Giornale no. 1: Markets of Trajan

On Tuesday, May 19th Sarah planned a solo excursion to the Markets of Trajan and generously offered all of us Rome kids to tag along. It seemed perfect for the first one, so I was eager to take advantage of the opportunity. The antiquity did not disappoint.

Before meeting others at 9:00 am in the 'map room' of St. John's, Sarah, Mark, Ally, Elyssa, and I went to a cafe on our street. When it came to my turn to order I unexpectedly sprang for a cappuccino. I had never had one, and I am not a coffee drinker, but it seemed like the right thing to try while in Rome. I was rather amazed to find myself enjoying it! It was a swell start to a day of taking in the Markets.

Cappuccino a go-go

We made our way to the Metro for our inaugural ride and exited at Colosseo. Much like our first night in the city, we had a ‘sneak’ preview of a site we would soon be visiting. The Colosseum was immense and absolutely striking. We didn’t have much time to take it in, as we headed down the road, coming upon the Column of Trajan. After shamelessly snapping a few photos, we turned right, ascended some stairs, and came to the Markets.

After paying for our tickets in the gift shop, Ally found a tiny book called Rome’s Cream of the Crop: Sweet and Savory Tips for the Eternal City. We vigorously flipped through the pages of this little gem, taking pictures of the recommendations that caught our eye. We would return to this book for guidance in the next couple of days.

Making our way into the main hall of the museum, I was decently surprised to find modern elements unrelated to the Markets. The floors were covered with mirrors and fluffy white tulle dresses floated from the ceiling, twirling ever so slightly. I appreciated the museum’s exposed brick walls as well as the natural light that came through. The space seemed fresh and well kept. I carried on to one of the side rooms, where two gorgeous couture gowns stole my attention. At first confused by their presence, I gathered that they, in addition to the floating tutus and the other garments I would wander upon, were part of an exhibit being housed in the museum. The first set I came across were from the 1950s, one made by Christian Dior. I enjoyed their elegance, feeling that they somehow fit with the museum.

With the dresses off to the side I noticed what was in the center of this room: a hulking statue of a male figure’s armored torso, headless and fragmentary. Made of thassos marble, the statue was made in 112 CE and resided in the Forum of Trajan. I was intrigued by this work and wondered what purpose it served in the Forum. Its smoothness baffled me. Moving through the other rooms on the first level I came upon many a statue and fragment and many a garb. The apparel’s common thread (hehe) appeared to be inspiration taken from food. What a glorious muse.

Ready to bust out of the museum portion, I exited the building at the back. I was not expecting the grandeur of what I saw next. I went up to the main concourse, basking in the view of the Markets’ ground level, the ‘wedding cake,’ and the sweet Roman sky. The curved structure of the Markets was a pleasing terracotta hue, fitted with a plethora of arched windows. Scattered down below and on the structure itself was another example of the present meeting the past. Modern black and white swirled sculptures littered the space. While walking past the Markets on our way there, these works distracted me. Yet I found it easy to ignore them once I was in the Markets. Unfortunately I was nearly impossible for me to imagine how the place would have been run, let alone how it looked, in antiquity. The vastness of the structure was a little overwhelming. The best I could do was go off of Sarah’s mention of the Markets’ small shops.

This did not ‘ruin’ the site for me at all. I was still able to marvel at its beauty, complexity, and the structure itself. Like a full-on tourist I could not stop myself from taking dozens of photos, hoping to preserve the memory of this remarkable antiquity. I am thankful to have so many things at my fingertips to explore at my leisure. I am looking forward to the next solo excursion!