Archeology of Aventine Hill

Servian wall in Aventine area, Rome.  Built 4th C. BC to protect against Gaul/Celt invasions.  Each long block is about 18" long.  Made of the local volcanic stone before fired bricks and cement were invented.

Archeology of Aventine Hill: seminar and walking tour
Worlds opening yet again in many and unexpected ways.

The heart of the Roman Empire.  I have traveled around the edges from the Jordanian and Syrian cities of the decapolis to the remote trading posts in the Tunisian desert or Londinium.  Now, I have managed to reach the center only to find that the Republic and Empire have been overlaid by so many other eras and uses that confusion abounds when trying to sort out my thoughts.  Sigh.

But that is the joy of retirement and the leisure to wander.  My luck is to have access to some of the best in current archeology in Rome.  A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to participate in a seminar and walking tour specializing in an area of Rome but which was less-renowned but always within the walls.  That and a few other opportunities have helped me grasp some of the complexity of this city which has been central to western civilization for so many centuries.

The American Academy in Rome (AAR) sponsored a seminar bringing together archeological knowledge with a broader interest in the relationship between the built environment and historical social process.  This event had a star-studded cast as far as I am concerned: superintendent of the National Museum of Rome, superintendent of archeology of Lazio and Etruria, professors of medieval archeology, roman archeology and much, much more.  Be still my heart. All I had to do was show up.

The seminar, on March 24, included presentations on specific areas of Aventine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome, just SW of Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, the true heart of historical Rome. Aventine is a Rome neighborhood now of upscale housing and religious communities.  In the past it was suburban or farmland, but within the defined area of the city at least from the 4th C. BC.

In addition to superb consolidation of previous information, recent research was explored and fitted within the framework of the area. Lisa Mignone, previously a fellow of AAR and one of the early speakers, set the stage for the discussion which looked at Aventine in a structural mode as a rural/suburban area which functioned to provide stability to the city of Rome and the Roman Republic.  Several participants spoke to me as if this is a somewhat new direction in thinking for Roman Archeology, which has been in a collection and salvage mode for a very long time, for obvious reasons.  It appears that one of the gifts that AAR brings is pulling together strands of thought from varying disciplines and in this case enlarging the frame of the discussion.

Roman archeology is coping with the continued difficulty of making sense of what is already collected, salvaging what is being disrupted, and relating what is known to the on-going life of the city.  In addition to the presenters and partners already mentioned, the Stalker Collective, a group of Roman architects and urbanists interested in the intersections of urban life, participated in the seminar and led a walking tour the following day to key sites discussed. Lorenzo Romito, one of the key Stalker participants, kindly watched out for me and translated for me quite often.  Read more about the Stalker Collective here and here.  The mix is totally counter-intuitive and just fascinating. The AAR is to be congratulated for participating in bringing these sets of people together.  I hope I will be able to follow the thought which comes out of the junction but it will likely be fairly local to Rome and mostly in Italian.  My loss.

I have had the privilege to participate in two other excellent archeological seminars since arriving. One, also at the American Academy, pulled together excavations which reached as far back as Iron-Age farming and irrigation in an area where a new Metro Line C station is being built near San Giovanni Laterano. Later, another at the British School of Rome discussed their ongoing exploration of the Adriatic during the Dark Ages and Medieval Era.

Since I haven't remained in academia and was only peripherally connected to archeology anyway, I am having such a good time opening doors to new areas.  Here, a term used in the discussions is "wormhole." I am not sure if it has widespread academic usage but it seems so.  However, it is a handy term to state that we are looking down through the earth in a hole and have only bits of knowledge from that spot.  We pull together the information from multiple wormholes to try to make some sense of the eras we are learning about.

Our Aventine Hill walking adventure explored several wormholes with specific information and insights on key areas and eras. An overall theme is of the Aventine area as a rural area within the walls of one of the densest cities known on earth during the era of the Roman Empire.

Pilgrims during the Dark Ages--Arch of San Lazzaro
We started in the Dark Ages/Medieval Period.  This is the period between about 500-1200 AD. Much can be written or discussed about the names of these times but it is way too much for this blog.  Just go with these terms for now.  The Arch of San Lazzaro, our meeting point, was also the meeting point for Christian pilgrims who were leaving the safety of the city walls for the pilgrimage to St. Paul Outside the Walls, where St. Paul is buried. The arch is now a remnant outside an upscale restaurant beside a busy street.  Our bus goes there so I have become interested in this fragment which looks so minor now but was a major transition from safety to danger for pilgrims in the past.

The arch which remains was attached to the chapel and hospital of San Lazzaro, the hospital for lepers.  Pilgrims typically donated to the hospital prior to their journey to St. Paul several miles south.  The hospital was demolished in the 19 C to build the big road now there.  But, the arch we see is actually a left-over from an earlier structure, the giant warehouse used when Rome was an empire importing tons of grain through the ports at Testaccio.  It was constructed after fired brick and cement replaced tufa stone as the predominant building material--about 2nd C. BC. Other remnants of the warehouses are found around Testaccio.  I just love that so many things we see are reuses of many prior functions: warehouse, hospital, upscale restaurant and my bus stop.

Arch of San Lazzaro

San Saba Church
Other medieval stops along our tour included San Saba Church and the upper levels of Santa Prisca Church and Santa Sabina Church.  Aventine is good for remains of this period since it was not a prized area during the Renaissance and Baroque periods so the earlier forms and art remain.  Most of Rome was so remodeled during the Renaissance and Baroque that you can barely discern the medieval city.  I love the visuals of the medieval period so I delight in the Aventine area which still has many remnants.

This church was built by refugees from the Bethlehem area, able to found a community since the area was lightly used when they arrived to seek refuge.  Although it was founded in 645, it was remodeled in the 12th C so the frescoes are from that period.  I am unclear about the mosaics which may have been from the earlier period.  The relic of San Saba is only a small part of the burial; the remains of Mar (Saint) Saba were taken back to the monastery near Bethlehem where the original refugees came from and which remains an active monastic community.

San Saba Church with mosaics and frescos.
Founded in 645 by Palestinian Christian refugees.

Severan Wall-- built during 4th C. BC.
Several stops included the Severan wall which was built around Rome in the 4th C. BC when Rome and other parts of Italy were invaded by the Celts/Gauls coming in from the area that is now France. The earliest building material for the walls is the yellowish volcanic stone called "tuff"--see the top photo in the blog.  The walls were repaired and maintained using smaller blocks of limestone and mortar as in these photos.  In the Middle Ages, local farmers cut the stone and built houses within the wall.

Severan wall.as repaired in 1 C. BC

Severan wall showing where
a Medieval house had been built into the wall.

Severan wall detail: channel is house foundation.

Mausoleo di Cilone
The Mausoleo di Cilone (Mausoleum of the Cilone family) was another wormhole in a section of Aventine which has remained like a country meadow for much or all of its history.  The Mausoleo is under continued excavation, no public access.  Lights and access for us though.  These photos show our arrival and the interior of the site.  It was the grave of a family for centuries.  During the Middle Ages it was used for storage for agricultural products of the surrounding area and has remained undisturbed by modern building, unlike most of Aventine.

Santa Prisca Parish Church
The Santa Prisca Church wormhole, our next area, by contrast was relatively heavily used at least from the 1 C. AD.  Since it was well within the Severan wall and looks out toward Palatine Hill, the probability is that the area was used beginning in the early Iron Age for farming and housing but the evidence has not emerged.  Exploration is ongoing in several areas. The archeological sites are so dense and of such quality that it is clear that the area will offer much more over time.

Sta. Prisca, the current Catholic parish church, was a Christian monastic church from at least the 5 C. AD. It was previously a Mithraeum (place of worship for the cult of Mithras) during the Roman Imperial Era (Julius Caesar and later), and before that it appears to have been a temple for Diana (or Artemis to the Greeks), possibly during the republic and imperial eras.  We had an opportunity to don hard hats and go in small groups to several places in the general location.  I visited only 2 which I show below.  First I show the Mithraeum below the Medieval Church both of which are directly below the current parish church.

Entrance to excavations at Santa Prisca Church

Altar of Mithraeum with partial figure of Mithras.
Usually Mithras was shown sacrificing a bull.

Probably Egytpian ceramic bowl from Imperial Era.
Embedded in stone, entrance to both Mithraeum and Medieval church.

Earliest foundations prior to use as Mithraeum

Detail of foundation showing stone used after about 100 BC.

Christian frescos just above Mithraeum level

Christian frescos; area remains a consecrated chapel.

An Imperial-Era Dwelling Near Santa Prisca
The following set of photos show a Roman house from the Republican Era.  Unfortunately, no one was there to tell me in English what we were looking at but the frescos on wall and ceiling are remarkably well-preserved.  Access is limited but we were able to visit as conference participants.

General Views of Aventine Neighborhood
A few parting shots of our group which shows the lovely Aventine Hill neighborhood.

Have I mentioned that it was really raining!

A Renaissance gate.
Although the area was not preferred at that time,
some families lived in the area.

The Aurelian wall.
Built under Marcus Aurelius in 276 AD it also winds through the Aventine.

Text and photos by Julianne.

Street Art or Graffiti. Eyes open to a new way of seeing.

Building used by squatters, painted by Blu.

Rome, as it turns out, is one of the world centers of street art.

For me, these months in Rome have opened a world of art and visual expression which I was unaware of before.  One of my pleasures here has been wandering the city and finding both art and interesting graffiti.  Then following up to find out that there is a whole system of street art which includes Rome and several other urban centers worldwide.  Since last June, it seems that Google somehow has taken on street art--not exactly curating it but recording and disseminating it.  What a combination: from gritty streets to slick electronic wizardry.  Since Google's trajectory more or less parallels mine, I feel very "cool" and cutting edge. (Don't burst my bubble.  I know this stuff has been of increasing interest for many for several years.  But, hey...) London and Berlin are other centers but I was only peripherally aware of the art among the graffiti when visiting.  Having a longer time to wander in Rome has enabled me to see and know to look for street art.

We have been living in Rome very near Testaccio and Ostiense--kind of ground zero for Roman street art although there are examples in other areas too.  Some of this art is formal and sponsored by organizations, other is the creation of artists who retain fierce independence. The Global Street Art Foundation of London has sponsored projects which have brought in internationally recognized street artists to work in the area.  We have a Google map and even an app for finding the art.

This building, also pictured at beginning of blog, is decorated by Blu (full name used for public). For several years it has been a place where squatters managed to live and form community.  It is in Ostiense.  It is a favorite of ours and our favorite gelato place is on the corner.

Abandoned building decorated in about 2009-10.

Great gelato while viewing Blu's building in background.

Blu has remained independent of organizations which promote street art.  However, other good art has been assisted by supportive organizations. The Commune de Roma (Rome City Government) has taken a hand in allowing and promoting some of the art. Other major street art in the area came after this and has made the city one of distinction in excellent street art.

Percy Bryce Shelly

Work by Ozmo

Moneyless x Martina Merlini x Andreco x 2501 x Ozmo x Tellas x Gaia (IT-USA), Sottopasso Ostiense, 2013

This opens a question about the relationship between street art and graffiti.  Rome has much graffiti.  It hits you eye when entering the city.  For us, it took awhile to begin to see past the mess.  Some of the graffiti is just junk, sometimes the junk becomes intense enough to become something more interesting visually.  Sometimes businesses actually decorate their shutters with graffiti-style signage. Political graffiti appears from time to time. And we have one graffitisti whose work we follow who amuses us by altering traffic signs.  So many visual threads to follow; so little time.

Street art, whether sponsored or not, has visual coherence which distinguishes it from other graffiti.  This is just me making a distinction.  Others who follow street art will have different ways to think about what we are looking at and I am not aware of much theory or criticism in this realm.  Could be me behind the curve though.  I notice that in street art websites and in Google's curated site what is being shown is called graffiti and is what I call street art.  The tech galleries showcase street art and rarely include what might be the "folk art" of graffiti.

Anyway,  looking at the building by Blu, (above) or at my very favorite street panel (below) there is clear composition, use of color, line, volume, to create a visual statement.  The artwork is by an Italian street artist.  For quite awhile I thought it was either Hebrew or Arabic but it seems to be neither.  Anyone with insight about it, let me know.  I enjoy looking at it and am there often as it is the closest bus stop to Testaccio Market where I shop often.




Romeo (IT), "Tribolazione di un punto d'incontro", 2013.  We use this bus stop.


Commercial uses

Some of the painted business shutters also have a visual coherence that rises to a level of at least commercial art.

Physical therapist office on the ground floor of our building.

Space cafe near the Ostiense train station

Graffiti or Folk Art?

Much of Rome, even upscale areas, has graffiti on buildings and other surfaces which looks like a mess to me.  Someone found a surface, marked it but may have given little thought to the composition of the marks.  Some does seem to have intention and thought to composition--maybe "folk art"? This is pretty much everywhere to the point that I barely see it anymore unless there seems to be a specific meaning.  I do not think of this as art but I am sure many would have a lively discussion about merits and whether it is art or not art.

Roadway embankment in an upscale area, Monteverde.

But when such random markings completely cover a surface, presumably made by many random mark-makers, some of the results begin to be visually interesting.  I am charmed and interested by this phenomena.

Metro Line B has significant graffiti; A Line has little.

I enjoy this winged giraffe, definitely "folk art."

Learning to "see" or "frame" street art

I further wonder whether a tolerance of graffiti, mess or otherwise, is necessary for the creation and appreciation of actual street art.  Is graffiti the "little league" and some of those who make it go on to become actual artists?  Is it necessary to see a lot of graffiti mess to begin to sort it out visually as a viewer --in order to be able to "see" street art?

Background: Roa (BE), "Jumping Wolf", 2014.  Foreground: Nancy talking to the artist who has just completed the painting of the face on the construction fence.

Artist painting face. We are sorry not to have his name.

No conclusions on my part but I did have to look at a lot of stuff on walls to begin to see what I value more artistically versus what I continue to see as mess.  I think the above photo illustrates the concept of framing--it is easier to "see" the wolf on the side of the building than the painting on the construction fence which is the actual focus of my photo.  My skill and equipment as a photographer are lacking too but there is more at work.

As far as I know, there is no money or art market in the street art world.  Banksey is a celebrated London street art figure (no work in Rome that I am aware of) and there are financial swirls around his art after it appears, but he is not creating for a market.  There is at least one gallery in Rome which tried to display "street art" as wall panels, presumably for sale. The gallery had a very short life; I do not know what kind of money the artists or gallerist got, if any.  The street art organizations putting on conferences pump a bit of money into the pockets of the invited artists and there is some thought that real estate values rise after an area has been targeted as a haven for street art.  That may be happening in Ostiense and Testaccio now after they were a center for the Rome street art conference in 2014. But what is causal? What just chance?

For me, it is all interesting, both visually and intellectually. Some of the bloggers I follow have helped me figure out some of the Rome Street Art scene and you may enjoy them too.  Rome the Second Time reports on graffiti here and here.  Another blogger sporadically follows Rome Street art.

Other graffiti, not art, is just fun.

This graffiti is just outside the front door of our building.

Gallery

Below are other street art or graffiti images which I enjoy. Images are presented in no particular order and to illustrate no particular point--something like street art.

Text and photos by Julianne.

Testaccio Sunny Day

Oh, we're leaving in not too long! We have in fact only 5 days remaining in Rome, and what should we do with our precious time? What are our favorite memories in Rome, that we cannot bear to give up? It's wonderful that the weather has turned beautiful, and we can picture again some of our favorite places.

If we come back to Rome, we agree: we will live in Testaccio neighborhood. Here are just a few photos to remember. These are not our only favorite spots in Testaccio, but where we went today.

Piazza, market, lunch place, coffee bar, organic center, Tiber River. That was our walk today.

Carousel in the Piazza of S. Maria della Liberatrice.
Powered by bicycle. the horses cut from tires. So amusing!
The park was very full today, as I take it lots of kids are out of school.

Now isn't that just too darling?

Testaccio Market from outside. Many entrances.
The old market was replaced, to the sorrow of many,
a few years ago, but the new market is doing fine.

Antonio, Fuori di Zucca produce stall in Testaccio Market.
He's been to the US and has pretty good English, helping me a lot.
Do the oranges have seeds? OK, they have seeds. Is he out of asparagus?
OK, take broccoli. Are the onions small? So what? The squash is big, as you can see.

Enzo and Lina, best deli meats and cheese.
They recognize us and teach us Italian.
Etto. Salsicce. Va bene!

Enzo and Lina's stall in Testaccio Market.
The ceiling of the market is pierced, letting light in.

Julianne in the Testaccio Market cafe with Kalek Abdul, our garlic seller.
Kalek is from Bangladesh, along with thousands of others.
He has a little English, we have absolutely no Bangla. But we manage.
He supports a wife and 5 children, the oldest starting college.
Amazing, to do that selling garlic in the daytime, and
cut roses at night, for pennies!

Trattoria da Oio, a couple blocks north of the market.
Our go-to place for lunch.

Trattoria da Oio, inside wall. It's a neighborhood place, jammed at lunch.
Soon after this picture, eight 20-somethings came in, sitting at the tables
barely visible here. Oio focuses on Roma football and sponsors some team.

Cacio e pepe, oh, heaven!
Will we ever be able to manage after we leave Rome?
Tonnarelli, cooked al dente, pecorino cheese from Lazio, and pepper.
Tutto, fini, perfetto.
The logo on the plate shows two oio, which are the olive oil jars
that ancient Rome imported from Spain, tossing the broken pieces
into a pile that grew after 500 years of tossing into Testaccio Mountain,
right across the street from Oio.

Oio waitress, sadly we don't have her name.
We've watched the progress of her pregnancy,
it won't be long now.

Cafe Boario, an organic coffee bar in the former slaughterhouse.
How's that for reuse? The huge complex now has a music school,
an architectural school, a modern art museum, organic gardens,
a conference center, and this coffee bar. Also Sunday food market
and in the winter, ice skating.
Boario means cattle market.

More Cafe Boario, showing how big the grounds are.
Set this picture to the left of the picture above.
The Tiber River is behind the arches in the distance.

I'm liking my panarama feature, though it distorts somewhat.
You can see how this picture links to the last one, if you know that the arches on
the right are the arches in the distance in the picture above. Cafe Boario is back on the left side in this picture.
I've walked over to the exit, you see, and turned around the make this picture.
Citta del'Altra Economia (alternative economy) is the overall name  
From here, the Tiber River is behind me.

Bank of the Tiber, Testaccio side. The river is high and running fast.
Testaccio Bridge in the distance leads to Trastevere and our apartment.

Here's the view from Testaccio Bridge, looking south. The frame of the gasometro.
The shadows of the trees. The flooded banks. Train tracks cross that bridge.

Well, that's it for today. Words and pictures by Nancy.