The Capitoline, Soccer, and the Symphony #HogsAbroad

Somewhere along the line, I took a wrong turn.  I don’t know how it happened – I had the route all mapped out in my mind.  Two bridges to the east, straight across the Tiber, and north up the hill.  The goal was to walk from my apartment in Trastevere to Campidoglio Square in Historic Rome, about a twenty minute trek at medium pace.  I had promised a few classmates that I would meet them on the square prior to a visit on our own to the Capitoline museums.  But somewhere along the line, I took a wrong turn.

I walked up the wrong hill.  I had intended to start heading back north, but instead I continued walking east a bit too far, and ended up at the Circus Maximus – an ancient Roman chariot racing track of epic proportions.  I found it quite ironic that I had ended up at the greatest ancient Roman racing track after racing around Rome myself trying to find Campidoglio.  I stopped at the track and wondered for a moment.  How many people died here?  How many people LIVED here?  Ancient Roman sports were not for the faint of heart.

The Circus Maximus rests in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills of Rome.  However, it was a different hill, the Capitoline (there are seven hills in Rome), that I needed to be atop of at that moment.  After walking alongside the Circus for a few minutes, I was able to locate the giant white "wedding cake" monument of Vittorio Emanuele II.  I knew the monument was situated near the edge of the Capitoline, so I started winding my way in that direction.   In the end, I did reach Campidoglio, albeit several minutes later than I had planned.  But that’s life in the big city.  That’s life in Rome. 

Campidoglio is an ornate square on Capitoline Hill that was designed in 1536 by Michelangelo at the order of Farnese Pope Paul III.  The orientation of the square toward the Vatican, and away from the Roman Forum, physically shifted the focus of the city from the old to the new.  Thanks, Michelangelo.  Again. 

Campidoglio Square and Capitoline Museum Entrance (replica statue of Marcus Aurelius in the foreground)

After arriving in Campidoglio, I caught up with my Rome center classmates at the ticket office, and we proceeded to enter the Capitoline museums.  The Capitoline museums are home to a vast collection of ancient Egyptian, ancient Roman, and Renaissance artwork.  Probably the most famous piece in the collection is the Roman Capitoline "She Wolf" nursing Romulus and Remus, the legendary brothers and “founders” of Rome. 

The bronze Capitoline Wolf

Another widely acclaimed and studied piece of art at the Capitoline Museums is the statue of Marcus Aurelius.  Michelangelo originally designed Campidoglio Square around the statue, but a replica now sits in its place at the square’s center.  The real thing is housed in a climate controlled room within the museums.  The bronze statue was famously wrongly identified as Constantine – the first Christianized Roman Emperor – in the middle ages, and this is the only reason why it survived and wasn’t melted down. 

The original bronze Marcus Aurelius Equestrian Statue

The Capitoline Museums also included a vast open-air concourse that overlooked the Roman Forum.  I already explored the Forum at the ground level, but it was really interesting to see it from above looking in. 

View of the Roman Forum from the Capitoline.  Arch of Septimus Severus on the left side.

After visiting the Capitoline museums, I rode a tram back to Trastevere in order to avoid ending up at the Circus Maximus a second time, thought-provoking though it was.  Once arriving back at my apartment, I was quickly whisked out the door with my roommates and some friends to watch the Italia vs. Sweden Futbol game.  We went to a sports pub here on our street in Trastevere, and secured a table right in front of the big screen.  

For 90 minutes, we sat through a defensive struggle.  The Italians around us were groaning aloud in frustration by halftime.  But in the 89^th minute, at the very end of the game, Italia scored in EPIC fashion.  The entire street erupted.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  A group of teenagers ran by and high-fived us, singing in the streets and waving the Italian flag.  The passion for soccer here is HIGH.  I loved being a part of it, and I will be cheering on Italia in the Euro Cup for the remainder of the summer.  
 

After the soccer game, my roommate, Jacob, and I ate a quick snack, which consisted of a “MegaToast” sandwich from a Toasteria near our apartment, and a few store-bought crackers.  We then dressed up in our Sunday-best and headed out to attend a chamber orchestra rendition of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on the north side of town. 

Jacob and I standing outside the Vivaldi Concert Venue

The concert was hands-down the best I’ve EVER been to.  By far.  I was blown away.  The orchestra consisted of a quintet – two violins, one viola, a cello, and a piano.  What made the group so good was their dynamic contrast, and their chemistry as a group.

The quintet. 

The lead violinist – Riccardo Bonaccini – played his violin like a man possessed.  We sat in the third row of what was really a quite small, but acoustically sound, venue – the Methodist chapel of Ponte Sant'Angelo Church.  Over the course of the concert, I could see every emotion playing across Bonaccini’s face – anger, sadness, passion, regret.  He could change his mood at will.  It was as if he and the violin were locked in some sort of an epic lyrical battle.  Spoiler alert:  Bonaccini won. 

At the conclusion of the concert – or, emotional journey (either nomenclature will suffice) – we clapped and clapped.  Bonaccini and company came back out for two separate encores.  Best 20 Euros I’ve ever spent.   

When I woke up this morning, my only goal was to visit the Capitoline museums and explore the city some more - which I did.  But I also managed to lose myself in the streets, in the culture, and in the musical style of Rome along the way.  Sometimes you have to get lost to get found I suppose… especially when you're living in the dream world that is The Capitoline Soccer Symphony.
-Brock

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Read more from Brock at http://brockdemarkrome.blogspot.com/

For more information on the U of A Renaissance in Rome program at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/renrome