[225] Art & Culture of Rome, 17 Aug 2010

This is Monument to Giovan Battista Gisleni, housed by the Basilica Santa Maria Popolo, in Rome.  During the 17th and 18th centuries, the rich were buried in churches, and these monuments functioned like the headstones we use today.  This particular monument was designed by Giovan Battista Gisleni himself, who was a Baroque architect, stage designer, theater directer, singer and musician.

The monument is about 2.5 feet tall, and two feet wide, and is mounted on the back wall of the basilica.  Although the skeleton looks real, it is a sculpture, possibly made out of marble, encased in a decorative iron frame.  It was one of the first things I saw when I walked into Santa Maria di Popolo, and the image stuck with me for the rest of the visit.  

This form of artwork is known as a "memento mori", which is a Latin phrase that means, "Remember you must die."  It is believed that this phrase began in Ancient Rome when the victorious Roman general was parading through the streets.  During his triumph, a slave would follow the general reminding him, "memento mori."  This concept became very popular in Medieval Europe, especially with Christianity.  Catholics have integrated this concept into Ash Wednesday celebration.  When the priest applies ashes to your forehead, he says, "Dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

Gisleni's monument not only serves as a grave marker, but as a reminder of our own mortality - a truth that is easily overlooked in a church that is adorned with the immortal images of the faith.  Or maybe, these monuments can get the faithful to look beyond this world, to the promise of eternal life.  Many homilies deal with the fleetingness of earthly pleasures, these monuments serve as a visual aid.

This is the Arch of Titus (Arco di Tito), one of only two remaining arches in the Roman Forum.  The Arch of Titus is located on the eastern end of the Forum, at the highest point of the Via Sacra.  It stands 51ft high and is made out of brick, stone and marble.  The arch was erected in 81CE to celebrate Titus' defeat and capture of Jerusalem, which ended the Jewish War.


The size of the arch itself is something the eye takes note of, but the most interesting part of the arch is inside panel which houses two reliefs.  One relief shows Titus in a chariot accompanied by the Goddess Victoria and the Goddess Roma.  Victoria, whose name implies it, is the goddess of victory.  Roma is the goddess of the city itself. 

The other relief is an image of the Roman procession up the Via Sacra with the booty from Jerusalem, especially objects for the Second Temple.  The Menorah, the silver trumpets and the Table of the Shewbread can all be seen clearly on the arch.  The Menorah, a seven-branched candelabra, was lit everyday in the Second Temple.  It has historically been a symbol of Judaism, but within the faith, the Menorah symbolizes universal enlightenment (with God as the middle candle) and creation in seven days (the middle being the Sabbath.)  The silver trumpets were used to call Jews to Roshashanah.  The Table of Shewbread is also know as the Table of Presence, and is housed inside the tabernacle.  The purpose of this table is to hold twelve cakes of bread that represented the tribes of Israel.  "Shewbread" literally means, "bread of the face", referencing that the bread is set out before the face of God.

All of these important images of Jewish culture have been entombed in the celebration of the defeat of Jerusalem.  This arch is a testament to Titus' achievement, but defeating the city did not mean he defeated the religion.  One could argue that the existence of Judaism today is a truer testament to power - these people have been depleated, but never defeated.