Castelli Book Club
A trip to Villa Adriana - TIVOLI
23rd October 2013
On Wednesday, 23rd October 2013, our group organized a visit to Tivoli to see the exhibition on Marguerite Yourcenar, author of this month's book, “Hadrian's Memoirs”. Unfortunately, not all our members were able to be present, which was a great pity as it was a really enjoyable day.
It was sunny and warm – maybe just a little too warm – as Margie, Francoise, Jill, Margaret and Gillian toured the fascinating ruins of the immense imperial residence. Since it was mid-week and off-season, there weren't many other visitors. The olive groves were quiet and peaceful, full of birdsong and we could absorb the atmosphere that Marguerite must have felt as she sat under her holm oak meditating on her masterpiece. A special thrill, in fact, was the detour (instigated by Jill) to the Temple of Venus in a remote corner of the site, where we were actually able to sit under the same tree (sadly withered) and contemplate the same view. The author's presence is recorded in a plaque and a wrought iron monument.
The Yourcenar exhibition was housed beside the Canopus, which is the most scenic spot in the Villa (see photos). It was a very satisfying exhibition, set out on two floors (you can easily miss the second floor if you aren't careful, other Book Club members should you decide to go – exhibition is open until the 3rd November). Downstairs was dominated by a life-size seated statue of the writer and a collection of photographs documenting her life, as well as quotes from her book and poems written by Hadrian. There was also a video of an interview with her before her death. The other rooms contained Roman busts and statues of the principal characters in Hadrian's life, as well as a magnificent marble crater, carved with herons in flight, which came originally from the Villa and is part of the Vatican collection. Upstairs includes the site's permanent collection of statues from the Canopus (the ones round the pond are casts) as well as documents and letters regarding Yourcenar. A special treat on show is the video of Giorgio Albertazzi's memorable monologue of the “Memoirs of Hadrian” inside the Villa ruins some thirty years ago. He subsequently repeated the performance in the Roman Theatre of Ostia Antica, which I was lucky enough to see and have never forgotten.
We finished the day in style with a plate of pasta and a glass of wine in the garden of a nearby trattoria – the joys of living in Italy! (M)
