The Catacombs: A Peek Into the Early History of Christianity

Since the beginning of time, humans have been fascinated by higher powers, by the unknown, the unseen. Many religions have developed from this fascination, some flourish while others fizzle. What aspects of a certain religion give it more legitimacy than others? What was it about Christianity that eventually allowed it to gain popularity and respect in a previously pagan society? Sadly, very little literature (except for what is written in the New Testament) exists about the early history of the religion. But fortunately, buried deep below the outskirts of the city of Rome are the final resting places of early Christians, decorated with symbols and inscriptions that allow us to study the early evolution of this growing religion. These well preserved paintings and dedications allow us to study the early traditions and the beliefs of the budding Christian church, as well as track the fascinating evolution of customs and beliefs during the first 400 years after the birth of this powerful religion.

Early Christianity

During the first century AD, numerous religions were forming, but Christianity edged its way to the forefront and eventually became a hugely popular and respected religion throughout Rome and the rest of the western world. But times of pain and desperation were common for these dedicated early Christians. This monotheistic religion required its followers to worship only one God, and this was a problem in the Roman Empire. Christians refused to worship and sacrifice to the emperor due to their unique belief in only one God, which separated them from other existing and assembling religions. Christians were often blamed for flooding or poor crops because of their failure to provide the proper sacrifice to the corresponding god. Two of the cruelest emperors, Nero and Diocletian, subjected Christians to death by flame, stones, animals, as well as countless other painful and inhumane executions. Those who died gruesome deaths in the name of Christ were called martyrs.

Why would early Christians subject themselves to this torture? There are multiple aspects of Christianity that made it appealing to the masses, appealing enough to justify losing one’s life. The adoption of Jewish history and traditions gave the religion legitimacy in non-Christian circles, and the promise of eternal life after death drew many individuals to accept Christ as their personal savior. This promise made it worthwhile to suffer in the name of Christ, and martyrs were admired for being killed for professing their faith. Additionally, the sense of love and focus on community support as opposed to self-sufficiency was attractive to many. The hope of a future gave those who were struggling and in pain a purpose to continue pressing forward in the name of Christ. They suffered through uncertainty and a life of worrying about imminent torture in the hope of eventually being in a better place for eternity.

The Catacombs

Deep below the outer limits of the city of Rome are the burial places of over six million Romans. Because they were used for burial uninterruptedly from the early second to late fifth century, the catacombs hold the majority of early Christian art and written history. Despite the myths, the catacombs were not used for hiding for the early Christians. This myth came from a story about the Christians “hiding in the graveyards”. In reality, this probably meant above ground burial places or simply outside the city. The 60+ catacombs are all located outside the city limits of Rome due to a Roman law that forbid the burial of the deceased inside the city. Not only used for burial, the catacombs allowed the early Christians a place to worship, fellowship, and carry out their rituals such as the Eucharist, which was the breaking of bread to represent Christ’s body and the drinking of wine to represent Christ’s blood. 

One of the many hallways that lead through the catacombs

Despite popular belief, the catacombs were not exclusively Christian, and before the practice of burying the deceased in the catacombs, the Christians practiced other burial techniques. In fact, the absolute earliest date found for any of these below ground burial places is the early second century AD, at least 100 years after Christianity began to develop. Though the current pagan practice was to be cremated, Christians preferred to be buried whole in the way that Christ was laid to rest. Studies show that before the catacombs were used to house the dead, Christians would bury the dead amongst non-Christians in pagan necropoleis. As these grounds got crowded, the only logical place to move was deep down below the ground. Early pagan underground graves called hypogeum were unorganized and mainly housed family graves, and they could only be accessed from the burial grounds above.

By the third century, the effort to build below the ground became more coordinated. The below ground graves called catacombs, meaning “from the hollows” in Greek, began to house entire communities, not just families. These graves were built anywhere from twenty to one hundred feet under the earth, and were often built from the remnants of old quarries. The entire city of Rome is built on top of a layer of tuffa, a volcanic rock with a sandy texture that is perfect for the construction of these burial grounds. Before it is exposed to air, it is soft and easily quarried, but after it hits oxygen, it hardens and is strong enough to adequately support resting bodies.  When the catacombs were first gaining popularity, it was the families of the deceased who would perform burial rituals and actually lay the body to rest. But soon, there were people called fossores who would dig the graves, bury the deceased, and work day after day in these undesirable conditions below the surface.

Individual bodies were buried in loculi, which were the slits in the wall where the bodies were laid. They varied in size, supporting one or two bodies of different statures. The loculi were stacked 5 or 6 high on each wall, and there was no visible hierarchy in which people were buried. The wealthy were buried right next to the poor, showing the community focus of the early Christians. The bodies were prepared and wrapped in sheets the way that Christ was put to rest, and then sealed off with a sarcophagus. Sarcophagi, literally meaning flesh eaters, were like modern day gravestones. They commemorated the dead lying behind them with inscriptions including the name, date of death, and a short dedication, and were often decorated with symbols and small trinkets pressed into the stone. Wealthier families often constructed an acrosolium, which is an arched tomb that was larger and usually painted and ornately decorated. 

Loculi of varying sizes to accomodate adults and children and babies

By the fifth century, burial in the catacombs had lost much of its appeal. The Edict of Milan was in effect by 313 AD which made Christianity legal, and by 391, Christianity was the official state religion. Churches were built inside the city, so it was no longer necessary for Christians to go below the ground to perform the Eucharist. Plus, less space was needed for burial due to the declining Roman population, and the Germanic invaders who would raid the tombs and remove valuables that were buried with the bodies made burying the dead within the city near churches much safer and more desirable. However, the catacombs were not forgotten; from the fifth to the eighth century, pilgrims from all over the world would come to visit the martyrs. It was believed that touching and paying respect to the martyrs would increase one’s chances of ascent into heaven. This same concept explains why it was so popular to be buried in close proximity to the martyrs and the popes.

During the ninth century, church leaders sealed the entries to the catacombs and moved the bones of the martyrs to rest near the churches for ease of access and to protect these precious remains from grave robbers. Gradually, because they were no longer in use, Christians forgot about the catacombs, and they would not be rediscovered again until the sixteenth century.

Early Christian Art in the Catacombs

Since it was illegal to build churches in Rome and Christianity was not to be openly practiced, the catacombs served as a place for early Christians to express their faith in action as well as art. These expressions are still important today, and much of the iconography used back then still exists. We still view Christ similarly to how he was first depicted by artists in the catacombs. By studying the evolution of this art, we are able to trace the lengthy early history of this religion. Much of the art is well preserved due to its protection from the wind and rain, and unlike many other early monuments, the pigment still exists on the majority of the paintings.

Early Christian art stressed the humanity and approachability of Christ, depicting him as a young man and humble figure. It relied heavily on symbolism, and was used to arouse emotion and reflect the beauty of the God the creator. Art was extremely important due to the fact that many people were illiterate during this time, so Christian iconography was also used to tell the stories of the Bible in order to attract converts. 

An example of an early depiction of the Good Shepherd

Some of the art in the catacombs is clearly pagan, showing that the catacombs were not strictly Christian burial places. Christian and pagan art differed little with regards to style and technicalities, but as time went on, the Christian iconography developed uniquely. Early Christian art consisted of pagan symbols transformed to symbolize Christian ideals and beliefs. The shepherd was interpreted to represent the Good Shepherd, as Christ who would watch out for every single sheep and rejoice when it was found. This symbol is repeated over and over in the catacombs, and is often accompanied by other rustic motifs such as birds, flowers, and peacocks. Other pagan symbols such as the fish, dove, olive branch, anchor, and ship were adopted by the Christians and interpreted in order to represent their ideals. Because these symbols are neutral, it is rather difficult to determine whether they are Christian or pagan.  

A depiction of the ambiguous symbols of the fish and the anchor

By the 3^rd century, Christians began to develop a more distinct set of symbols and icons. During this period of catacomb art, Old Testament themes were over three times more popular than New Testament stories. The story of Jonah, the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, Daniel in the lion’s den, and the three youths in the furnace all repeat over and over in the catacombs dated to this time. While these specific stories are frequently repeated, others do not appear at all. It seems that the stories that illustrate God’s faithfulness and allude to rebirth and resurrection are all highly popular. These themes are appropriate, being that the catacombs were burial places for the bodies of common people who believed that they would rise from the dead and ascend into heaven like Jesus, as well as those who placed their faith in God and suffered because of this. Though the essence of Christianity is spelled out in the New Testament, the focus of this early Christian art was Old Testament scenes, giving Christianity needed legitimacy in non-Christian circles. Most of the successful religions were based on a rich history, and so Christianity succeeded partially by emphasizing their roots in Old Testament (Jewish) history and interpreting those stories to predict ones that occur in the New Testament.  

A depiction of Jonah being thrown to a sea monster

By the fourth century, New Testament stories were gaining popularity. During this time, Christianity had the same rights as other religions; therefore, the art became less neutral and more specifically Christian. The shepherd motif began to disappear, and Jesus became the centrally important figure. Old Testament scenes do not disappear, but because Christians are not forced to conceal their beliefs, they use this freedom to overtly express the essence of the Christian religion.

Priscilla Catacombs 

Deep below the surface on the northeast border of the city is where 40,000 early Christian graves are located. Common citizens are buried among seven popes and over 360 respected martyrs in a 3 floor network of burial halls in both an old quarry and network of water channels (as evidenced by sloping floors to allow the water to flow). Priscilla was a member of the Acili Glabriones family, a wealthy and aristocratic group that converted to Christianity and donated their land to the community.

There are three specific points in the Priscilla catacombs that are vital in our research and understanding of early Christian art and traditions. The Capella Greca, or Greek Chapel, forms part of the hidden portico, which was a large room where the Eucharist was performed. There is a large fresco in the center of seven people breaking bread, which is an allusion to the New Testament story of feeding the 5,000 people. Around this image are images of other stories, including Moses drawing water from the rock, Susanna and the elders, three youths in the furnace, Jonah and the whale, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. All of these stories are examples of God’s faithfulness when his commandments are followed, or allusions to Christ’s ascent into heaven, two concepts very important to early Christians. The Velatio is the other important point in the Priscilla catacombs. This famous fresco depicts a woman in 3 stages of life: marriage, childbirth, and the ascent of her soul into heaven. Surrounding her are images of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, the good shepherd, and other rustic symbols. Located elsewhere in the catacombs is the first documented depiction of the Madonna and child. This vital icon is still used today, and the study of the transformation of this symbol can give us information on the evolution of Christian ideology through artistic style.  

The ceiling of the Capella Greca or Greek Chapel which formed part of the hidden portico, an area used to perform the Eucharist.

Archaeology of the Catacombs 

                  The catacombs remained sealed and forgotten about until the discovery of the Vigna Sanchez catacomb outside the city on the southwest side of Rome. Because of the religious consequences of the research at this time of the counterreformation, archaeology of the catacombs lagged behind other projects. Two men are responsible for much of the knowledge that we have today on the catacombs. During the sixteenth century, Antonio Boscio used a systematic approach to discovering new catacombs. He divided the outskirts of Rome into highway zones and studied the itineraries of the pilgrims who visited the martyrs in order to discover new burial places. Giovanni Batista de Rossi picked up where Boscio stopped, but he placed more of an emphasis on discovering evidence and uncovering the chronology than on discovering the link between the church of the past and the one of today.

Both of these men devoted their lives to research in the catacombs, and can take credit for much of the knowledge that we possess about them today. Studying the history that they have uncovered allows us to understand the early evolution of this religion that took the western world by storm, and gives us a basis for understanding later changes in the ideology and traditions of the Christian church.

Works Cited

Benko, Stephen, and John J. O'Rourke . "The Catacombs and the Colosseum; the Roman Empire as the Setting of Primitive Christianity". 

 

Falacy, Callie. “Enter Into the Underground”.  http://honorsaharchive.blogspot.com/2004/09/enter-into-underground.html. 2004.

 

Fiocchi Nicolai, Vincenzo, Fabrizio Bisconti, and Danilo Mazzoleni. The Christian Catacombs of Rome : History, Decoration, Inscriptions. Regensburg: Schnell & Steiner, 1999. 

 

Pergola, Philippe, Francesca Severini, and Palmira Maria Barbini. Christian Rome : Early Christian Rome : Catacombs and Basilicas. Roma: Vision, 2000. 

 

Rutgers, Leonard Victor. Subterranean Rome : In Search of the Roots of Christianity in the Catacombs of the Eternal City. Leuven: Peeters, 2000. 

 

Shubin, Andrew. “Early Christian Imagery in the Catacombs of Priscilla.” http://honorsaharchive.blogspot.com/2008/07/early-christian-imagery-in-catacombs-of.html. 2007.

 

Stevenson, James,. The Catacombs : Rediscovered Monuments of Early Christianity. London: Thames and Hudson, 1978. 

 

Writing Assignment 3

Italy for Italians. This phrase serves as the platform of Berlusconi’s campaign and his period of rule as Prime Minister. It is a phrase parallel to the opinion of many, but not all Italians. The message is felt by an immigrant searching for work, a traveler exploring outside the geographical locations dominated by the tourist industry, and by a student trying to communicate what they are searching for in a store by way of hand gestures and broken Italian. We have yet to find the answer to the question of what makes a person an authentic Italian, but we have already discussed the top ways to spot a tourist or a foreigner. Ordering coffee to go, wearing sweatshirts and North Face jackets in public, speaking loudly in English, carrying a backpack and camera, and walking in large groups all seem to disqualify a foreigner from being mistaken as a true Italian. But in a country so dependent on foreigners to support its economy and identity, why are there such strong feelings of dislike towards foreigners? Immigrants fill jobs that many Italians refuse to accept, tourists bring vital revenue to the city. This question is not easy to answer because there are likely many answers, possibly an isolated criminal incident that involved a foreigner, maybe because they are an easy scapegoat on which to blame problems, or even that the animosity has been passed down from previous generations.

Regardless of Italian opinion, immigrants and foreigners are an integral part of the country’s identity and economy, and this is evident in the marketplace. Our excursion to the Esquilino marketplace was eye opening, juxtaposing the touristy environment of our current home of the Campo de’ Fiori. Exploring the Esquilino market alone for a while, I first noticed the absence of the stalls filled with I Love Roma sweatshirts and magnets, the absence of those shiny, puffy navy blue jackets that every Italian seems to own. I heard very little English, besides the frequent accented “Hello!” as I passed through the rows of stalls. All the staples of a market were present, mounds of produce, large pig faces that stared blankly forward, a variety of fish displayed on beds of ice, bags of grain and spices, and even stalls with shoes, bags, and dresses. I saw very few stalls selling pasta or traditional olive oil, indicating to me that expressing a stereotypically Italian identity was not a priority to many of the shopkeepers.

But what differentiated this market from others that I have visited is the variety of people, food, and products available. It is ethnically diverse, filled with immigrants and foreigners selling products from their homeland, shopping for foods and spices that allow them to cook their favorite dish from their country of origin. Seeing this market as a community center brings two distinct ideas to mind. First, the Esquilino market serves as a place where immigrants are able to come together as one, asserting their identity as a single community, immigrants. To me, being in the market again raised the question of what exactly it means to be Italian. Does a person have to be born in Italy, do they have to be full-blooded Italian, do they have to live in the country? Why do these people who live and work in the country, speak Italian, and assimilate into Italian culture have less of a right to be here than a full-blooded Italian?

At the same time, this market can be seen as a place of division instead of unity, a place where individuals display and express their unique national identity, setting themselves apart amongst a sea of immigrants from all around the world. Both ways of expressing one’s identity can be positive for those who inhabit Italy as a second home. Both allow them a way to express their identity and practice their culture aside from their assimilation into traditional Italian life. This marketplace expresses Italian identity in a unique way, showing that being Italian is not all about pasta and Bolognese sauce, olive oil and pizza. It shows that at heart, though native Italians may deny it, Italy is truly a nation of immigrants. With immigrants making up seven percent of its population, the overwhelmingly xenophobic attitude seems a bit contradictory. In a nation that relies so heavily on laborers to support their economy, why would the people oppose outside laborers filling positions that native Italians will not?

We suffer from the same syndrome in the US, subdued (or maybe not so subdued) biases that have either been learned from isolated experiences or passed down from previous generations affect our opinions on both the social and political consequences of immigration. We see the borderland of the marketplace expressed there too. Walk through the food court at a local shopping mall. In my experience, jobs at McDonald’s used to be reserved for the high school student wanting a part time job, now it is not uncommon for a recent immigrant with a heavy accent and broken English to take your order. People have their opinions of immigrants, illegal or not, but it cannot be denied that they are an integral part of our economy in the US. Recent immigrants searching for a better life in America are more than likely to take a low paying job working fast food, cleaning houses, or working in agriculture because it is an opportunity to earn money. Very few high school students of today are willing to fill these positions unless they have no other option. I do not mean to generalize, for every person who opposes the immigrant voice there is another who supports it, and these are simply my observations.

As I have discovered this past week, the marketplace is a perfect location to observe borders and the consequences of them. Different nationalities can be explicitly observed by the seeing the different products that selling. A border may manifest itself through a language barrier between the customer and entrepreneur. And as always, the mold of the past can influence the position that a person is able to fill today. Sometimes it is more comfortable to simply do what is expected, to follow the career path of those like you who came before instead of initiating change. 

Questions for Amara Lakhous, Author of Clash of Civilizations

Where are you from? I would guess Milan, but I could be wrong. How do you think your origins influenced your writing of the book?

I was fascinated by the intense feelings of superiority towards the southerners. It seemed that they were seen as just as much of immigrants as people who migrated from outside of Italy. I know that there are divisions due to the mafia, but what other reasons are there for these intense feelings of resentment towards fellow Italians?

Are any of the characters modeled after specific people? Where did you get your ideas for these characters and their personalities?

Plans and Ideas for Independent Research - Immigration

            My group, whose focus is on immigration and migration, has decided to focus on a marketplace (or marketplaces) and analyze what these centers of trade tell us about the way of life of immigrants. We still need to concretely decide how exactly we will organize and divide the project, whether we will choose one market or study multiple ones, and what aspects exactly we will analyze.

Aspects to Analyze in Marketplace (a few ideas to investigate, I hope to come up with more)

·      Employment – do certain ethnicities fill certain jobs? why? do they choose to work in the market or if given the choice (or money or education) would they work elsewhere? if so what is keeping them from this? what are the employment laws like? where do they get the products that they sell?

·      Family – why do immigrants come to Italy? do they bring their families or leave them at home? what role does family play in the market? what is the education system like for immigrant children?

·      Gender Roles – where are the women in the market? what jobs to they fill?

·      Integration into Italian Culture – what do immigrants think of Italian customs? do they plan to stay or return to their home country?

·      Italian Opinion – how does this influence marketplace business? who frequents the market?

Possible Markets

·      Campo de Fiori – might be interesting to compare to other markets since we live and walk through it daily, tourist center, open Monday through Saturday from early morning to 130

·      Esquilino – indoor food, spice, and textile market, we visited 1/21, wide variety of ethnic food, fish, produce, I noticed that there was no place to find Central or South American food, fairly cleared out with few tourists, area with the very wealthy and the very poor, open Monday through Saturday until 1

·      Porta Portese – “flea market” with a little bit of everything, many blocks with multiethnic vendors, bartering is popular, not very touristy, open Sunday

·      Piazza Testaccio – produce, meat, and fish market, supposedly fairly tourist free, historic, open Monday through Saturday until 130

Jewish Ghetto Journal Entry

Learning about Jewish holidays and the rationale and history behind the Jewish religion made me realize my own ignorance and the affect that it has had on myself and those around me. We have been talking, reading, and thinking about the purposes and ramifications of borders; they connect and they separate, they include and they exclude, they change and are reinforced, they close and they open. In relation to the Jewish history and culture, borders have had a huge impact on the historical and present way of life of a Jew, especially in Rome.

On the walking tour of the ghetto, our guide explained that the original reason for the creation of the ghetto was to allow the Jews a place where they did not have to live within the Roman Catholic culture. This sounds sensible and diplomatic on paper, but it eventually evolved into a place where the Jews were locked in at night, where they had to wear orange caps in order to distinguish themselves from others around them. Learning about this as well as the stories of the Roman Jews during the Holocaust made me reflect on my own ignorance and understand how it functions as a border. Seeing the uniform that the Jews were required to wear when they were in Auschwitz had a deep impact on me. The blue and grey jumpsuit crafted with thin material could not have kept them comfortable and thriving for long in the dead of winter. That small artifact made me think about WHY the Nazis thought it was OK to persecute the Jews. Did they have no soul? Or did they truly believe that the Aryan race was superior? In my opinion, it was most likely the latter. This crime against humanity was due to ignorance and unwillingness to see a different viewpoint.

I was fascinated to learn about the Jewish traditions, to see the workmanship put into their artistic creations, to hear the rationale behind their religion. In all honesty, I had never met a Jew before I came to the University of Washington, and before the tour, I knew very little about their religious beliefs and traditions. The community that I grew up in was not the most diverse place, and mainly consisted of Caucasian and Asian American families. Coming to the university, my eyes were opened to the diversity of both our nation and our world, and being in Italy has allowed me to grow even more. It is so easy to get caught up in what is going on in your own life and forget that there exists an entire world and history unfolding outside of your immediate vicinity. Every time that I travel I am reminded of this, but forget so soon after I return to my comfortable and enclosed environment.

Through my reflections in this class, I have come to the conclusion that ignorance is one of the highest and thickest walls that exist. But the ironic thing is that we build this wall ourselves. Many borders are built and embraced (to some extent) by both parties, though being on one side may be unpleasant, it is familiar and comfortable. But ignorance is a border that only you can control. Nobody is stopping you from observing, listening, reflecting, and pursuing intellectual goals. People love talking about themselves, love sharing their opinions, love feeling heard. But YOU are the one who makes the conscious choice to listen and pursue new knowledge. 

Writing Assignment 2

“How in the WORLD am I going to write three pages on the Italian opinion of the race riots?” I thought as we were given this assignment. I admit I was skeptical about how safe and doable this assignment was. How was it safe to talk to a random stranger about a controversial topic? How would I find someone who spoke fluent enough English to communicate their opinion that was likely complex on this contentious event and the ideals behind it? Needless to say, I was not excited to complete this assignment.

One evening this week, I was taking a nice stroll to satisfy my intense craving for gelato. After browsing over the many bright and unusual flavors, I decided to go with the classics, strawberry and vanilla. “Vorrei fragola y vaniglia per favore,” I said to the lady behind the counter. In clear English she answered back asking what size I wanted. I wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or offended, I guess it was considerate of her to speak to me in my own language, but I myself was trying to be respectful of the Italian culture and use as much of the language as possible. Apparently I still don’t have the whole looking and acting Italian thing down. I was taken a bit off guard by her clear English and I was still in my Italian-speaking mode, so I simply pointed at the 2 Euro cup.

While she was scooping my gelato, our race riot blog assignment entered my train of thought. She seemed friendly and spoke decent English, why not give it a try? In my opinion, she did not look Italian per se, but she had olive skin and dark eyes, and my inhibition indicated that she was a mix of African or Middle Eastern and some type of Caucasian heritage. Basically I had no idea based on appearance alone. I would guess she was in her late teens or early twenties, perhaps working part time to pay for school. After she handed me my dessert, I introduced myself as a University of Washington student studying in Rome for the academic quarter and explained the basis of our Borders class. She seemed interested, and introduced herself as Joanna. I discovered that she is 20 years old and attends a university in Florence, but is taking the semester off and working.

Asking about her racial background was a bit awkward, I didn’t really know what to say besides “What are you?” and it sort of just came out. Somehow she understood this ambiguous and seemingly strange question, and told me that her father is Italian and her mother is half Italian half Somali. Though SHE grew up in Italy her entire life, she also could understand the immigrant perspective because her grandmother was an immigrant.

While writing my paper, I was considering why I felt uncomfortable asking about her race. What was it about my identity made me uncomfortable talking about what should be a matter of fact topic? What I came up with is that I have a fear of coming across as a racist. It is non-debatable that it is within my nature as a human to surround myself with people who look like me, talk like me, and behave like me, so that is and always will be my natural inclination. Racism is not natural, racism is learned from others and it develops from one’s own life experiences. I will not deny that racism still exists because I guarantee that it does. But I have found that there is an enormous emphasis placed on peace, tolerance, equality, acceptance, loving one another, and so on and so forth in the American school system. Because of this, I find myself terrified to sound or act racist and I feel the need to constantly speak in a manner that is politically correct in order to not offend anyone. Though I think that it is a valiant effort on the part of educators to try to break down the walls between different groups, it has resulted in new walls for me personally. Because I don’t know what might offend someone, I tend to avoid the person or topic all together. What words are acceptable? Black? African American? White? Caucasian? Gay? Lesbian? Homosexual? Man? Boy? Dude? The list goes on and on, and I am afraid to use these words in fear of offending someone. What I am trying to say is that although I am fully against racism and sexism, I think that sometimes when more emphasis is put on equality, it can separate people and encourage avoidance instead of open discussion.

Anyways, back to my interview. After getting over my awkward start to the conversation, I asked Joanna what she knew about the race riots and how she felt about them and Italian immigration policy. I don’t know how to describe the look on her face, but I got the feeling that she wasn’t sure of what to say. What did I want to hear? What would I think of her uncensored opinion? She ended up telling me that she was not incredibly well versed in the subject, but that from what she did know, neither parties were handling the situation properly. Regardless of the way that she felt about immigration policy, she reiterated the fact that dealing with conflict through violence and bloodshed was not acceptable, an incredibly diplomatic answer. Why did she skirt around the topic of immigration policy? Does she share my same fear of being labeled a racist? Because of this, would prefer to just avoid the topic altogether? I will never know if she was telling me the whole truth or if those were her honest opinions. I can’t speak for the Italian school system, but due the concepts of equality and tolerance that have been engrained into my head, I would be terrified to speak poorly of any single group, and I imagine that she was as well.

After thinking about my interview with Joanna and being mildly disappointed with the uncontroversial interview on such an incredibly controversial topic, I realized how little I personally know about the race riots. Though I am not an Italian and the riots do not affect me, knowledge and understanding of the ramifications of these riots is crucial as a student studying borders. Embarrassed by my ignorance, I hopped onto my computer and started searching. I was in awe at what I read, stories of outright racism and violence. How could this be happening in a free country? This just reiterated how incredibly naïve and ignorant I am. I tend to just assume that because I don’t know about something, it can’t be important. I already know everything that I need to know to get by. I realized that this ignorant attitude gets me nowhere, but instead builds a thick, high wall around me. Though it might be more comfortable for me to stay in my bubble of ignorance, what fun would that be?

This assignment made me realize that I need to spend more time and energy in my pursuit of knowledge in a non-academic way. Though I thought that the most difficult part of this assignment would be to actually talk to a random person, that part turned out to be easy. For me, the most difficult part was coming to the conclusion that I am afraid of racism and that there are issues that I should know about that I don’t.  In order for me to learn and grow, I need to actively search and leave behind my fears and inhibitions. Surprisingly, this task is infinitely more difficult than approaching a random person.

Rome Borders Writing Assignment 1

Topic: find borders in Rome and borders you encounter in your wandering. Borders can be physical, psychological, or metaphorical as manifested in language, identity, memory, etc. Engage the city as a "traveler". Don't always go in a group. Often you will find more inspiration alone or with one or two companions.

            Aside from the obvious physical borders in Rome such as the river, various gates and walls, streets and paths, it is difficult for one to visualize and experience the less obvious borders unless they venture out in the city and engage in the culture. I was at first terrified to do exactly this, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge of the Italian language and my obviously American mannerisms. But what I have recently learned is that it is impossible to begin “acting Italian” unless you know how Italians act, and the only way to do this is to put aside your fear and inhibitions and observe the environment around you.

            One of the things that Julie has reiterated is the difference between a traveler and a tourist. A tourist goes somewhere with a goal of what they want to see and accomplish, a plan of where they will go, what they will see, and the type of impact that their tour of their destination will have on them; they are consumers. They go to museums, buy the souvenirs, eat plenty of pizza and spaghetti, and take hundreds of pictures. Travelers, on the other hand, go on a journey with a flexible plan or none whatsoever, they are open to what the destination has to teach and display to them, they go slow and notice the subtle yet fascinating details. They contemplate the what and the why, giving them a more distinct and realistic view of the culture and history.

            On Monday, I consciously began my journey as a traveler instead of a tourist, actively observing and searching for various borders that exist here in the eternal city. Not so surprisingly, I ended up lost on my way to the grocery store. Instead of calling a roommate to ask for directions, I decided that it might be fun to explore a bit and just go to the first grocery store that I happened to stumble upon. During my wanderings, I encountered the refugee center that I later learned that we would have the opportunity to visit, the bridge to Trastevere, and even the Pantheon (yes I was very lost J). Each one of these sights represent a potential border; the refugee center being the rift between the pure Italians and the migrants, the bridge being the physical border that divides two parts of the city, and the Pantheon as a representation of a typical tourist trap filled with cameras, I love Roma tees, and gelato shops blasting American music. This illustrates the psychological and cultural divide between tourists and Italians, shown by the different food that they eat, clothes they buy, language they speak, and activities in which they participate. My jaunt that early morning gave me a small taste of what it means to be Italian, and what the natives see as inside and outside. Had I been traveling in a group, it is unlikely that I would have noticed the subtleties that characterize things that are Italian, I had the opportunity to eavesdrop on conversations and pick up on pronunciations and accents, read signs and placards, and actively observe and analyze the behavior of the Italians that I passed.

            Later that evening, we discussed the Jewish ghetto and had an opportunity to go visit it and explore independently. Filled with signs saying “kosher” and stars of David, it was evident that culturally, we had entered into a different part of Italy. After learning the history of the persecution of the Jews, such as the fact that they were required to wear orange caps that distinguished them and have an early curfew after which they were locked up, some of the architecture and monuments made more sense. I noticed many more fences and gates, and a large Catholic church where the Jews supposedly took refuge during persecution. Talking about the Jewish ghetto and exploring it myself gave me a different perspective of what it means (and meant) to be Roman. Though I don’t particularly think of Jewish as a characteristic of an Italian, there is a large, thriving population of Jews right in the heart of Rome.

What makes these Jews any less Roman now, or back in the ages when they were being persecuted? Who decides where these borders are drawn physically (the area of the ghetto) and psychologically (making them wear caps and follow specific rules)? I am excited to dive into these issues illustrated by this specific example as we move forward in the course.

Borders in a Borderless World

“Our understanding of territories and borders is less rigid and less deterministic than in the past. Territory and borders have their own internal dynamics causing change in their own right as much as they are simply the outcome of decision making. They are as much perceived in our mental maps and images as they are visible manifestations of concrete walls and iron fences.”

            This quote reminds me of a couple of key concepts that we talked about in class today. First is the concept of physical versus psychological borders. The idea of concrete walls and iron fences being borders is obvious, but what is not so obvious are the invisible borders that we create for ourselves and that others create for us. An example of this is the language barrier. I personally am terrified to try out the little bit of Italian that I do know, and am embarrassed when I, a foreigner, am spoken to in English by an Italian. I feel that I am in their country, therefore I should know their language, so this tends to make me more withdrawn and less into socializing with the locals. This is a psychological border that I have created for myself, and I hope that as I learn more Italian, I will become more comfortable practicing.

            I find the thought that “territory and borders have their own internal dynamics” interesting. Rarely do I devote any thought to borders, they are just there and they serve some sort of a purpose to keep people and things in or out. But something that I have come to realize is that borders tend to stem from conflict. If there were no conflict, there would be no need to separation, private property, or “my own space”. Boundaries are in place to protect a person’s physical possessions, their geographical space, and their emotional identity. A person has a home to live and store their belongings, a fence to keep people off their property, and interests and ideas that are similar to some but different than others. Borders allow people a unique identity, and although they can cause others to feel like outsiders, how safe would our world be if people were able to move completely freely throughout the world? How boring would it be if everywhere you went, you saw the same cultural groups and heard all the same languages? Borders allow for diversity, but they can also inhibit it as well. They are not drawn or decided haphazardly, but instead drawn with consideration (sometimes not careful but they arise spontaneously) to cultural groups and conflict.