Rome as Spectacle - Week 1

Question 1

Introductory lecture - Central campus Martius - Walls and Topo

Answer 1

Introductory lecture - Central campus Martius - Walls and Topo

• man made (walls) , natural features
• aueralian wall
• AD 270
• Emperor Aurelian
• Emperor Aurelian of Rome recognized the threat from Germanic tribes near the borders of the Roman Empire, and he decided to build a wall to protect the city
• The city completely dismantled the Republican Wall and the Aurelian was built
• The wall wraps around the 7 hills of Rome
• The wall included a square tower about every 30m, 381 in total. It also featured many grand gates, 18 in total
• Today, about 2/3 of the Aurelian Wall remains intact and quite well preserved
• republican circuit
• wall of leo
• wall of paul
• walls: republican (servian) ciruit 390 bc, aeralian 270ad, wall of leo 9th century, wall of paul 1534-1644
• natural features:
• Hill: Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palaltine, Quirinal, Viminal
• River: Tiber and Tiber Island

Question 2

Introductory lecture - Central campus Martius - Periods

Answer 2

Introductory lecture - Central campus Martius - Periods

• second millennium bc: cluster of huts , first inhabitants of rome- arcaic age, ends in 509 bc. Characterized by the rule of kings
• republic age: 500 years. 509bc to 31 bc. Characterized by the rule of magistrates. Politicians elected by roman citizens. Democratic republic. Rome begins to become a greater empire, conquer much of the Mediterranean and rome is considered the center. The expansion period
• imperial age: 31 bc to 476 ad- characterized by the rule of emperors, recollection of all power to a single person. Christianity begins to adhere.
• 4th-14th: early Christian/ medieval rome: offical tolerance to Christian religion. Papecy moved to pavignon, in absence of popes in rome population shrinks to 17000 from 1.5 million
• 4th-14th: early Christian/ medieval rome: offical tolerance to Christian religion. Papecy moved to pavignon, in absence of popes in rome population shrinks to 17000 from 1.5 million
• 1870: modern rome- 225,000 inhabitants.
• 1870-1922: roma capitale- the new nation state
• 1922: musalini beginning the fascist state
• 1943: collapses during ww2
• 1948-present: rome as capital of republican italy

Question 3

Introductory lecture - Central campus Martius - Important Features

Answer 3

Introductory lecture - Central campus Martius - Important Features

• hills of rome do not allow for a gridded city plan
• campo marcius buildings are somewhat gridded and originate axially
• 1748: noli plan – acuracym inventions, public buildings shown in olan, private blacked out.
• Significance of church placement
• st peters: extreme nw- grave marker outside city limits
• -st john lateran: extreme se- founded as cathedral church, #1 in the city. Church of bishop, complex of palaces which no longer exist, original site of pope
• pope Nicholas the fifth decides to live at st peters for security
• castle s tangelo: emperor hadrien’s masoleum, then turns into a fortress to defend wall of opposite bank,, once the aeralian wall is built. Whoever holds the fortress controls the city
• via guilia (1500s) is parallel to via lungaria- connected at southern end by the ponte sisto. Pope guilio 3rd sponsored the street, pope sixtus the fifth did the bridge. Meant to be a grand connection to the circuit that connected people with the Vatican. Lined with palazzo rather than the intended ministry buildings.
• piazza del popollo- grand extrance into rome- northern tip of trident. Church twice rebuilt