Blogging from Rome, Italy, November 13th, 2019

Bloggers: Mila and Kylie

Steps Taken: 13,000

Flights: 4

 

We started our day in the lovely city of Assisi, where we all reflected upon the stunning churches we had seen the past couple of days. With that in mind, we hopped into two separate vans and made our way towards the Adriatic coast. We were then reunited with our dear friend and Arnaldo’s rival, the Arch of Rimini.

The Arch of Rimini was dedicated to Augustus by the senate and people of Rome. It is one of the oldest triumphal arches of the Roman empire and is topographically important because it marks the end of the Via Flaminia, which runs North/South and leads all the way to the city of Rome itself. The arch depicts four Roman divinities: Jupiter and Apollo on the side facing Rome and Neptune and Roma facing the city of Rimini. We did not have to worry about bus parking this time, so we were excited to spend a little more time with the early imperial monument.

After studying the arch, we wandered into town to see the Basilica of St. Francis in Rimini. Though the church predates the Renaissance, it was given a “facelift” by Malatesta, the Lord of Rimini in the 15th Century, who commissioned a marble structure to be built around the existing church and gave it a new look. Inspired by Roman architecture, the new facade featured an inscription in Roman-style letters, porphyry and serpentine marbles, Corinthian columns, and other classical Roman architectural features. The facade was designed by Alberti, an early Renaissance architect from Florence. At the church, we discussed the classical architectural motifs we saw in the building and many of us attempted to draw the facade, inspired by the studying habits of architects like Alberti.

Then, we were freed for lunch and to explore Rimini before getting back in our busses to travel to Ravenna. There, we had an inspiring lecture by Professor Bradley as an introduction to the city, in which he discussed the town’s history, its usage of space and axiality, and the iconography we will see in the churches and baptistries we will visit in town. We learned a lot from Professor Bradley’s lecture to prepare us for tomorrow appreciated the opportunity to learn from such a respected member of the Dartmouth community. We are very excited to be in such a charming town, and are looking forward to our site visits tomorrow!

Grazie e Ciao!