Student Journals: AIFS in Rome, Italy

Riga Grewal
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Richmond in Rome, Italy

Reflecting on Saint Peter’s Square

Not being Catholic, I sometimes feel numbed and overwhelmed by the vast amount of Christian subjects, symbols, stories and motifs present in the architecture and art of Rome. My six years in private Catholic school provide me with a good deal of perspective and background, but I do not often feel that I can share in the spirituality of these places. Piazza San Pietro is more abstract in its approach, and I therefore feel I can reflect my own sentiments on the place.

My favorite time to visit the piazza is when it is very quiet, well before or after the sun has run its course. The Church is at rest and the piazza is renewing itself for the next busy day. The calm leaves the air clear to think and explore, and the deep blues of the sky warmly contrast with the reflected glow of ochre lamps on the marble. The fountains chatter simply while a few visitors amble in the shadows.

The grand proportions and symmetry define and enclose the space. The implication of the two curving arms of columns is intuitive. I really feel as if I am being wrapped in an elliptical embrace. This embrace, however, can only be felt when facing inwards toward St. Peter’s basilica; you are then expressly aware of the source of this shelter. In contrast, when you face outwards toward the street and in the distance view Castel Sant Angelo, the feeling fades and you face the world in its reality.

Unfortunately, the plastic chairs reiterate this reality, and in consequence feel disharmonious with the elegance and wide expanse of the piazza, especially in broad daylight. They interrupt my view of the façade of the basilica and rob me of the full architectural environment. From previous trips to Rome, I remember fluid panoramas and being able to stand at the base of the obelisk. There was also a point where you could stand and witness only one row of columns, for the placement is so exact that the parallel colonnades disappear behind the first. It is a tricky optical illusion and I would spend a fair amount of time walking back and forth to watch them disappear. Furthermore, during my current trip, after reading Angels and Demons, I was unable to truly investigate Caligula’s 350 foot obelisk and hollow iron cross containing relics of Jesus’s cross and the West Ponente’s “Respiro de Dio” that was so deliberately described by Dan Brown.

My favorite thing about Brown’s descriptions is that they reveal mystery and depth, and sometimes even irony. For instance, the mathematical and scientific appreciation for shapes such as the ellipse or triangles provide a more intriguing view of things that I initially perceive very flatly. The fact that the placement of the two fountains is not arbitrary, but that they are the twin foci of the ellipse delights me immensely. He describes how Bernini’s commission of the piazza was to “humble all those who entered,” and though I usually would object to having my reaction predetermined, I do not feel humbled to the power of the Church, but instead am in awe of the ability of human beings. 

In conclusion, although the context of viewing Piazza San Pietro is entirely different, mine being a visiting student in Rome, Brown’s being a fictional suspense novel, the overall reaction is considerably similar. Furthermore, engaging in the view and experience of another with a completely different background and knowledge, allows me to participate and appreciate the space more. There is more meaning and presence, which allows my memory of the Piazza to be far more saturated and pleasantly summoned after my stay in Rome has ended.