Naples and Campania, Day Six
18 May 2008

Mia Reinoso Genoni
miagenoni@post.harvard.edu

Sketch of Amalfi Cathedral by Jacob Albert.

We had something of a lazy Sunday on the Amalfi coast, relatively speaking. In the town of Amalfi itself we focused on the beautiful medieval cathedral, and also spent time just enjoying the area.

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

Amalfi Cathedral dates to the 10th through 12th centuries. It is a double cathedral complex, incorporating the earlier Church of the Crucifix as well as the main cathedral of San Andrea. In 1206 Amalfi acquired relics of St. Andrew, probably due to the 1204 Sack of Constantinople, and from this point onward was very invested in the apostolicity of the site. The facade pictured here was rebuilt in the late 19th century.

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

Like so many Campanian churches, San Andrea underwent a series of renovations throughout the centuries.

The Church of the Crucifix primarily functions as museum now, and from it you enter the Crypt of St. Andrew:

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

an elaborate space of apostolic celebration.

(Photo by Virginia Jansen.)

Of primary interest in the Amalfi Cathedral complex are the campanile and, especially, the Cloister of Paradise. In this view of the campanile framed by the arches of the Cloister, we see a melange of styles similar to that of the Salerno Cathedral.

The upper register of the campanile is particularly playful and successful.

The stepped arches and moldings of the Cloister are clearly influenced by the strong Islamic presence in this area; in addition, these structures are easy to mass produce and are light, making them an ideal solution for building upon a mountain.

Of greatest import in regards to the Cloister (1266-8) are its origin and function. Bishop Augustariccio requested its creation, in order to have a cemetery for illustrious citizens - hence the name "Cloister of Paradise." Caroline Bruzelius spoke of her recent research on the topic, conveying her belief that at this time cathedrals such as Amalfi were competing with the monastic orders for the burial of the noble and wealthy. In this way the Cloister must be considered along with the Camposanto in Pisa, for example. For those not lucky enough to be on this trip, you can read about these ideas in greater detail in her new essay "The Dead Come to Town: Preaching, Burying, and Building in the Mendicant Orders," just published in The Year 1300 and the Creation of a New European Architecture, and/or await Bodies, Building, and the Medieval City, currently in progress.

(Photo by Virginia Jansen).

Continuing up the mountain, we came to the town of Ravello, perched atop a cliff. Here we were treated to the magnificent Villa Rufolo (1260), belonging to a family of great wealth that was described by Boccaccio, a family that first profited from and then were persecuted by the Angevins.

In the original phase of profit, the Villa, with its exquisite and extensive gardens, was built as a pleasure palace to delight the senses.

Also in Ravello is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded by the first bishop of the city, Orso Papirio, in c. 1086-7.

One of the highlights here is the Byzantinizing ambo built by Constantino Rogadeo in 1130, featuring before and after pictures from the story of Jonah and the whale.

























The cathedral is also dedicated to a local saint, Pantaleone, and our visit happened to coincide with his feast day, here documented in photos by Virginia Jansen (above) and a short video by Peter Goltra (below):

Naples and Campania, Day Five
17 May 2008

Mia Reinoso Genoni
miagenoni@post.harvard.edu

The first of our visits to Early Christian Naples was to the San Gennaro catacombs, where we were not allowed to take pictures, and our intrepid leader Caroline Bruzelius (left) translated in real time as our mandated local guide (right) spoke to us. These catacombs are very important to Naples, and, unlike the Roman catacombs, were never abandoned, staying in use throughout the Middle Ages (and serving as shelter in World War II). San Gennaro is the patron saint of Naples, though he was born in Benevento and martyred via decapitation in Pozzuoli. Our guide related a sweet explanation for this state of affairs, in which she characterized Naples as more open-minded than its neighbors: this open-mindedness and inclusiveness led to a dearth of martyrs so Naples had to borrow one from its more bloodthirsty brethren.

(Photo by Virginia Jansen.)

Continuing our tour of Neapolitan catacombs, we visited those of San Gaudioso. Dating to the 5th and 6th centuries, they are located under the church of Santa Maria della Sanita. Here we see an eye-catching part of the catacombs: male and female skeletons painted onto the wall, with a space left for the actual skull.

Santa Maria della Sanita was erected from 1602 to 1613 by Fra' Guiseppe Nuvolo over the catacombs, which had been rediscovered a few years earlier. This image shows the main dome, but there are 12 small domes created in line with the design of the nave and 2 side aisles.

This view of the right aisle shows this division, and the relationship of a dome to the space below.

Also in the Sanita quarter is the 18th-century Palazzo Sanfelice, designed by Ferdinando Sanfelice to be his own residence. The complexity and energy of these stairs is typical of Sanfelice's work.

Moving to Angevin Naples, we turned our attention to the late medieval church of Santa Chiara, a fascinating building in the history of Naples and of monastic architecture. It was built by Queen Sancia of Mallorca, an Aragonese noble who had wished to enter the convent but was forced to marry Robert of Anjou for political reasons. Erected from c. 1310-1340, it served a double audience of Franciscan friars and Poor Clares. This view is of the back of the church, taken from the Clarissan cloister, renovated in the 18th-century .

(Photo by Virginia Jansen.)

The pious Sancia conceived of it as a true Franciscan institution, as opposed a conventualized one. She envisioned it as a return to simplicity and poverty, yet it served as the de facto church of the royalty. This view toward the altar shows its seemingly paradoxical identity: the church is essentially a Franciscan barn, but a sumptuous one, with Angevin funerary monuments, including that of Robert. This photo reveals something of the plainness, although the building is currently the result of a post-World War II "renovation" that stripped away Baroque decoration to create a Modernist-influenced vision of the original Angevin building.

(Photo by Virginia Jansen.)

Most fascinating is the solution to the issue of the double populations, both of whom had to face the altar, but one of whom, the Clarissans, could not themselves be seen. Here the nuns' choir is placed on the other side of the altar, separated from the main church by a wall with a grate, and each join of the grate was topped with an 8-inch spike to ward off inappropriately interested parties.

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

In contrast, San Lorenzo Maggiore is a conventualized Franciscan institution, including a theological school that would have made use of the Chapter House pictured here.

(Photo by Helen and Fraser Muirhead.)

San Lorenzo Maggiore was originally a 6th-century church begun by John the Mediocre. In 1234 it was given to the Franciscans, and subsequently went through a series of medieval renovations and expansions in order to meet the needs of a populace desperate to have prime religious real estate: a tomb or other funerary marker within the building. As it stands today, the church has side chapels and a polygonal apse with a deambulatory and radial chapels to accommodate the demand for memorial spaces.

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

Pictured here is the tomb of Catherine of Austria by Tino di Camaino, dated to c. 1323, located in the deambulatory.

San Lorenzo is also built upon Early Christian ruins. Beneath the church a road and a market have been excavated, featuring stores such as the bakery seen here.

Finally, for those not exhausted, nor faint of heart, nor claustrophobic, there was the option of taking the "Napoli Sotteranea" tour: a trip through ancient ruins primarily located under San Paolo Maggiore. Our guide, who was clearly channeling Roberto Benigni, showed us the Roman theater accidentally discovered in a local family's basement and the Roman aqueducts that also served as shelter during World War II.

Naples and Campania, Day Four
16 May 2008

Mia Reinoso Genoni
miagenoni@post.harvard.edu

Our focus on Campanian Antiquity ended with a series of visits to sites of the "Phlegrean Fields" (Campi Flegrei); derived from the Greek phlegraios, or "burning," this area is west of Vesuvius and includes Naples, Baia, and Cumae. We started at Baia, which was a popular Roman resort and spa, featuring numerous volcanic hot springs. It was not harmed by Vesuvius, and was a site of interest for the ruling families of Naples throughout her long history. Pictured here is an image of the Aragonese fortress in Baia, taken from offshore during our boat trip.


Baia was named after Baios, Odysseus' navigator, believed to have died in the bay. The fortress now houses the Archaeological Museum of the Phlegrean Fields.

In the museum are the remnants of the Nymphaeum at Punta Epitaffio (left) as well as a model reconstruction (right). The Nymphaeum was a luxury banquet hall, and the scene featured Odysseus and Baios serving Polyphemus.

Our next stop was to the aptly named Piscina Mirabile, easily one of the most memorable and awe-inspiring structures I have ever encountered. So-named by Petrarch, it is a Roman reservoir that collected rainwater for the fleet at Misenium, dating to the Age of Augustus. The structure is 15 m deep, 70 m long, and 25.5 m wide, dug into the tufa and covered in cocciopesto to waterproof the walls. As this picture shows, many of us were simply awestruck by the Piscina...

though John Martine, who kindly agreed to serve as my referent for scale (5'7" - see below), expressed the sentiment best.

Even these pictures, which cannot do justice to the magnificent structure, continue to amaze me. I find myself continually reminded of the Cathedral of Speyer in Germany. For more details on the Piscina, there is an English-language tourism information site that is helpful: http://www.ulixes.it/english/e_pg02afr06a.html

Still agog, we turned our attention to Cumae, which was the earliest Greek colony on the Italian peninsula, dating to c. 740 BCE. Seen here is the entrance to the Sybil's Grotto. As Virgil reports in the Aeneid, the Cumaean Sibyl was greatly venerated during the Age of Augustus. The Grotto is an intensely yonic structure, with a ponderous triangular entrance at which one was supposed to whisper questions, and receive the answer without ever catching a glimpse of the Sybil.

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

This interior view accurately conveys the heft and power of the structure.

A medieval fortress was built among the ancient ruins, and from it one can see the Arco Felice in the distance, evidence of the Roman infrastructure.


After climbing all the way up the via Sacra one reaches the so-called Temple of Jupiter, where one can see both the (reinforced) remnants of Antiquity...

as well as Early Christian adaptations, such as the baptistery basin.

We ended our visit to the Phlegrean Fields with a trip to the Cratere della Solfatara, one of the youngest and best preserved volcanoes in the area. Also on site are a Roman sudatorium and a Bourbon Vulcanologic Observatory, further reminders of the many and layered histories of Campania.

Naples and Campania, Day Three
15 May 2008

Mia Reinoso Genoni
miagenoni@post.harvard.edu

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

On Thursday we turned our attention to Pompeii, buried by Vesuvius in 79 CE. Beginning at the amphitheater, we tried to get a good sense of the urban planning of the city, with the intensity of our efforts documented in this picture. The amphitheater itself is perfectly captured here, in all of its startling completeness. This site was well-chosen as an entrance point, as we discussed how the amphitheater testifies to Roman colonial strategies. Retired soldiers were given land and rights and sent to populate colonial holdings; as these soldiers were trained in gladiatorial games amphitheaters were a necessity of colonial policy and urban planning. Also fascinating is the evidence of flora unearthed in areas like the palaestra, next to the amphitheater, and the surrounds: after the eruption of Vesuvius, cavities of plant roots remained, and casts made from them allow ethnobiologists to have an extensive knowledge of ancient Roman flora.Likewise, Pompeii provides significant evidence in regards to gardens, more important and integral in Roman society than in Greek. Here we see the peristyle garden of the House of the Gilded Cupids (Amorini Dorati). This garden would probably have featured boxwood, which Pliny praises as an aid for sight and memory, and arbutis, an edible red berry. In gardens such as this, hairpins and perfume ampules have been found, testifying to the presence of women tending the garden and the harvesting of herbs to make scents.

(Photo by Peter Goltra.)

Of the many, many sites of Pompeii, the visit to the Villa of the Mysteries stands out as a phenomenal experience. The famous frescoes are often reproduced but attempts to capture them often make the room seem much bigger than it is. This photo gives a better sense of the intimate scale of the room.

(Photos by Peter Goltra.)

This great image compares the original statue in the House of the Faun (left), now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, along with the copy placed in situ (right). A comparison of this sort is only possible on a trip that has the scope of this tour, visiting Pompeii and the institutions of Naples in one swoop.


From the busy and extensive city of Pompeii we turned to a luxury Roman settlement, the Villa Oplontis in Torre Annunziata, which in many ways is comparable to the Villa San Marco we visited previous day. It is datable to 100 BCE-79 CE.

The Villa Oplontis answers questions and, at the same time, poses new ones. In Pompeii the only second style wall paintings are in tiny houses, so it was originally believed that they were primarily meant to function as trompe l'oeil works to create the illusion of space. This hypothesis was challenged upon discovery of the second style paintings in the spacious rooms of the Villa Oplontis, such as this image of a sanctuary of Apollo, located in the sitting room.

Logically, we rounded off the day with a trip to Herculaneum, which was probably a luxury suburb of Naples. Much less of the area has been excavated in comparison to Pompeii. From this photo of the entrance ramp, you can see how much lower the sea level was at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius than it is today.

The change in sea level is also apparent in a view from the House of the Stags, as is the importance of the garden and the sumptuousness of the furnishings.

One of the most exciting things about Herculaneum is that structures of two stories were preserved, such as the House of the Beautiful Courtyard, seen here.

Thanks to David Steward, SAH Life Member, of the Center for Urban Earthquake Engineering, CUEE, Tokyo Institute of Technology, for bringing to my attention a great article on the eruptions of Vesuvius through the millennia: "Vesuvius Countdown" by Stephen S. Hall, National Geographic (Sept. 2007):
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/09/vesuvius/vesuvius-text.html