Get Ready for Rome

Love Among the Castelli Romani

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Castelli Romani are a cluster of hill towns just to the southeast of Rome. This podcast reviews a good new book that explores four of them shows h...

108. From the Cattle Market to the Palatine and from Aeneas to Romulus

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After two episodes on the Forum Boarium, we move up to the Palatine Hill. At the same time, we move from Rome's distant prehistory and Aeneas to its f...

107. The Two Temples of the Forum Boarium

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The two temples in the Forum Boarium as illustrations of Rome's cultural flux over the ages.

106. The Forum Boarium and Rome's Mythical Prehistory

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is scant evidence regarding the prehistory of Rome, but the Romans supplied this defect by handing down and codifying engaging myths. Today we v...

105. The Making of Modern Italy

17 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today is March 17, the anniversary of the proclamation of the birth or making of modern Italy. It seems strange to me that this anniversay is largely ...

104. Where are we?

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If the Sistine Chapel reflected the moral vision of Christian Rome, is there any such coherent view in Modern Rome of how we humans should understand ...

103. A Pope's View of a Modern Problem

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Popes have frequently attacked the moral, political, and intellectual developments that gave birth to modern Italy. On the occasion of the death of Po...

102. The Secularism of Modern Rome

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We return today to the "secular" or non-religious character of modern Rome in order to see more clearly how much the Rome of the People has changed fr...

101. Michelangelo's Last Judgment

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we introduce Michelangelo's "Last Judgment," his vast fresco painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel.

100. The Four Corners of Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The four Pendentives of Michelangelo's Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel represent four different dramatic stories from the Old Testament. What are these ...

99. The Subjects Represented on Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We know that Michelangelo's painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was an extraordinary achievement, but what subjects does he represent and wh...

98. The Design of the Sistine Ceiling

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michelangelo used painted architecture and numerous nudes to divide the Sistine Chapel ceiling into separate panels and give it a complex design. Toda...

97. Botticelli's Facing Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michelangelo dominates the Sistine Chapel, but the chapel's walls feature twelve frescoes by the previous generation of great Florentine artists. We l...

96. Reintroducing the Sistine Chapel

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We return for a second introduction to the Sistine Chapel and outline some of the main challenges Michelangelo had to overcome in painting the ceiling...

95. The Overlooked Side Walls of the Sistine Chapel

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode introduces the twelve frescoes on the side walls of the Sistine Chapel, which invite a comparison between the lives and laws of Moses and...

94. Introducing the Sistine Chapel

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We today make a first visit to the Sistine Chapel and look generally at the three different waves of Renaissance frescoes that decorated it. Two of th...

93. The Disappearance of Ancient Rome (Part II Lanciani)

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The difficulty of seeing Ancient Rome is that not much of it exists. The distinguished archeologist Rodolfo Lanciani documents this, and today we comp...

92. D-Day and the Liberation of Rome, June 1944

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

American troops liberated Rome from German occupation just 2 days before D-Day. What made it possible, and why did the liberation occur when it did?

91. The Destruction of Ancient Rome (Part I Gibbon)

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We have taken an introductory look at the reasons Paganism was replaced Christianity, but why have so many of the magnificent buildings the pagans bui...

90. Edward Gibbon on the Destruction of Paganism

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We today consider Gibbon's explanation of how the Christians of Constantine's century advanced their faith by taking active measures against paganism....

89. Edward Gibbon on the Christianization of Rome

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire advances five causes for the early Christians' triumph over their pagan and Hebrew rivals.  This...

88. Constantine and the Christianization of Rome

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After noting the contradictory ways Constantine is remembered in Roman art and architecture, we turn to the main policies of this first Christian Empe...

87. Trailer: Season 2 of Get Ready for Rome

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This short podcast reviews our goals and announces the beginning of our second season on April 21. The subject will be Rome, Constantine, and the Chri...

86. Looking Ahead at Get Ready for Rome

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I today announce that I've begun taking a break that I hope will also help me get ready for a new season of podcasts, and I summarize the topics and i...

85. A Lesson from Venice

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travel can be educational, as our many study abroad programs affirm, but my recent return to Venice got me wondering whether it can also be misleading...

84. Five Little Lessons from my Recent Return to Rome Mini Pod

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This short Mini Pod makes five points based on a recent trip to Rome and towns in northern Italy.

83. On Returning from Rome, Part II

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this second report on my return from three weeks in Italy, I consider some evidence suggesting Rome is as postmodern as it is modern.

82. Stepping Outside of Central Rome

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we venture beyond the central core of Rome to survey the most important sites on Rome's periphery.

81. On Returning from Rome

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I've just returned from a three-week trip to Italy, and I here begin a retrospective look at our travels, which were not much affected by COVID.

80. Getting Ready for the Vatican and Trastevere

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we survey the main sites to visit in Trastevere and in the area around the Vatican, an important step in preparing for a visit.

79. Exploring Rome's Campus Martius

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Centered on the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, the Campus Martius is for good reason Rome's most popular zone. Today we note its main sites to visit.

78. Three More Hills! Mini Pod

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we review the sites on the Quirinal, Viminal, and Esquiline Hills, which are not so much hills as ridges that meet in the area of the Termini Tr...

77. Getting to know the "Capitoline Zone" of Rome

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we inventory the main sites in the area near the Capitoline Hill, including the Forum and the Colosseum. This is an essential first step toward ...

76. Planning a Visit to Rome

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I offer here a few thoughts on how to plan a visit to Rome, from places to stay to the need to decide what sites you want to visit.

75. Navigating Rome Mini Pod

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Having a big picture in mind helps you find your way around Rome. I offer one here consisting of a Fixed Point, Four Roads, and Five Zones.  

74. Raphael's Hall of Constantine: History, Myth, or Propaganda?

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We return to the Hall of Constantine, one of the four Raphael Rooms in the Vatican Museums. Its main frescoes show crucial episodes in the life of the...

73. Introducing Raphael's Hall of Constantine

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After an overview of the three Raphael Rooms that followed the Stanza della Segnatura, we focus today on the Hall or Sala of Constantine, the first Ch...

72. On Leaving Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We devoted a couple of Mini Pods to the greatest of the Raphael Rooms, but what about the others? This overview should help get us ready for the Room ...

71. A Dispute in Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura?

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Raphael's famous "School of Athens" is in the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican, but what else is in this room, and are its several parts brought ...

70. A Return Visit to Raphael's "School of Athens"

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While the beauty of Raphael's School of Athens is widely appreciated, we today probe the controversial idea behind it.

69. Of Frescoes and a Schedule Change Mini Pod

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Vatican Museums can boast the world's most beautiful frescoes, but just what is a fresco?

68. Introducing Raphael's "School of Athens"

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We begin our look inside the Vatican Museums with an introduction to the deservedly most famous fresco of the four Raphael Rooms. In the background, I...

67. Of Monks, Friars, and Monasteries Mini Pod

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Friars are not monks, and the Catholic Church includes many different sub-groups or orders. Does this matter?

66, Team Della Rovere and the Vatican Museums

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Warrior Pope was also the first patron of the Vatican Museums. Why would a pope want to make public the nude statues of pagan artists and the book...

65. Pope Julius II: Pro et Contra Mini Pod

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We here take a quick look at the moral questions raised by Pope Julius II's outrageous conduct.

64. St Peter in Chains and Moses in Marble

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We make a second trip to the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, this time to focus on Michelangelo's sculpted Funeral Monument to Pope Julius II.

63. Big Questions and a Little Map Mini Pod

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This Mini Pod reviews the big questions that always lurk in the background of this podcast series and also introduces a new interactive map.

62. Culture Wars in Rome

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We today review the conflicts that divide Ancient, Christian, and Modern Rome, with special attention to the various monuments used by Modern Rome in ...

61. Michelangelo, the Warrior Pope, and St. Peter in Chains

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We move from one basilica devoted to St. Peter to another, and this one requires that we get to know better the greatest sculptor of the Renaissance a...

60. A War of Ideas in the Vatican Necropolis

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we investigate two tombs under St. Peter's Basilica, one of a saint, the other of a sinner, or so at least the saint would say. But this sinner ...

59. Augustus's Transformation of the Roman Forum

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We have already examined five of Augustus's major building project in Rome, but we have not yet considered how he changed the beating heart of Ancient...

58. Mussolini's Celebrations of Empire

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One way Mussolini tried to make Italians proud of their nation was by acquiring an empire in East Africa. After conquering Ethiopia, he brought an obe...

57. A Visit to the Tombs Buried by St. Peter's Basilica

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Constantine built the first St. Peter's Basilica, he buried a burial ground that was not excavated for over 1,500 years. It included tombs of bot...

56. Augustus and the Obelisks of Rome

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Augustus and his imperial successors erected Egyptian obelisks in ancient Rome, and 13 of them are landmarks in the city today, though no one of them ...

55. Mussolini's Recasting of Garibaldi on the Janiculum Hill

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

1932 was the tenth anniversary of the Fascist March on Rome and the Fiftieth Anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the most lionized leader ...

54. Historical Vertigo in Rome Mini Pod

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From week to week, my topics jump from Ancient Rome, to Christian Rome, to Modern Rome. This rapid leaping across the centuries may lead to a sort of ...

53. Rome's First Christians and their Catacombs

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Recent episodes have followed Bernini as a preliminary guide to the spirit of Christian Rome in the time of the Counterreformation, when the new St. P...

52. Augustus, Antony, and Apollo's Temple on the Palatine Hill

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Augustus boasted that he turned Rome from brick to marble, and I think he  did. But did he also turn it from a republic to an empire and, if so, did ...

51. Mussolini and the Piazza of Augustus the Emperor

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mussolini wanted to identify Fascist Rome with Ancient Rome, but more than this, he wanted to associate himself with Augustus, the first and founding ...

50. Back to the Borghese, Bernini, and the Baroque

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We return to the Galleria Borghese to consider the remaining two of Bernini's four masterpieces, his Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanias, and his David. Bo...

49. Augustus: The Man and His Forum

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we visit the Forum of Augustus, the second of the five Imperial Forums of Ancient Rome. Apart from providing a general overview, I hope to show ...

48. Mussolini's Gutting of Rome in Search of its "Romanness"

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mussolini represented a revolutionary change in Italian government, and he sought to transform the look of Rome as well. He did this partly by the str...

47, Bernini Meets Ovid in the Villa Borghese

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We visit the Galleria Borghese and focus on two sensual statues sculpted by Gianlorenzo Bernini, both based on stories told by the old Latin poet Ovid...

46. Back to the Beginning: A Quick Review of My Goals Mini Pod

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On this six-month anniversary of Get Ready for Rome, I review the goals of this podcast series. They are partly straightforward: to introduce Rome's m...

45. Augustus: The Man and His Mausoleum

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we discuss the Mausoleum of Augustus, the huge and once-beautiful funeral monument Augustus built for himself and his family. As the Altar of Pe...

44. Mazzini and the Power of Ideas Mini Pod

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We saw that Mazzini believed that the spread of ideas was the first and most important step in starting the revolution he wanted to transform Italy. I...

43. Giuseppe Mazzini: The Man and His Monument

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Giuseppe Mazzini prepared the soil for the unification and eventual democratization of Italy by forty years of high-level writing urging Italians and ...

42. Bernini, the Baroque, and the Borghese

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our subject is the Villa Borghese, a sprawling park on the north side of Rome and home to Rome's most wonderful museum, the Galleria Borghese. Unscrup...

41. Augustus and His Altar of Peace

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Altar of the Peace of Augustus lay buried in the muck of Rome for over a thousand years, but it is now recognized as one of the best examples of c...

40. A Marriage, an Affair, and the Making of Italy Mini Pod

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A glow surrounds leaders remembered by monuments, as it generally should, but it is still instructive to look closely at the hard choices they had to ...

36. The Count of Cavour: The Man and His Monument

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Count of Cavour was one of the Four Fathers of Modern Italy, but this fact becomes interesting only if we know what he did and how he did it. The ...

35. The Triumph of the Church in St. Peter's Basilica

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We return today to St. Peter's Basilica and do an inventory of the contents of its nave, aisles, and transept. Do its many chapels, altars, statues, a...

34. The Arch of Constantine and Reunification of the Roman Empire

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Constantine is the central figure in the transformation of the entire Roman Empire from pagan to Christian in the fourth century, but why he initiated...

33. The Monument to Garibaldi and his "Expedition of the Thousand" in 1860

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Of Garibaldi's many military adventures and many contributions to the unification of Italy, none was more dramatic or more consequential than his conq...

32. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Entrance to St. Peter's Basilica, and the Creation of Europe

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we visit the Portico of St. Peter's Basilica, and find there--again!--the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Rome's greatest and most prolific Baroqu...

31. Tacitus on the Games Held in the Colosseum

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The famous Roman Historian Tacitus is critical of a Roman emperor and of the Roman people for their enthusiasm for the gladiatorial games held in Roma...

30. On Blaming the Romans for their Bloody "Games"

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We previously looked at the Colosseum as a major and impressive work of ancient architecture, and then reviewed the events the Romans staged in it. To...

29. The Monument to Garibaldi and the Roman Republic of 1849

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today we return to Garibaldi's statue on the Janiculum Hill and review the events that are summarized in the bronze sculpture group on the front of th...

28. On Entering the Largest Church in the World

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We begin with the total destruction of the Old St. Peter's and then visit the center of the Renaissance and Baroque Basilica that replaced it. We find...

27. The Bloody "Games" of the Roman Amphitheaters

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've discussed the Colosseum as a building, but we have not yet explored the ways the Romans put it to use. Today look at the three main activities s...

26, A New Statue in an Old Piazza: Angels Unawares Mini Pod

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pope Francis recently inaugurated a new statue in Piazza San Pietro, the first new statue there in four centuries. Called Angels Unawares, it calls at...

25. Giuseppe Garibaldi: The Man and His Monument

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Of the Four Founders of Modern Italy, Giuseppe Garibaldi lived the most colorful life and—at least on the field of battle—made the greatest contri...

24. Pods in the Pipeline Mini Pod

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I here preview four different podcasts I'm working on at the moment. The most pressing is on Garibaldi, and I hope to have it ready to go by December ...

23. A Second Visit to St. Peter's Basilica: The Piazza and Colonnade

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After 1200 years, the first Roman basilica dedicated to St. Peter was torn down, and then began the slow process of building a new one on the same loc...

22. Generosity and Violence Behind the Building of the Colosseum Mini Pod

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today we glance at why the Flavian Emperors may have built the Colosseum and how they put themselves in a position to do so. What did such vast public...

21. A Second Look at the Colosseum: The Structure Itself

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast discusses the Colosseum as a building, including its overall shape, the huge awning that protected the spectators from the hot Roman sun,...

20. A Secular Roman Monument Gets Religion Mini Pod

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Although its exterior is utterly devoid of Christian symbols, the Monument to King Victor Emmanuel II has a Christian chapel deep within it. Why is it...

19. Modern Italy's Main Monument to Itself: the Vittoriano

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Modern Italy's largest, most expensive, and most eye-catching monument goes most often by its nickname, the Wedding Cake. It is huge, bright white, an...

18. Of Barns and Basilicas! Mini Pod

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ancient Rome had, and Christian Rome still has, lots of buildings called "basilicas." But this important word is used in two senses. So just what is a...

17. A First Visit to Vatican City and Saint Peter's Basilica

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We here survey and introduce the main sites of Vatican City and Saint Peter's Basilica. These include the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, and other...

16. The Colosseum and the Looting of Jerusalem Mini Pod

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Where did the Flavian Dynasty get the resources needed to build the Colosseum? The sorry condition in which Nero had left Rome and epigraphical eviden...

15. A First Visit to the Colosseum

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This first of four pods on the Colosseum offers a general overview of the structure, including its architecture and the materials used to build it. We...

14. Fewer Halos, More Nudes Mini Pod

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The art in Rome's churches and museums includes many characters with halos and many without clothes, but these two groups rarely overlap. This pod fir...

13. Introduction to Modern Rome

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Italy was not unified until 1860, and even then it lacked Rome, which remained under papal rule until 20 September 1870. Why did the supporters of the...

12. Going Up! Rome's Changing Ground Levels Mini Pod

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We here observe several places in Rome that offer dramatic evidence of how much ground level has changed over Rome's long history. Doing so deepens ou...

11. Introduction to Christian Rome

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This pod presents a quick overview of how Rome changed after it became Christian, both in its prevailing art and architecture and in its soul. It note...

10. Rome's Talking Statues Mini Pod

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rome is home to Pasquino and five other "Talking Statues," which are exceeding popular with tour guides. For the last three centuries of Papal Rule in...

9. Introduction to Ancient Rome

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This pod introduces the features that most identify Ancient Rome, especially in her differences from Christian and Modern Rome. These include the exte...

8. A First Trip to Castelgandolfo Mini Pod

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When you feel like a break from the hubbub of Rome, the Castelli Romani offer several good options. Today we make our first visit to Castelgandolfo, w...

7. The Three Romes

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cities are distinguished by their geographical location, but I here use historical and cultural differences to divide Rome into three radically differ...