19 May On Roma
by Patrick Freed NOT Taylor D
Upon reading Calvino’s essay “On Lightness,” initially I was very underwhelmed and thought that what he had written was an obvious matter. I thought that he was simply talking about maintaining balance in the pursuit of life. Due to the fact that I began reading it on the plane, I didn’t have a full grasp of what he meant when he wrote about life as a system of light and weight. However, upon a more critical reading, I now understand that what he meant wasn’t merely about maintaining balance, but that we actually have the power to create balance by the weight/importance we place on certain things.
Being in Italy these past couple days has been a trip and then some. Obviously going into this trip I had several pre-conceived notions about what awaited me in Italy, but over the last couple of days, those have all been shattered. I’ve been exposed to so many beautiful places and buildings and I’ve gained a true appreciation for Italian culture. Since reading Calvino’s essay I’ve come to notice his thesis in several aspects. For example, when exploring the pantheon I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and clarity, but I didn’t understand why. After a discussion with Dr. Permenter, however, it became clear to me why I felt this way. In the construction of the dome squares and circles were used to create a balance between the rational side of humanity and the more spiritual, divine side. The harmony of these two basic shapes gives the architecture a sense of completeness that is calming and grounding. This pattern of synchronicity is repeated consistently throughout Italian architecture as well as other aspects of the culture.
I have come to notice that Italians are meticulous in the methods in which they create art and food as well. I noticed this my very first day here when a few of us ate lunch at “The Bramble.” Our waiter was more than willing to bend over backwards to take care of everything we needed as well as catering to the language barrier with his minimal knowledge of English. Oddly enough, I also noticed this “lightness” at breakfast the following day. Not only was the staff very attentive and accommodating, but the displays themselves were aesthetically pleasing and you could tell that the food and drinks were all crafted with careful attention. This attention to detail is easy to notice for Americans who aren’t used to it, but I would imagine that Italians probably take this for granted as it is a part of their culture that is so deeply engrained due to where they place “weight.”
