The Ara Pacis and Volcanic Ash

I woke up with pink eye (?), but still went for a quick workout at the gym this morning. Then I turned it around and rode my bike into town for a visit to the Ara Pacis. As I rode through the Piazza del Popolo, I could see (and hear) that it was set up for a big concert. It turns out Rome is launching its bid for the 2020 Olympics (ROMA 2020) and the Piazza will be home to all sorts of events all weekend long, including a concert tomorrow night.

When I arrived at the Ara Pacis, I picnicked out front by the fountain with my home-made panino, before going inside. Then, I went in to see the monument. The Ara Pacis Augastae is an altar to peace which was commissioned by the Roman Senate in 13 BC to honor the Emperor Augustus's return from victory against Gaul and Spain. The altar celebrated the Peace brought about by Augustus -- in fact his rule initiated the Pax Augusta or Pax Romana which lasted over 200 years. The altar is recognized as a masterpiece. It is comprised of elaborate reliefs some of which depict a procession where Augustus himself is recognizable as are many of his contemporaries. It's a truly beautiful monument. Interestingly, due to its original location on the flood plain of Campo Marzio, it did not survive; it was buried under four meters of silt over the centuries. The first fragments were discovered in 1568 beneath the Basilica San Lorenzo. While these fragmentary sculptures were placed in museums, additional fragments were discovered in 1859. By 1903, a concerted effort was begun to recover the rest of the monuments' strewn reliefs, but the reconstruction was not completed until 1938. In 2006, the Richard Meier structure was built around the altar in order to protect it from its position alongside the Tiber. The contemporary Meier architecture surrounding this ancient monument was very controversial, but I personally love it. It's a magical juxtaposition of old and new. Plus the fact that much of the building is glass allows all passerby to appreciate the altar.

There are some interesting exhibits around the altar inside, but for the most part it can be seen from the outside. Currently, there is an unrelated exhibition of the deceased Italian singer Fabrizio de Andre' in the space on the lower floor.

Josh met me near the Ara Pacis, and we rode over to Piazza Nicosia so he could grab a nice pizza for lunch. Afterwards, we rode around around town and back home. It was a gorgeous day with temps hitting 80 degrees.

Charlotte went home with Valentina after school. I took Avery to the market. He loves to go shopping for groceries. Later, Morris was coming over to babysit since we were going out to meet some friends from Chicago. But, when I checked my email, I realized that the volcanic ash from the eruption in Iceland was still wreaking havoc with air travel. My former partner Roxanne, had been in Paris on business, but with the airport still closed, she couldn't get her flight to Rome. Her husband, Rocco, had already arrived here, having come in from Chicago.

So, Josh and I went to meet Rocco at his hotel and the three of us had an apertivo. Roxanne, was taking a car down to Lyon, France to fly out of that airport. We headed to dinner at Sora Lella on Isola Tiberina. Roxanne made it in before we got to the dessert. It had been a long day for both of them; but it was nice to catch up with old friends.