Category Archives: Architecture

Rome’s Top Ten – Part 2

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…..trying to cram all three days into one post proved too much

Vatican City

I won’t spend too much time here since I’ve already written about my experiences at Vatican City here. Next time I need to make time to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

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Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona is one of the most popular public squares in Rome. It is built on the site of an ancient Roman stadium, Circus Agonalis, that could hold 20 000 spectators. Today it is best known for the three beautiful fountains that are situated along the centre of the Piazza. The fountains were designed and sculpted by Bernini and Giacomo della Porta.

Castel Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’Angelo is a towering cylindrical building that was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The Castle was once the tallest building in Rome.

Over the years the popes converted the structure into a castle, beginning in the 14th century; Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St Peter’s Basilica by a covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo. The Papal state also used Sant’Angelo as a prison.

In the next few days I’ll write about Trastevere, the Roman Forum and the National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II. Till then, Ciao!

Rome’s Top Ten-Part 1

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…..seeing Rome’s Top Ten in three days is not impossible

When we planned to stay in Rome for the final three days of our trip to Italy I never imagined that we would be able to see so many of the famous sites of this ancient city. To be honest some of the sites were under construction so we only did a quick pass and for others we only saw the exterior.

My top ten sites included:

The Colosseum

It was a very hot day when we finally walked to the Colosseum. We were accosted by dozens of vendors selling selfie sticks and tours. My husband and daughter took refuge in a caffe next to the Colosseum and enjoyed a cool drink while the rest of us including the baby took a closer look at the exterior of this ancient structure. Unfortunately we didn’t see the interior, partially because the heat was too much for the baby.

The Pantheon

We arrived early and there was a mass going on so we had to wait to get in to see the Pantheon. We wandered off to get a coffee in a nearby bistro but when we returned there was a line-up to get in. My husband hates line-ups so he passed on seeing the inside of the Pantheon. Luckily the line went pretty quickly and there was some very high quality entertainment on the street in the way of musicians.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain was a bit of a surprise for me. It’s a very large fountain but it’s crammed into a very small space and the crowds were huge. It’s almost impossible to get a camera shot that takes in the entire fountain. You just can’t stand far enough away. I would love to see the fountain at night when it’s all lit up.

The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps was the one attraction that we didn’t spend much time at because it was under construction. I understand that it is now restored and open again for the public to walk on.

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In my next post I will share more photos of the following attractions in Rome:

Vatican City

Piazza Navona

Castel Sant’Angelo

Trastevere

Roman Forum

The National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II

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Till next time.

Ciao!

 

 

Culture Days – Sept. 30, Oct. 1-2

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…..last Saturday I attended a ‘culture days’ event at Humber College

Culture Days was founded in 2009 and raises the awareness and  participation of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. Hundreds of thousands of artists, cultural workers, organizations and groups, volunteers and supporters host free  public activities that take place in hundreds of cities and towns throughout the country over the last weekend of September each year.

Culture Days offers a wonderful opportunity for Canadians across the country to explore and participate in the cultural communities that exist in their neighbourhoods that they may have not even be aware of before.

The event that I was most excited about was the Tunnel Tour. Humber College by the Lakeshore took over the old psychiatric hospital which closed in 1979 and restored the original facades of all the the cottages and main buildings. The buildings were connected by an underground tunnel that were used to transport food and laundry to the patients. The tunnel itself was dug by the patients and a cross section cut out of the wall shows the primitive technique used to cement together the pieces of slate that were probably found on the property.

The tunnel is still used today to house gas, water and sewer pipes and to transport supplies from one cottage to another. Part of the tour included talking about the history of the psychiatric hospital and how the different cottages were used. Cottage D housed the detox patients and K cottage was home for the children who lived at the hospital. That was the saddest part of the tour. Apparently when children suffered from epilepsy and/or ADHA they were admitted to the hospital where they spent the rest of their lives. Nurses used to walk up and down Lakeshore Blvd. looking for children that had been deserted by their parents because they thought their seizures were signs of being possessed.

I also learned that a ghost lives in cottage G. She’s been seen by the care taking staff and security. Apparently she’s friendly and is a former nurse who worked at the hospital. Cottage G is the last cottage to be renovated. Our guide kindly took us inside. It certainly didn’t look haunted.

After the tour I took a walk over to the Assembly Hall and watched the dancers in the Pow Wow.

Later in the afternoon I took part in an art workshop. We were a very small group. First we took a walk through the grounds towards the lake and picked up natural materials off the ground. When we returned to the classroom we were presented with old nature books that were being discarded and numerous art supplies to create our nature inspired piece of art. It was very relaxing and I walked away with two samples that I can use in future art classes at school.

 

Lucca – A Walled City in Italy

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….a beautiful Tuscan town

On a Sunday, my husband and I decided to hop on the train in Florence and do a day trip to Lucca. Sundays and Mondays are not the best days to travel in Italy. At least on one of those two days tourists will be disappointed to find that shops and attractions are closed to the public. Luckily there were enough stores, churches and caffes open to keep us busy for the day.

Lucca is a historic city with Roman and Etruscan roots. In the 15th century a wall was built around the city that still remains today. The top of the wall is a great place to walk and ride your bike.

As we walked through an opening in the wall we were greeted by narrow cobblestone streets, numerous Gothic churches, beautiful piazzas, outdoor caffes, and stages and signs for music festivals.

I just read recently that there are 100 churches in Lucca. We definitely didn’t see that many but the ones I did see were very impressive.

Our original plan was to go to Pisa as well but it wasn’t to be. We were just too exhausted to make the extra trip. I’m not that disappointed. So many people told me that Lucca would have been their first choice as a destination.

 

WPC – Quest: Vatican City

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….while in Rome my quest was to get to Vatican City

There were many things that I wanted to see on our trip throughout central Italy but one that stood out for me was Vatican City. I’m not sure why it was so important to me because I am not particularly religious. Perhaps it had to do with the numerous suggestions that I got before flying out to Italy. Almost everyone said I had to see Vatican City. On our last day in Rome and the day before we were to leave I was bound and determined to see it.

My son and his new bride were in Rome the same time we were there and he very much wanted to spend time with his family before we departed. He was willing to do anything and go anywhere I wanted. Seeing that no one else was up to another site seeing day, it was just me who met up with my son.

I ventured onto the tram by myself and met B, before the tram crossed the river into the busy metropolis of Rome. We walked to our destination in the hot sun, stopping for a snack and then later for a light lunch just outside of Vatican City. As we approached the city I was impressed by the sheer size of it. We had already passed over the bridge leading up to the castle that protected the Pope from invaders during Napoleon’s reign.

As we got closer I could see the square in front of the Basilica. There were barriers to keep you from crossing the square and people were lined up along the perimeter. The one thing that bothered me were the hordes of vendors trying to sell tours and selfie sticks. I don’t know how many times I said no, politely at first, but then more abruptly and tersely. At one point my son said ‘Don’t talk to me!’ to one of the vendors and an argument pursued. Well actually the tour guide salesman started yelling at my son, telling him he was rude. My son simply walked away, a little shaken up by the reaction he got from the statement he made.

At one point I told my son I was happy just seeing the outside of the Basilica and the square and that I didn’t need to stand in line to go inside. B, however, insisted that I had to see the paintings and sculptures in the church. He convinced me, with the help of his wife, now on the phone, that I should go inside. He asked if I minded going in alone because he had already seen it and he hated standing line as much as his father does. I told him I’d be okay and he waited outside, under a portico out of the sun.

The line-up for a security check took only about 15 minutes and then I walked to the entrance in no time flat. As I entered I was told I had to cover up because I had bare arms. Luckily I brought a scarf with me for that very purpose. My quest to see Vatican City had been achieved.

Florence, Italy -An Art Lovers Paradise

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…..Florence is well known for famous sculptures, paintings and architecture 

Everyone told me I’d love the art in Florence. There certainly was a lot of it. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art, architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti.

Florence was home to one of European history’s most important noble families, the Medici. In 1469, Lorenzo de Medici, grandson to Cosimo, took over control of the city from behind the scenes. He was a great patron of the arts, commissioning works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. To his peers he was known as Lorenzo il Magnifico which ironically was also the name of the street our apartment was on.

If you are going to Florence in the near future I would recommend that you prebook your tickets to the Uffizi Gallery. We booked on line the night before and went right to the front of the line when we arrived at our designated time. In fact we were ushered to an even faster line because we had the baby with us. Even though the baby was free of charge they wanted to see her passport before they gave us our tickets. We didn’t have the passport so we pleaded ignorance. Who knew? Did they think we were going to smuggle in an adult on an infant’s ticket? Other than that, getting into the popular Uffizi was quick and relatively easy and well worth the few extra euros to book ahead of time.

We never did get to see the real Michelangelo’s David. The two in the gallery above were replicas. I thought I would be disappointed if I didn’t get to the real one but there was so much to see and do and it was so hot in Florence that it wasn’t worth the ultimate exhaustion we would have suffered trying to get to the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, which is now the home of Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. Maybe I’ll go there the next time I’m in Florence.

Ciao!

Staying in Rome

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… our apartment in Rome was big enough for 5 adults and a baby

One of the things that really stood out for me in Rome, especially where we stayed in Monteverde Vecchio is that everyone seemed to live in apartment buildings. I didn’t see any single family residences. Our apartment was gated and within walking distance  of the grocery store, the tram, parks and restaurants.

Our first afternoon there we walked around the neighbourhood to get our bearings and discovered a lovely square, caffes and outdoor vendors.

On our way home we passed a parade. We weren’t sure what it was but clearly it had something to do with the church.

Venice Architecture Biennale 2016

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….featuring different aspects of architecture from around the world

One of the must see venues in Venice for my family on our recent trip was to take in some of the Venice Biennale exhibits, mainly the the Victoria and Albert contribution curated by our son.

For those who have never heard of biennales let me explain. A biennale takes place every two years. They are large international art exhibitions dealing with contemporary issues around art, music and architecture and take place all over the world. The Venice Biennale was founded in 1895 and highlighted city marketing, urban regeneration and cultural tourism. This year’s theme is titled REPORTING FROM THE FRONT, and is curated by Alejandro Aravena. The show runs from May to September and the exhibits can be found at  the Giardini and the Arsenale.

The exhibit our son curated in agreement with la Biennale di Venizia and  the Victoria and Albert Museum out of London, England is titled A World of Fragile Parts and focuses on how the production of copies throughout history and today has aided in the preservation of cultural artefacts.

This exhibit highlights the new technologies that make it possible to fabricate copies of historical artefacts that are ravaged by war, tourism and environmental factors. For more information about the exhibit go here.

Old technology using plaster casts.
New technology using digital scanning and 3D printers.

Unfortunately while we were there our son was not so to prove that we actually went and saw the exhibit we posed in front of the sign for A World of Fragile Parts. Even the baby got involved by pointing out her uncle’s name on the list of credits. A week later Brendan did go back to Venice to give a talk and teach a class on the exhibit.

My only regret is that we didn’t get to see more of the Biennale. Two days in Venice is not enough time.