Dreaming--ala Romana

 

Sognare: to dream. Sogno: a dream

Everyone dreams. But it's also possible that cultures dream differently, or think differently about what it means to "dream." More concretely--and based only on a few weeks of walking Rome's streets and reading the newspapers--it seems to us that the word "dream," and variations on it, is used more frequently in Rome than it would be in an American city and, arguably, that it's used differently.

One Sunday morning this year, looking for an open newsstand in the neighborhood of San Lorenzo, we came upon this piece of shutter art. "Who is keeping us from dreaming," it asks, as if the act of dreaming was somehow being frustrated, by someone, or some entity, or some condition.

In nearby Piazza dei Sanniti, where Pier Paolo Pasolini ate his last meal, the words "Balla, Sogna, Lotta"--Dance, Dream, Struggle--beneath an artwork by Sten and Lex, suggest something similar: not only the need to dream, but the difficulty of doing so in a world--and a society--that challenges the dream.

In this case, the dream is particularly intense because the message is affixed to one of San Lorenzo's most contested structures, a building that is a symbol of community, creativity, and social commitment and, during covid, a place where one could find food. Once the home of a movie theater, it was occupied by progressives in 2011, to prevent it from becoming a casino. A decade later, the authorities kicked everyone out. In this case, to "dream" means to hold onto the idea of what the building once was--maybe even hold onto the building--while opposing the plans of developers. A photo of the buildings in Piazza dei Sanniti is at the end of this post. 

"Dance, dream, struggle. Even now, in the cold. Look at us. I love flowers"

This last-minute addition, by way of "The King," was found in Ostiense: "Follow the dream, wherever it may take you."

The newspapers present different varieties of dreaming. A travel article describes the beaches of the Marche region as "un mare da sogno"--a sea to dream about. The Roma soccer club, having tied a crucial match only to lose on an "own goal," earns the headline: "Paredes fa sognare la Roma, poi la beffa" (Paredes [who had two goals, both on penalty kicks] allows Rome to dream, then the mockery)--again, the dream as frustration. 

And the "sogno" of having 24-hour Metro service in Rome, as cities in the United States do:

Just days before that Sunday morning, some 1400 people signed up to take the exam to fill 439 positions driving a bus. Among the applicants were women and many young people with Bachelor's degrees. "Molti sognano," reads the newspaper account, "di fare l'autista di bus" (many dream of being a bus driver). Maybe ironic--and maybe not. 

This window advertisement by BNL Bank appears to use a Bassett Hound [could be a Dachshund] (and a pun involving the word Bassotta [a combination of two words meaning low: basso and sotto]) to announce "low" rates that will help you achieve your Roman dreams:

And this bit of graffiti, on the wall of a prominent San Lorenzo park, fronting on via Tiburtina: "Solo sognare ci terra' svegli." Our Roman friend M., a skilled translator, helped us with this one: "Only dreaming will keep us awake." "The apparent contradiction" (between dreaming and waking), he noted, "makes me think of the necessity and constant effort of keeping dreams alive. And I guess here the writer was thinking of the great dreams of humankind, such as love, peace, and equality." 

Thanks so much, M., for your translation and thoughtful elaboration. Perfect.

Bill 

Nuovo Cinema Palazzo is at left. The restaurant frequented by Pasolini is at right. 

A New Stadium for A.S. Roma: a Walking Adventure in Rome's near-in Countryside

Rome's A.S. Roma football club has been looking to build a new stadium for years. One effort collapsed when it became clear that the location--Tor di Valle, to the southwest of the city--would produce traffic chaos whenever there was a game. The latest idea (and at this writing it seems more likely to come to fruition) is to place the new stadium in an area of (more or less) unused land, at the intersection of Tiburtino and Pietralata--and across some railroad tracks and a highway from Piazza Bologna. Here's a map, with the location of the proposed stadium at center left (inserted as if it's there, below the road, just above the red Metro sign and to the right of the large P).

In early May, we set out to have a look at the area--not a place we had ever been. We parked our scooter on via dei Durantini (to the best of my recollection) and it didn't take long to come across a "Centro Revisioni" (for getting your vehicle its yearly test), located in a shack-like building at via del Casale Quintiliani, 115.

Not far beyond, we discovered the isolated Quintiliani Metro station (and bus turnaround). Heading down into the station, we didn't see a single person. Nor did the bus, which turned around while we were there, drop anyone off or pick anyone up. If and when the stadium arrives, the station will be busier--at least during soccer season. See the map above for the location of the Metro station. 

Plenty of graffiti, but no passengers

Up a hill, there's a carrozzeria (a car repair place), in as remote a location as the Metro station. If you can get your car there, it doesn't need repair.

Then, more run-down buildings.

We found lots of open land, sprinkled with roads (some of them of fairly recent origin) that are no longer in use--a project or projects that never panned out.

Some nice views of the nearby "city" (Piazza Bologna in the distance)?

And lots of poppies on the roadsides.

A rusted sign that I later converted into "accidental art." Ala Georges Braque (I know: "he's no Braque")

A few more businesses, including this small iron and aluminum foundry, not far from the Tiburtina Metro and train station:

A tunnel in use, but to where?

Off via dei Monti Tiburtini, a path into the future stadium site (we did not take it). This is a not a street for pedestrians--no sidewalks; we had to run now and then to avoid being on the street. 

Turning off via dei Monti Tiburtini, we found a nice coffee shop, chatted with the owner about the prospect of a stadium nearby, and returned to our scooter. A grand adventure!

Bill 

Popemania in Rome

Pope Francis, who has been Pope for over a year now, is a crowd-pleaser.  He has shown up in graffiti around Rome in various guises, including as superman.
We liked this one, in the Spagna Metro, showing him with a thumb's up. By graffiti artist C215, who works only with stencils, this artwork was one of 14 put up by 6 well-known artists in two nights work in May, and authorized by the Metro service (ATAC).

If you're looking for this picture, it's just as you go into the (very long) station entrance, near a rare info booth.  I had to ask some people in line there to move aside a bit to get the photo.



Another indication of the Pope's popularity are the pilgrims in Rome.  One of our Roman friend's mothers complains about this "Popemania," that brings in millions of people who don't spend money in the city--as the mother tells the story.

Pilgrims at the Vatican

The sight of dozens of people wearing the same t-shirts that have a religious slogan on them is now common around the Vatican.  There's no doubt the Vatican is more crowded than ever.  How much is due to Pope Francis, we're not sure.  But he's definitely beloved, in contrast to his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

Dianne

Nun photographing Francis as Superman

Tourists lining up for the Vatican museums

Updates to Rome the Second Time

New in 2012 - the Metro B1 stop Sant'Agnese-Annibaliano -
perhaps more glamour than function

        Rome may be the Eternal City, but it also is eternally changing.  Everyone who visits has some experience with a museum that is supposed to be open, but isn’t; a restaurant that is supposed to be there but now is run by someone else; an ancient ruin that one should be able to see but now is blocked by high walls. 

                Writing a guidebook to Rome, and perhaps especially an alternative guidebook, means many things do not stay the same and the book needs Updates!  And so we try to keep up with ever-changing Rome through our Updates document, available with a click here, or on one of the tabs at the right of this blog.  The Updates themselves are updated periodically, and we just did a new set of Updates – so we encourage you to try it.

We like this combination of athletes and mythical sea
creatures in the Foro Italico swim complex of 1937



                Our Updates include new, and improved, hyperlinks.  The hyperlink you all have been clicking on madly – that has nice photos of the mosaics in the Foro Italico (then Foro Mussolini) swim complex – doesn’t work any longer.  So we provided a new one.   

                There is a new Metro line, the B1, that runs out of Piazza Bologna.  So our Itinerary for Piazza Bologna, and the maps that relate to it, have been modified, and our links take you to those revised maps.  See our map for the Piazza Bologna Itinerary 8:  https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Rome,+Lazio,+Italy&msa=0&msid=115234173574934358486.00048bff8c1136f67d863&ll=41.917104,12.515616&spn=0.021523,0.037723&z=15

Rome's Eataly - just opened

                We found more restaurants we liked near one of our itineraries – and so we included those restaurants in our Updates.   We’ll give you a hint – we like L’Oste de Coste next to the Jolly Theater off Piazza delle Provincie.  via Giano della Bella, 2; tel. 06.999.24.609.  We had very mixed feelings about another blockbuster, Eataly, that we've included in our Updates.

Now missing - the plaque to Primo Levi
and the more than 1,000 Jews  taken from
Rome to the Nazi camps October 16, 1943

                The Lion Bookshop – the oldest English language bookstore in Rome—simply closed its doors last year. 

                The plaque to honor Primo Levi, and the Jews who were transported from Rome to extermination camps, has disappeared from the Tiburtina Station.  The old station was torn down; a new one takes its place. 

                And you’ll find much more in the 17 page list of Updates (coordinated to the pages of RST).  If you’re using the book version of RST, we urge you to print out those Updates right before you leave for Rome.  If you’re using the eBook versions, your click on “Updates” – hyperlinked - will take you to the Update list.

                Buon viaggio!

Dianne

Metro Hazards!

We assume it's necessary to warn riders on Rome's Metro, the subway system, of the possible dangers of the activity.  But the ad agency hired for the task may have overdone things a bit; in any event, on this day we were amused.

From upper left, clockwise: Don't try to prevent the door from closing; Don't lean against the door; Watch for the space between the train and the platform.  And--our favorite--Don't get on or off when the door is closing, because, well....

Ouch!

 

Graffiti Report: Howen



Howen, on the Metro viaduct, at San Paolo

 We're rank amateurs in the complex, fast-moving field of Rome graffiti.  Still, emboldend by a recent visit to MOCA's daring new exhibition on graffiti in several of the world's major cities, we're offering this report on one of Rome's most talented and prolific writers.  He has two names: Howen and POISON.  In a 2002 comment that we found on-line, a fan wrote, "this dude has got to be one of the kings of the b-line in rome, every photo I have of it he's up in it, even  after the buff he still had stuff running so ive heard."  (We're not sure what the "buff" was, but suspect it was an effort by the city to cover up/erase graffiti).  Sure enough, it was on the b-line--actually a viaduct carrying the b-line through the suburb of San Paolo--that we first saw Howen's work (see photo at left). 


Dianne, pensive at the Pomezia cafe

Then, on a scooter trip to Pomezia, a modernist village created under Mussolini and the home of a massive cemetery housing German dead from World War II, we found another piece by Howen just over our shoulders (see the bottom of this post) at an outdoor cafe in the city center. 

As you can see, Howen appears to enjoy writing his own name (at least what we assume is his name).  Sometimes he also writes his other name, POISON. 

We also found an on-line profile for the guy.  It lists POISON's interests as: "Graffiti, muri (walls), treni (trains), e la mia metro (and my Metro).  The profile notes his mood as "implacable" and offers this bio:

                POISON

                male
                102 years old
                Roma, Roma
                Italy 

Bill


Howen, in Pomezia