Sunday, September 12, 2010: continued:
I guess I can’t go a full day without taking any photos! I had found a “walk” on the internet (when I first arrived) that was through the Jewish Ghetto, and I thought I should learn more about my neighborhood. I pulled it up this morning to read it again. There were several things in the article that I didn’t think I’d seen yet, so I wrote them all down, grabbed my camera and bag, and out the door I went. The “walk” started at the Ponte Fabrico Bridge (Bridge of the Four Heads) built in 62 BC, and also know as “Jew’s Bridge” because in ancient times foreigners, immigrants, and Jews were not allowed to live in central Rome and had to commute across this bridge to get into town. Some 30,000 Jews lived in a thriving community in Trastevere across the Tiber River. The name, Bridge of the Four Heads, comes from the statues of the four-faced pagan god Janus mounted on the bridge wall. You can see the statues of the 'Four Heads' on both sides of the bridge walls. This bridge is for pedestrian traffic only.
I didn’t start at the bridge since I live in the Ghetto, so it was like a scavenger hunt, trying to find everything mentioned in the article. Some of the places I’d seen and photographed before, others were new. This area of Rome has such a history of oppression by others, strength of spirit and faith, and survival. By the bakery is an ancient marble depicting a lion attacking a gazelle. By the restaurant, Bar Toto, you'll see a slot in the wall—a ghetto-era charity box for orphans that still accepts donations for worthy causes. Just north of the Piazza Costaguti is a white-columned structure, which was part of a former Carmelite convent. A Catholic convent and school in the Jewish Ghetto; a way the Catholics tried to convert Jews. There was also a story of a poor old woman who refused to sell her land and now owns a priceless bit of real estate that includes an ancient arch (#25 by the Portico d'Ottavia).
In the 16th century, Pope Paul IV forced the Jews to reside within a walled ghetto. In the center of this four-square-block area was a synagogue. When Italy became unified in 1870, King Victor Emmanuel II granted the Jews of Rome full citizenship and most of the ghetto was demolished and replaced with the modern blocks seen today. Via del Portico d'Ottavia is the name of the main street through the Ghetto. It is the best preserved of the original streets and the only surviving line of building fronts (north side only). Via San Ambrogio is a very narrow street that intersects with Portico d’Ottavia and is the only remaining original street. It is only for pedestrian traffic it is so narrow. The restaurant on the corner sets up tables in this street to give them more outdoor space.
As the ghetto population grew to nearly 5,000 people, the apartments were made taller and closer together, blocking air and light. You can see, on Via della Reginella, where the original ghetto ended, because the buildings go from six floors to three floors. There are also several Jewish artifacts on the wall at the Jewish Cultural Center. This street, too, is pedestrian traffic only.
I found Largo 16 Ottobre, which is a square named for the day Nazi trucks parked in this spot in 1943 and threatened to take the Jews to concentration camps unless the community came up with 110 pounds of gold in twenty-four hours. Everyone, including non-Jewish Romans, tossed in their precious gold, and the demand was met. The Nazis took the gold, and later, they took the Jews. 1,035 of the 1,060 Jews rounded up were sent to Auschwitz. This is a site I have photographed several times because it is the location of the Portico d'Ottavia, built by the emperor Augustus in honor of his sister Octavia in B.C. 32. In the eighth century, the Portico became incorporated into the (Christian) Church of Sant'Angelo in Pescheria. For centuries, this church was packed every Saturday with Jews — forced by decree to listen to Christian sermons.
Just before reaching the bridge, a Catholic church, the Santa Maria della Pietà, stands at the south gate of the Ghetto. When the ghetto was a walled-in town, Catholics built churches at each gate to try and entice Jews to convert. There is a Hebrew script under the crucifix. It quotes the Jewish prophet Isaiah — "All day long, I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and faithless nation that has lost its way" (Isaiah 65:2) — but the quote is taken out of context to give it an anti-Semitic twist. On the west side of the intersection stands the new Synagogue of Emancipation. In 1870, Jews were initially offered better real estate for their synagogue, but chose instead to rebuild on the original site. The new "Synagogue of Emancipation" was built, remarkably, in three years (completed 1904) with the enthusiastic support of the entire Roman community. It has a unique square dome. This is where Pope John Paul II made his historic visit in 1986.
The Tiber River used to overflow its banks and flood the Jewish Ghetto. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that a retaining wall was built. As I crossed the bridge to Tiber Island, a young man was selling watercolors. They were remarkable, so full of detail. I asked him if he was the artist, and he said yes. He didn’t seem to know too much English, but more English than I know Italian! After asking him how much the watercolors were, I told him I’d be back after I had finished my walk around the island. I’m sure he’s heard that before, and when I returned he said, “welcome back.” An Italian couple started looking at the watercolors while I was. I was curious as they were negotiating, how much they would pay for theirs. At one point, the young man told me I could by two for €25 if I so wished. The Italian couple bought two watercolors, a little larger than the one I had decided on and paid about €35, so I figured the price he had given me was the price he gives everyone. I gladly paid him €15 and headed home with my first souvenir. (I know there's a method of printing that can create the look of watercolor, but no two were alike and the only way to know for sure is to drop water on them and see if the paint runs. I'll just believe they are real!)
I walked through the Ghetto to pick up something to eat. There are many kosher restaurants proudly serving carciofi alla giudìa (fried artichokes), bakeries, coffee shops, the “Dollar” store, and a souvenir shop. I stopped in on my way home to look at a Pinocchio; Italians are big on Pinocchio, and I found myself buying one. I had thought I’d get one for my grandbaby, but wasn’t really going to buy one today. This 80+ year-old grandmother was working (I’ve been told you don’t cross Italian grandmothers!) and she didn’t want me to buy the small one I first picked up. She, instead, picked up a larger one, turned it over to show me it was made in Italy (I’m guessing the small one wasn’t). She asked if I was English. I told her I was American—teaching at the university at Cinque delle Scole. She seemed pleased with my answer. Pinocchio’s arms, legs and head all moved. I told her it was for a “bambino”, guessing on my Italian. At the word baby, she threw one hand up in the air, the other hand over her heart, and went on and on in Italian how this would be the perfect gift for a baby (I’m guessing)! Anyway, she thanked me over and over for stopping at her store, and told me to come again. That I could understand. I thought she had told me she would sell it to me for less than it was marked, but I wasn't sure until I got home and looked at the receipt. She did.
Catacombs with Ferro and Cheri Monday, September 13, 2010:
Yesterday, Ferro, Cheri and I went out to the Catacombs as sort of a "dry run" for Thursday. Ferro has a conference to go to and he asked me if I would take his art history class out there (because you get a guide for the tour anyway). I said sure and told Cheri about it, she wanted to go too because she had never been out there, but we were a little concerned about getting "lost!"
We took the most direct way out to the Catacombs (we didn't go in, we just checked ticket prices, etc) then started walking on the grounds toward home. When we got to the north entrance of the place (we entered through the east entrance) there was this church and Ferro says, "hey, this church is very interesting... it has the feet of Jesus in it." This church is built of top of the road where Jesus met Peter.
The Church of St Mary in Palmis (palmis refers to the soles of Jesus' feet), better known as Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis, is a small church southeast of Rome. It is at this spot that Saint Peter traditionally met Jesus when Peter was fleeing persecution in Rome. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, Peter asked Jesus, Domine, quo vadis? (English: Lord, where are you going?) Jesus answered, Eo Romam iterum crucifigi (English: I am going to Rome to be crucified again).
The two footprints on a marble slab at the center of the church (copy of a relief conserved in the nearby basilica of San Sebastiano) would be the miraculous sign left by Jesus.
We ended up walking the majority of the way home, but we got to see the best-preserved portion of the ancient city wall of Rome and Circus Maximus (a little disappointing because it’s just a big oblong depression in the ground). They are doing some excavating on one end of it where they are finding some bleachers and other things. Rome still uses the depression for outdoor concerts, political rallies, and major gatherings. We walked along the backside of Palatine Hill and I saw the rest of (back of) Augustus’ home. It was much larger than I thought from where the frescos were. We walked down by the church behind the Temple of Janus and a wedding had just ended. I kind of felt like “wedding crashers” but Ferro just kept going to show us the church. Ferro told us that “back in the day” a family built their home on top of the Temple of Janus! Each corner of the temple is hollow and there is a staircase that leads to the top of the temple. I can’t remember which emperor ordered the house to be removed.
As we walked through the Jewish Ghetto towards the school, I asked Ferro if he could show me the brass bricks he had told me about that had the names of the families taken to Auschwitz engraved into the bricks. I had been looking at the walls by #2 Via della Reginella, but instead the brass bricks were in the street in front of the doorway to the residence.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010:
I didn’t get much farther than the studio today. A short trip to the market for lettuce and tomatoes, but came home with a jar of pesto and a quarter of a watermelon, saw a woman feeding the pigeons (right out of Mary Poppins!), stopped at the supermarketo, bought a sandwich at my favorite sandwich shop, and made a quick detour through the Ghetto thinking the noon sun would be best for the photo I wanted to take. Yesterday was the first day of school for the elementary children. They were all huddled around the entrance to their school while I was in the ghetto. Today, I wanted to take a photo of the kids with the school building behind them, but a plain-clothed security guy came up to me and said, “no photo.” They are very protective of their children and have every right to be so. I did find out that the heavy police presence (all the time) in the ghetto is due to the bombing attack of the ghetto in 1982 by the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Just some observations I’ve made about Italians… they are very proud of the quality of water in their city and there are public fountains everywhere, where the water just continually flows and is very cold—but you have to buy water at a restaurant, and they only sell bottled water (mineral or “with gas” bubbly water – I think only Americans think the “with gas” part is funny!) It is a little awkward the first time a food server asks you if you want “gas” with your water!
Italians don’t like pennies. When you owe €8.53, they will often give you back change for €8.50, just as if you should receive €8.53 in change, you may only get back €8.50. I saw a guy argue with a cashier for shorting him a few pennies in change, but I think the cashier won. I don’t argue with them… I’ve always been treated very nice when it comes to making change – except the one time I paid for a €1.99 purchase with a €10 bill. It was the smallest bill I had and the cashier was not happy. The students have said the same thing when they pay for items with a €50. Their response is always, “if Italians don’t like making change for a €50 bill, then the ATM machines shouldn’t hand them out!” One thing that is really nice is that no matter what you buy, it the ticket says it cost €4.99, then it cost exactly €4.99. There is no additional tax when you get to the cash register. Why don’t we do it that way?
Lastly, Italians love their dogs. They take them everywhere: to work, on the bus, to a restaurant – everywhere. I noticed a sign at the restaurant below my bedroom window the other day that said, “No Dogs”! I knew it was a high-end restaurant. The white tablecloths at noon time were one clue, but the food servers at noon time wear white dinner jackets as well! I think it’s probably out of my price range, but they don’t have a menu posted outside like most outdoor restaurants do, which is probably another clue it is high-end… if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.
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