History Midterm

Tiber Island

Used to be a temple of Aesculapius (God of Medicine)
Built during Republican time

Temple of Portunus

Republican time

Roman Concrete

Mortar AND Stone with SEAWATER; main ancient roman building technique

Apollodorus of Damascus

Great architect and engineer; not often credited with specific projects but is one of the only architects ever depicted in sculpture or written about; designed domes

Fired Brick / Roman Brick

Long and flat bricks made by craftspeople; walls were commonly double layered or very thick; laid with mortar; main ancient roman building technique

Romulus

Mythological founder of Rome

Twins and mother wolf story; kills twin to become ruler

Circo Massimo

Established in the first centuries (Regal) but used and updated through all periods; racers come around the tower at the end

Roman Republic

509 - 27 BCE (1st Century BCE, almost 500 year time)

SPQR (Senate and People of Rome); elected officials; political influence from population
Conquered/allied with a lot of land (italian peninsula, mediterranian, north africa, up to france)
Built a lotta roads, markets, and ports
Ended when Cesar was killed and the Empire began; ended with civil unrest and class division

Temple of Hercules Olivarus

Republican time
Earliest surviving marble temple; made of Greek marble; built by a rich man to thank Hercules for his protection

Julius Cesar

Made himself dictator in 48 BCE and took full control in 45 BCE amidst civil wars / unrest; did lots for public wellfare; senators didn’t like not being in power and assassinated him in 44 BCE; Rome still fell into civil war

Porticus of Octavia

Imperial time; used to be a whole complex of formal buildings

Augustus (Octavian)

First Roman emperor; appointed in Cesar’s will; took formal rule in 27 BCE

Theater of Marcellus

Started in Republican by Cesar, finished by Augustus in honor of his nephew who died; inspired the colusseum; travertine
Private home built on top added much later by rich patron

Hadrian

Emperor of Rome; loved Greece; Patronized the arts and intellects

Pantheon

Imperial time
Started by Trajan
Rebuilt by Hadrian after originals were destroyed in natural disasters; perfect circle able to be held inside; extremely thick walls that get thinner further up; many structures built around it to hold it up; dedicated to all gods; unknown architect but possibly Apollodorus; dating available from brick stamps
Concrete, brick, travertine, tufa to build structure
Portico is lower than intended due to shorter columns ordered from Egypt
Worlds largest concrete dome
Oculus was unintended because a closed dome was too dangerous to build
Formerly part of a massive complex of buildings and temples
Many important figures and artists buried there (Italian royal family, Rafael)
Now a church

Emblema

Opus Sectile

Type of mosaic composed of large pieces of varying materials including natural stone and glass

Medeusa’s Head by Bernini

Special because of the captured emotion on her face; a “frozen moment in time”

Statue of Constantine

Political figure depicted as Hercules; early form of political propaganda; multiple copies would’ve been made and shipped all over the empire to be placed in public squares

Marcus Aurelius

Originally was placed outside in the center of the piazza; depicted as a merciful, powerful savior

Underneath the Capitoline Museums

The Temple of Jupiter foundations

Massive, ancient temple to Jupiter on the second tallest hill in Rome

Dying Gaul

A dying Turkish adversary depicted as a noble fighter; was very rare for someone to be depicted in a dynamic and vulnerable state, especially an enemy; a sign of Roman victory but respect for the opponent

Mosaic emblema from Hadrian’s villa

Musei Capitolini

Designed by Michelangelo

Constantine

Emperor 306-337 CE

Legalized Christianity; transition to the Middle Ages; made significant governmental changes; built very important churches

The Lateran

Originally owned by Laterani family in the Empire who lost their land to Cesar; Palace of the Popes; Cathedral of St John Lateran; baptistry; sacred stairway; popes chapel; land mostly developed in mideval buildings with interiors or facades redone in baroque

First christan basilica and first christian church in Rome

Cathedra

Pope/bishop throne

Lateran Baptistry

440 CE
Untrue legend that Constantine was baptized here; first baptistry in Rome

Martin V Colonna

Pope 1417-1431

Reunited Rome after the papacy had moved to France for a time; established papal residence near Vatican; began development of Lateran area

Basilica of San Clemente

1st century Roman warehouse - mideval church - early renaissance church
Some of the first mideval frescoes; Cosmatesque floor

Cosmati Family

4 generations of architects and artisans, including mosaic church floors; 1100s - 1200s;

Cosmatesque

Type of Opus Sectile; can be applied to any surface

Humanism

Late middle ages / Early renaissance; Began in Florence

Way of thinking that de-centralized the Church/god; value, dignity, and human potential; study of culture and nature to improve society; admired ancient Greece and Rome; way of thinking reflected in art, architecture, and changes in societal structure

Buildings designed to serve people, not display authority

Vitruvius

1st cen BCE

Roman architect and engineer; visual harmony; humanist principles; classical revival; geometry; influenced many architects after him; ratios of length and height

Durability
Function
Beauty

Michelangelo

High Renaissance 1490-1527

Monumentalism; emotional intensity

Raphael

High Renaissance 1490-1527

Perfected spatial arrangements; clarity; grace

Bramante

High Renaissance 1500-1527

Classical forms applied to modern buildings; maintained functionality and reasoning

Leon Battista Alberti

Late 1400s

Author and architect; influenced by Vitruvius and republished his ideas; spread influence of classical ratios and geometry

Sixtus IV Della Rovere

Pope 1471-1484

Large patron of arts and loved naming things after himself; displayed wealth and power

Julius II Della Rovere

Pope 1503-1513

Nephew of Sixtus; lot of war; established Vatican museums and st peters basilica

Leo X Medici

Pope 1513-1521

Did not GAF about the church and just wanted to spend money and live lavishly; worked towards maintaining his family’s powerful position in Florence and Rome

Paul III Farnese

Pope 1534-1549

Started Council of Trent & counter-reformationism

Paul II Barbo

Pope 1464-1471

Piazza Venezia development; resided at Vatican

Palazzo & Piazza Venezia

15th Cen; Dawn of Renaissance architecture in Rome

Patronized by Pope Paul II; Batista may be affiliated but unsure; travertine from Colusseum; pieces of a classical form literally “revived” into neoclassical forms; later developed monument to Victor Emanuel II (fancy building)

Ponte Sisto 1473-1479

Pope Sixtus IV; Baccio Pontelli; there used to only be one main bridge in the area to cross the Tiber; built from medieval ruins already on site and blocks from the Coliseum; if water reaches the hole in the bridge, the city will soon flood

Sistine Chapel 1473-1481 (frescoes continued through 1541)

Pope Sixtus IV; Botticelli; frescoes of life of Moses and life of Christ; original ceiling was blue with stars but it cracked and needed to be repaired; Michelangelo was hired to repaint it and proposed something complex and ornate instead of simple like pope Julius II wanted; painted The Last Judgement which was very controversial but seen as an incredible work of art; Paul III commissioned

Palazzo della Cancelleria 1485-1511

Palace of Cardinal Raffaele Riario (nephew of Sixtus); stone from coliseum and possibly theater of pompey; Piano Nobile with rusticated bottom; included a church; still owned by Vatican; spolia stone from coliseum and other ruins; passed between many popes; spolia’d pieces were recarved or added onto to appear new; new column capitals with renaissance style

Palazzo Farnese 1515-1541

Antonio da Sangallo the Younger; commissioned by Pope Paul III before he was pope; after appointed pope (1534) the palazzo expanded and parts were redone by Michelangelo; variety of window geometries

St Peters Basilica 1503-1590

Completely rebuilt starting in 1503 by Bramante; funded by Julius II; Michelangelo took over in 1546 by Paul III; he kept some of Bramante’s original essence but made it more grand; carefully studied other domes to construct a large one for the basilica

Via Giulia

Commissioned by Julius II; designed by Bramante; first important Renaissance urban planning project; large avenue and main streets for easier navigation compared to medieval alleys

Reformation

16th Cen throughout Europe

People didn’t like popes selling “indulgences” to fund lavish projects, so people caused an uprising and demanded reform; invented Protestants

Counter-Reformation

Council of Trent formed by Paul III addressed criticisms and thought of ways to keep people faithful to Catholicism; outlined some roles of art and architecture

Cathedral St John Lateran

Originally built under Constantine; architect wanted all black and white and minimalistic elegance but the pope wanted to preserve the existing antiquities

Scala Santa

Lead to Sancta Sanctorum; decorations patronized by Sixtus V; Jesus Christ is said to have walked on these steps; St Helena brought them from Jerusalem to Rome; may only be ascended on the knees

Sancta Sanctorum

Only building that was not destroyed during Lateran palace reconstruction; original private chapel of papacy; medieval artworks and holy artifacts