By Lexi Blixt
As a girl coming from a small town in the mountains a big city like Rome was a bit intimidating. The fast-paced culture and busy town was a change of pace like it might be for most coming from rural Colorado. I’ll admit before coming here I didn’t know much about the eternal city besides its main attractions famous for their ancient past or their incredible culinary culture rooted in Italian tradition. But while walking to school the first day I found an area that provided a more familiar environment. The 15-minute walk from our apartment on Trastevere to AUR consists of what feels like a million stairs, gravel roads, and busy streets; but right before you arrive at campus you walk through a portion of Villa Sciara, a local public park. This space incorporates the essence of Rome's antiquity within its parkland creating a beautiful mix of art and nature. After my experience with this park, I was eager to know where else I could find places like this and found myself becoming captivated with Rome's gardens and parks.
In my time in Italy, I was able to explore Villa Sciarra, Villa Borghese, Parco degli Acquedotti, and Villa Doria Pamphili. What I discovered was how each park in its own way is a preservation of Italian history, as it is home to historic artifacts that made me feel like I was looking into a time before mine. The construction of these parks helped me understand how history is an important part of Italy's national identity and a shared cultural value. They are not only a habitat for ancient relics, but I was also able to see how these historic areas are incorporated in the modern world and their ability to bridge different cultures together.
The Villa Pamphili is a place where I found cultural specificities that exhibit Roman history as it contains architectural works that date back to the 18th and 19th century. These architectural works like The Fountain of Cupid and other antique works show us how this city has gained the nickname ‘the eternal city’.
Significant cultural artifacts aren’t exclusive to this park but everywhere has its own display of ancient Rome like the Parco degil Acquedotti. This park is home to over half of the 11 major ancient Roman aqueducts. These aqueducts dating back millennia and other architectural works from 4th century AD makes this area feel frozen in ancient times.
Nevertheless, it’s fascinating to see the way historic works are preserved in these parks but just as interesting to see how Rome has incorporated contemporary life into such historic areas. For example, when walking through the Villa Borghese you can visit the recreation of the Temple of Asclepius built in the 1700s by renting a boat and paddling around in the artificial lake surrounding it. It’s easy to see how these parks have become an important communal space for the community in the present day. Many locals come to use these spaces to get out of the house and spend time with nature. I saw this especially on my walk through the Villa Sciarra everyday as families brought their little ones to play in the park or dogs (and local children) found a way to cool off from the hot summer weather in one of the many fountains. This park has been in use in some way or another since the first century AD and has become a place for the community in the modern day to have a connection with the old world in their everyday lives.
While taking this class I learned a lot about the struggle in forming a shared Italian identity as each region is so diverse. Even in this struggle to find a unified identity I have discovered that connection with ancient cultural ties and tradition is a commonly shared cultural value in every region, as each region has their own pillars of historical significance. The development of these parks has utilized communal spaces to encapsulate Italian history and emphasize an important part of Italy's cultural identity. Unlike many of the tourist attractions visited in Rome, these are sites where you don’t have to buy a ticket or book a tour to peek into what ancient Italian life might have looked like centuries ago.
Along with displaying Italian culture these are locations that work to bridge cultures together. Villa Borghese and Villa Pamphili both have museums in their parks that contain works of art immortalizing former culture. The works housed in these museums display art from artists all over the world and from many different periods of time. Thanks to this, through art I was able to witness diverse cultural perspectives from times that preceded my own. By exhibiting diverse galleries these works have the ability to cultivate intercultural dialogues by allowing the viewer to analyze the artists cultural perspective while also providing the viewer the freedom to interpret these pieces from their own and unique cultural perspective.
These parks became an area of interest for me and gave me a better insight into how Italian culture is deeply rooted in the past. I always thought of Rome's historical hot spots in its center, but I realized you can find the integration of the old and new wherever you look.
So, what does this all mean for me or even you, the reader? While writing this blog I found that you become more eager to learn when engaging with material through your interests. I can’t imagine I’d be too interested in learning about learning about ancient Roman aqueducts while sitting in a classroom in Colorado but seeing them in person, you can’t help but to be curious to learn more about the artifact right in front of you. In exploring these parks, I allowed myself to be immersed in the culture and learn first-hand what it’s like to be a Roman for a month and I hope that this blog inspires others to find enjoyment in learning through their passions.
About the Author:
Lexi is a first-generation graduate from Colorado State University earning her bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and double minors in Sociology and Spanish. Born and raised in Colorado she is originally from Winter Park and completed her schooling in Fort Collins Colorado. She has always had a passion for traveling and sends thanks to her family, professors, and classmates for gifting her with an unforgettable experience abroad.
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