Saturday, October 23, 2021: A Boxer, a Basilica and Manga
By Lya Guillemette
On our last trip to Rome, we saw the Palazzo Massimo in the morning, which is a museum full of Greek and Roman statues. We also saw one of the huge basilicas called Santa Maria Maggiore. I remember thinking, I’ve been to Rome already, I have an idea of what to expect. And then I had a completely different reaction to what I saw that morning. My sense of perspective changed dramatically, especially when we entered Santa Maria. I was baffled because it was so beautiful and so large. I wasn't expecting it. The size of the interior, the artworks, and the golden mosaics. I really like art and seeing all these wonderful works really made me happy. They were all so beautifully done in a Baroque style, the warm marbles and lots of gold and light. At the Palazzo Massimo I really liked seeing The Boxer. I’ve never been this close to a work of art like this before. And when I saw it, I took it all in: the gloves on his hands, the scars on his face, the flattened ears from boxing. However, the captivating moment came down to the expression on his face. It looked so real. He looked exhausted. He was just looking at someone or looking far off. He had just finished a boxing match or was about to go for another round. Maybe he was thinking about his life or his past or what the future held. Then, on the top floor we saw the stuccoed room painted to look like a garden. It too was impressive. I saw so many sculptures in that museum. Another gem that stood out was a theater mask dedicated to tragedy. It was so expressive. So full of details and to think it was two thousand years old. This trip to Rome really didn’t change my impression of the city because I was already in awe of it. I find myself speechless when I’m in Rome. I just didn't have any words for anything I saw that day: the monuments and the architecture are just so beautiful. Just around every corner, there's something new to look at. And history every single place we go. I've always wanted to visit Rome and now here I was.
Then later, while everyone went to lunch, Abby, Mr. B and I went to Feltrinelli Bookstore. I went in search of Manga. I’ve always loved anime, and while in Rome, hey, why not read some Japanese comic books and graphic novels. They also had a lot of other good books like JRR Tolkien and Stephen King. So I was in my happy place. Then through the window I looked at the street and realized how cool it was that the bookstore is literally next door to Pompey’s Theatre where Julius Caesar was murdered. Literally a few feet away. History is just around the corner in Rome. Pretty cool.
