Author: Arushi Chandra

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Day 3: Ostia Antica

03/21/2023

Hi everyone! Our first stop today was Ostia Antica. We took the metro for a couple stops, and then transferred to a local train line that would take us to Ostia Antica. Mr Sheppard managed to make a friend on the train in the meantime!

Ostia is a nice place on the coast but we were more interested in the ancient parts. Ostia Antica used to be on the water, but the landscape has changed a lot over hundreds of years. It was a huge trade and commercial center and was a crucial port city. In Rome, they sent the deceased to be buried on the outskirts of Ostia, for both superstition and disease control. We navigated seemingly unending and complex insulae, or apartment complexes.

Malaria devastated the ancient city, which is ultimately why it was abandoned for good; that’s why so many of the structures are almost perfectly intact. The ancient city is absolutely huge, you could easily spend an entire day trip exploring the ruins alone.

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5 Stylish Statues in the Capitoline Museum

03/20/2023

Today we went to the Capitoline Museum. While it was officially opened to the public in 1734, it has housed many pieces of art & artifacts since the 15th century. In the center of the piazza lies a replica of this really cool statue of Marcus Aurelius on a horse. It is one of, if not the best preserved equestrian statue. It overlooks the Roman forum that sits atop Palatine hill.

Here are the top 10 statues with the coolest hairstyles, in no particular order:

Bernini’s Medusa, circa 17th century
Daniele de Volterra’s Bust of Michelangelo.
Every day’s a good hair day when you’re a statue.
This one’s actually ancient. It is the oldest of all the statues in this post. The hair ornamental crown is a really fashionable finishing touch to the outfit,
Most statues were covered in many layers of glaze. Over hundreds of years, that glaze wore off. We only have access to the base colors. Some statues, however, actually incorporated colored marble into the bust. This is an example of such.

 

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