L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 Donato Bramante: redefining the rules of Western architecture more than 500 years ago Fontana dell'Acqua Paola. This small treasure, hidden in the church's courtyard, was com- missioned to Donato Bramante in 1502 by Pope Alexander VI to honor the alleged place where St. Peter was crucified, and it marked the beginning of High Renaissance style in Rome. A l o n g w i t h M i c h e l a n g e l o and Raffaello, Bramante was, in fact, one of the greatest Italian architects and painters of that p e r i o d . T h i s y e a r m a r k s t h e 500 th anniversary of his death (1444-1514), commemorated – among other initiatives - with the issue of a postage stamp, featuring the spiral staircase that he designed for the Octagonal C o u r t y a r d i n t h e V a t i c a n Museums, and a special exhibi- tion in Vicenza (November 9, 2 0 1 4 t h r o u g h F e b r u a r y 8 , 2015), showcasing the artist's revolutionary project for St. Peter's Basilica. Inspired by the P a n t h e o n - t y p e s t r u c t u r e , Bramante's plan is considered a m i l e s t o n e i n t h e h i s t o r y o f Western architecture, innovat- i n g t h e s p a c e a n d i m a g e o f R e n a i s s a n c e b u i l d i n g s a n d c h u r c h e s , a n d s e r v e d a s t h e basis of Michelangelo's design of the Basilica executed in the mid-1500s. Native of the small town of Fermignano, in Marche region, D o n a t o B r a m a n t e p r o b a b l y Continued from page 1 Do you find it near impossi- ble to drag your children to a museum in search of exposing them and yourself to the rich cultures upon which our mod- ern societies were founded? Yes? No? Well, many do, and the developers at the V-MUST (musei virtuali) network have spent the last four years creat- ing a compelling virtual experi- ence that brings museum visit- ing into the 21st century. Beginning September 23rd, in the four cities that represent- e d t h e f o u r c o r n e r s o f t h e R o m a n E m p i r e u n d e r t h e Emperor Augustus, the "Keys to Rome" exhibit will invite and guide guests through the streets of the Immortal City as t h e y w e r e 2 0 0 0 y e a r s a g o . Through natural interaction installations, multimedia and mobile applications, museum visitors will be able to interact w i t h m a n y o f t h e a r t i f a c t s which tell the story of Rome during an extraordinary era of p e a c e u n d e r t h e r e i g n o f Augustus (27 BC – AD 14). Each tour is personalized by the individual visitor, who is given a key card or a "key to R o m e " w h i c h a l l o w s t h e m access to all virtual applications on the tour. This key allows the curious "citizen" of Rome to manipulate 3-D images of priceless artifacts, getting to know its every detail, as if the object were in hand. Imagine, viewing a gladiator's sword up close and personal instead of feet away through protective glass. Or you can use your fin- ger as a "revealing flashlight" by pointing your finger at the area of a worn vase, for exam- ple, and the area you indicate will be "restored" in color to its original state. Guests will also be personally guided through the exhibit by an elderly mer- chant of Rome and his nephew who will provide introductions to the virtual speaking busts of R o m a n c i t i z e n s w h o o f f e r insights into the political strate- gies of the time. The opportunity to travel back in time is simultaneously o f f e r e d i n t h e c i t i e s o f A m s t e r d a m , A l e x a n d r i a , Sarajevo and the titular city of Rome, all representing different perspectives of Roman culture. In remembrance of the death of t h e E m p e r o r A u g u s t u s , t h e Superintendency of the City of R o m e a n d t h e I n s t i t u t e f o r T e c h n o l o g i e s A p p l i e d t o Cultural Heritage (ITABC) of CNR, within the communica- tion program of Rome have j o i n t l y o r g a n i z e d t h i s r a r e opportunity, a first of its kind, to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors. F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n https://www.v-must.net The Roman Empire (vir tually) Lives! studied in the nearby city of Urbino with artists the likes of Piero della Francesca and Paolo U c c e l l o . T h e n h e m o v e d t o Milan, where he worked for D u k e L u d o v i c o S f o r z a a s a painter in the church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro and as an architect at Santa Maria delle Grazie and Sant'Ambrogio. After the fall of Sforza in 1 4 9 9 , h e w a s w e l c o m e d i n Rome by Pope Julius II, who appointed him papal architect a n d a s s i g n e d h i m i m p o r t a n t urban projects, including the c o m p l e t e r e b u i l d i n g o f t h e C o n s t a n t i n e B a s i l i c a o f S t . Peter. The Pope and Bramante died before his groundbreaking plan could be realized, and very few original drawings survived. According to the one on view in V i c e n z a , o n l o a n f r o m t h e U f f i z i G a l l e r y i n F l o r e n c e , Bramante's grandiose vision for St. Peter was slightly different from the Basilica that was actu- ally built, and inspired by the perfect symmetry of ancient classical architecture, combined with elements of Christian art to create a stunning monumentali- ty. After his death, the central- i z e d G r e e k c r o s s p l a n w a s replaced with an elongated nave in the Latin cross form, and the clear proportions of large barrel vaults surmounting each end of 4 equal-size arms around a cen- tral dome were altered. Yet, Bramante's style domi- nated 16 th century Italian archi- tecture, and paved the way for the Baroque era that followed. Examples of his artistic genius can be admired throughout the Eternal City, from Via Giulia to Santa Maria della Pace, thanks to the ambition and foresight of his patron Pope Julius II, who summoned the most talented artists of the day to add to the great beauty of Rome. Bramante's Tempietto at San Pietro in Montorio, near Gianicolo The "Keys to Rome" exhibit will guide guests through the streets of Rome as they were 2000 years ago PAIGE HOFFMAN

• Cover