DAY 11: City out of pieces

12.07.2014

Near the house of Cola di Rienzo, on the other side of the invisible line drawn during Mussolini to mark the area of medieval Rome to be demolished, stands in its grotesque glory Church San Nicola di Carcere. 

DAY 10: Collage City of Rome

11.07.2014

Casa di Cola di Rienzo Deatil

Another fascinating example of how the city of Rome has been growing and overgrowing itself in every aspect, from urban to political, is the so-called Casa di Cola di Rienzo. This building is an end of an urban block redeveloped by Mussolini, and the only remain from the Middle Ages in this area, that the dictator chose to keep. Across the street from the Temple of Portunis and the Temple of Hercules Victor, the early 11^th century Casa di Cola di Renzo is shadowed by glorious architecture from the time of the Empire. But it is telling us much more.  

DAY 9: Rebuilding of rebuilt

10.07.2014

Santa Maria Maggiore. Photo:MM

While trying to define “formal” in regard to ancient approach to Rome, it should be said that the city of Rome is very much not the ideal city envisioned by Emperors and their architects in Antiquity. Wherever Romans were building cities from scratch, they were building grid-based urbanities. It could be argued, in that sense, that the attempts to formalise Rome have been made throughout history from the Empire to the rule of the Popes, later monarchs and republicans.

THE BRIEF: Moments of Rome

The history of stitching is exploring the nature of never-ending overlay of Rome as a city and it is searching for paradox and informality in its historical aggregation.

The challenge is to make a distinction between interventions which aim to formalize the urban order even though the way they are executed appears as an informal intervention. Mussolini’s insertion of Via dei Fori Imperiali which establishes a straight corridor between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia (1924 – 1932) is clearly an attempt to formalize the city. This intervention was, on the other hand, done through imposition of a street on top of a series of Imperial Forums, splitting them in half and creating a strange set of leftovers in the most ad-hoc fashion. 

In front of you is a small selection of urban details, photographs taken in July 2014 in Rome. They are a piece of a wider research about forms of architectural survival. Between definitions of formal and informal transformation of Rome, “stitching” is defined as a never ending, historical, process of change, physical, social and political.

5 moments of Rome...

AGENDA 2: Historical Formalities

10.07.2014

A view towards the begging of Via dei Fori Imperiali

If this research is exploring the nature of never-ending overlay of Rome as a city, it is completely logical to search for informality in its historical aggregation. The more I am digging, however, the harder is to find anything but informality in the urban development of Rome. This is forcing me to establish more clearly what is, in fact, formal.

DAY 8: Baths of Agrippa

09.07.2014

Down the road from the Pantheon, in one of the narrow streets behind it, I almost accidentally spotted a strange leftover. In the elevation of the street I saw a tall and thick wall which clearly stood there since the Ancient Rome. It was cutting the street elevation at two places, in fact being a semi-circular structure. I could tell that it was not part of a city wall as it was deep inside the centre of Rome and that it was probably a remain of a large public building. I could not tell, however, what set of circumstances led to its survival, while the rest is gone without a trace. The street came around it and alienated a surviving vault of a Roman Bath.

DAY 8: The Pantheon 2

09.07.2014

My first stop today was again the Pantheon. This time I came from the front with a big ice cream. I sat on the side of the entrance in a playful area with big pieces of marble placed randomly, suggesting that people could sit on them and finish their ice creams before entering the holy interior. As I made myself comfortable some children as well started running around and climbing the stones. An angry guard then came along and shouted at all of us. He said something about “gelato” (ice cream) and “national treasure” and me being a coward. I understand I was sitting in an area of immense archaeological or national importance and I should move from there. Only then I spotted signs prohibiting access to the narrow site.

DAY 7: The Pantheon 1

08.07.2014

I approached the Pantheon from the back. It felt like approaching a well-known person, a bit awkward and uncomfortable. I had to remain rational. The cinematic experience, which excluded a front view of the monumental entrance, initially broke all the visions of the space that I had somewhere in my conscious. I even lost the sense that the Pantheon is round. Approached from the back, the first thing one sees is a square extension and a deep excavated area around the building. The traces of marble cladding and the former exterior glory are visible only around the entrance.

DAY 6: Respect

07.07.2014

Largo Santa Sussana Elevation

 The city both benefits and suffers from millions of people pouring in on annual basis for no other reason than walking around, eating ice cream and taking most tasteless photographs (hugging statues and columns, posing in front of frescos and fountains). For every urban and social phenomenon discovered in Rome, church inevitably plays a role as a stake holder. Seen as a trend-setter for what we consider morality and promoting the only set of values that will help humanity survive, the church in Rome is in a funny position, squeezed between international, globalized, modern society and itself.

AGENDA 1: Historical Informalities

Historical Informa

The relationship between domestic and public across European cities has been a changing aspect of urban culture and mentality. Aldo van Eyck, while involved in CIAM and Team 10 describes London as a wonderful place where children play on the streets and domestic occupations spreads outside the walls of the terraced and mews houses with flowers, chairs and tables taking over portions of public space. 

DAY 5: The Walls

05.07.2014

Traffic around the Wall. Aurelian Walls, 282AD

The walls are a rather romantic reminder of the historical boundaries of the city of Rome. Over the years they have been not only superseded but embraced as an unquestionable element of urban fabric.

DAY 4: The Views

04.07.2014

The View from the Pincian Hill. Photo:MM

The View of the Capitoline Hill. Photo:MM

The most exciting views of Rome which capture its aggregated nature are either the ones from the hills or the ones looking into the hills.

DAY 3: The Vatican

03.07.2014

Inside the Vatican. Photo:MM

On my way to the Vatican today, I was aiming to document another “black hole” of the city of Rome, an alienating site which takes away urban life and growth. Approaching the St. Peter’s Square along the remains of the Leonine Wall and occasionally stepping into the Borgo district, I was convinced the exact opposite.

DAY 2: De-Fence

02.07.2014

Forum of Trajan. 106-112 AD. 

Distance and Depth. Photo:MM

After two days on the streets of Rome I am beginning to step out of a Woody Allen movie and try to look for intriguing moments of the city beyond tourists and their well-established routes. Two things grabbed my attention as I was avoiding site entrances and looking over the edges of archaeological sites...

DAY 1: We, the Americans...

01.07.2014

American in Rome.
Ara Pacis Museum by Richard Meier. Photo:MM

Today is my first day in Rome. My initial aim is to see what the Romans do in their everyday life so I don’t do anything they would find strange. First impressions are good, Rome is a good cultural fusion mainly between Romans and Americans. At first sight, they don’t do anything unusual for someone who came from London, apart from the cycling habits - they speak on a mobile phone while cycling and they don’t seem to bother with safety equipment such as helmets and lycra outfits. My London influenced preconception of Romans was that they usually gather in large groups in front of PRIMARK or the British Museum. They are in fact almost invisible in their own city.