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"This is going to be the best part of the trip!"


Blog Question 09

How is Siena, Siena and not anywhere else?

Every city has its landmarks. Il Duomo, San Domenico, Piazza del Campo, and the Torre del Mangia are just some of the well-known landmarks that would clearly mark Siena as Siena. But what is unique about this place is not simply the landmarks, but the way in which the town was developed. As I walked through the town for the first time, despite my lack of a map, I already felt I knew where I was headed. The streets were not straight or formed in a grid like most cities, but they curved in a way in which you were practically being led to where you needed to go. There was a noticeable yet gradual slope that naturally pulled me down and through the city. After following these streets for a little while, the roads suddenly opened up to a very large, gradually sloped piazza with many people dining, relaxing and casually strolling along. This was clearly the center of town with roads branching in from every direction and continually feeding the piazza with activity. Later, after having looked at a map of the city I realized even more how strongly all of the cities roads seemed to develop from and around Piazza del Campo. This clearly was not a piazza that was added as a side note after the fact, but a space that addressed the needs and the flow of the entire town. There are different versions of piazze all over Italy and throughout the world, but it is not common to see one that has been so well integrated into the town that it seems to draw people in through nearly unconscious means.

Piazza del Campo

Section cut through Piazza del Campo and the area that feeds into it

Siena

San Quirco d’Orcia

Peter Pan

Nostalghia

Some Crazy Guy In Pisa…

Blog Question 08

Architectural translations can come in many different forms, but in my opinion a true architectural translation should, above all else, translate the meaning of a work and impose that meaning within its own time and context. While many architectural translations, especially in growing cities, occur as a new work, most translations within the city of Rome occur as reworkings of an existent building or space.

Piazza Navona is a classic example of a good architectural translation in this sense. The piazza was built in the year 85 as the Stadium of Domitian and was used for competition by athletes during the time. It was originally conceptualized as a stage with the purpose of drawing people into the space and focusing on them as the event. The current day translation of this space continues to fulfill this meaning although in different ways that fit the current day situations of the town. Musicians, artists and various amounts of people inhabit the piazza throughout the day and become the focus of the space. Restaurants along the edges focus their attention towards the activity within and the space comes alive with various performers.

Time does not stand still and cultures will always change. Piazza Navona originated with a very specific purpose and this particular meaning has been able to adjust over the centuries, continuing to meet the needs and the context of the continually changing present day.

 

Blog Question 07

How is history made active?

The Roman Forum began its construction in 7th century B.C. and after years of construction, reconstruction, and rearrangements of the ancient buildings, many of them were dismantled in 8th century A.C. and left as debris. It seemed that the grand buildings that once existed were in their final destructive state, but all that changed in the early 1800s. Excavation of the Roman Forum began in 1803 and was eventually fully excavated in the early 20th century becoming one of the most famous attractions of Rome. For years after excavation began the only way to get from the northern to the southern side of the Forum, where the Colosseum is located, was to drive directly through the Forum. Although this greatly activated the site, it was bound to be much too destructive in the long run.

Via dei Fori Imperiali

In 1931, Via dei Fori Imperiali was constructed creating a very strong transportation connection between Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum. This was a drastic move that was very productive for transportation and connection purposes, but was also rather destructive in the way the road not only created a barrier between the Roman Forum and the other Imperial Fora but also covered ground that is certain to contain many more historical ruins. Despite all the productive and destructive aspects of Via dei Fori Imperiali, the street is now one of the most frequently used transportation pathways as well as being a very active tourist section of Rome. Not only does the street direct tourists from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum, but also directs them along the sides of the Roman and Imperial Forums providing balconies for viewing of the ancient ruins from above. It is difficult to say how long Via dei Fori Imperiali will remain with the ancient possibilities that lay beneath it, but as long as it remains it will continue to activate circulation around and between some of the most important sites of Rome.

Striking a Pose at the Tempietto

Blog Question 06

What does “this” map tell you about the city of Rome?

Rome Transit Map

With over 19.5 million visitors a year, Rome is a city with very demanding transportation needs. Not only must considerations be made for local transportation, but also for international travel as well as travel between European countries. In order to accommodate all of these types of travel many different modes of transportation are utilized and weaved together to create a single transportation system that connects Rome to the world around it. Rome has three airports, one of the biggest train stations in Europe, a metro system, and a bus, tram and urban train network which all work together to accommodate the large number of travelers common in the city.

While many maps of Rome focus on the main sights of the city, the transportation map’s focus is entirely different. Rather than showing an isolated city with points of interest, a transportation map represents the city in connection with the world. People come and go, bringing outside knowledge with them and taking away newly found knowledge of the historical city with them to wherever they may be headed. Rome is not simply a city of history, but a city that has the ability to share its history with the rest of the world.