Croce 13. Siena + Pienza 14. San Lorenzo + Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana + Bargello + Palazzo Medici Riccardi + Piazza della Santissima Annunziata + Palazzo Strozzi + Pontevecchio + Santo Spirito 15. Battistero di San Giovanni + Cupola + Duomo + Museo dell’Opera del Duomo + Galleria degli Uffizi WEEKEND 3 - Cinque Terre WEEK 4 16. Galleria degli Uffizi 17. Cappella dei Principi + Sagrestia Nuova + Palazzo Pitti + Giardini di Boboli + Train to Venice, Italy 18. Vicenza + Teatro Olimpico + Villa Rotunda 19. Piazza San Marco + Basilica di San Marco + Basilica dei santi Giovanni e Paolo 20. Santa Maria dei Miracoli + Santa Maria della Salute + San Giorgio Maggiore + Il Redentore WEEKEND 4 - Boat to Athens, Greece

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COA 3114 WEEK 5 21. National Archeological Museum in Athens 22. Mycenae + Tiryns 23. Athenian Agora 24. Athenian Acropolis 25. Delphi WEEKEND 5 - Yabanaki Beach

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WEEK 6 26. Sounion + Boat to Mykonos, Greece 27. Delos 28. Mykonos Archeological Museum + Boat to Santorini, Greece 29. Fira, Santorini + Akrotiri, Santorini + Red Beach 30. Ancient Thera + Karamara Beach WEEKEND 6 - Oia + Cliff Jumping + Boat to Epidaurus, Greece

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WEEK 7 31. Epidaurus + Bus to Olympia, Greece 32. Olympia + Boat to Taranto, Italy

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COA 3115 33. Taranto + Metaponto + Bus to Paestum, Italy 34. Paestum + Bus to Sorrento, Italy 35. Pompeii

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WEEKEND 7 - Mini-Bus to Rome, Italy + Plane to Chicago, IL + Plane to Atlanta, GA + Car to Asheville, NC

Philip Richardson

History of Art and Architecture in

Rome

2013

DAY 01 - 05/13/2013

COA 3115

ROME I: FORUM ROMANUM + PALATINE

Rome is a city built into its past. An example lies in the residential units built into the Theater of Marcellus (image on right).

Tiber Island (image below, left) and the Forum Boarium were the source of great power for ancient Rome. The path into the city from the bridge led directly in front of the Portunus Temple (image below, center). This temple is stylistically in the transition of Roman and Greek influence. Although Greek columns form a peristyle, the columns around the cella are engaged. The Temple of Hercules Victor sits closer to the middle of the Forum Boarium (image below, left).

FORUM

BOAR IUM

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Just up the road from the Forum Boarium is the Arch of Janus (image above). This four-legged arch sits over the Via del Velabro. This road looks straight up to the Palatine Hill. In 550 BC, a stream was encapsulated here to prevent flooding down this incline. Along this road sits the church of San Giorgio in Velabro.

Around the corner of the Via del Velabro and down the road a bit is the political center of ancient Rome, the Roman Forum and the Capotiline Hill. The building placement on the eastern side of the Campidoglio comes from the three part cella of the Capitolium.

COA 3115

CENTRAL ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

In the middle- Jupiter, on the leftJuno, and on the right- Minerva.

The cCardo ran in the north-south direction and the decumanus ran east-west. From the Campidoglio, this eastern orientation of the forum became a very popular model for many cities.

ROME I: FORUM ROMANUM + PALATINE DAILY REFLECTION On the very first day of summer classes, we began at the Theater of Marcellus, where the concept of building within existing structure has become the theme of Rome. We then walked to the Forum Boarium with the Temple of Hercules Victor and the Temple of Portunus. Here we sat in the grass and discussed some of the establishment of Rome, namely the power associated with owning the connection of the two sides of the Tiber River and the first area that would be seen after crossing this bridge – the Temple of Portunus. We also went over some of the applicable Greek mythology. We then made our way down the street a bit to the Sant’Omobono, where some Etruscan and Roman artifacts were found. At a low point in the surrounding topography sits the Arch of Janus, atop the raised ground which encapsulated the stream beneath in 550 BC. From here, the Pallatine Hill can be seen above and just around the corner sits the Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill beyond. After discussing the power associated with the location, we continued to discuss the establishment of Rome atop the Capotiline Hill and how the initial government was set up with kings elected by the Senate. The orientation from this political point above the Forum overlooked the intersection (Mundus) of the north-south Cardo and east-west Decumanus. We then walked down to the spot situated above the original meeting space of the Popular Assembly, the Comitium, and next to the Curia where the Senate met. Here we discussed the Roman government in more detail, including the period of the Kings, and how restriction on land introduced violence into the Senate which led to the establishment of the Roman Republic in 509 BC. 08

DAY 02 - 05/14/2013

COA 3115

ROME II: FORUM ROMANUM + PALATINE

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina was later converted into a Christian Church (image on left). Antoninus was known to be a pious man, and built this temple to deify his very unpious wife, Faustina. This noble act caused his name to be added to the temple as well. The House of the Vestals was located in the ancient forum so that the Vestals could keep the fire burning in the Temple Vesta. This group also served as the probate court. This house was attached to that of the king, essentially acting as one large regal complex. The temple of Castor and Pollux was built to commemorate the announcement of the Roman victory at

Lake Regulus (image above, left). The podium of the massive Basilica Julia can be seen nearby (image above, right). This building begun by Julius and completed by Augustus sits directly atop an entrance to the Cloaca Maxima (image on right). This building replaced the Basilica Sempronia demolished by Julius. Across from this building is the Lacus Curtius associated with one of three legends of the history of Rome (image below). This monument of sorts pays memory to when the forum was swamp before the sewage systems were implemented.

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COA 3115

CENTRAL ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

Three columns of the Temple of Titus and Vespasian can be seen close to the back side of the Palazzo del Senatore of the Campidoglio (image above, left). The Temple of Concord sat next to this (image above, right). Towards the center of the forum, precisely at the intersection of the ancient cardo and decumanus, lies the mundus with the umbilicus situated on top (image on right). The Mundus represents the entrance to the underworld and the center of the Roman world. It has only been opened up three times. Sacrifices were offered nearby on the altar of Saturn, most likely the flat rock found next to the umbilicus.

ROME II: FORUM ROMANUM + PALATINE DAILY REFLECTION On the second day, we went into the Roman Forum. In my mind, the Roman Forum is a story of reading history through the layers. In fact, the different time periods can be read through materiality and different levels of excavation. The Forum was originally oriented true north-south-east-west, which can only be read now in the House of the Vestals. The re-orientation then began with the temple honoring the Sons of Zeus – Castor and Pollux, an interesting alignment of Greek mythology with Roman establishment. The influence of the Caesar’s can be seen in both the Temple of Julius Caesar (or Divus Julius), dedicated by Augustus, and the Basilica Julia, begun by Julius and completed by Augustus. It is amazing how much influence one family had within the Roman Republic. In the central part of the forum, at the intersection of the original cardo and decumanus, are the Mundus and Umbilicus Urbis. While standing near this point, it is incredible to think that it was said to be the central point of Rome and therefore the known world, as well as the point which all other roads were marked from. Nearby, the Arch of Septimius Severus tells a well-preserved story of change over time. On the inner side, the original inscription of Septimius Severus’ son’s name can be read although it was attempted to be replaced by the name of his murderer, Caracalla. We then began to see the transition from Republican virtue to Imperial Excess through the life of Augustus in the strategic placement of his Domus Flavia atop the supposed Lupercal of Romulus and Remus. We continued to climb the hill into the Hippodrome garden. The overlooks from here and the Bath Complex served as conclusions for overseeing all of the layers that make up this incredible history.

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COA 3115

The Basilica of Maxentius, also known as the Basilica Constantine is located up the Pallatine hill from the Roman Forum (image on right). This massive building was built in 310 AD for Emperor Constantine. The colossal statue of Constantine would have sat in the apse at the western end of the

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The Arch of Septimius Severus frames the connection of the forum to the Campidoglio and sits on the Via Sacra (image on left).

This triumphant arch built by the sons of Severus depicts the defeat of the Parthians by Severus after Alexander forced 10,000 Greeks to marry Parthians.

nave. The remaining pieces of this statue now lie in the courtyard of the Musei Capitolini. The style of the building is not of the typical Basilican form. It consists entirely of arcuation, owing more to the Baths of Diocletian than the typically trabeated form of basilicas.

The massive groin vaults that would have supported the roof over the nave can now only be seen in the segments that remain at the connection to the northern aisle (image on left). The type of brickwork used here is known as Opus Latericium. This consists of brick facing with infill of concrete and rubble plus a flat piece of terracotta.

The Arch of Titus was a commemorative arch celebrating the military victory of Titus’ father. This victory represents the fall of Jerusalem and a bleak day in the year 71 AD for Jewish history. Although the message may be bleak, the monument is incredibly well-preserved from this time period.

COA 3115

CENTRAL ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

The Pallatine Hill on the Germanus side is where Rome began. A small tunnel known as the cryptoporticus, or hidden porch, is the underground passage where Domitian was assassinated, the Emperor who had destroyed the power of the Senate (image above).

At the top of the Pallatine Hill are the Fernase gardens built by the Vernaci’s in 1550 (image below, left). Much of these gardens has been destroyed but some remnants of the structures built here remain. The gardens contain several beautiful overlooks over the Roman forum and out to the city beyond (image below, right).

Farther to the south of the gardens the bedrock level of the House of Augustus can be seen. It was here on the side of the Pallatine that Augustus put his house, above what he claimed to be the Lupercal -- the cave where Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome, were found by the she-wolf and raised. In this way, Augustus was able to set up the image that he was the second founder of Rome while simultaneously setting up a hereditary monarchy.

Also found on this side of the hill were several iron age huts and the House of Livia. To the east sits the Domus Flavia (image below, left).

A transition from the Republican virtue of Augustus’ intentions to the Imperial Excess of this massive house took place here. To the southern side of this area are the Domus Augustana, a large hippodrome, and a bath complex dated to 196-200 AD, the most recent addition here (image on far right).

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DAY 03 - 05/15/2013

COA 3115

ROME III: IMPERIAL ROME

Three types of theatre existed in the Roman world. The first type is the circus, seen particularly in the Circus Maximus of Rome (image above, right). The chariot racing that took place here became incredibly popular. The second type of theatre was the Greek theatre, associated with a god. These were used for plays of both tragedy and comedy. The third type of theatre was the arena. The most prominent example of this type is the Theatre of Vespasian, eventually known as the Colosseum (image above, left). This venue was used for staged hunts, battles, and gladiatorial combat. A fire occurred in 64 AD and the people of

COLO

SSEUM Rome began to blame Nero. He then confiscated this land to build his Domus Aurea and needed someone to blame for all the destruction. He chose the Christians, burned them by the thousands, and then killed himself out of disgust. The Arch of Constantine sits at the entrance to this area (image above, left). This arch clearly shows the decline of Rome that was taking place at the time it was built in the early 300’s AD. In 296 Diocletian wanted to purge Christianity, but Constantine legalized it with the Edict of Milan in 313. In 330 Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople, Turkey. Over the course of about 200-300 years Germans were trickling into Rome from the west. In 407 the Rhine river froze and the Germans flocked in by the millions, attacking the city in 410. It was not simply the introduction of Christianity taking the faith of people away from their city, The Imperial Fora are located just but a combination of all of these and many other events which across from the Colosseum and the Forum Romanum. This series led to the fall of Rome in 476.

The Colosseum has partially been of fora includes the Forma Urbis, destroyed due to earthquakes and Forum of Peace, Forum of Nerthe train beneath. This destrucva, Forum of Augustus, Forum of tion has, however revealed a nice Julius Caesar (image on left), and section view of how the structure the Forum of Trajan. These were of the amphitheater is set up. built between 46 BC and 113 AD.

COA 3115

CENTRAL ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

The Forum of Trajan (image on left) and the Trajan Markets (image below, left) are located to the far west of the Imperial Fora. The Forum of Trajan showcases the famous, storytelling Trajan’s Column. The Markets of Trajan are very well preserved and showcase advanced construction technology. The exterior facade remains constant in height despite the sloping path above by taking the difference in the barrel vault height of the enclosed space off of the front wall. The level of preservation of the walls on top of the market provide a perfect section of a typical wall construction from this time period (image below, right).

ROME III: IMPERIAL ROME DAILY REFLECTION The day began by walking past the ruins of the Roman Forum and to the arena associated purely with entertainment, the Colosseum. The arena is a representation of restoration, while the Arch of Constantine just outside is a symbol of decline. The ability of Vespasian to clean up the damage done by Nero was critical in establishing the Roman society, creating a way of enjoying sport in a way never before seen and not so different then today. It is the large public buildings such as this that convince me of the solidity and advanced society of the Republic. The Arch of Constantine, however, displays an assimilation of artwork from all over, revealing the degradation of resources at the time of its creation.

The Imperial Fora are located next to the Roman Forum, once all connected at the same level. I find the argument of whether or not excavation should continue to reconnect this area quite interesting, and personally think this would be the best way to preserve the past. The Imperial Fora display a series of Fora built by sequential Emperors of Rome. This axis culminates with the Forum of Trajan, including Trajan’s Column and the Markets of Trajan. These markets are a remarkable preservation of an original Roman street. Structurally, the complex is quite complicated, handling changing levels and curves with clean barrel vaults and arcuation. Here I was able to see both a reasonably sized structure of varying levels and a typical wall section, again showing the advanced methods of architecture for the time. The next stop was the Pantheon, where I gave my first presentation of the trip. Although I was disappointed we were not able to go inside, it still went well and even from the outside, the building never ceases to catch me off guard with its scale and grandeur.

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DAY 04 - 05/16/2013

OSTIA ANTICA

COA 3115

Ostia was the first colony of Rome, and functioned as the port of Rome.

It started off as a Castrum, but quickly became a Colonnae with full Roman citizenship. The system of dimensioning used in the layout and grid of this city has directly influenced the US system we use today. The black and white mosaic style seen here is known as Opus Vicularum.

Ostia had running water via a public fountain off of the street (image above). The city also had many different markets for various types of food (image on right). The preservation of this site provides a great way of envisioning how a small city would have functioned during this time.

The Forum Baths at Ostia are one of the best preserved examples of these complexes in Italy. These buildings functioned without electricity, the combustion engine, or soap. The processional series of varying temperature bathing rooms can be experienced here, including the tepidarium, frigidarium, and caldarium (image above, left) among others. The circulation for the furnace areas used by the workers to keep the rooms hot can be accessed below this complex (image above, right). Within this network, the hypocaust flooring (image below, right) and wall flue ventilation systems can be seen.

The bathing process started with exercise in the unisex open-air palaestra. Next, the bather would move to the male or female side and clothes would be removed and stored in the apodyterium. Oil would be rubbed over the body before going to the caldarium, the hot room for sweating. This room could get very hot and had hot water for bathing. After this, the bather would scrape off the dirt and oil. The tepidarium was a warm room for cooling down a bit before going to the Frigidarium for a cold, refreshing bath. The process could finish with a swim in the unisex swimming pool with the family.

COA 3115

OSTIA

ROMA, ITALIA

Another interesting public work that can be seen at Ostia is the bathroom system (image above, left). These public and social rooms function with running water underneath the bench to collect waste and in front of the bench for cleaning purposes. The forum situated towards the middle of the grid contains a large Capitolium temple (image above, center). Some of the domus’ contain a roof overlook for viewing the dense grid of the city. The Theatre of Augustine is situated closer to the front of the city. In front of this theatre are a large series of markets with mosaics representing the items sold.

OSTIA ANTICA DAILY REFLECTION Our day at Ostia was the first of our two days of rain in the first week. This Port of Rome is a well-preserved colony which provides a great example of how life may have been during its time. As we began to walk through the main street, the rain only increased and we eventually had to find cover. While trying to warm up and dry off my soaked T-shirt and obviously faulty rain coat, I began to ponder how similar situations were handled in the time of Ostia. This reminded me of my independent research topic dealing with building systems, particularly heating systems. After a while, we moved over to another street and into a small cafe which utilized a small stove under the counter to heat the room as well as the food sitting on the counter. From here, we eventually made our way to the Forum Baths. It was here that the more complicated building systems were literally explored. An intricate layout of tunnels carved beneath the complex provided the means for what above was a luxurious series of floor and wall-heated rooms and baths. Not only were these methods advanced for the time, but questions still remain regarding how heat was drawn to all sides of the rooms. Exploration of this complex only confirmed my interest in the topic. After doing some individual exploration around the colony, it became clear that smaller developments existed in different areas, probably with unique reputations not unlike varying areas of cities today. Public works such as the theatre created places for communal interaction and utilized impressive acoustical techniques. The markets in front of the theatre were also areas for these varying communities within the colony to come together. Ostia gave me a glimpse into Roman life and showed me the impressive and even appealing society they lived amongst.

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DAY 05 - 05/17/2013

COA 3115

HADRIAN’S VILLA + VILLA D’ESTE

Hadrian’s Villa is a large residential complex located in Tivoli, Italy.

The Piazza d’Oro was the private apartment for the emperor (image far left). It is possible that the Hadrian’s secret lover, Antoninus, lived here as well. The fountains of this piazza would have been very impressive (image on left).

The long Canopus with the large Serapeum at the end sits to the north side. Originally, water channels fed water from above the Serapeum down into and through it, creating a grand water feature. This water ran through a semi-circular triclinium which opens up to the Canopus.

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The Villa d’Este was built by Ippolito II d’Este, a cardinal who was given this, originally, Benedictine monastery and the Diocese of Tivoli to get him away. He dispelled the monks here to make his residence. Pirro Ligorio was the well-known architect hired to design this villa and garden complex.

COA 3115

TIVOLI

TIVOLI, ITALIA

In addition to the hidden cryptoporticus within the villa (image above), the main feature of this residence is the garden complex in the back with water works and scissor circulation. At the ends of the flat landings are belvederes overlooking the landscape of Tivoli. The entire water system is powered only by gravity. The Grand Cascade is the terminal feature (image above, right). Another fountain is known as the Water Organ and plays music using only the sounds of water. The engineering feat of this project is like no other. The hydraulics engineer responsible for the design is Chiriuchu.

HADRIAN’S VILLA + VILLA D’ESTE DAILY REFLECTION On the final day of the first week, we traveled to Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. It was raining quite heavily, and although it was a villa, the remains are such that there is not much cover. What makes this villa astonishing is both the scale and set up. The site is basically a collection of architectural experiments with no planned relationship to one another. The personality of the architect and owner, Emperor Hadrian, can be seen through these architectural experiments. His secret life in which he shared a romantic relationship with the young Antoninus takes form in the cryptoporticus throughout and private apartments within the Piazza d’Oro. Hadrian’s Villa also boasts the impressive Grand Baths, another display of hypocaust flooring and wall flues as seen at Ostia. The water works that once took place within the Center Fountain in the Piazza d’Oro and the waterfall in the Serapeum created a modest introduction for the Villa d’Este to be seen next.

The Villa d’Este holds an interesting story of very privileged but disliked young man who gained this villa as bribery to relinquish the opportunity to become pope. Originally a monastery, this site became a large residence with incredible gardens and water systems. To someone interested in the passive building systems of Ancient Rome such as myself, the channeled water works and fountains are particularly fascinating. It is incredible to think that even to this day all of the water at this villa circulates purely driven by gravity, with no electricity needed. The engineering and hydraulics designed for this complex spark my interest in wondering if there is something to be learned today from elaborate systems which still work to this day and require no power at all.

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DAY 08 - 05/20/13

COA 3115

LATE CLASSICAL MEDIEVAL ROME

The Aventine Hill was originally a hill for the working class. The Basilica di Santa Sabina is located here and was built on top of a house church (image on left). The construction began in 422 AD. The church contains one of the earliest depictions of the crucifixion of Christ (image below, right). The aisles are roofed with wooden truss. The clerestory windows are made of selenite, a thin translucent material, not glass. This basilica typified in plan and proportion the new standard for fifth century Roman basilicas. The interior was stripped of all fenestration except one side chapel in the 19th century.

The Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere sits in the Piazza di Santa Maria. The narthex at the entrance was added by Carlo Fontana in 1702. The nave is lined with twenty-one Ionic and Corinthian columns from the Baths of Caracalla and the Temple of Isis. The church is richly ornamented with a mosaic in the apse depicting the Coronation of the Virgin. Another painting featured in this church shows the Council of Trent, where the Catholic church decided what to do about Protestantism. The Avila Chapel designed by Antonio Ghererdi and located off the left aisle features a unique, Baroque dome.

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COA 3115

CENTRAL ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

The Basilica di San Clemente consists of three structures built on top of each other. The earliest of these three developments consists of a what once was an industrial building and an insalae later converted to a Mithraic temple from the Republican era. The first floor of the industrial building was infilled in the fourth century and the upper floor was remodeled. The Mithraic temple area was then filled in to build an apse on top and the first basilica of the site was created. This structure was then filled in and the uppermost basilica was built in the 12th century.

Excavations of the lower structures now allow visitors to see all three.

LATE CLASSICAL MEDIEVAL ROME DAILY REFLECTION The first day of the second week took us atop the Aventine Hill to the Basilica of Santa Sabina. It is interesting to think of the debate between Romulus and Remus regarding which hill the city should be built upon, considering the city now encompasses all three. The hill today contains an upper class neighborhood and the Basilica of Santa Sabina. I found this church to be very telling of its history through exposure and reuse of elements from the Temple of Juno Regina as well as the decorated side chapel -- the only piece not stripped of its once decorated appearance. It is also interesting to imagine the transformation of this Basilica from a roman house-church to the congregational type. We then walked down the hill and over to Trastevere. The Santa Maria in Trastevere is another example of what was originally a Roman house-church. To me, this church marked a clear distinction in the architectural styles seen afterwards. Both the exterior portico and pediment, as well as the entire interior were decorated with frescoes and/or mosaics. This was also the first point of seeing 2d artwork, as opposed to architecture, that was recognizable to me. As someone very interested in art in addition to architecture, I find beautiful artwork displayed within beautiful architecture to be particularly significant. The last church we saw today was the Basilica of San Clemente. In terms of layered history, this church was easily the most vivid example thus far. As we climbed down the stairs into the two previous versions beneath the current basilica, it was as if we were climbing down into the Ancient city. The same city shows itself in portions all over the city today, but it is fascinating that the entire history lies beneath the modern level. This layered church created a physical metaphor for the process of discovering Ancient Rome.

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DAY 09 - 05/21/13

COA 3115

RENAISSANCE ROME

IMPERIAL

RENAISSANCE

The Campidoglio in the Imperial period faced the ancient forum to the east. The buildings consisted of the Temple of Jupiter, Temple of Juno, and the Tabularium. In the Medieval period, the forum had moved away and the new focal point was northward. The government built the Palazzo del Senatore overlooking the old forum. The Basilica was built, angled, on top of the Temple of Juno. The building to the south was a market. During the Renaissance, Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo to redesign the Capitoline hill and create an axis towards the new city. The Campidoglio now consists of the Palazzo del Senatore (image above, center), Palazzo dei Conservatori (image above, right), and the Palazzo Nuovo (image above, left). A perfect copy of an equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius sits in the piazza (image on right). This sole survivor from the Renaissance set the precedent for equestrian statues.

CAMPI

DOGLIO

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The Piazza del Popolo (image on left) was part of Pope Sixtus V’s plan to unify the route of the pilgrimage churches in Rome and link them to the classical past of the city. The flanking churches to the south are the Santa Maria dei Monti (left) and the Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right).

COA 3115

ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

The three roads of the Via del Babuino (left), Via Flaminia (center), and Via di Ripetta (right) all lead to the Santa Maria Maggiore, Campidoglio, and Campo Marzio, respectively. Sixtus used obelisks to mark the main connecting points of his plan. This piazza was originally intended to be the formal entrance of the city marked by the Porta del Popolo. The Santa Maria del Popolo is located on this same north side of the piazza (image above, right). This church holds two very famous Caravaggio paintings in the Cerasi Chapel: The Conversion of St. Paul (image on left) and The Crucifixion of St. Peter (image above, left).

RENAISSANCE ROME DAILY REFLECTION The day began at the Campidoglio on the Capitoline Hill. This was a very significant piazza to visit after learning so much about it from other classes. In my mind, this is one of the clearest examples of geometry and symmetry by Michelangelo. This can be seen in the two versions of the site plan, as well as in the depictions located outside the Palazzo Conservatori. Both the modifications and the new features added work together to create what is now a centrally focused public space, with a clear axis towards the “new city.” We then ventured into the Capatoline Museum on the Palazzo Conservatori side. The fragments and artifacts housed in this museum showed the development of the archeology of the ancient city. For me, it was an explanation of how the information we now know was obtained, a chance to visualize many ancient artifacts, and way to put a face to many names. Later in the day we met up at the Piazza del Popolo. It was very interesting to discuss how Pope Sixtus V had originally envisioned this as the entrance to the city. Standing in the middle, it actually helped me visualize and organize the city after having navigated it for over a week by looking down the three streets-- the Via del Babuino, the Via Flaminia, and the Via di Ripetta. It was clear to imagine the main points of interest in relation to these three streets going to different parts of the city. We then moved into the Santa Maria del Popolo near the designed entrance to the city -- the Porta del Popolo. This was another church housing very famous artwork, including the “Conversion of St. Paul” and “The Crucifixion of St. Peter” by Caravaggio. After studying these paintings in other classes, it was amazing to see them in person, in a chapel designed to hold them. This well-preserved church was truly a piece of designed artwork.

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DAY 10 - 05/22/13

BAROQUE ROME

COA 3115

VILLA

GIULIA

The Villa Giulia was a house commissioned by Pope Giulius as a guest house for people visiting the Vatican (image above, left). Today, it serves as an Etruscan museum. The building was worked on by four very talented designers: Dadi Vignola, Bartolomeo Ammannati, Giorgio Vasari, and Michelangelo. The design revolves around the progression of the interior, open spaces. The first space is a curving barrel vaulted hallway (image above, right) around an outdoor atrium (image on right).

A loggia divides this space from an outdoor dining area beyond (image below). The levels of this space represent the underworld in the lower garden with standing water and caryatides, mankind in the middle space with the Tiber and Arno river statues (image on right), and the Heaven’s in the upper story peeking into the Jardenos Grato. The relationships of scale and proportion are played with in this space.

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COA 3115

NORTH ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

Access to the Jardeno Grato beyond was limited to “only those who knew how to get to it.� The museum here houses many Etruscan artefacts, painting a picture of the civilization before the founding of Rome. The Galleria Borghese holds a collection of paintings, sculpture and antiquities.

BAROQUE ROME DAILY REFLECTION We began at the Villa Giulia, an impressive housed designed by four very talented people. It is the progression of interior, open spaces that create something interesting. Exploration of new techniques can be seen in several parts throughout these spaces. We started at the barrel vaulted space encircling the outdoor atrium, then moved into the loggia which overlooks the exterior dining area. The distinct levels of the dining space, together with the Paradise garden above and beyond, create an innovative and inspiring effect. As we stood in the middle level after descending the curved gradual stairs, we could look down into the underworld with the standing water and caryatides, as well as the Heavens above through the arch into the secret garden. In addition to this designed progression of spaces, the Villa Giulia now holds an impressive museum of Etruscan artefacts and examples. Outside the central spaces sits an Etruscan temple with the Acroteri on the sides. The museum situates inside and around all these spaces. It was here that we saw an overwhelming collection of objects from the period which influenced ancient Rome so heavily. For me, it was interesting to pick out the similarities between these earlier artefacts and those of the Roman period. It quickly became clear that this was an incredibly advanced and sophisticated civilization. The happiness and successfulness could literally be seen in the expressions of the carved statues that remain. This museum formed a clear background for the establishment of the successful Roman empire. The latter part of the day was unfortunately incomplete due to a mix up with our reservations at the Galleria Borghese and was cut short. This actually gave me much needed time to finish up my studio project, considering today was the day of the competition deadline!

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DAY 11 - 05/23/13

COA 3116

VATICAN CITY + PIAZZA NAVONA

St. Peter’s Basilica is in the heart of Vatican City. The church remains one of the largest in the world. It was designed primarily by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

The present basilica was completed in 1626. The Musei Vaticani is situated around the back of the building (image above, right). This famous museum holds famous artwork and sites such as The School of Athens by Raphael and the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo (image on left). The interior features a baldacchino designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (image below, right) and a massive dome completed by Giacomo della Porta and Fontana. Under the church lie the Vatican Grottoes, holding the bodies of many popes. Below this is the ancient Necropolis, seen on the Scavi tour. This literal “city of the dead” is the location of the supposed bones of St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles.

SAINT

PETER’S

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COA 3116

CENTRAL ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

The Piazza Navona was built on the ancient Stadium of Domitian, now seen in fragments to the north of the piazza. Three fountains reside in this public space: La Fontana del Nettuno (image above, left), La Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (image on left), and La Fontana del Moro (image above, right). La Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi located in the middle of the piazza was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The statues at the four corners of the support holding the obelisk represent the four river gods. The travertine base was criticized for being too weak -- disproved when Bernini climbed it himself.

VATICAN CITY + PIAZZA NAVONA DAILY REFLECTION We started the day off walking to Vatican City, over the Vittorio Emanuele II bridge, directly in front of the Castel di Sant’Angelo. We made our way over to the long line in order to visit the Vatican museum.

This is a museum literally covered with paintings and ornamentation. It was a place with too much to take in at one time. Not surprisingly, the Sistine Chapel had the most noticeable effect to it. Not only is the chapel incredibly beautiful, but to think of the amount of work put in by Michelangelo is simply incredible. After seeing only part of the museum due to heavy crowding, we went outside and around to the back of the basilica. The Scavi di San Pietro includes not only the tomb of Saint Pater, but an entire underground city of sorts, containing many tombs and chapels. When we made it to what is considered to be the tomb and location of the bones of Saint Peter, our tour guide had us all stop and pray the Lord’s Prayer together. This was a nice experience and one which I will not soon forget. I think the debate of whether or not these are truly the bones of Saint Peter is best handled with the statement: people have been coming here believing they are the bones of Saint Peter for several hundred years, and that is enough for me. Upon leaving the Scavi, we were told that the normal passageway into the Basilica above was closed off and we would have to exit and stand in the long line to get in. However, Professor Libero was able to talk the workers into letting us use a different entrance, bringing us up into the Basilica and behind the normal pedestrian gates! It was great to see the church a little closer than the average visitor even for just a minute. Our day ended with a presentation on the Piazza Navona. This piazza tells an interesting story of its previous use, as well as the creation of the different fountains.

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DAY 12 - 05/24/13

COA 3116

RENAISSANCE + LATE BAROQUE ROME

Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza was designed by Francesco Borromini completed in 1660 (image above, left). The complex interior geometry relates to the six-pointed Star of David (image far above, center). The concavity and convexity of the shape required new forms for basic elements including pediments and pilasters. Sant’Ignazio is located in the Piazza Raguzzini (image above, center). The most interesting feature of this church is the false dome painted in the middle by Andrea Pozzo due to lack of funds (image above, right). L’Archivo Storico Capitolino holds documents produced by the city of Rome (image on right). The library inside was designed by Borromini under many constraints. The solutions to these constraints show the expertise of Borromini’s work.

The Baths of Diocletian once existed at the present site of Santa Maria degli Angeli in the Piazza della Republica (image below).Because of the original building use,

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this church reverses the normal layout of a large nave and small, crossing transept. The massive transept of this church was once the meeting room of the Baths (image above, left).

Part of the original bath structure can be seen near the back of the church (image above, right).

COA 3116

CENTRAL ROME

ROMA, ITALIA

The church of Santa Maria della Vittoria is most known for the famous sculpture of Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the Cornaro Chapel, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (image above, left). The churches of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontana and Sant’Andrea al Quirinale are located just down the street from each other, along the Via del Quirinale. Both proximity, size, and general shape of these two sites provides an easy way of comparing the two designers: Borromini and Bernini. The complex geometry of Borromini’s design for San Carlo (image above, right) is contrasted by the simple but sculpted design of Bernini’s Sant’Andrea (image on right).

RENAISSANCE + LATE BAROQUE ROME DAILY REFLECTION The last day of class in Rome began at Borromini’s Saint Ivo. This was a nice introduction for the day as it introduced the complex geometry and proportion systems used to deal with building structure and systems. I found the alternating concave and convex walls of the interior very interesting as they created the need to redesign key features such as the pediments and pilasters. The water drainage for the site was handled quite clearly. I appreciated the simple and effective approach of dividing the site into three parts for this problem. We then traveled to L’Archivo Storico Capitolino where we saw another commission of Borromini. The limitations of this project were also handled with noticeable care, but the strained endurance of the structure can be seen in the warping wood roof. Near our hotel, we visited the Piazza Raguzzini and Sant’Ignazio. This piazza very effectively placed emphasis on the public space in an interesting way. After lunch, we met across the city at Santa Maria degli Angeli, the former site of the Baths of Diocletian. What interested me most in this building was the remains of the baths that could be read through the structure. More than anything else, this structure gave a sense of the incredibly massive scale of this former public facility. It was astonishing for me to recall the building systems discovered in the baths at Ostia and apply them to a building of this size. The next two buildings visited painted an interesting comparison of work. San Carlo alle Quattro Fontana by Borromini and Sant’Andrea al Quirinale by Bernini are situated on the same street, separated by only a few buildings. I found the background story of these architects interesting. Borromini was notoriously a better architect, while Bernini was an incredible sculptor. Bernini could sell himself, received better commissions, and felt bad for Borromini.

Philip Richardson

History of Art and Architecture in

Florence + Venice

2013

DAY 15 - 05/27/13

COA 3116

FLORENCE + SAN MINIATO AL MONTE

Italy became unified in 1871 and Florence was elected to be capitol.

This area rose up as a city of merchants and earned money from the wool industry. This money was deliberately put into arts and architecture of industry technology. The Piazzale Michelangelo is a terrace view above the city designed by Giuseppe Poggi. This square provides famous panoramic views of the city (image far above). It is dedicated to Michelangelo, the designer responsible for much of Florence, and holds a replica of his statue of David (image above, right). Above this public space lies the church of San Miniato al Monte (image above, left)

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COA 3116

FLORENCE

FIRENZE, ITALIA

The style of the facade of San Miniato al Monte is Romanesque, recycling Roman elements in new ways. The interior of the church contains a choir and presbytery raised above a crypt, the oldest part of the church (section on right). The great mosaic in the apse is from 1297 and depicts the same subject as the mosaic on the front facade (image above, left). The sacristy to the right of the choir and presbytery is decorate with a fresco cycle on the Life of St. Benedict, painted by Spinello Aretino in 1387 (image above, right). A cloister sits adjacent to the church, planned in 1426 and built from 1443-1450.

FLORENCE + SAN MINIATO AL MONTE DAILY REFLECTION Other than a map, the best way to visualize a city is to see it from an elevated perspective. The Piazzale Michelangelo provides a large terrace for this very purpose and began our week in Florence. From here, we were able to see all of the main places we would be learning about and visiting in the coming week.

This overlook also provided an introduction to the work of one of the most prominent and prevalent architects of Florence -- Michelangelo. We then walked up to a site situated above this where San Miniato al Monte is located. This church provided a nice introduction to what I associate now as the Florentine style of churches. Although bits and pieces of information obtained from our last two weeks in Rome could be seen here, the overall appearance was quite different then what we had seen. Of particular interest in the interior is the split level between the front of the church and the main seating area of the back. While examining the placement of key elements such as the altar and pulpit, I wondered about the reasoning behind this split in levels. It seems strange to have the area of public seating entirely disconnected from the altar and preparation area of the priest. The conclusion I reached with the help of Professor Libero is that the smaller altar on the lower level of the seating is probably the one used for mass today, deeming the original layout quite unproductive. After visiting this church, we made our way back to the hotel. The walk was nice, winding downwards and through interesting streets. The hotel is situated right next to the leather market and a huge indoor food market, with the Duomo a short walk down another street.

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DAY 16 - 05/28/13

COA 3116

MEDIEVAL FLORENCE

The church of Santa Maria Novella is a medieval church with a renaissance facade (image above, left). This structure was designed by two Dominican friars and built on the site of the 9th century church of Santa Maria delle Vigne. The facade sticks up further then the height of the building, as also seen at San Miniato al Monte. This church contains a plethora of various objects, paintings, sculptures, chapels, and cloisters (plan below). The Palazzo Davanzati was a 14th century home and is one of the few remaining Medieval structures in Florence (image on right). The central courtyard collected rainwater for a cistern to provide

fresh water at each level (image above, center). This residence contains several rooms for entertainment, in addition to bedrooms and bathrooms of interesting shapes. The Piazza della Signoria is the political center of the city, including the city hall of the Palazzo Vecchio (image on right), Uffizi Gallery, and many famous statues. The Loggia dei Lanzi opens to this public space and contains primarily Renaissance sculpture, with some ancient Roman work on the back wall. Two famous pieces sit toward the front here, Perseus with the Head of Medusa (image below, left) and The Rape of the Sabine Women (image below, right).

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FLORENCE

FIRENZE, ITALIA

The Orsanmichele is a structure which has been built up over time (image above, left). Originally an open market, this building now contains many important sculptures on its exterior by some of the best Renaissance sculptors. The Basilica di Santa Croce (image above, right) is situated in the Piazza Santa Croce (image on left). The interior is very tall and bright, a very Gothic concept (image below, left). The church houses the tombs of many famous Florentines, including Michelangelo (image below, center). The Cappella dei Pazzi is a famous chapel designed by Brunelleschi and built from 1442-1470s (image below, right).

MEDIEVAL FLORENCE DAILY REFLECTION The first stop of the morning was quite close to the hotel, at Santa Maria Novella. In many ways, the facade of this church resembled that seen yesterday at San Miniato al Monte. The interior of this church was fascinating because of all the entirely independent chapels. The chapels were all paid for by different families, so the church ends up containing a variety of many different artistic pieces with no relation to the other work outside of each specific chapel. This, along with the frescoes in the nave, combine to create a very versatile church. The next stop was at the Palazzo Davanzati, one of the only remaining palaces from Medieval times. The most interesting part of the interior for me consisted of a tall openroofed courtyard with rainwater collection in the middle and gutters down the walls. The palazzo is quite large, but not in footprint. Five floors with interior facing circulation and a loggia on top make up this very impressive residence. After this, we had lunch and then met up at the Piazza della Signoria. This large open public space truly captures the essence of Florence. The piazza sits within the Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery, Loggia dei Lanzi, and numerous famous sculptures. My favorite spot of this area is the Loggia di Lanzi. Not only does is represent work from Ancient Rome and the Renaissance, but some of the most impressive sculptures I have seen sit in the front openings of this space. The Orsanmichele is located just down the Via dei Calzaiuoli. The base of this building provides an elegant way of displaying sculptures by some of the best Renaissance sculptors. The last stop of the day was a little further away at the Basilica of Santa Croce. I was incredibly impressed with the height and lighting of this church. This church also holds the tombs of many famous figures of Florence.

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DAY 17 - 05/29/13

SIENA + PIENZA

COA 3116

Siena is the second most well known town in Tuscany after Florence and was originally three small towns which were combined into one.

It offers an authentic experience, because it has not changed much in the last five hundred years. The Piazza del Campo is the main public space of Siena (image below/right). One of the biggest traditions of the area was a race around the Campo known as the Il Palio. The Palazzo Publico, the municipal palace, sits at the base of this space. The Siena Cathedral was commissioned in 1196 by the mason’s guild (image below, left). The north-south transept was completed by 1215 and masses

were held in this part. The original plan of Giovanni di Agostino was to add a much larger nave perpendicular to this in 1339, but construction was halted in 1348 due to the Black Death. The extent of this addition can be seen in the partial facade on the eastern side (image below, left). Several errors in construction can be picked out within the structure. On the right of what now functions as the nave, the Madonna del Voto Chapel houses the Madonna del Voto by Gian Luigi Bernini (image below, center). On the left, the Chapel of St. John the Baptist holds the statue of St. John the Baptist by Donatello (image below, right).

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SIENA + PIENZA

COA 3116

SIENA + PIENZA, ITALIA

Pienza is a small town once known as Corsignano. The town underwent reconstruction and got the new title after Pope Pius II visited his hometown and was displeased with the disrepair. Several buildings make up the small center of town, the Piazza Pio II. The Palazzo Comunale is the town hall built in 1462 which contains an open loggia facing the plaza (image on right). The Palazzo Vescovile of 1463 is to the east of the square (image below, left). To the west is the Palazzo Piccolomini commissioned in 1459 (image below, right). The Duomo sits to the north, designed in 1462 by Bernardo Rossellino (image below, center).

SIENA + PIENZA DAILY REFLECTION The day began with a bus ride from Florence to Siena. Siena is pretty much the first, presently inhabited small town we have visited on this trip. The bus was not able to drive through the whole town, so we walked through the small streets and eventually came to the main public space of the Piazza del Campo.

For a small town, this was an impressively large open space that seems to function very well. I imagine that the recent revival of the ancient traditions of this piazza create an exciting environment when they occur. The town is interesting in how it wraps around this central space, creating a unique infrastructure of streets. The Siena Cathedral is located a few streets off of the main piazza, at a higher elevation. The church sits in another large open space. The most interesting thing about the Sienna Cathedral is that it was originally planned much larger, and the current nave was intended to be only a transept of the main nave. The scale of this intention can be read from the partial facade on the east side. After lunch, we got back on the bus and traveled to Pienza, about one hour away. Pienza is an even smaller town with incredibly scenic views. Again, we made our way to the central public space of the town first. All of the main attractions of the town are located around this Piazza Pio II. Although small, this public space is very clearly organized and resembles many of the famous political spaces we have seen before, including the Campidoglio in Rome and the Piazza del Signoria seen yesterday. The Pienza Cathedral is located on the south side, on the edge of the hill overlooking the landscape. The views behind this church and all along the hill define what I think of as the Italian countryside.

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DAY 18 - 05/30/13

COA 3116

EARLY RENAISSANCE FLORENCE

The Basilica of San Lorenzo was the first church designed by Brunelleschi (images above). It is the first truly harmonious example of ecclesiastical Renaissance architecture. It contains beautifully proportioned Classical elements and everything works as one unit. The Sagrestia Vecchia located off the left transept is also designed by Brunelleschi and is a perfect cube in plan and section. The library adjacent and upstairs is known as the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, designed

by Michelangelo (image below, right). The grand staircase at the entrance was designed by Ammannati (image below, left). The Bargello is a museum holding the single most important collection of Renaissance work (image below, left).

Featured artists include Michelangelo and Donatello. This museum holds the competition entry panels designed by Brunelleschi (image below, center) and Ghiberti (image below, right).

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The Palazzo Medici Riccardi shows the characteristics of a Renaissance palazzo (image on left). Pietraforte stone was used for rustification. The Piazza Santissima Annunziata is a space developed over time by several different designers, illustrating the Principle of the Second Man (image on right).

COA 3116

FLORENCE

FIRENZE, ITALIA

The Palazzo Strozzi was a residential structure for a family of bankers (image above, left). For a short period this family rose above the Medici for the title of most wealthy and famous. Antonio and Giuliano Sangallo are responsible for this design. The Pontevecchio is a bridge which was built up simply because nobody wanted to see the dirty Arno river.

The Basilica of Santo Spirito was the last work of Brunelleschi (image on right). Interesting comparisons can be made between Santo Spirito and San Lorenzo. The column grid of this church is much more refined, treating support as points rather than masses (image below, left).

EARLY RENAISSANCE FLORENCE DAILY REFLECTION The first stop of the day was at the Basilica of San Lorenzo. This church provided a great way of understanding the style of Brunelleschi. The module of the dome as the intersection of the transept and nave can be seen repeated in various ways throughout the entire church, including the influential Old Sacristy. One of the most interesting things to me was in comparing this approach of Brunelleschi to the dramatic Laurentian library upstairs designed by Michelangelo. The next stop was farther south in the city, a museum called The Bargello. The most interesting things I saw in this museum were the two panels cast by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi for the North Baptistery doors competition in 1401. As my Florence presentation was on the doors of the Baptistery of Florence, it was particularly exciting for me to see these panels and compare the two styles. After trying to compare the two, it was not too surprising to me that both men were chosen as winners to create the north doors. After lunch, we walked to the Palazzo Medici Riccardi on our way to the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. After studying the development of this piazza in detail from a class last semester, seeing it firsthand was a surreal experience. I find this piazza fascinating because of the different designers and styles that were able to come together to create a stronger public space than any one of its previous iterations. Next, we walked through the Palazzo Strozzi, across from the Pontevecchio, and to Santo Spirito. This was a nice way to end the day, seeing the last and most complete work of Brunelleschi. I find it incredible that only one column was built before his death, but the plan was so technically planned that the entire church could be completed without him. This truly proves his modular, geometrical mastery.

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DAY 19 - 05/31/13

DUOMO COMPLEX

COA 3116

The Baptistery of Florence is in the Florentine Romanesque style and is one of the oldest buildings in Florence, built between 1059-1128 (image above, center). This structure sits in the Piazza del Duomo and contains three famous sets of doors. The south doors were the first set, built by Andrea Pisano in 1329. A competition was held in 1401 for the design of the north doors. The finalists in the battle were Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti. Although both contestants were chosen to create these doors, Brunelleschi’s pride got involved and he left Ghiberti to design them on his own. The final set of doors are on the east side and were also for a competition, held in 1425. Ghiberti won this commission as well and created what Michelangelo later deemed, The Gates of Paradise. The interior is crowned by a mosaic ceiling from 1225 by unknown Venetian craftsmen (image far above, left). The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, or Duomo, was begun in Gothic style in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio. The completion of the church came with Brunelleschi’s engineered dome in 1436 (image far above, right). The problem of constructing such a massive at this time was handled brilliantly with a double shell design (image above, left). Today, it is possible to climb to the top of the dome through this very structure. The Gothic interior of the church is very large and bare (image above, right). Many original decorations have been lost or taken away. The fresco in the dome was begun by Vasari in 1568 and completed by Federico Zuccari in 1579 (image on right).

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S A N TA MARIA DEL FIORE

COA 3116

FLORENCE

FIRENZE, ITALIA

The original, incomplete facade was dismantled in 1587. After a corrupt competition and constructed models brought no improvements (image above, left), another competition was held in 1864.

The neo-gothic design of Emilio De Fabris for the cathedral complex, including the cathedral, Giotto’s Campanile, and the Baptistery, won in 1871 (image on left). The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo holds the original model constructed by Brunelleschi and Donatello to demonstrate the structure of the dome. Also in this museum are the original Gates of Paradise in proper preservation (image above, right).

DUOMO COMPLEX DAILY REFLECTION Today began with my presentation on the Baptistery of Florence with Sydney Geren. It was really nice presenting in the morning as we were able to actually present our information right in front of all three sets of doors without huge crowds to avoid. The Gates of Paradise are an incredible display of Renaissance sculpture. I find the history of the doors interesting to learn because of the competitions and the development of technique over time. After our presentation, we got in line to climb up to the Cupola of the Duomo. Not only is this a great experience because of the views at the top, but the actually climb to the Cupola takes place within the unique double-walled structure of the dome. With the sloping sides of the dome on both sides, it is easy to tell where and how high in the dome you actually are. Near the top, the two sides become so tight that the stairs turn and climb straight up the slope of the dome. After almost a week in Florence, I was able to identify many of the buildings from this elevated view, a nice recap to end the week for me. We then descended from the Cupola to go inside this massive church. I now had a small sense of the scale of this structure after traversing to the top, and the interior truly created the effect of reaching to the Heavens. After lunch, we came back to the Duomo complex and went inside the Baptistery of Florence. We then went to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo to see the original Gates of Paradise. It was amazing to see these originals so well-preserved. We also saw many competition entries for the facade of the Duomo, a contest I was unaware of. The day ended with the Uffizi Gallery museum. This massive museum was the overwhelming type, but I was able to see an incredible number of original, Renaissance artefacts.

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DAY 22 - 06/03/13

COA 3116

HIGH + LATE RENAISSANCE FLORENCE

The Palazzo Vecchio was built in 1299 to symbolize the authority of Florence and replaced older Palazzos built for the Uberti family here (image above, left). In 1540, Duke Cosimo I de’Medici moved his seat from the Medici palazzo to the Palazzo della Signoria, signaling the security of Medici power. The name was changed to the Palazzo Vecchio after Cosimo moved to the Palazzo Pitti, but the Piazza kept the original name. The building of the Uffizi was begun in 1560 by Giorgio Vasari under the direction of Cosimo I to serve as offices for the Florentine magistrates. In addition, this structure included the state archive (Archivio di Stato). Cosimo I’s project to collect prime works of art from the Medici collection for the Uffizi was carried out by Francis I. Initially, this collection existed only in the Tribuna degli Uffizi designed by Buontalenti (image above). Over the years, however, the collection expanded throughout the palace and in 1765 officially opened to the public and today, forms a two-story museum (plans of museum on left). The museum is currently under construction to expand ever more and hold double the amount. The overall design of the Uffizi by Vasari emphasizes perspectival length on the exterior and interior (images below).

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UFFIZI

G A L LERY

COA 3116

FLORENCE

FIRENZE, ITALIA

The internal courtyard known as the cortile is very narrow, with an opening to the Arno River and Pontevecchio through a Doric screen at the end (image above).

The long form of this space has often been considered by architectural historians to be the first regularized street scape of Europe.

HIGH + LATE RENAISSANCE FLORENCE DAILY REFLECTION Today we began the day with a walk to the Uffizi Gallery off of Piazza della Signoria. I enjoyed the discussion of the history of the Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery. I find the variety of everything that is located under this one roof quite impressive, owed mostly to the arrangement of Cosimo I de’Medici.

The narrow courtyard of the exterior is one of the most enjoyable areas of Florence, lined with incredible statues and an overlook of the Arno river and the Pontevecchio on the end. Unfortunately, the space was under heavy construction while we were there, blocking much of the artwork. I also found it interesting that simply the long and narrow shape of the courtyard have been enough to deem this as the first regularized street scape of Europe -- an “idealized street.” Our day was cut short after this visit due to the Italian holiday, which meant all of the other planned attractions were closed.

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DAY 23 - 06/04/13

COA 3116

HIGH + LATE RENAISSANCE FLORENCE

The large Cappella dei Principi is the larger of the two Medici Chapels and sits behind the altar at the Basilica di San Lorenzo (image on right).

The dome of this space is 59 meters high and is the tallest part of the church (image above, right). This chapel was the idea of Cosimo I which was put into effect by Ferdinand I de’Medici, designed by Matteo Nigetti in the early 1600s. A hallway connects to the other Medici Chapel, the Sagrestia Nuova, designed by Michelangelo (image below, left).

This area followed the same plan as Brunelleschi’s Sagrestia Vecchia.

With this design, Michelangelo deals with the human body, reinvents small details like windows, and increases verticality by adding a floor.

Two main tombs are held here, the tomb of Giuliano di Lorenzo de’Medici (image below, center) and the tomb of Lorenzo di Piero de’Medici (image below, right). Michelangelo is also responsible for the four statues on these tombs, depicting the four times of day and representing members of the Medici family. On the Giuliano side, Day is depicted as a powerfully-built man while Night is a young, sleeping woman in lunar light. On the Lorenzo side, Dawn is a woman waking from the torpor of sleep and Dusk is a man about to fall asleep.

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The Palazzo Pitti was originally commissioned by wealthy banker Luca Pitti in 1458 and designed

by Luca Fancelli, Brunelleschi’s assistant (image above, left).

The Medici family bought the palace in 1549. The Grotta del Buontalenti is located to the east of the palace (image on left).

PA L A Z Z O

PITTI

COA 3116

FLORENCE

FIRENZE, ITALIA

The Giardini di Boboli sit behind the Palazzo Pitti. They are a good example of the Italian style garden because they are meant to be admired from a main room window inside the palace. This complex was worked on by many famous designers. The first part was begun by Niccolò Tribolo around 1550 and continued by Bartolomeo Ammannati, with planning contributions from Giorgio Vasari and sculpture help from Bernardo Buontalenti. These gardens provide fantastic overlooks of the city (image above and right). as well as interesting axial views moving vertically up the gardens (images below).

HIGH + LATE RENAISSANCE FLORENCE DAILY REFLECTION This morning, we headed back to San Lorenzo, but this time to the back side of the church near the Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini. Here we saw the Medici chapels, the first of which is the Cappella dei Principi. Oddly enough, the dome of this space is the largest of the church and located centrally in respect to the nave, but not attached directly to the nave. Located to the right of the altar within the church is the New Sacristy. This is yet another example at San Lorenzo of comparing the work of Brunelleschi to that of Michelangelo, however the template of the Old Sacristy was followed for the newer space. The famous statues of Night, Day, Dusk, and Dawn located within the New Sacristy are incredible in person and show contrasting dynamism in very clear manners. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of all four and then finding these characteristics in the sculptures themselves. We then walked all the way across the city to the Palazzo Pitti with the Piazza dei Pitti in front. This building is truly an Italian palace of the Renaissance. We talked here about the wealth implied by a Palazzo, especially one of this size. One of the only places we visited and discussed here as a group was the Grotta del Buontalenti. This incredibly strange space was made for just that purpose -- to be strange. After this, we walked to the back of the palace and into the Giardini di Boboli. One of the most interesting things about this Palazzo to me was the fact that the residence was built to overlook and frame the view of the gardens, and the gardens overlook the cityscape. Originally I would assume the building would be placed at the top of the hill, but it is the Italian style of garden -- meant to be admired from the main window of the Palace. We ended the day by taking a train all the way to Venice, Italy.

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DAY 24 - 06/05/13

VICENZA

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Vicenza has been nicknamed the “city of Palladio” due to the number of buildings designed by him here. The Teatro Olimpico was commissioned by the Olympic Academy and was the final design of Andrea Palladio, begun in 1580 (images above). The original structure was the Castello del Territorio and was transformed into an ellipse for the theatre. The Trompe-l’œil scenery of the stage was designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, setting up a forced perspective looking down five streets at differing angles. The set design was finished in 1585 and was so successful that it was never replaced.

The Casa Cogollo, or Casa Palladio, built in 1559 is attributed to Palladio simply because it is of his style and well done, though no proof actually exists that it is his work (image on right). The Basilica Palladiana was the first commission of Palladio, obtained through the support of his sponsor, Tirissimo (image above, right). The colonnade completed in 1494 for the original Gothic Palazzo della Ragione partially collapsed, and a competition was held for reconstruction. Young Palladio designed a new outer-shell of marble classical forms, a loggia, and a portico. He invented a method for treating the irregular facade behind the loggia, using a repetitive pattern of larger columns with smaller columns matching the size of the irregular interior pattern (image above, left). The Palazzo Porto shows part of Palladio’s design (image on far right) to the right, planned to replace the old structure to the left (image on right).

VILLA

R O T UNDA

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VICENZA

VICENZA, ITALIA

NORTHWEST

The Villa Rotunda is a very atypical villa. This building, also designed

by Palladio, was not actually meant to be lived in (images above).

The simple floor plan was meant for entertaining and parties, etc.

The villa is perfectly symmetrical on two axes. This building is the perfect example of a high Renaissance villa. Palladio typically designed for wealthy farmers, often located in valleys next to farming land. This location, however, is atop a hill with surrounding views.

Although each of the four facades of the building are identical, the views presented by each side are very different (images below).

NORTHEAST

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHWEST

VICENZA DAILY REFLECTION In the morning, we took a train to Vicenza, Italy. We started off at the Olympic Theatre of Palladio and Scamozzi. The most intriguing part of the theatre in my opinion is the incredibly exaggerated perspective of the stage set. Although detectable, the exaggeration is quite convincing and greatly enhances the back drop for the stage. After exiting the theatre, we walked by the Palazzo Chiericati to see the unique corner loggias and discuss the media presence of Andrea Palladio. The next stop was at what same may call the Casa Palladio. Although the building has never been proven to be the work of Palladio, it does hold a story of impressive problem-solving, making it apparent that the architect was quite good. The Basilica Palladiana was the first commission of Palladio, but in many ways shows some of his most expressive problem-solving. I enjoyed seeing this solution to a loggia for an irregular building in person. After lunch we walked through the city passing by an astounding number of Palazzos designed by Palladio.

One of the most notable of this walk is the Palazzo Porto. Not only is the rival Palazzo Thiene just across the way, but this building also shows the monumentality of Palladio’s work. The old and new versions of the building are literally superimposed onto each other, revealing differences in both scale and proportioning. The last site of Vicenza was the famous Villa Rotunda. This building represents the climax of symmetry in architecture and provides a unique experience for visitors. I particularly enjoyed traveling to each identical porch of the building to see the non-identical views being framed by the porticoes. This is just about the only difference in the four sides of the building, and each view was very different from the next. Vicenza really provides a nice portfolio of the work of Andrea Palladio.

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DAY 25 - 06/06/13

MEDIEVAL VENICE

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The Piazza San Marco (image above, center) and the Piazzetta (image on right) together make up the social, religious, and political center of Venice. The Piazza is lined with a continuous arcade on all sides except the east, where the Basilica sits. The Campanile di San Marco stands free in the piazza and was reconstructed in 1912 after collapsing in 1092 (image above, left). The Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace, is located adjacent to the Basilica di San Marco and within the Piazzetta.

Originally, this was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice, and now functions as a museum.

The Basilica di San Marco is well-known for the mosaics within, covering much of the surface area of the church (images below, left). The style of the structure is Byzantine, consisting of five domes creating the characteristic shape of the Greek cross. The large arcades on the front of the church create an occupiable terrace above. This area is part of a loggia which wraps the original church. The four horses situated on the terrace were sent from Constantinople to Venice as loot, were taken to France by Napoleon in 1797, and returned back to Venice in 1815, marking the beginning of the rise of Venice (image below, right).

PIAZZA

S A N MARCO

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VENICE

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VENEZIA, ITALIA

The Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, or San Zanipolo, replaced a church in 1333 and was completed in 1430 (image above, right). To the left of the church is the Scuola Grande di San Marco (image above, left).

The lower part of this facade is designed by Lombardo and of transitional Gothic style, with lots of liberties taken at the bases. The Basilica is a starker version of the decorative Gothic typically found in Europe (image on right). The church serves as the burial for many famous people, including many Doge. Outside sits the statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni by Andrea del Verrocchio from 1483 (image below, left).

MEDIEVAL VENICE DAILY REFLECTION Our first day of learning about Venice started at the main public space of the city, the Piazza San Marco.

While waiting in the long line for the Basilica di San Marco, we discussed the Palace of the Duke right next to the church. Unlike most churches, the first thing we did once we got inside the church was not to go into the nave, but rather we went up a set of steps to the Vista dalla Loggia dei Cavalli. This balcony wrapping the front and sides of the basilica provides a great view of the piazza and out to the water past the Doge’s Palace. Just inside of the balcony is a small upstairs museum describing the history of the basilica. The museum has another balcony overlooking the inside of the nave. This was a unique opportunity to see a church from a higher and very open perspective. Unfortunately, this basilica is very strictly controlled, limiting access to a defined path within roped barriers. This did not detract from the incredible nave and transept structure consisting of five domes above. This church has massive proportions and interesting geometrical relationships. After visiting the main church of Venice, we walked over to the Scuola Grande di San Marco and the Basilica dei santi Giovanni e Paolo. At first glance, these two facades appear to be of the same building, but are in fact a school on the left and a church on the right.

This Basilica is unique in my mind for several reasons. First of all, the wooden ties for structural support create a very interesting perspectival view within. The nave feels shorter than it is due to these beams overhead and the somewhat squat columns. The apse then provides a rebuttal at the end of the nave with incredibly vertical windows and exaggeration. This culmination in a glass-filled apse was like no other we’ve seen, but seemed incredibly appropriate for a Heavenly setting.

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DAY 26 - 06/07/13

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RENAISSANCE + POST RENAISSANCE VENICE

The Santa Maria dei Miracoli is a small church in the heart of Venice designed by Pietro Lombardo and built between 1481-1489 (image on left). The geometry is a perfect rectangle + square in plan. The church represents one of the best examples of early, Venetian Renaissance architecture.

Some of these features include colored marble, a false colonnade on the exterior, and a semicircular pediment. The interior contains an alter situated above the congregation (image above). The Santa Maria della Salute by Baldassare Longhena and begun in 1630 (image below, right). This church was built to celebrate the end of the plague. The style is of Late Renaissance and Early Baroque, generally accepted as Baroque. This church situated at the southern spout of the Grand Canal demonstrates the unique feature of Venetian architecture -- always facing the water, not the pavement.

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VENICE

VENEZIA, ITALIA

The Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore, or Il Redentore, was designed

by Andrea Palladio in 1592 on the Dorsoduro sestiere of Venice (images above). The facade combines three facades into one (image on right). This building is considered to be a combination of his other work. San Giorgio Maggiore is another church by Palladio, located on its own island across the water (images below). The original church on the island was destroyed in 1223. A plan for a new church was begun in 1521 and improved by Palladio in 1560. The front facade of this church two, fully-developed superimposed facades (image on right).

RENAISSANCE + POST RENAISSANCE VENICE DAILY REFLECTION Our last day of lecture in Italy for awhile began with a walk through the city. After winding through the intricate, small streets of Venice we came to our first stop at the Iauv University of Venice, holding one of the only Architecture schools in Venice. A bit further away, in the middle of the dense urban fabric of Venice, we went into the church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. We then walked all the way back to the train terminal near our hotel to catch a shuttle boat all the way down the Grand Canal. This was a beautiful ride which took us all the way to the lower part of Venice known as Dorsoduro. Here we saw an impressive Baroque style church. I found the design very interested as it, along with all architecture of Venice, is actually designed to face the water, not the roads. I find this unusual switch of pavement and water very exciting, which makes Venice particularly intriguing to me. On this same strip of the island exists one of the best views of the Bacino di San Marco. From here, we were able to see our next two stops, San Giorgio Maggiore and Il Redentore, as well as the Piazza San Marco. One of the unique characteristics of this church is the placement of the dome closer to the center of the nave rather than at the front above the altar. The most interesting concept of Palladio’s San Giorgio Maggiore to me is his exploration of combining two superimposed facades for the front of the church. I believe it works quite well and achieves one of the goals: a well-lit church. Similar, but earlier, exploration can be seen at Il Redentore just across the water. This front face combines three different facades, but is much more difficult to read in my opinion. In fact, the front actually appears to have as many as five different facades in some respects. I loved the comparison of these two similar, but different, churches of Palladio. 50

Philip Richardson

History of Art and Architecture in

Greece

2013

DAY 29 - 06/10/13

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NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The National Archaeological Museum houses objects from all over Greece. Objects include a prehistoric collection, in addition to a variety of paintings, weapons, and statues of males and females. The Mask of Agamemnon was found at Mycenae in Grave Circle A (image above, left). The Artemision Bronze, a statue of either Zeus or Poseidon, was discovered in the sea near northern Euboea (image on right). The original entry to the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae had columns and a door (image above, right). The progression of the sculptures stored here can be tracked in the development of the knees and ears (images below).

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ATHENS

ΑΘΉΝΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The evolution of pottery can be seen in the transition from black figure (image on left) to red figure style (image on right). The change deals with the actual layering and cooking process. The museum also has a temporary exhibit, this time covering The Antikythera Shipwreck (image above).

NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM DAILY REFLECTION The first day in Athens, Greece began at the National Archaeological Museum. This museum is very large, even despite much of it being closed off while we were there. The first area of the museum provided background information before getting into all the specific sites of Greece. One of the locations covered in detail will be our stop tomorrow, Mycenae. Here I saw the famous Mask of Agamemnon and I look forward to seeing the actual place it was discovered tomorrow. The wall paintings, objects, and Tholos columns in this museum will help to create a more complete picture of the ancient city of Mycenae tomorrow. One of the most enjoyable parts of this museum for me was tracking the progression of sculpture. Myrsini told us the key features to take note of in tracking this development and this made it very easy to follow. Once I had established a pattern of noticing these distinct characteristics in sculpture, I was able to move to the pottery and track these changes as well. Before entering the museum, we learned of the differences in types of pottery and why these occurred. It was amazing to look closely at these different types and begin to see this process of how these objects were formed and decorated.

In my opinion, pottery is one of the few types of objects from ancient Greece where personal touch can clearly be seen, mostly due to the difficult surface for painting on and slight discrepancies in technique.

One of the things I really did not expect to see at this museum were live, large turtles crawling around in the outdoor courtyard of the basement level! We finished the lecture portion of the day by navigating our way back to the hotel using the convenient public train system of Athens. This experience was a nice introduction to an entirely new and different country then we have been in for the past four weeks. 54

DAY 30 - 06/11/13

MYCENAE + TIRYNS

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Mycenae dates to 2500-2000 BC and was prominent around 1600 BC. The three most significant characteristics architecturally are the military fortifications, palace/megaron, and tombs/tholos. The acropolis at Mycenae was an area for the palace and wealthy residences. The Lion’s Gate was the formal entrance to the fortification (image on left).

This gate was built when an additional fortifying ring was constructed. The walls, about 20 feet wide, are made up of small stone on the interior with large stone on the exterior. Grave Circle A, just within the fortress was a spot for early tombs or grave shafts (image below, left).

The palace sits atop the acropolis with a view to the southeast (image above, center). The layout consists of a throne room, courtyard, propylon, vestibule, and megaron (image above, right). Water was accessible within the walls of the acropolis. A tunnel was dug leading down to an underground cistern of water fed from a spring (image on right).

This access was the last portion of the hill to be fortified in 1200 BC. The Tholos are the large burial tombs located south of the acropolis, outside of the walls. The dromos is the long entrance to the tomb, while the Tholos is the beehive shaped tomb under the earth above.

The Treasury of Atreus is the best preserved example and sits a bit further down the mountain (image on right). This tomb was built in 1250 BC for the Wife of Agamemnon. It consists of a large Tholos plus a small side tomb within. The entrance utilizes a large relief triangle above the opening.

COA 3114

MYCENAE + TIRYNS

ΜΥΚΉΝΕΣ + ΤΊΡΥΝΘΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The acropolis at Tiryns represents another example of a Mycenaean civilization. The massive walls of this city were more admired then the pyramids of Egypt in Antiquity. Tiryns also utilized a series of thresholds to enter for defense purposes, numbered 1-10 in the 3D re-creation (image above, left). Like the acropolis at Mycenae, this structure had a palace and access to underground water within. The palace was the terminal feature of the path into the fortress. The Great Propylon (image below, left) framed the entrance to the palace, with a large courtyard and the megaron beyond (image below, right).

MYCENAE + TIRYNS DAILY REFLECTION This morning, we traveled to Mycenae, about a two hour bus ride. Here we discussed a little history of the area and the need for fortification. This brought us to the entrance of the acropolis of Mycenae at the Lion’s Gate. I found this to be a very metaphoric spot for the entrance to the fortification, situated between a clear depiction of development in building technique. Although the field of archeology is mostly beyond me, this was such a distinct difference in time period, technique, and clear understanding of construction that I was really able to appreciate it. The next spot was the site of many findings from the museum yesterday, Grave Circle A. We then went to the location of the palace, a well-chosen spot with an incredible view to both mountains and water. Near the back of the acropolis, we were able to traverse down into the cistern once feeding water from nearby springs. As a topic closely related to my research for the trip, I found this natural source of water for the fortification in times of defense very intriguing. With this underground system in place, in addition to a well-stocked food supply, this fortification would be incredibly effective for holding off the enemy while maintaining the population within.

Many Tholos exist in incredible preservation in front of the acropolis. These tombs provided a glimpse at the importance of burial for the wealthy of the ancient city. A similar, smaller acropolis can be found at Tiryns, Greece. Both the massive walls and series of spaces they created here were remarkable. In terms of ancient technology, this method for defense must have been effective in controlling and overpowering the enemy attempting to attack the fortification. Here we saw another palace with the actual throne footprint denoted in the Megaron! Two clear Mycenaean acropoli unpacked in one day.

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DAY 31 - 06/12/13

COA 3114

ATHENS: THE CLASSICAL CITY

The Athenian Agora was the political center of Athens after the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization. Previously under the rule of a single leader, authorities known as archons began to establish a Greek polis. Cleisthenes is the man responsible for organizing the city-states known as Demoi into three geographic areas: coast, middle, and city.

10 tribes were created in total, with 50 people from each tribe acting as the Boule -- representatives in Athens. Legislative power rested in the Boule and Cletian, or citizen body. Executive power rested on the Prytaneis, comprised of one delegate from the Boule per tribe.

AT H E NIAN

AGORA

The Athenian democracy was set up so that every citizen had to vote on every issue. The political buildings sat on the west side of the Agora.

The Metroon was the archives of the city where the most important decisions could be found carved in stone (image far above, left). Theory has it that the Bouleuterion existed here previously. Further to the north are the Temple of Apollo Patroos and the Stoa of Zeus, location of the administration offices (image above, left). The Monument of the Eponymous Heroes contained statues representing each tribe, and announcements for the tribes would be placed on slats beneath each appropriate section (image far above, right). Up to this point in Greece, effort was not put into structure to make it strong enough to survive. The Temple of Hephaistos from 450 BC above the Agora on the west side remains in good condition (image above, right).

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ATHENS

ΑΘΉΝΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The east side of the Agora consisted of markets and commercial activity. The Stoa of Attalus from 200 BC has been entirely reconstructed. This Hellenistic building was an urban device to create space with long lines. The Pykno style columns allow for the denser, outer line of columns to act as more of a wall while the inner columns can be spaced with more room in between (image on right). Small pieces of the structure have been found, enough to repeat and create the entire building (image above, right). A fragment of the original Doric column and capitol is placed within the reconstruction (image above, left).

ATHENS: THE CLASSICAL CITY DAILY REFLECTION Today we recreated the Athenian Agora. One of the first things I noticed was the immediate view to the Parthenon overlooking us from above. We began at the west side of the Agora where all the political buildings sat. In walking around the ruins that remain here, there is no denying the similarity of the Roman Forum, drawing obvious precedent from this original political center. One of the things I find most interesting is the Greek way of dividing the political center of the Agora from the religious center of the Acropolis. The influence of the Greek gods is still seen throughout the Agora in naming and dedication, but the purposes of these spaces are entirely different. Another topic we covered here was the public nature of this space. A clear testimony to this fact is the interesting Monument of the Eponymous Heroes. This can basically be seen as an early announcement system of news communicator. Above these political buildings on the west side sits the Temple of Hephaistos. This was a building that I knew nothing about which surprised me in its level of preservation. Here we were able to see a fully side-enclosed cella wrapped by a complete peristyle and two nearly full pediments. I enjoyed seeing some of the signs of this being an early temple in the unresolved wrapping of the entablature around corners and the amphiprostyle layout. On the opposite side of the Agora is the fully restored Stoa of Attalus. I really appreciated seeing this building in its full, “original” form. I admit it may not be appropriate to want to restore the entire city as it was (though sometimes I wish this could happen), but seeing the building in this way really brings the history to life. It was incredible to see how only bits and pieces are needed to restore an entire structure of this long and repetitive urban nature.

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DAY 32 - 06/13/13

COA 3114

ATHENS: THE HELLENISTIC CITY

The Acropolis Museum was designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects.

The museum winds through a series of exhibits throughout its three floors. The order of the museum is: the history of the Archaic Period, Parthenon, Propylaia, Temple of Athena-Nike, Erechtheion, and then later history. The Archaic Era was from 600-479 BC. In the beginning, Athens was weak and unjust. In 594, a new crisis occurred and its settlement was entrusted to archon Solon. His measures did not fix the problem, and tyranny struck until Cleisthenes set up a democracy in 510. In 490, the Greeks defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon and proceeded to replace the Hekatompedos with the Proparthenon.

Athens defeated the Persians again in 480, but the Persians invaded Athens and torched the Acropolis. Reconstruction was not begun on the Acropolis again for awhile, but Athens was thriving after these victories.

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AT H E N I A N ACROPOLIS

The Parthenon was part of Pericles’ building program for the Acropolis in 447 BC. This latest version of the Parthenon replaced the torched, unfinished remains of the Proparthenon. This temple was dedicated to the official divinity of Athens, Athena. The Parthenon was the first temple on the Acropolis. Inside the cella sat a massive statue of gold and ivory of Athena Parthenos. The building structure was well preserved until about the 3-4th century AD. The greatest damage was done to this version in 1687. The Parthenon exhibit holds many of the original frieze, metope, and pediment carvings.

COA 3114

ATHENS

ΑΘΉΝΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

Refinements and irregularities of the building include a gently bowed curve of horizontal lines and swelling columns leaning inward. The frieze of the inner cella displays a continuous depiction of the procession to the Acropolis during the Panathenaic festival, held every four years and dedicated to Athena. The metopes have different themes on all four sides. The east pediment depicts the birth of the goddess Athena. The west pediment shows the contest between Athena and Poseidon for the city of Athens.

ATHENS: THE HELLENISTIC CITY DAILY REFLECTION We decided to begin the day at the Acropolis museum before going up to the Acropolis itself. I found this building by Bernard Tschumi Architects quite effective for many reasons. The layout seemed confusing at first, but once I studied the Panathenaic-like winding path through the museum, I was able to effectively travel between exhibits. The order of the museum was well considered, beginning with the history of the site, then covering each of the major buildings in appropriate detail. The Parthenon exhibit at the top was the best experience. Not only does it provide a direct view to the Parthenon, but it also lays out the exact size of the cella and peristyle and the exact column placement and orientation of the temple.

Many of the original sculptures of the frieze and metopes are placed in their proper location here, but unfortunately many of the pieces are also located in other museums. My hope is that one day it will be agreed upon to move all of the original pieces of the Acropolis to the Acropolis Museum. After lunch, we traversed part of the ancient processional walk up to the Acropolis during the Panathenaic festival.

Here we had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive access and a tour of the restoration taking place on the Acropolis, specifically the Propylaia. I enjoyed hearing the excitement from Petro about his job restoring this ancient structure and the discoveries they have made. The process by which they piece the excavations together with new “molds” requires extreme precision, sparking a common debate often heard in the field of architecture: hand-created versus machine-created. The rest of our time on the Acropolis included visiting the Erechtheion and Parthenon up close and gazing down on the city below.

The day ended with a Greek law presentation on the Filopappou Hill looking across at the Acropolis.60

The Propylaia was the monumental entrance to the Acropolis which replaced the older gates during Pericles’ time (image above, left). This structure was built by Mnesicles in 437-432 BC and was never fully completed. The plan consists of a central entrance hall with two flanking wings to the north and south (image above, center). The entrance hall allowed the axis of the stairs to continue up into the Acropolis. The north wing consists of a large room with an antechamper, a place for resting and eating.

The south wing was originally planned to mirror the north for symmetry, but the Temple of Athena Nike was here, so a stoa was built to provide access instead. The Temple of Athena Nike was built amid the Peloponnesian War from 426-421 BC (image above, right). Originally the interior held a gold and ivory wood statue of Athena Nike (victor). The temple was destroyed in 1686 and reconstructed in 1835.

A backstage tour of the Propylaia and restoration revealed some insider information. The original bolts under the bolts still remain (image above, left). In rebuilding parts of these ancient structures, it is important to fill in the missing pieces with perfect casts that reflect the negative of the original parts they are touching. Two main methods still exist for this process: hand-crafting and machine-making.

The manual process involves mapping points of the original piece on to a cast piece and then carving it down (image above, right). The machine process uses a CNC router and digital models (image on right).

ATHENS

ΑΘΉΝΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The Erechtheion is unlike any other temple and sits at the most sacred part of the Acropolis, the destination of the Panathenaic procession.

The first temple located here was made of wood, the next iteration was known as the Old Temple and dated to 525 BC. The partially remaining Erechtheion dates to 421. The east section of the temple is dedicated to Athena, contained a wooden cult statue, and had the “eternal flame” burning day and night (image above, right). The west section was for Poseidon, Erechtheus, Hephaistos, and hero Boutes (image above, right). On the lower west porch, two signs of the mythical fight

between Athena and Poseidon can be observed. First, the strike of Poseidon’s trident is represented by a missing coffer in the roof (image far above, right). Second, the supposed well of salt water is called out by a hole in the stylobate (image above, right).

On the other side of the temple, a small porch with a roof supported by caryatides, or human columns, exists. The elevated position of the Acropolis provides a unique view of the city of Athens. Across from the Acropolis is the Filopappou Hill, from which the Acropolis and the Areopagus hill can be seen (image on left).

DAY 33 - 06/14/13

DELPHI

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The decorative friezes of the Treasury of the Siphnians at Delphi shows archaic art from around the 6th century BC. The different styles of the artists can be seen in the depiction of horses on the west (image above, left) and east sides (image above, right). Many statues were excavated at Delphi, including the Bronze Charioteer (image or right). and the family dedication of the philosopher. The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia consisted of only a few buildings, including the Temple of Athena Pronaia and the Tholos. The earthquakes of this region have caused the destruction of much these remains.

Only part of the Tholos remains, a temple-like building with both Doric and Ionic orders (image on left). The Phadriade exists between the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia and the Sanctuary of Apollo (image below, left). This divide provided a good water source and strong vapors, and the geography provided security, all making this a good place to live. The procession through the main sanctuary is called the Sacred Way. The Treasury of the Siphnians is one of the first dedicated buildings along this path (image below, right). These treasuries are temple-like in formation and hold gifts to the gods.

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DELPHI

ΔΕΛΦΟΊ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The Treasury of the Athenians was a very large volume (image above, left). This building was dedicated by Athens for Apollo. Just up the path from this treasury sat the Temple of Apollo (image above, center). The first iteration of this structure was known as the Archaic temple and dates to 510 BC. The later version is known as the Classical temple and is from 330. This version imitated archaic temples, was made of limestone, and sat directly above the fumes from the beneath. Above the temple sat a large theatre built into the landscape (image above, right). At the top of the Sanctuary lies the stadium (image on right).

DELPHI DAILY REFLECTION Today we spent a long day at Delphi. We began our visit at the Delphi Archaeological Museum. Here we saw on overview of the two Sanctuaries, including the main buildings and many objects found here. The most interesting thing pointed out to me in this museum was the comparison of sculptural technique in the friezes of The Treasury of the Siphnians due to different artists and time periods. The last room of the museum was dedicated to the Bronze Charioteer, a famous victor in the ancient sporting community and one which I will refer to in my Greek sports presentation at Olympia. After the museum, we first walked down the modern road and then a winding path to the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. An appropriate place for us to begin our trek through Delphi because it was the formal entry for foot travelers.

The only recognizable existing remains are of the Tholos near the back. The division between the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia and the Sanctuary of Apollo is what made Delphi a desirable location. This space of the Phadriade created by earth plates is responsible for both the sacred beliefs and the destruction of the place. The Sanctuary of Apollo has more components intact, but the effects of the earthquakes are definitely evident. Here we saw a full city on a very steep hill, with a gymnasium, stadium, theatre, main temple, and many temples dedicated by cities all over Greece. One of the most interesting parts of this Sanctuary is the placement of the Temple of Apollo over the vapors that arose from the ground, providing “spiritual states” for revealing messages from the gods. The walk up to the stadium was steep, but the views along the way made up for it. Delphi definitely would have been a beautiful and very interesting place to be during its time.

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DAY 36 - 06/17/13

COA 3114

SOUNION + DEMOS BRAURON

Sounion is in the south east point of Attica. On the rocky peninsula that projects out into the Gulf of Saranis are the Sanctuaries of Poseidon and Athena. Remnants of Neolithic, Mycenaean, Geometric, and Archaic civilizations can be found here. The Temple of Poseidon, built in 449 BC, is located on the summit of the rock (image above and below). The interweaving of the god and the landscape is clearly shown here. Poseidon, god of the interface between land and water, has a temple completely surrounded by water at this location. The Temple of Athena Sounias is located down the hill a bit to the north.

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SOUNION + BRAURON

ΣΟΎΝΙΟ + ΒΡΑΥΡΏΝΑ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron was associated with a cult of fertility. This site was a place for the upbringing of girls. Many statues and objects pertaining to feminine life, such as jewelry boxes, have been found here.

The rights and duties of women varied across Greek city-states.

SOUNION + DEMOS BRAURON DAILY REFLECTION Our second week in Greece started off with a trip to the very southern tip of the mainland, on the peninsula of Sounion. The first thing we saw here was an incredible view out to the water with a temple up on a hill beyond. We made our way up to this hill and came to the Sanctuary of Poseidon. We talked here about this incredible example of how the Greeks desired to tie the temples and the gods to specific types of landscapes. What better place for the temple to the god of the sea than a hill with a panoramic view of the sea? One of the more interesting things about this temple was its technically Doric features, but in a non-characteristically thin style. This is a unique example of a temple which does not simply contain both Doric and Ionic elements, but actually blends them into a new sort of order. We discussed how this may imply Doric architects working with Ionian builders, a very keen observation. While in Sounion, myself and several others decided to run down to the ship sheds on the Northwestern side of the peninsula. Here we climbed down many rocks right to the water’s edge. The distance in elevation was surprising, allowing for a significant overlook for the Temple of Poseidon. Although Sounion was not the originally planned stop for the day, I believe the Sanctuary of Poseidon was a nice introduction for our upcoming voyages on the sea, maybe even a little good luck too. After Sounion and before our journey to the Greek islands over the next couple of weeks, we stopped at the sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron.

Although the archaeological site was closed, this location provided the perfect spot for a discussion on women in ancient Greece. The day was completed by getting on board an overnight boat taking us to the island of Mykonos, Greece.

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DAY 37 - 06/18/13

DELOS

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Delos, meaning “the visible,� is known as the birthplace of Apollo. What made this island unique from others were small bodies of water located across the landscape. The Agora of the Delians is tetragonal and had a two story colonnade with Doric style below and Ionic above (image above, left). The Sacred Way is a path lined by stoas facing due north (image above, center) and leads directly to the Propylaia (image above, right), marking the entrance to the Sanctuary. Within the Sanctuary sat several large buildings, in the order of the Oikos of the Naxians, Temple of the Delians, Temple of the Athenians, and Poros Temple.

The Terrace of the Lions (image on left) travels past the Agora of the Italians, an urban market where slaves were sold, and the Sacred Lake. The residential quarters were located to the west. The Lake House had a very interesting shape due to the given plot and an outdoor courtyard (image above).

The Palaestra was a public building for the purpose of training.

The floor is now gone and the large, sectioned cistern for water collection can be seen (image on right). The athletic area sits to the far east. The stadium excavations show what once existed below the floor (image on far right).

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DELOS

ΔΉΛΟΣ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

In route to the highest elevation on the island, Kynthos, sits the small Temple of Hera (image above, left). Several large houses are located over on this southern side of the city, below the mountain. The House of the Masks shows an example of a typical house with an outdoor courtyard and cistern for water underneath (image above, right). A large cistern located near the theatre acted as the main water source for this quarter of the city, collecting runoff from the hills surrounding (image on right). The theatre of Delos was originally built of marble, equipped for 7000 visitors, and completed in 250 BC (image below).

DELOS DAILY REFLECTION After our first night in the Greek islands, our first class among them took place on the island of Delos.

At first, this island seemed very random for the location of a Sanctuary to Apollo and Artemis. After discussing the small bodies of water that made this island significant, it began to make sense. The first area we visited was the Sanctuary and the location of the temples. Unfortunately, not much of this portion remains above the knees, making it quite difficult to piece the structures together. After walking down the Terrace of the Lions, we came to the residential quarters, an area a bit more intact. Further east, the remains of the Palaestra were particularly fascinating to me and my research topic. Here we saw what once remained underneath the flooring of this public training facility: a large cistern for fresh water. The series of pits for this purpose were very large and would hold plenty of water for everyone using this complex. I enjoyed learning about this underground water system and will be looking into it further for my research topic. On the eastern part of the city lie the other sport facilities, including the stadium, gymnasium, and once the hippodrome. After passing through the small museum, we hiked up the tallest mountain to Kynthos. Here we saw the ruins of the city laid out far below, with the sea all around. This was an amazing view, with incredible, constant wind. We were able to explore the rocks for awhile, then made our way back down, passing through an ancient cave formed by massive rocks leaning together.

Several houses located towards the south of the city have very well-preserved mosaics. Sometimes, it is hard to believe what remains and what gets destroyed at these archaeological sites. After visiting the theatre here, we made our way back to the boat and back to our amazing hotel in Mykonos.

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DAY 38 - 06/19/13

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MYKONOS ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

REPETITION AROUND A CENTRAL POINT

Naval Technology of Greece consisted of a collection of methods for sailing, battle, navigating, and distance measuring. All of the methods used were rudimentary but still effective. The patterns of geometry in ancient pottery can be traced to simple modules and various transformations made to that basic element. These transformations include rotations and reflections about a point or line. Concerning a central point, four patterns of rotation and four patterns of reflection are acknowledged. Seven methods of symmetry about a line are used. Symmetry simply meant proportional and the use of a module for measuring.

ROTATION + REFLECTION AROUND A CENTRAL POINT

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ROTATION + REFLECTION STAGGERED DOWN A LINE

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MYKONOS

MYKONOY, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

These basic modules can be picked out and then traced through various transformations in Greek pottery. Some patterns were more common than others, and these frequently used patterns were then built upon and further transformed. Most repetitive patterns are capable of being deciphered.

MYKONOS ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM DAILY REFLECTION This morning we woke up to our last day in Mykonos. We walked over to the Mykonos Archaeological Museum to see the pottery from Rheneia, the small island across from Delos. Although this museum is quite small, we had a very interesting discussion here about geometry and patterns. This topic really gave a whole lot more meaning and interest to pottery than I had previously given it credit for. In addition, hearing about the history of this geometry made me very interested in the shape grammars class I have heard a good deal about. The presentation on ancient Greek naval technologies also took place in the nice courtyard space of this museum. We demonstrated a very interesting method for estimating distances that worked out quite well! Before the discussion on patterns of geometry, I may have found the overwhelming amount of pottery in this museum less than exciting. However, I was now on the lookout for known patterns and the progression of variation on these patterns. It became very interesting to see how the geometry changed and built on itself over time. The concepts discussed and observed here will allow my museum visits for the rest of the trip to develop my understanding of the topic. Today was a rather short class day which ended after the museum. We then spent some time getting lunch and exploring the city a little more before meeting at the port to board a high speed boat to Santorini!

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DAY 39 - 06/20/13

AKROTIRI

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The original island of Thera was formed by lava from a volcanic vent on the floor of the Aegean, spilling out and sitting on top of the vent. In approximately the mid second millennium BC, the vent erupted and blew out the center of the island. The lava built up again and created a small island in the center of the remains of the old island, now a crescent-shaped island plus pieces forming a mostly circular perimeter.

The layers of the caldera reveal the history of the island (images above and right). The form of objects were preserved by this solidified lava, and plaster casts can be made to reveal their shape (image above, left).

The city of Akrotiri was thriving on the island of Thera. In the late 18th century the city was leveled by an earthquake, which allowed impressive buildings to be erected afterwards. Incredibly preserved wall paintings have been discovered from this city. The House of the Ladies, in particular, contains two conjoined rooms separated by a wall, with paintings of women in one and papyrus in the other (images above). Another painting of “The Blue Monkeys� was discovered at this excavation site (image on right). It has been estimated that only three percent of this ancient city has been uncovered.

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SANTORINI

ΣΑΝΤΟΡΙΝΗ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The excavations at the city of Akrotiri have been covered by a canopy to preserve these fragile ruins. The structure of the city was dendritic. The buildings had foundations, wooden frames, and unfired brick for earthquake conditions. This settlement was rebuilt between 1700-1600 BC.

AKROTIRI DAILY REFLECTION Our first day in Santorini, Greece began with the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in the same town as our hotel in Fira. The museum goes over the history of the island and holds many artifacts found primarily in the town of Akrotiri. One of the most interesting things I found at this museum regarding the evolution of the island through the eruption of the volcano was the stratigraphy of the caldera. The layers of the topography literally reveal the history of the island. This museum goes hand-in-hand with the archaeological site at Akrotiri afterwards. One of the discoveries of this site includes a well-preserved house now held at this museum in Fira known as the House of the Ladies. I could not believe the detail of the frescoes found here that existed more than three thousand years ago. Although the lava from the volcano eruption caused devastation on this island, it has now proven to be helpful in its ability to preserve these ancient artifacts so well. After learning about many objects and decorations found at Akrotiri, we took a bus to the covered archaeological site of Akrotiri. I really appreciated the well-designed canopy over this site, making the touring much more pleasant. One of the most astonishing things I learned here was that even though this excavation seems quite large, it probably only represents about three percent of the total settlement that once existed here. This Bronze Age civilization was very dendritic and confusing in layout. It was pretty difficult to visualize the settlement as it once existed in most parts of the site, except in the Triangle Square Building complex. To me, this little space represented what must have been a nice semi-private outdoor space within an otherwise dense urban context. After this site, some of us made our way over to Red Beach, a beach of red stone cut out of the side of a cliff.

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DAY 40 - 06/21/13

ANCIENT THERA

KARAMARI

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Akrotiri, home of the Cycladians, was one of three Bronze Age civilizations. The other two are the Minoans of Crete and the Mycenaeans of mainland Greece. The Ministry of Culture Archaeological Museum in Fira, Santorini holds a significant amount of pottery. Here I observed the same pattern found at Mykonos (image above, left). I then found several examples of the inverse of this pattern (image above, center), as well as interesting variations of rotation and reflection (image above, right). Certain forms of pottery pattern vary frequently, but I found only one example of different hatching patterns (image on left).

The ancient city of Thera had only one mountain high enough to have actual dirt, known as the Mesa Vouno. The city on the hill, founded as a settlement of Greeks in 630 BC, was known as Cyrene. It was gridded with public basilicas, theatres, and stoas separate from private blocks with apartments.

PERISSA

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SANTORINI

ΣΑΝΤΟΡΙΝΗ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

Every house had a reservoir for water with a courtyard above, as seen at Delos. The drainage ran under the streets (image above, left). Basilicas were used for judicial and administrative functions, later found only in the Agora (image above, center). The city here also had a theatre which fit within the block structure of the city and sits up against the terracing wall (image above, right). As all Greek theatres, this structure is built into the natural landscape. The Terrace of Gymnopaidiai overlooks the sea to the south (image on left). The Sacred Path can be seen cutting diagonally beyond the modern, paved road (image below).

ANCIENT THERA DAILY REFLECTION The first stop of the day was at the Ministry of Culture Archaeological Museum in the heart of the town of Fira. After the discussion of patterns two days ago, I was now equipped to trace the development of geometry on the pottery found here. The first piece I noticed was the inverse of the pattern seen all over the Mykonos Archaeological Museum. Although this inversion seemed to be most common here, their were also many intricate variations on these patterns as well. The most unique discovery I found was that there were only two pieces of pottery in the whole museum that varied the hatching pattern of all the others. It seemed as though certain areas of the development of geometry within pottery were much more inclined to variation than others. After the museum, we took a bus to the only mountain on the island, closer to the southeastern side. The elevation of this solitary mountain is significant because it is the only place on the island with real dirt for ground, not only volcanic ash. The winding road takes you up to a flattened area between the city on the hill and a mountain known as Profitis Ilias. The excavations at the top of the hill form a city known as Mesa Vouno. This archaeological site consists of an agora, sanctuaries, temples, a theatre, and terraces which date to the second century AD. On the Terrace of Gymnopaidiai overlooking the sea, we had a presentation on Greek war followed by a full-group re-enactment of the phalanx formation. After this, we climbed all the way back down the mountain on foot via the Sacred Path, a slightly different route than the paved road we had taken up. The rest of the day was then spent at Karamari beach eating lunch, looking for rocks to jump off, and swimming in the ocean. The beach was like no other with black sand still reminding all of the volcanic eruption.

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DAY 43 - 06/24/13

EPIDAURUS

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The Sanctuary of Asklepios is a small sanctuary for the god of healing and medicine located at the ancient city of Epidaurus. Asklepios was the son of Apollo who cared about humans, bearing close resemblance to Christianity. Originally a shaded propylaia framed the entrance of the Sanctuary to the north (image on right). The remnants of the Temple of Asklepios and the epigraph found reveal important information. This Doric hexastyle temple was built by Theodidos in 380375 AD (images below, left and center). Timotheos was the sculptor working with the architect to design and make models of the structure.

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The Tholos was built in 300 BC by Polykleitos (image above, left). The structure is currently undergoing reconstruction. The substructure of the building consists of six rings of walls/foundation interrupted by perpendicular openings. The Enkoimeterion, meaning “building of sleep,� is a stoa on the upper level with a lower level for sleeping (image above, right). This sleep was intended to be the interface between humans and gods for purpose of healing. Visions provided interpretable methods for curing practices. Hippocrates later separated medicine from religion and developed the theory of humorism.

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EPIDAURUS

ΕΠΙΔΑΥΡΟΣ, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

The theatre at Epidaurus is one of the most perfect and best preserved ancient Greek theatres (image above). The geometry here is not a perfect circle, but instead three large, separate circles which converge on each other.

In the museum, ancient medical tools can be seen (image far right).

EPIDAURUS DAILY REFLECTION After our last weekend in Europe, our last week started at the ancient city of Epidaurus back on the mainland of Greece. We began here at the Monumental Propylon towards the north end. We discussed here the history of the Sanctuary of Asklepios. One of the most fascinating things to me about the Temple of Asklepios was the fact that an epigraph was found describing the process of its completion. What this documentation clearly shows is the division between design and construction. Both a sculptor and an architect worked on the building, but had very clear separation of work. Another interesting discovery here was the substructure of the Tholos. We discussed and saw drawings of the unique ringed structure of foundation walls interrupted by perpendicular walls and openings for some sort of programmed basement use. We then moved to the Enkoimeterion, the only remaining structure offering shade, for a presentation on ancient Greek medicine. This building was an appropriate place for such a presentation because it was the space designated for the sleep rituals associated with visions and healing from the gods. As we have progressed in time period throughout these archaeological sites of Greece, the sophistication of technology and resources has become increasingly impressive. The Sanctuary of Asklepios is quite sophisticated, showing a rudimentary understanding of medical knowledge. Of course the most famous feature of Epidaurus is now the incredibly preserved theatre built into the hill. The most enjoyable part of this theatre in addition to the impressive geometry and acoustics, is the natural back drop of the landscape, framed perfectly by the shape and location of the theatre. We ended our day with a visit to the museum, seeing many medical tools and inscriptions of cures on fragments of stone.

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DAY 44 - 06/25/13

OLYMPIA

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The Sanctuary at Olympia was a major religious, cultural and sporting center. No traces of the massive altar of Zeus survive today, but many votive figurines were found buried in the thick ash that covered the Altis, the sacred grove at Olympia (image on left). The Temple of Zeus of 476 BC was adorned with incredible sculptural decoration (image below, right). The statues of the west (image below, left) and east pediments (image below, center) can now be found in the Olympia Archaeological Museum. The Chryselephantine Statue of Zeus that once stood within this temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The architect of the Temple of Zeus was Libon. The embates, or module, of the structure is either the size of the column or the intercolumniation. This hexastyle temple utilizes the diostyle ratio. The slightly smaller Temple of Hera from 600 BC is a hexastyle Doric temple with distyle in antis pronoas (image above, right). The squashed capitols are of Archaic style and it was built of local limestone. The Hermes of Praxiteles was found in this temple (image on right). He was the messenger charge by Zeus to take the baby Dionysos to the Nymphs. The excavations of the gymnasium are currently underway (image above, left)!

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OLYMPIA

OΛYMΠIA, ΕΛΛΆΔΑ

Olympia became quite well-known for its sporting complexes and events. This had to do with the convenient location, as well as the sanctuary associated with Zeus, the chief god believed to bestow on athletes the prowess and skills that enabled them to excel in sports.

Olympia contained a large palaestra, gymnasium, hippodrome, and stadium (image on left). The stadium was the venue for foot races (image above). The Olympic games were held every four years, and victory bestowed honor and privileges to the victors and their cities.

The event included both sporting events and many religious rituals.

OLYMPIA DAILY REFLECTION The last day of Greece was spent at the ancient site of Olympia and began in the Olympia Archaeological Museum. This museum holds many objects found at the site, particularly many votive figurines found in the ash of the large altar of Zeus. In addition, the major buildings of the site are each covered in appropriate detail, with the Temple of Zeus dominating the largest, central room. This museum also held many, very impressive and large statues. The first one I came across was the statue of Zeus in the middle of the east pediment on the Temple of Zeus. The scale and craft of this sculpture was amazing and truly portrayed the power of this god in the time period. The next statue was the Nike of Paeonios, originally located on a pedestal to the east of the Temple of Zeus. This figure had a great amount of symbolism in the pieces depicted and the way in which they were depicted. This was the work of the famous sculptor Pheidias and acts as testimony to his notoriety. Another impressive statue sat by itself in a room off to the side of the museum. This sculpture of Hermes of Praxiteles was found in the Temple of Hera and depicts the soft and powerful serenity of the Olympian gods. The tour of the site included the limited remains of the Temple of Zeus and the Temple of Hera, as well as the ruins of all of the other major buildings. The workshop of Pheidias was the best preserved building here with all four walls still standing. The athletic influence of Olympia can be seen in the amount, location, and scale of sports complexes on the site. I found it very exciting to see that the gymnasium was actually being excavated for the first time while we were there! The visit ended with a trip into the famous stadium, my presentation on sports, and a running contest to determine who would be the victor from the major cities represented.

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Philip Richardson

Back to...

Italy!

2013

DAY 45 - 06/26/13

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TARANTO + METAPONTO

Taranto was a Greek colony in the 8th-7th century BC. The coasts of Italy were primarily settled as Greek initially. The area was a Greek town in the 4th-3rd century and a Roman town in the 2nd-3rd century BC. Among the objects at the museum of Taranto is a nearly complete set of armor (image above, left). Other objects include a significant amount of coins (image far above, left) and engravings found in stone (image far above, right). The museum also includes many floor mosaics (image above), some of polychrome tesserae (image on left). The evolution of Medusa is also featured in a small side exhibit (image below).

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TARANTO + METAPONTO

TARANTO + METAPONTO, ITALIA

Another Greek settlement on the Ionian coast of Italy can be found at the town of Metaponto in the Province of Matera. The city allied to Taranto in 280 BC and became a Roman colony around 272.

Here sit the remains of an ancient Temple of Hera dated to the 6th century BC (image on right).

TARANTO + METAPONTO DAILY REFLECTION This morning, our boat landed in Italy and we took a bus to Taranto. Although in Italy, this city was first established as Greek. It was a very interesting experience to see so many of the architectural characteristics seen in Greece at specific excavations sites here amongst the very Italian surroundings. Here we visited the Archaeological Museum of Taranto to learn about the history of the area. Unfortunately, this museum was a bit difficult to follow because much of it was closed. We had to begin the museum in the second exhibit, covering the city as a Greek Town. This museum held many different types of artifacts from different places. I found the collection of coins discovered quite interesting. These coins exist in very good condition and depict intricate pictures attributed to certain values. Towards the end of the exhibit were many mosaic floors. Although a bit faded, these mosaics were still incredibly discernible and showed the talent and time put into them. At the very end of the museum, a small exhibit covered the evolution of Medusa. This interesting progression of a popular public figure showed the transition from Medusa as a grotesque and distorted figure to a beautiful woman. Taranto had a much different feel than the primarily middle and northern Italy we have experienced on this trip. Not only in architecture, but even the culture appeared to resemble the friendliness of Greece. The last stop of the day was at Metaponto in the Provincia di Matera. It seemed strange to see the remains of a Temple of Hera in Italy, proving the strong Greek influence in this southern area. A presentation on the development of the Greek language took place here, including a game testing the evolution of words and sounds through the translation from one person to another. The day ended with a bus ride to our hotel in Paestum. 82

DAY 46 - 06/27/13

PAESTUM

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The original name of Paestum was Poseidonia around 600 BC as a Greek city. The Plateiai ran from the west coast and to the east. A tripartite division was created by the Plateiai and the other streets, or Stenopoi.

This division separated public and private spaces. From 400-272, the city was Greco-Lucanian and named Paestum. Political turmoil in 272 led to a reconstitution and the transition to a Roman city. Two temples still stand in the southern sanctuary, the Temple of Hera (image far above, left) and the Temple of Hera II/Poseidon/Apollo (image far above, right). The Temple of Hera I, or Ancient Temple, dates from 525 to 520 BC. This structure is Doric, has nine columns on the front, squashed capitols, and differing intercolumniation between the front and sides.

The Temple of Apollo dates to 460 BC. This structure is also Doric but has only six columns on the front and double colonnation on the interior cella. A Roman forum was inserted into the existing Greek agora to the south (image on left). L’Agora Heroon sits further south, a cenotaph, or empty tomb dedicated to the founder of the city, reminiscent of the Roman mundus (image below, left). A built-up, small Roman theatre is located to the west near the modern road (image below, right).

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PAESTUM

PAESTUM, ITALIA

Even farther south is the Temple of Athena (image above). This hexastyle, peristyle Doric temple has the exact same proportions of the Temple of Apollo, but is much smaller in scale. The proportions of both follow the 2n + 1 equation at a 6 x 13 setup. This temple was constructed in 480 BC, before the Temple of Apollo. This structure utilizes four different thresholds for entry (image below, left). The Museum at Paestum shows the original frieze carvings of this temple (image on right). Many decorative frescoes can also be found here from all over Paestum (image below, right).

PAESTUM DAILY REFLECTION Today we traveled to the archaeological site at Paestum, Italy. We discussed the transformation of this city from a Greek city, to a Roman city, to finally a Greco-Lucanian city where it got the name of Paestum.

The structure of this city was quite straightforward, with a grid of main and minor streets separating out the buildings. Again, we saw here a Temple of Hera, a Temple which may have been dedicated to several different Greek gods, and a Temple of Athena. These Greek temples display many of the characteristics of the Doric order. One of the most interesting parts of this site is the comparison of the Temple of Hera I and the Temple of Hera II (Temple of Apollo). The later temple shows much more advanced technique such as a double interior colonnade and displays much more if its original form. After visiting and drawing these two seemingly similar temples for awhile, we walked north into the Agora with a later-inserted Roman forum. Here we saw Italian elements such as a small, built-up theatre, as well as Greek elements such as L’Agora Heroon. To the northern side of the public space of the Roman forum sits the Temple of Athena. The placement of this temple away from the other two made it feel much different, causing me to feel surprised by the fact that the proportions are identical to the Temple of Apollo. The most fascinating thing about this temple were the series of threshold spaces created at the entrance to the cella.

After the final presentation of the trip, we made our way over to the Museum at Paestum. This surprisingly large museum showed many remains from these three incredibly preserved temples. The back of the museum had a series of halls lined with frescoes found in the excavations here. The day ended with a bus ride to our final hotel in the beautiful harbor town of Sorrento, Italy.

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DAY 47 - 06/28/13

POMPEII

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Pompeii was a city which started from humble beginnings. The history consists of an early Greek Etruscan settlement turned Semnite by the local indigenous people. The city then became a Roman Colonnae around 90-79 BC. The public space of the city was most likely originally an agora, later converted to a forum (images above). The Romans left the Semnite civilization, creating a unique interface between Greek and Roman culture. The forum had a double colonnade running the perimeter, with clear boundaries and functional program. The Basilica on the southwest corner dates 180 BC (image on left). This Hellenistic

administrative and judicial building had a central hall with clerestory lighting and two side aisles. The Temple of Apollo sits adjacent, a temple constantly reworked and reconstructed (image above, left). This originally Greek temple became very. On the northern side of the forum is the Capitolium with the Temple of Jupiter (image above, center). This structure is from 89 BC and is a model directly from Rome. The Macellum is located in the northeast corner, near the gate to the forum (image above, right). This space was well preserved, an area where bodies were found after the volcanic destruction of 79 AD (image on right).

The bodies were intact enough to provide formwork for a detailed plaster cast to be made, even depicting emotion in the face. The forum bath complex shows the different rooms of the ritual of bathing. The baths are very well preserved with the beautiful, original marble (images on right).

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POMPEII

POMPEII, ITALIA

The remains of Pompeii contain a significant amount of well-preserved houses. One of more wealthy but traditional houses is the Casa del Fauno. This residence had fauces in the entry (image above, left) and impluvium in the first courtyard (image above, right). Two peristyle gardens here are separated by an open triclinium (image on right). The first garden is closer to the entrance and more public, while the back garden is a bit more private and enclosed. The Stabian Bath complex includes a large connected, tepidarium and caldarium space (image below, left), as well as exposed hypocaust flooring (image below, right).

POMPEII DAILY REFLECTION Our last day of class took place at Pompeii in Italy. We started off at the public space of the city, in the forum. As seen at Paestum, this public space shows both Greek and Roman characteristics. This can especially be seen at the originally Greek Temple of Apollo on the west side of the forum. I found the urban device of the portico to be a very effective solution for unity. The front of the portico was consistent all around the perimeter but the open space between this colonnade and the entrances to the buildings was negotiable. One of the more interesting buildings in this complex is the fish and meat market known as the Macellum. The preservation of this space is much better than others because reconstruction after the destructive earthquake was farther along before the volcano erupted. The next space we visited were the Forum Baths just beyond the Capitolium. It was incredible to actually be able to walk within the covered spaces of the frigidarium, Tepidarium, and Caldarium and see the original locations of the water pools. Small fragments of the wall flues can be seen in broken parts of the wall here. Many examples of ancient houses exist here, but only a few were actually open for visitation. The most extravagant of the ones I visited was the Casa del Fauno with two peristyle courtyards and beautiful mosaics. The remnants of the impluvium remain but the roof and compluvium do not. My favorite experience at Pompeii was walking through the rooms of the Stabian Baths. The men’s and women’s bath rooms exist in good preservation with a large shared outdoor courtyard space in between. This complex helped me frame the importance of water and its significant role for my research paper. I really enjoyed Pompeii because it truly gives a feel for what it would be like to walk the streets and visit the public spaces back then. 86