campiDOGlio

Another Rome post! This is a colored pencil and graphite "postcard" from a series of drawings I did in Rome this past Spring. The idea was to create composite drawings of iconic places in the city. This drawing represents many aspects and views of the area known as the Campidoglio, which sits on the capitoline hill (where the word "capitol" comes from btw). Today, we see the work of Michelangelo that was begun in 1538. Historically this area, although the smallest of the seven hills of Rome, was always the political center of the city, and it is still used for this purpose today. The cordonata, or set of stairs, seen in plan and perspective view above switched the focus of the space from the forum to the south to the more modern city to the north. The three palazzo buildings are situated to create an angled piazza. The angles of the facades seen from the street visually elongate the space and give power to the central figure of Marcus Aurelius.

Aside from all the beautiful architectural elements of the design, the space is just plain amazing to visit. We spent a lot of time in the on site museum, which at the time housed a very informative exhibit about Michelangelo. It is also really enjoyable to watch the sunset from this area, especially overlooking the ruins of the forum-- one of the best views in the city! Make sure to take a bottle of Italian vino - Brunello di Montalcino 'll do it - and you should be set.