Palatine Palazzi

     I walked inside and was immediately faced with three choices: left, right, or center. I decided to chose center, just because of the symmetry, and was slightly disappointed. The center didn't go back very much and so I had to chose again: left or right. Right became the next direction since it seemed as if the path was more defined on that side. Everything I saw at first was rustic and covered with life - clovers, flowers, grass, and ivy surrounded all the ruins.
It was particularly confusing to my senses to be amidst such greenery when just below me the traffic and bustle of the street screamed that we were in the middle of Rome. That dichotomy, so present on the first segment of my walk, left me feeling exposed: I couldn't belong to the gorgeous landscape and ruins with the reminder of the city, but neither could I belong to the city with the hill physically separating me from the crowds. Despite these feelings of exposure, the ruins provided a certain sense of peace. It was fascinating to think of the Palatine being used in its prime for elaborate houses, gardens, and vineyards.

     After I'd gotten through the first section of the walk, and passed the white museum building, the more imposing ruins presented themselves. There I found the Stadium of Domitian, part of the palace. Honestly, it was stunning and clearly modeled off of the Circus Maximus just across the way. The courtyard area was so expansive, I felt absolutely minuscule in comparison. It is interesting to think not only of how the Romans built such immense fortresses but also how visible and awe-inspiring they would have been earlier in history.

     When I finally made my way towards the end of the hill, there was a giant ledge overlooking the Imperial Forum. The view was perfect - you could see practically everything in the Forum as you looked over the railing. Again, it made me feel small and insignificant among such great feats of architecture. On the other hand, it also made me think about how important it must have been to the Emperors of Rome, as well as the rich citizens, to separate themselves physically from the average citizens just as I was so clearly separated from the rest of the city on the first section of the hill.

(Palatine Hill, May 21)