A Walk Through Rome

As I begin my journey throughout this blog, it will begin with an understanding and a virtual journey through Rome. Rome is currently a popular tourist destination due to the incredible architectural sites, and is an important place to look when understanding the evolution of architecture and its involvement in the world today. As I go through the virtual tour on Google Maps, I will be using a travel guide found on www.rome.info, to view and analyze architectural sites that have been preserved and revitalized, as well as take a look at the space and how it is used in Rome. With all that being said, let’s begin our walk through Rome!

As I begin my walk, I start at the remarkable Pantheon. The Pantheon is the most preserved building of ancient Rome. Orginally built between A.D. 118-125, it was a temple dedicated to the gods of Rome. As I look at the building itself, it is fascinating how the front is rectangular allowing for the classic entranceways for precessions, but also that it is combined with a massive circular back, showing how the Roman architecture played with geometry to seek architectural success. The building would have originally been entered by climbing a set of stairs at the front, but has now been restructured so that the stairs are underground.  One of the fascinating things I am able to learn here is that due to the buildings incredible size, when building, heavy materials such as travertine and brick were used for a solid base, but for the dome, pumice a very light material was used for a sufficient and efficient enclosure. Finally, I am able to see that the structure is not Doric, which shows that there may have been a more feminine and artistic appreciation in the design of this great piece of work. Beyond the structure of the building itself, it is interesting to look at the modern design of the streets and space around the building. The Pantheon appears to be the center of importance for the area, which shows a dominant power characteristic for the gods. As for the space around the Pantheon, out front there is an open space which allows for the Pantheon to stand alone, powerful and dominate the area. As for the streets around the Pantheon, they are very narrow which shows that the area is very dense. Although dense, none of the buildings around the Pantheon are nearly as large, which shows how much larger the Pantheon is in comparison to the rest of the area, again showing the dominance and power of those who use the building. Therefore, after my virtual tour of the Pantheon I am able to see what makes it unique to Rome, and how its placement and use of space allows it to stand as a powerful landmark.

 

The next stop on my tour is the Roman Forum. The forum  is the central area in which Anicent Rome developed. This is the area where the day to day activities occurred such as finances, administration, religious events, and was known as the hearth of the city. This area was home to the most important public buildings and structures such as the Arch of Titus, the Temple of Saturn, and the Temple of Vesta.  If you look at the area and the space in which the Forum is located, it is in a central location which shows the power of the area and the central importance of the Roman civilization. It is also very unique to see how the Forum is separted from the area around it by walls which shows again the power that existed in this central area. As for the architecture, the exquisite stone arches and columns stood strong at one point, but after being destroyed the Forum is not as beautiful as it once was. Although destroyed, it is important to note the importance that archways, and columns played in the area, and how the precision to detail on these architectural monuments is just phenominal. Overall the Roman Forum stands as a central point for the citizens of Rome, and although it has changed significantly now in present day, the significance of its location and space it occupies is largely significant of the time period.

Finally, to finish off my virtual tour I took a walk around the Roman Colosseum. The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum and was built in A.D 80, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. This colossal structure was home to the famous gladiator fights as well as other cultural events of the time. The amphitheatre could hold over 50 000 people showing its dominant size and influence. The main features that I can see from this this great structure is the abundance of arches that act as elegant and precise entranceways, as well as masts that were attached to stone corbels on the fourth level. When looking at the space around the Colosseum there is a lot of open space which allows the structure to look even larger in size than it already is. In addition, the open space is nice because it reminds me of modern day sport stadiums that have an area outside where fans gather, and I feel the space gives a social identity to the area. Finally, by standing tall and alone over the open space, the placement allows for a powerful image for the structure, which was one of the main themes found in Roman Architecture.

Therefore, after completing my virtual tour through Rome, I am able to see the intricate designs and forms of some of the most notable structures, but at the same time I am able to see how their placement and use of space emphasizes their importance in the area. The narrow and winding streets in Rome shows the organic design of the city as a whole, and the elevation changes really gives Rome a confusing nature to travel around. But overall, Romans used space, place and architecture to create the incredible place that we now tour and study today.