A Vandy Student in Rome

Concluding Words

2009-07-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

I hope my posts have provided a student's view of Rome and of Italy in general for my readers. My summer was the most enjoyable one I've ever had, as well as the most educational. This final blog is to thank everyone who helped me with my project, especially the Vanderbilt ENGAGE program for funding it. As soon as I complete my project to my satisfaction, I hope to post a few excerpts.

Thanks for reading.

-Lisa

^^^Piazza San Marco (June 2009)^^^

I Simpsons

2009-07-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

Italy is not a large country, at least not by American standards. We have states larger than that boot, yet their culture is just as (if not more so) vibrant and brilliant as ours. I've already discussed food and the social inclinations of Italians, but there's nothing quite like the media obsessions of another country. There are some things that are completely different from what Americans like and then there are twists on our classics, like watching the Simpsons in Italian, or walking into an Italian cigar shop with Lady Gaga playing through the speakers.

When I was in Italy, I watched a bit of television. I expected for there to be American TV shows, since the entire world seems to at least partially approve of our television programs. What was surprising were the choices the Italians chose to copy. First, the Italians seem to have no pretensions about educational television for children. Mostly I watched cartoons, since they require the least amount of Italian, but almost all of them were purely for entertainment. You can forget about Sesame Street or Arthur, the dubbed shows were Johnny Bravo and Dexter's Laboratory. When it came to adult shows, the only American ones I could find were episodes that were years old; series that didn't even run anymore.

There were also odd quirks to the changes. For instance, the Pokemon theme song changed, but it was still in English. In the Simpsons, Moe's Tavern was changed to Boe's. The commercials are also different. In Italy, the commercials are fewer and farther in between, or so it seems, and they are a lot more vibrant. There always seems to be singing and dancing, whether it be for Parma ham, cereal or a home loan.

For one of my favorite commercials, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4bbZiUV4mI

As for the music in Italy, I was a bit disappointed. Everywhere I went I seemed to hear only Lady Gaga. When I took the time to peruse in one of the bookstores in Rome, the top ten CDs were all American bands or artists. Where did all the accordions go? That's certainly one misconception about Italy that should be cleared up. It's hard to find any traditional Italian music, at least in a live venue. This isn't to say that Italy has bad music, there are many great jazz shows around Rome and other local Italian bands, but it's to say that the stereotype of the Italian serenade is ill-founded.

A final note about Italian culture. They like to take it slow. Locals stroll and amble, with no particular place to go but the local bar to partake of coffee and pastries. The shops and restaurants open late and close in the afternoon for a break. The meals are long and multi-coursed. All of these things can be wonderful, but they can also be extraordinarily annoying. I found it quite charming while I was there, but sometimes, it's nice to have a 24-hour Kroger right around the corner for some midnight munchies.

Pompeii

2009-07-21T21:47:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, I know that this is a blog about Rome, but how can a Classics student visit Italy and not see Pompeii? And how can anyone visit Pompeii and not fall in love? My day trip to Pompeii actually consisted of a visit to Mt. Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii. After an early train ride from Rome to Napoli Centrale, I had to get on a separate train that took tourists and locals alike from Naples onward to the Amalfi Coast. There is a little office right outside of the train station of Herculaneum, a hole in the wall that seems too shady to be anything other than a secret money-laundering front. There, you can buy tickets for the bus that takes you as far up Mount Vesuvius as you can get on wheels. The wait for the next bus-cum-van is a pleasant one, since the full noon sun is not up yet. When the bus does finally come, the driver is a swarthy Italian grandpa, who directs you with the authority of Mussolini to a seat.

The ride is gorgeous, if not bumpy and nauseating. Aside from seeing the locals on the outskirts of Naples, the ride up the volcano provides scenic views of the ocean and the Amalfi coastline. The sky above the coastal towns seem to shimmer and gleam, like the very essence of Italy seems to rise from the ground.

^^^View from Vesuvius (June 2009)^^^

All semblance of poetry disappears after the first ten minutes of trekking up Vesuvius. The only things to be concentrated on are breathing and putting one dusty shoe in front of the other. Occasionally, there are huge chunks missing from the wooden banister or from the trail itself. It is probably safe enough, but the ominous crunch of gravel each time you slip a little would strike fear into anyone. Up near the top, there is a little cabin, where one can purchase trinkets and postcards and jewelry crudely made from the igneous rock which the volcano spurts out every once in a while. I settle for a ice cold coke that costs me 3euro. A peep into the crater is disappointing. Twenty five minutes of near-vertical hiking for this? There isn't even smoke. Pompeii proves to be more promising.

The entrance to the ruins is ridiculously close to the train station. Not close enough, however, to render obsolete the long entourage of salesmen and merchants, hawking their overpriced wares. Need a map of Pompeii? Yours in every language imaginable, DVD included. Mind you, a DVD that won't work anywhere besides Italy, but that's beside the point, eh?

But the annoyances of modern day merchants dissipate upon exploring Pompeii. To call them ruins is an insult. There are still roofs and frescoes, beds and pillars, even fossilized loaves of bread. There are normal houses, and homes of the rich, whore houses and holy temples. You can even see the basic rudiments in an ancient bar. From the broken pillars of the forum, you can even see the hulking mass of Vesuvius, the bringer of death itself.

^^^Pompeii (June 2009)^^^

Despite the obvious years and the sense of fossilization which permeated the city, the most vivid memory I carry involves a dog very much alive. There are fountains located throughout Pompeii, where you can fill up a water bottle, wash your hands or wet your hat on a searingly hot day. There was a mangy dog sniffing around one, obviously a stray. He jumped up onto the ledge of the fountain, to try to reach the spigot. When he couldn't reach, he tried jumping up on the other side. In the end, I had to hold down the lever for him, so that he could drink. I think it is very cool, that even among the supposed ruins of a two millenia old city, there is life.

^^^Pompeii (June 2009)^^^

Coda

2009-07-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

I think it is unfortunate that many students today are on such a straight track to success. This statement may seem paradoxical to many, but it is something I vehemently believe in. Lives are better enriched when there are a few bends in the road, some bumps in the journey. Even in college, we are constantly supported by people who care and people who can help. At every stage in our lives, we are handed from one kind guardian to another. Our kindergarten teachers show us to our first grade rooms, we receive welcoming letters from our colleges before we receive our high school diplomas and even in college, our enthusiastic graduate advisers and career counselors prepare our way. None of this is bad, but an overdose of assistance can greatly hinder our abilities to live exciting lives as individuals.

I learned a great deal about the world and about myself during my stay in Italy. You discover a lot about the kind of person you are when you're alone in a sea of people, few who share any common life experiences with you. The first is that being completely alone feels like you're drowning for the first week. Every conversation you have with someone back home is like clutching at a piece of driftwood, it makes you feel good for the time being, but when you lose it, you're more lost than ever. But by the second week of being alone, you realize that you're not drowning, you're merely treading water in what is a beautiful tropical beach. You start to stand up and to explore your surroundings. Before you know it, you've established a routine, and you're happy. Your thoughts are no longer constantly about being alone, but about exploration and adventure. By the time the plane comes and you're being rescued, you don't want to leave.

In regards to my future plans, I would have to say that this experience has reaffirmed my study plans. Visiting Rome and seeing the ancient sites of the Romans strengthens my love for Classics. Having the opportunity to translate Gellius and Cicero reminds me how much I enjoy translating Latin and reading legal materials in their original language. The language of law, the permanence of just ideas and the brilliance of legal thinkers constantly amaze me.

Subways and Trains and Buses, Oh My

2009-07-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

^^^Stazione Milano Centrale (June 2009)^^^

Rome is a wonderful place to go as a student because it's incredibly easy and inexpensive to travel around the city. First of all, if the weather is nice, as it normally is in Rome (with the exception of the month of August), one can traverse the city on foot. At a brisk pace and allowing for getting lost, you can probably cross the city in about three hours. This may seem like a lot, but Rome is actually a very small and compact city compared to sprawling urban wastelands like London or New York. However, sometimes there is a need to get from Point A to Point B in a timely manner, and that is when you have Rome's expansive metro and bus system at your fingertips.

I'll try to explain this complicated public transportation system that took me nearly a month to completely understand and fully utilize. First of all, Rome has two airports. The main airport is Leonardo da Vinci or Fiumicino Aeroporto. It is about thirty five minutes from the center of the city. You may ride a taxi into the city, but the cheapest alternative is to ride the Leonardo Express. The Leonardo Express is a fast train that runs from Fiumicino Airport to Termini Station. Termini is the major hub for trains, the metro and the buses. Rome has many bus routes, the most popular being the number 64 and the number 40. These are frequented by tourists who want to be carried through the centro storico and the Vatican area. Thus, they are also frequented by pickpockets and thieves. Criss-crossing at Termini are the Metro lines A and B, which run in opposite directions of the city. If the construction signs surrounding Termini speak truthfully, the city of Rome is also working on a third Metro line.

Map of the Metro: http://www.rome.info/metro/

The Metro and buses are the most useful for a tourist. Even for a student, I found that the library was wonderfully close to the first stop on Metro Line B, after Termini. However, and this may or may not be a culture shock to people, it is ridiculously crowded on the subways and buses. You will be jostled, you will be pushed, you will be yelled at. It is inevitable. But, as someone who has been to New York, I would assuredly say that the Rome Subways are much cleaner and safer and timely than the New York Subway system. Furthermore, Roman public transportation is run by one organization, and they offer a very helpful website that helps you plan your trip down to the minute.

See the ATAC website: http://www.atac.roma.it/

An interesting thing I learned about the bus was that you shouldn't be sitting down when you're waiting for a bus at the stop. The driver will not stop for you! You should be standing at the edge of the sidewalk, and staring down the driver to make sure he knows you intend to get on the bus. However, I would not suggest this tactic for a train or a subway. Furthermore, as someone who is only used to American buses, the Rome bus system works on a quasi-honor code. You are supposed to have a ticket, which you validate when you board in one of the yellow stamping machines on each bus. Apparently, your bus can be checked by ticket inspectors, and if you don't have a ticket you will be fined. However, in my weeks of stay in Rome, I had not caught sight of one inspector.

Aside from the convenience of the subway and bus, I find that the most delightful way of traveling is by train. Italy has a wonderful train system, and trains that depart almost hourly from Rome to Florence, Naples, Venice, Milan, Pisa, etc. There is a magical quality to a long train ride, as if time slows down and the rumbling of the tracks melts away your worries. The landscape of Italy is beautiful as well, and on the ride from Venice to Rome you can see beautiful farms and vineyards. Furthermore, there is no waiting or security or check in or complicated boarding passes. There are no baggage claims or children kicking the back of your seat. Being whisked away to an Italian city on a train is like being in a wonderful novel, both glossy and gritty, economic and luxurious.

^^^Stazione Napoli Centrale (June 2009)^^^

To the Nunnery

2009-07-12T20:16:00.001-07:00

According to my guidebook, the Vatican is a taboo subject in friendly conversation with Romans. However, it is a presence that is completely inescapable and unavoidable. Within a mile of St. Peter’s Basilica, you see the denizens of Vatican City. Rome is one of the few places in the world where you can see a nun waiting in line with a businessman for a slice of pizza.

St. Peter's Square (May 2009)

The first time I visited St. Peter’s Square was in the morning, around 7:30am. This is a truly magical time to see the Vatican; the square is entirely illuminated by sunlight, but the coolness of night still lingers. By mid-day, the place is blazing hot, and even the rushing fountains aren't enough to cool down the intrepid traveler. In the morning, the sun is not yet high enough to blind you as you gaze up toward each of the sculptures dotting the top of the square. There are few tourists milling about at this hour, and thus few pigeons. The entire scene is calm and peaceful, with priests, nuns and scholars lounging on the steps before they start their day, and businessmen munching on flaky croissants
vvvClergy at the Vatican (June 2009)vvv

Unfortunately, even at eight in the morning, the hawkers are out and about. Whether it be wares or services, there’s always something to be sold. Borgo Pio is a small area composed of tourist shops and cafes. It’s one of my favorites, because often one can partake of a
n espresso and a cornetto, and watch the passing clergymen as they shop. In America, I don’t believe I’ve seen a priest in full garb outside of a Church or a movie. It’s quite novel to see priests and nuns roaming about with shopping bags, as if observing some magical creature in its natural habitat.
Even though it’s never mentioned in polite conversation, the Vatican is Rome and Rome is the Vatican. The combination is as unavoidable as prosciutto e melone.
^^^Shopping Priest near Vatican (June 2009)^^^

The Work

2009-07-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Let's clear up a misconception right here, right now. Italians do not hate Americans. Italians also do not hate American students. I found that most Romans are kind-hearted, warm people who love to talk and love to help you. However, they may be a bit miffed if someone enters their country without showing any respect for their culture or displaying common courtesy.

If it weren't for these wonderful Italians, I would never have gotten any research or work done, and I would probably still be wandering around the Colosseum, looking for a WC.

On the first full day in Rome, I walked to the centro storico where the Archivio is located. The Official Archives of Rome are located in a gorgeous building, with a large courtyard and a bell tower. There, I had to fill out a form to get a card to view the archives. This may seem simple enough, but not for someone with spotty conversational Italian and little knowledge of Italian research terms. A wonderful archivist helped me fill out the form, and he also asked about my research topic. When he wasn't clear on exactly what would help me, he directed me to the lady who was in charge of gender studies at the Archivio. Despite the fact that she could speak no English, and I could barely speak Italian, she spent a good thirty minutes trying to figure out what it was that I needed.

I met with the same delightful hospitality and warmth at the Library. As an American, I am accustomed to going into a library and pulling a book off the shelf. Usually, you have to look up the book in the catalog by yourself, and then wander around looking for the exact book, and usually not finding it because someone has misplaced that same book. The National Library of Rome works in this manner: First, you must obtain a library card. If you are an international visitor, you should have your passport with you. (A mistake I made the first time I trudged across town to visit the library.) Once you obtain a library card, you must check your bags. If you need to carry notebooks or other reference materials, the library offers plastic bags. To enter the library itself, you need to swipe your library card. In order to obtain a book, you need to use one of the computers at the library, and find the listing for your book. Then, you reserve it by choosing an area in the library where you might want to pick it up. In about an hour, your book is ready to be picked up at a desk. They roll the books in from what I would imagine is a vast underground system, and your selection comes on a little trolley that looks suspiciously like a mining cart.

This entire system was explained to me with great patience by one of the librarians, to whom I am extremely grateful. In fact, there are many people like that librarian scattered across Italy, to whom I am thankful. To everyone who gave me directions when I asked, to everyone who explained what a word or a phrase meant to me, to all the extremely helpful citizens of Italy, I am truly grateful.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

2009-07-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

<<< Pizzarium pizza (May 2009)<<<

What can I say about the food in Italy? Alas, it is much like anywhere else. It can crush you with disappointment or raise you to the pinnacle of foodie ecstasy. Like any other country, there are highs and there are lows. Don’t expect to waltz into any random trattoria and gobble down delicious, traditional fare. Rome is, above all else, a tourist trap. Thus, tourist menus abound. Sometimes these menus truly do save money, and allow you to sample delicious local food. Usually, these menus are a restaurant’s way of getting rid of yesterday’s scraps, or by forcing you to pay for and eat something you wouldn’t have wanted to.

^^^Restaurant in Trastevere (May 2009)^^^

Guidebooks are a good place to start, but I found that most of the recommended places were not so special, and usually flooded with tourists holding the same Lonely Planet guidebook I did. What is most surprising about Rome is the number of cafes, enotecas, trattorias, osterias and ristorantes that exist within the city walls. You can walk around for hours and wonder how these small businesses get by. One of the best indicators of a restaurant’s quality is the number of people that are waiting in line, but I found that this is not necessarily the case in Rome. Just don’t go into a restaurant that is completely empty! Pizzarium, undoubtedly the best pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) place in Rome, is almost never crowded, but never empty either. This place is miles above any other pizza restaurant in town. Italian pizza, for Americans, can be a nasty shock upon first experiencing it. It is a thin crust, without that delicious doughy and chewiness that we Americans are so fond of. There is practically no sauce to speak of, and the toppings are usually fresh vegetables, with only a smattering of cheese, if any. For someone who grows up on American pizza, this “newfangled” Italian style pizza can be quite revolting. But lo and behold, Pizzarium pizza helps bridge the culture gap. It is undoubtedly Italian Pizza, but it is something that every American would love The dough is perfect, soft to the bite, but strong enough to hold the mountain of fresh toppings. The vegetables are seasoned perfectly, and change on a daily basis, so that you never even miss pizza sauce. And the cheese… The cheese is sometimes artfully sprinkled on, other times, the fresh Italian cheese is slathered on in huge chunks. Like many things in Italy, the lines are blurred between food and art.

Background

2009-07-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

I spent six weeks in Italy researching ancient Roman Law. I stayed mainly in Rome, and I visited the archives and the National Library to research and translate. The last two weeks in Italy I reserved to travel around the country and the city of Rome, to look at important historical sites (such as Pompeii) and to visit other libraries and museums.

I am currently in the middle of writing a thirty page paper concerning a certain section of the Twelve Tables. The XII Tables are the earliest written form of law in Roman history. Since most of Western Law is based on Roman Law, we must consider the impact of the Twelve Tables on our own legal history. These Tables, also known as Tabulae, were written by the Decemvir, a board of ten men. Written in 450 BCE, they were carved upon tablets and placed in public, so that every Roman citizen may view them. Unfortunately, the exact text of the Twelve Tables have been lost to history, and we only have fragments repeated by ancient authors.

For a brief and slightly inaccurate description, please refer to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Tables

There are several prominent authors that dedicated much of their writing to the Twelve Tables. They include: Cicero, Livy, and my personal favorite, Gellius. They did not necessarily rewrite the laws on the Tables, but rather produced commentary on the laws. By extrapolating from their writings, we can piece together much of what was once on the tablets.

A good summary of the laws included in the Twelve Tables that we have been able to extract from ancient texts is on this website:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/12tables.html

There have been books written on the subject of the Twelve Tables. My topic is much more limited. Specifically, I am researching marriage laws in Ancient Rome and in Medieval Europe, and how those applied to the concept of usucapio. In Latin, usucapio means "to seize by use." There is a special law that forbade a woman from being usucapated by her husband, assuming she spent three nights away from him. There are many interesting concepts introduced by this law. First, it places women in the same category as common chattel or land, which are typically what usucapio laws refer to. Second, it gives women a certain amount of legal power, to refuse their husbands on a certain level. One can see how these two principles are conflicting in nature.

Through my research, I explored these two seemingly paradoxical ideas. Most of my time was spent in the Biblioteca Nazionale di Roma, translating texts from Cicero and Gellius. I also conducted secondary research with the materials available there. I had planned on using archival data from the Archivio Nazionale, but unfortunately, nearly all of the materials there were from the Renaissance or later.

I chose this particular experience and this particular project for a variety of reasons. First, I plan on traveling abroad to London this fall semester to take classes at University College London. For this reason, I am unable to write a senior research thesis. I couldn't bear the idea of graduating from college without writing an important research paper. Second of all, researching Roman Law seemed a perfect blend of my two academic passions: law and classics. Third, there is no better place for a Classics student to research or visit than Italy, or more specifically, the Eternal City. Finally, ever since I had first learned of the Twelve Tables, I was intrigued by the concept of usucapio. To finally be able to delve into the subject and research it more thoroughly, especially in Rome, was very exciting.

Back Home

2009-06-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm finally back in the good old U.S. of A., and sorting through my photos. Soon enough, I'll be able to put up posts about my experiences in travels in Rome and the rest of Italy. I'm already missing Rome!

-Lisa