These Roman Streets
A Survey of Art, Music, Food and Life
In the city that once held the cusp of the greatest Classic empire, Rome contains the layers of a culture centuries in the making. Long ago, these streets were thought to be shared by gods and people alike. Now, they remain as the meeting place of ethnicity and culture, of politics and art, of leisure and life. This is the city where all roads lead back to, and all who walk those roads are on even ground.
We four Purdue Northwest students spent our time abroad studying the intricacies of modern Roman street life, while exploring the impacts of the centuries of history literally buried in the city. Each one of us specialized in a unique aspect of the culture of the streets, taking the time to appreciate art, music, daily life, and food.
ART
As four pairs of fresh eyes coming to this city, we expected little in terms of graffiti and street art. In a city so proud of their history, we could not imagine to find enough to supplement even a conversation, let alone to write about. We were sorely mistaken. Once the our first steps were taken onto these lively streets, all eyes were drawn to the barrage of spray paint on nearly all bare, available walls. Every new twist and turn taken churned out more and more layers to the depth of Roman street art.
Rome is painted with the colors of the individual, so much so that the flood of individualism becomes lost on the native passerby. We had the fortune to stay in Trastevere, one of four main graffiti hubs. On the first day, with our analytical tourist sights set to each and every wall, our group of four was almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of tagging and art. Our tour through the churches of Trastevere that day also became our first tour of the streets.
One of the most notable sights of this area is just outside the Piazza di Santa Maria. Here, we found what we lovingly call the “Storm Trooper Wall”. This wall of painted illustrations and wheatpaste posters has been gaining in detail well over a year, with signature illustrations that could be found repeated across the city. Specifically on this wall are all of the mark illustrations of K2M: the pair of converse by the top, the blue and beige skater in the middle, the profiled face directly under that, and the t-shirt announcing “I ♥ K2m” to the right. A few of these images are found throughout other graffiti hubs, most prominently the profiled face nicknamed by the artist as “Beast” drawn in marker hidden everywhere from plain sight (K2M’s Instagram).
Graffiti is nothing new to the city of Rome. With an identity so strongly cultivated along the Tiber, Roman graffiti has been used throughout the centuries as a way to proclaim, “This I conquer! Here I stand!” It is a political tool by the people: the artistic hand of the individual. It is a pity, though, that the inhabitants of the city can so easily become desensitized to the walls around them.
Micaela Knox
MUSIC/PERFORMERS
As you come across some of the numerous plazas and consumer square areas, you can hear the echoing of beautiful musical sounds being produced. The elegance of street music is that it brings people together of any race, gender, or religion. Even if you are just wandering by, you cannot help but take a few seconds to listen, and if you are feeling generous enough, toss the artist a few euros. As somewhat of a musician myself, I made it my mission to help out every street performer by giving them whatever spare change I had. It may not sound like much, but they were all very gracious.
There are many instruments that these performers use. From what we could observe, the streets contained mainly accordions, guitars, and some beautiful voices singing songs I wish I could understand. Other instruments we saw played were, violins, basses, and steel drums.
Aside from music performers, the songs we heard from cars and on buses are from mainstream radio stations, usually pop songs coming from America. We could easily identify artists like Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake, and Ed Sheeran. Periodically, there are songs sung in Italian accompanied mostly by an electronic dance type instrumental.
Benjamin Grimler
DAY/NIGHT LIFE
Daily Roman Habits
From our times spent wandering in the mornings, I can confidently say that a day in a normal Italian citizen’s day begins with a good cappuccino before work. The next section of the day is most likely spent at work until their lunch break. Italians get ample time to have a leisurely lunch with friends and family before returning to work. Evenings are often spent having walks or going out with friends, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Italian life is characterized by the locations available for people to spend their time. Italian life is characterized by the locations available for people to spend their time. There are so many restaurants, privately-owned shops, areas for sightseeing, and places to relax, all exemplifying the ideals of Rome. Some groups of students visited some places more than three or four times during our trip. My friends and I were instantly recognized in the restaurant Mastro Fidelio because of how often we patronized it. Though, to the unseasoned tourist, the bombardment of restaurants and stores all may seem the same, the native Romans know the perfect places to frequent.
I would say the difference between American and Roman daily culture is a stark contrast. Just the scent of the air is distinctive. I was asked by a professor to define the difference between the two countries and I answered with, “America smells like grease and mildew, but Rome smelled of cigarettes and old water.” He pleasantly informed me that I was undeniably correct. The air, the sights, the smells, it all culminated into a distinctive feeling. We noted on our first days how the culture shock left us feeling like we were in a dream.
But as the changes settled in, we began to feel acclimated to our new space. The true differences are in the details of our everyday life in Rome. The little struggles that defined our frustrations are the same things that we used to characterize Roman common culture. Many of us continue to discuss how much we miss those things each and every day.
Style of Dress
We were prepared for the trip to bring only the best of our clothes: no sweatshirts, no graphic tees, no blue jeans. I was surprised to find that this was an accurate summation of clothing style. I doubt anyone would even go to the gas station in a sweatshirt. Walking the streets, you could point out tourists walking past compared to citizens easily. There never seemed to be an instance of dressing down. Many of the men I saw, even in bars, were out in dress shirts and casual pants. Women often dressed even more extravagantly than the men. Roman dress proved to be an example of the “umph” a little extra effort can provide.
Dogs
It may sound ridiculous, but dogs were a notable piece of our trip. No matter what part of Rome we were in, someone had a dog with them. There were no complaints because dogs are, of course, the best. The difference was the interaction between the people and their dogs. Many of the citizens walking their dogs did not have them on a leash. The dog would quietly follow alongside the owner. They were all so well trained too! Honestly, it was quite humbling. The sheer number of well-behaved dogs was too impressive. We often remarked on the speed the pet would respond to a command or how closely they followed their owner. Americans could learn a thing or two from European pet owners.
Aaron Alderden
FOOD
What might especially surprise you on the streets of Rome might be the array your taste buds could choose from. The streets, old and cobbled brick and stone, are branched with little side pathways and back alleys, all of which would easily take you to where you will find the people’s hearts: the restaurants. Most are little holes-in-the-wall: a place you might miss if you did not happen to be looking. Each one has its own charm and if you go into some at the right time, you will feel as if you had just stepped into a classic Italian movie scene. The tables are often close together and the people packed to the point you feel like you are all sharing one meal together.
Most of the restaurants serve as expected, pizzerias with stone ovens and more pasta than you could ever eat (or perhaps ever want to as I have come to learn) and gelaterias on almost every street corner. The true surprise is that there are far more choices for a good meal than the traditional Italian fare. There are authentic Japanese shops with sushi and ramen where you may be surprised to find that they not only speak Italian, but Japanese and English as well. Speckled across the city, they also have Mexican and Brazilian, Ethiopian, fusion, and many more.
Megan Wagner
