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Study Abroad Program in Rome
Notes from the Chair
Faculty News
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Snapshots from Rome and Paris

In the Summer of 2006, the Department launched a new Study Abroad Program in Rome, with twenty students accompanied by Professors Tod Marder and Erik Thunø. The students from all disciplines arrived in the Eternal City on July 1st and were lodged for five weeks in one of the most spectacular spots of the city: Piazza Navona. Awaiting them were five weeks of on-site teaching with Rome itself as the classroom for the study of art and architecture, from the ruins of antiquity to the medieval basilicas with their splendid mosaics to the papal monuments of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. We even touched on the creations of Fascist period architecture, as well as the most recent contributions to the city, like Richard Meier’s Ara Pacis building, which was not quite complete when we toured it. The 6 credit 300-level course was divided into two equal parts. The first, taught by Thunø, covered ancient and medieval Rome; and the second, led by Marder, dealt with the Renaissance through the modern periods. The course also included day trips outside of Rome to Ostia antica (the ancient port of Rome), Subiaco and its medieval monastery, the ancient villa of Hadrian and the Renaissance gardens of Villa D’Este in Tivoli, as well as the spectacular ancient sanctuary at Terracina and its medieval town center. On these trips we ate locally and occasionally found a convenient beach or pool to refresh ourselves in the heat.

Standing in front of the art and architecture of Rome, either on site or in the museum is, of course, a completely different experience than sitting in a classroom viewing slides thousands of miles from the objects. In front of the monuments the images become real and the threads of their artistic and historical context become palpable. Connections between monuments take on new meaning. And the Italian cultural context enriches the experience at every turn. We felt fortunate to have Piazza Navona, in the heart of the old city, as a base of operations surrounded as it is by historic palaces and churches, small shops and restaurants, bars and outdoor markets – in short the Rome rarely experienced by

tourists housed on the periphery or isolated by hotels with ultra modern comforts. It was a summer also punctuated by Italy’s victory at the world cup, a victory shared by our students with the hoards of “tifosi” (fans) gathered on the slopes of the ancient Circus Maximus. Both group leaders agreed that the students were an extraordinary group. They came from all sort of majors with various levels of experience in art history (from none to a good deal). And all were committed to staying together, making the most of the opportunities the trip afforded, and maximizing the chance to share their ideas and their friendship with one another. It was a brilliant example of the Rutgers spirit of openness, accommodation, and cooperation that contributes so profoundly to the learning experience, whether at home or abroad. Perhaps the best testimony of success is the enthusiasm of the students, from one of whom we quote verbatim:

" You cannot beat studying art history in Rome.First of all, there are endless great works of art and monumental buildings that we experienced just walking around the city.Second, we had the whole city to explore outside of class as well and found out what it was like to take part in Italian culture.It was interesting investigating how Rome evolved, as we walked around the Forum and other ruins, like Ostia Antica and Hadrian’s Villa.Witnessing the Sistine Chapel and a special tour through the Vatican Museum was amazing, but one of my favorite sites was the Villa Farnesina and especially Raphael’s Galatea.Another highlight was the Villa Borghese and getting to see the work of Caravaggio, both here and in the Cerasi Chapel.When we had a break from class, I really enjoyed dining at some of Rome’s great restaurants and then, of course, deciding from the endless flavors what type of gelato to get.We were lucky enough to witness the excitement of the World Cup and a Billy Joel concert.Even just the place we were living was amazing, walking out onto the bell tower balcony, looking down on the Four Rivers Fountain of Piazza Navona.Overall, it was such a wonderful experience getting to know new people and seeing all the sites Rome has to offer."

 

Department of Art History
Voorhees Hall
71 Hamilton Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Tel: 732-932-7041
Fax: 732-932-1261

Catherine Puglisi, Chairperson

Erik Thunø , Undergraduate Director

Susan Sidlauskas, Graduate Program Director

Cathy Pizzi, Department Administrator

Geralyn Colvil, Student Coordinator

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