The painting of Beatrice Cenci by Guido Reni that is today found in the Palazzo Barberini was incredibly influential during the 19th century and features prominently in Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun. Beatrice Cenci was the daughter of an abusive Roman nobleman who killed her father. Despite being the victim of her father’s depravity, Beatrice was found guilty of patricide in court and was therefore beheaded . In the Marble Faun, the haunting portrait of Beatrice leads to a debate on the nature of sin and guilt between the two main characters Hilda and Miriam. Was Beatice an avenger justified in her actions or a murderess who received the appropriate punishment?  Although influential with visitors to Rome in the 19th century, today art historians doubt whether this painting is by Guido Reni or even if the figure depicted is Beatrice Cenci. Regardless of this, it is the profound impact that this painting has had on the imagination of such historical figures as Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, and Lord Byron that make this piece  so interesting.

 

The Foro Italico is a sports complex located on the outer parts of the city that was built in the 1930s under the reign of Mussolini. The site serves as a perfect example of Italian fascist architecture and makes many deliberate attempts to recall and link the fascist government of Mussolini to the former greatness of Ancient Rome. To begin, originally called the Foro Mussolini, the Foro Italico is very much in the mold of the imperial fora, establishing Mussolini as the next great leader of Rome and inserting himself into the historical narrative as a continuation of the past. Secondly, a massive obelisk with the words “Mussolini Dux” and the fasces carved into the side towers over the entrance. The obelisk recalls the obelisks that the ancient Romans brought from Egypt as symbols of the Empire’s growing dominion while the word “Dux” is the Latin title for a victorious general. In both cases, it is clear Mussolin is presenting himself using  the same means and methods utilized by the ancient Romans themselves.

                                                

Lastly, the racetrack within the complex is surrounded by massive marble statues very much in the classical nude style. The highly muscled physiques of these statues embody the importance of “virtus” or manly virtue, emphasizing the role of sport as a means for preparing for war in line with the fascist agenda.

 

Altogether what is perhaps most unbelievable is the fact that all this remains and is used as a site to host modern sport events. I wonder whether every time people file past these features on their way to watch the game do they recall the history and understand the messages? How can people so casually not be bothered by one of the darkest moments of Italy’s modern history? Overall, it was surreal to visit the foro italico and see all these remnants of Mussolini’s Italy regarded as normal.

The Ara Pacis was built in the late 1st century BC to celebrate the Pax Romana, the age of peace and stability ushered in by the reign of the emperor Augustus after decades of civil war. From an art historical standpoint, the Ara Pacis is famous for the detailed reliefs that adorn it’s different sides depicting Augustan themes of dynasty, piety, and empire. Although, today we associate classical art & architecture with pristine, white marble, it is a mistake to think that this is what these objects looked like in antiquity. In reality, the Ara Pacis, like other ancient Roman monuments,  was originally painted, only losing its pigments over the centuries. It is often difficult to imagine the effect that these polychromatic images must have had and to have seen these monuments as the ancient Romans did, but  the new exhibit at the museum of the Ara Pacis makes use of augmented reality to do such that. Using special headgear, visitors can see what the reliefs on the Ara Pacis might have looked like with color and lets us come one step closer to experiencing the monument as Augustus originally intended.

Of all the treasures housed in the Galleria Borghese,  Bernini’s Rape of Proserpina especially made an impact on me. The subject of this baroque style sculpture is the classical myth of the Roman god Pluto kidnapping the goddess Prosperina to bring her back to the Underworld to be his bride. Interestingly, Bernini chose to depict this tale at the height of its physical intensity by sculpting the very moment of the actual abduction. The result is  a dynamic interplay between force by the part of Pluto and resistance by Prosperina. Perhaps most impressive though is the verisimilitude of the figures, namely the impressions of Proserpina’s flesh as Pluto’s fingers dig into her waist and thigh. The sculpting is so amazing that one can actually see the pressure of skin on skin and the how the folds of the flesh react.  With such careful attention to detail, Bernini has managed to breath life into the marble. Such warmth stands in sharp contrast with the cold, often distant style of classical sculpture.

While walking around the Eternal City, one will often find an obelisk in the center of a piazza or in front of a church. Although seemingly out of place, Rome is actually home to more of these ancient Egyptian monuments than any other city in the world.  These monolithic pyrimidal stones that stretch upwards towards the heavens were first introduced in Rome by the Emperor Augustus in the late 1st century BC after the country of Egypt was incorporated into the Empire. The ancient Romans took these obelisks from their native land and erected them in Rome to serve as trophies of Roman conquest, a physical testament of the strength and breadth of the Empire. Moreover, even after the fall of the ancient Romans, the obelisks gained new life as they were claimed by the Popes of the Catholic Church as a means to connect themselves back to the glory of imperial Rome. For this reason, some obelisks such as the one that currently stands in from of St. Peter’s Basilica were moved and adorned with a crucifix. Altogether, the presence of the obelisks in Rome adds another layer that even outdates the ancient Romans themselves to a city that already possess such a rich history.

 

Relavent quote from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun:

“They saw, too, the red granite obelisk, oldest of things, even in Rome, which rises in the center of the piazza, with a fourfold fountain at its base. All Roman works and ruins (whether of the empire, the far-off republic, or the still more distant kings) assume a transient, visionary, and impalpable character when we think that this indestructible monument supplied once of the recollections which Moses and the Israelites bore from Egypt into the desert.” (pg 87)