Get Ready for Rome
197 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsGet Ready for Rome helps the thoughtful traveler prepare to visit the Eternal City by introducing the city’s main monuments and the sometimes acrimonious dialogue they imply. Add value to your visit to Rome by getting to know in advance the ideas and history that stand behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel and other familiar but put poorly understood sites of one of the world’s greatest cities.
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Episodes
Getting to know the “Capitoline Zone” of Rome
September 16, 2021 16:00 - 8 minutes - 6.43 MBToday 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 choosing what is most important to visit in this zone of Rome.
Planning a Visit to Rome
September 09, 2021 16:00 - 9 minutes - 7.61 MBI 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.
76. Planning a Visit to Rome
September 09, 2021 16:00 - 9 minutes - 7.61 MBI 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
September 02, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.92 MBHaving 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.
Navigating Rome
September 02, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 9.92 MBHaving 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.
Raphael’s Hall of Constantine: History, Myth, or Propaganda?
August 24, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 16.6 MBWe 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 Emperor Constantine, but did they ever happen?
74. Raphael’s Hall of Constantine: History, Myth, or Propaganda?
August 24, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 16.6 MBWe 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 Emperor Constantine, but did they ever happen?
Introducing Raphael's Hall of Constantine
August 17, 2021 16:08 - 20 minutes - 15.3 MBAfter 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 Christian Emperor.
73. Introducing Raphael's Hall of Constantine
August 17, 2021 16:08 - 20 minutes - 15.3 MBAfter 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 Christian Emperor.
72. On Leaving Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura
August 12, 2021 19:08 - 15 minutes - 11.4 MBWe 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 of Constantine, coming up next.
On Leaving Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura
August 12, 2021 19:08 - 15 minutes - 11.4 MBWe 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 of Constantine, coming up next.
71. A Dispute in Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura?
August 05, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 10.3 MBRaphael'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 into a harmonious whole?
A Dispute in Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura?
August 05, 2021 16:00 - 13 minutes - 10.3 MBRaphael'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 into a harmonious whole?
70. A Return Visit to Raphael's "School of Athens"
July 29, 2021 16:04 - 12 minutes - 9.69 MBWhile the beauty of Raphael's School of Athens is widely appreciated, we today probe the controversial idea behind it.
A Return Visit to Raphael's "School of Athens"
July 29, 2021 16:04 - 12 minutes - 9.69 MBWhile 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
July 22, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 9.34 MBThe Vatican Museums can boast the world's most beautiful frescoes, but just what is a fresco?
Of Frescoes and a Schedule Change
July 22, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 9.34 MBThe Vatican Museums can boast the world's most beautiful frescoes, but just what is a fresco?
68. Introducing Raphael's "School of Athens"
July 20, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 16.6 MBWe 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 wonder whether modern universities are still moved by the ideal it represents.
Introducing Raphael's "School of Athens"
July 20, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 16.6 MBWe 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 wonder whether modern universities are still moved by the ideal it represents.
Of Monks, Friars, and Monasteries
July 15, 2021 17:21 - 9 minutes - 6.88 MBFriars are not monks, and the Catholic Church includes many different sub-groups or orders. Does this matter?
67. Of Monks, Friars, and Monasteries Mini Pod
July 15, 2021 17:21 - 9 minutes - 6.88 MBFriars are not monks, and the Catholic Church includes many different sub-groups or orders. Does this matter?
Team Della Rovere and the Vatican Museums
July 13, 2021 16:00 - 17 minutes - 13.5 MBThe 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 books of pagan thinkers?
66, Team Della Rovere and the Vatican Museums
July 13, 2021 16:00 - 17 minutes - 13.5 MBThe 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 books of pagan thinkers?
65. Pope Julius II: Pro et Contra Mini Pod
July 08, 2021 16:00 - 8 minutes - 6.34 MBWe here take a quick look at the moral questions raised by Pope Julius II's outrageous conduct.
Pope Julius II: Pro et Contra
July 08, 2021 16:00 - 8 minutes - 6.34 MBWe here take a quick look at the moral questions raised by Pope Julius II's outrageous conduct.
St Peter in Chains and Moses in Marble
July 06, 2021 15:36 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBWe 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.
64. St Peter in Chains and Moses in Marble
July 06, 2021 15:36 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBWe 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.
Big Questions and a Little Map
July 01, 2021 15:23 - 6 minutes - 4.72 MBThis Mini Pod reviews the big questions that always lurk in the background of this podcast series and also introduces a new interactive map.
63. Big Questions and a Little Map Mini Pod
July 01, 2021 15:23 - 6 minutes - 4.72 MBThis Mini Pod reviews the big questions that always lurk in the background of this podcast series and also introduces a new interactive map.
Culture Wars in Rome
June 29, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 14.9 MBWe today review the conflicts that divide Ancient, Christian, and Modern Rome, with special attention to the various monuments used by Modern Rome in its struggle to bury the Rome of the Popes. Can we find, notwithstanding these many quarrels, something identifiable as Western Civilization?
62. Culture Wars in Rome
June 29, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 14.9 MBWe today review the conflicts that divide Ancient, Christian, and Modern Rome, with special attention to the various monuments used by Modern Rome in its struggle to bury the Rome of the Popes. Can we find, notwithstanding these many quarrels, something identifiable as Western Civilization?
61. Michelangelo, the Warrior Pope, and St. Peter in Chains
June 22, 2021 16:11 - 22 minutes - 16.3 MBWe 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 and a pope who wore armor into battle and also promoted the finest art of the Roman Renaissance.
Michelangelo, the Warrior Pope, and St. Peter in Chains
June 22, 2021 16:11 - 22 minutes - 16.3 MBWe 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 and a pope who wore armor into battle and also promoted the finest art of the Roman Renaissance.
A War of Ideas in the Vatican Necropolis
June 15, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 14.9 MBToday 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 defends himself.
60. A War of Ideas in the Vatican Necropolis
June 15, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 14.9 MBToday 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 defends himself.
59. Augustus’s Transformation of the Roman Forum
June 08, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 16.5 MBWe 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 Rome, the Forum. Today we do.
Augustus’s Transformation of the Roman Forum
June 08, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 16.5 MBWe 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 Rome, the Forum. Today we do.
58. Mussolini's Celebrations of Empire
June 01, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 16 MBOne way Mussolini tried to make Italians proud of their nation was by acquiring an empire in East Africa. After conquering Ethiopia, he brought an obelisk back to Rome and likened himself to the Ancient Romans. Today we review Mussolini and the monuments celebrating the imperial efforts of modern Italy.
Mussolini's Celebrations of Empire
June 01, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 16 MBOne way Mussolini tried to make Italians proud of their nation was by acquiring an empire in East Africa. After conquering Ethiopia, he brought an obelisk back to Rome and likened himself to the Ancient Romans. Today we review Mussolini and the monuments celebrating the imperial efforts of modern Italy.
A Visit to the Tombs Buried by St. Peter's Basilica
May 25, 2021 16:00 - 23 minutes - 17.4 MBWhen 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 both Pagans and Christians, perhaps including that of St. Peter himself. We visit it today.
57. A Visit to the Tombs Buried by St. Peter's Basilica
May 25, 2021 16:00 - 23 minutes - 17.4 MBWhen 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 both Pagans and Christians, perhaps including that of St. Peter himself. We visit it today.
Augustus and the Obelisks of Rome
May 18, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 14.7 MBAugustus 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 stands in its original location. Why were they so important for Augustus and his successors?
56. Augustus and the Obelisks of Rome
May 18, 2021 16:00 - 19 minutes - 14.7 MBAugustus 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 stands in its original location. Why were they so important for Augustus and his successors?
55. Mussolini’s Recasting of Garibaldi on the Janiculum Hill
May 11, 2021 16:00 - 23 minutes - 17.1 MB1932 was the tenth anniversary of the Fascist March on Rome and the Fiftieth Anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the most lionized leader of the movement to unite Italy under liberal political principles. As a major part of his attempt to associate his Fascist Blackshirts with Garibaldi’s patriotic Redshirts, Mussolini added a statue of Anita Garibaldi to the Janiculum Hill and hosted three days of celebrations as her mortal remains were interred in the base of her statue. But wo...
Mussolini’s Recasting of Garibaldi on the Janiculum Hill
May 11, 2021 16:00 - 23 minutes - 17.1 MB1932 was the tenth anniversary of the Fascist March on Rome and the Fiftieth Anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the most lionized leader of the movement to unite Italy under liberal political principles. As a major part of his attempt to associate his Fascist Blackshirts with Garibaldi’s patriotic Redshirts, Mussolini added a statue of Anita Garibaldi to the Janiculum Hill and hosted three days of celebrations as her mortal remains were interred in the base of her statue. But wo...
Historical Vertigo in Rome
May 06, 2021 16:00 - 10 minutes - 7.84 MBFrom 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 "historical vertigo," so why don't I just march through Rome in chronological order?
54. Historical Vertigo in Rome Mini Pod
May 06, 2021 16:00 - 10 minutes - 7.84 MBFrom 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 "historical vertigo," so why don't I just march through Rome in chronological order?
53. Rome's First Christians and their Catacombs
May 04, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 19 MBRecent episodes have followed Bernini as a preliminary guide to the spirit of Christian Rome in the time of the Counterreformation, when the new St. Peter’s and the Galleria Borghese were built. But what about the earliest Christian Romans? Today we survey their burial places, the catacombs, to begin to learn how they understood the world and their duties in it.
Catacombs and Early Xian Art
May 04, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 19 MBRecent episodes have followed Bernini as a preliminary guide to the spirit of Christian Rome in the time of the Counterreformation, when the new St. Peter’s and the Galleria Borghese were built. But what about the earliest Christian Romans? Today we survey their burial places, the catacombs, to begin to learn how they understood the world and their duties in it.
Augustus, Antony, and Apollo’s Temple on the Palatine Hill
April 27, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 17.8 MBAugustus 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 his architectural projects help? We consider his majestic Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill.