Official blog day 1

Hello blog world!

Today we explored the Republican Rome. We had three spots on our agenda for the day consisting of Capitoline Museum, Forum Boarium and Tiber Island. Since June is very very hot in Rome, most people opted out of going to see the Tiber Island in person after our instructor Aaron told us about it while we stood in the shade. 

I was interested in the Tiber Island, so I did a little bit of research outside of the conversation we had today and learned that as legend has it Tiber Island was formed from angry Romans throwing wheat and grain into the Tiber. The accumulation of all of the mud around it is said to have gradually lead to the forming of the island. More realistic, tuff rock compacted forming the natural geological formation of the sand, dragged here from the rivers current, bringing it to a stop.

The first stop of our day took us to the Musei Capitolini or the Capitoline Museum. Quick background on the museum, the historic area of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, facing on the central trapezoidal piazza in a plan developed by Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1536. It took about 400 or so years to finish. The history of the museums can be traced to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of important ancient bronzes to the people of Rome and put the on Capitoline Hill. The museums collection has been growing ever sense. 

View from the top of the Museum by the cafe where we all had lunch! 

The outside of the museum

Now onto the museum! Aside from it’s stunning roof top view of the city, it holds a great deal of Roman history. As you can see from the picture below, we got to see the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. The actual statue is inside while a replica is outside in the courtyard. There isn’t an exact date, but according to many ancient literary sources, it was created in 176 AD, along with other honors on the occasion of Marcus Aurelius triumph over the Germanic tribes.

The statue of Marcus Aurelius

Snake infested head of Medusa

The next picture is called Bust of Medusa. When I saw this in the Hall of Geese, I was fascinated by the quite frankly, scary snakes coming from this persons head. What I learned was the mythical Medusa had the power to turn anyone who looked directly at her into stone. The Ovidian myth says that Minerva, as punishment, transformed Medusa’s hair into terrifying snakes, condemning her to become an instrument of death.

I have learned so much already and I will keep sharing my new found knowledge as the days slip by! 

Until then.