Getting Down to Brass Plaques-

Exploring the Memory Stones and History in the Jewish Quarter of Rome- Brian Keeler

Imagine your front door smashed, being manacled, then pushed downstairs and abducted by Nazi thugs on a cold autumn night in Rome along with some of your neighbors, family and friends. This is part of the legacy of fascism. We were recently reminded of this quite by accident at first,  on our recent Rome trip, as Linda noticed the rather ordinary looking brass name plates on the top of the cobblestones in front of our hotel on Via Arenula, about 50 yards from the Ponte Garibaldi, a bridge that crosses the Tevere or Tiber River.

Above- A tour guide pointing out a significant commemortive plaque in Rome's Jewish Quarter on Via della Reginalla. The plaques honor those abducted by Nazis during World War II.

The History of a Sordid Past and statley structures-

Our lodging was at the historically rich and stately building on Via Arenula 41.  Our chosen accommodations at The Xenia Guest House were on the 5th floor.  We liked the name, as it is the ancient Greek word for hospitality and the all important guest/host relationship.  But in regards to this essay, the word xenia is also related to xenophobia, or fear of strangers and by extension, racism.  But one enters this building through magnificent arched wooden doors after crossing over those plaques.  The atrium is magnificent with a wonderful sculpture of a nude Goddess standing in a niche.   The lighting is usually soft and cool except for when some shafts of light filter through onto the muted ocher pilasters and plants.

On a more benign and culturally enhancing note, our lodging was also the home of an art academy and one could imagine how conducive the setting was to foster lively discussions about art, philosophy and aesthetics in general.  

Here is a description supplied by our friendly concierge, Maria Sapienza of the Xenia Guest House;

Initially built as a private residence for the noble Marquis of Monteverde, the palace stands out for its elegant façade and its Baroque-style architectural details. During the 18th century, the palace changed hands between several aristocratic families, each of whom added a personal touch to the building. It was in 1753 that the palace underwent one of its most significant transformations under the guidance of the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, who designed a sumptuous internal courtyard and enriched the interiors with precious frescoes and stuccoes. During the 19th century, with the unification of Italy and the growing urbanization of Rome, the palace changed its use, becoming home to a prestigious academy of fine arts. Artists and intellectuals of the time gathered in its rooms to discuss art, philosophy and politics. Even the young Gabriele D'Annunzio is said to have frequented the palace's salons during his formative years. With the advent of the 20th century and the social and political changes that swept through Rome, the palace saw a period of decline. During World War II, it was partially damaged by bombing, but post-war restoration efforts managed to restore it to its former glory. In the 1960s, the building was purchased by an influential lawyer, who made it the headquarters of his law firm. 

 We were delighted with our good fortune at choosing this guest house at random. Its baroque style architecture is stately and hints at a time when facades on domiciles were taken seriously as an art form.  But the focus here is on the time when Jewish families lived here.  Those abducted from this building must have been fairly well off or at least middle class.  We assume the rent here was not cheap. Therefore, we wonder about the art, furnishings and jewelry that was purloined at the same time.  There are four separate entrances inside now that lead up to apartments or accommodations for travelers. The elevators are vintage and also support our contemplation of the history. Our rooms must have been part of the private residence or apartments at one time- particularly during WWII.  What could they have looked like then?

The brass plaques on the top of cobblestones are scattered throughout the Jewish Quarter- with about 200 in Rome alone.  They are called Pietri D'inciampo in Italian, or stumbling stones.  This Holocaust Memorial, of a very different kind, was initiated by German artist, Gunter Demnig in 1992. There are now more than 70,000 of these throughout Europe in 20 countries and 24 languages.

Our formal introduction came while on a tour with our Rome Studio group of artists who were studying there during a two week period in the beginning of July.  The studio director, sculptor and historian David Simon gave several tours, mostly of museums but also around the historic areas of the city.  We walked through the restaurant area of the Jewish quarter where he explained about the palimpsest nature of Rome, made evident by the ancient theatre of Marcellus that has Renaissance era apartments added on top of the Roman Imperial era theatre- the 2nd oldest in Rome. The oldest theatre in Rome is gone, but the theatre of Pompei the Great is evident still in the arched form of builidings not far from Campo de' Fiore. We were reminded of similar arched vestiges of ancient theatres in Lucca and Florence.  Then we headed down a narrow side street with dozens of these plaques.  This street leads to the famous Turtle Fountain.  I've painted here at the turtle fountain on a few occasions over the years, finding the fountain and ambiance inspiring and the Mattei Piazza relatively quiet.

Above- a tour guide in the Jewish Quarter in Rome explainging to a visiting family about the significance of the brass commemortive plaques on cobblestones- the Pietri D'inciampo in Italian or stumbling stones.

On another occasion, I came across a family with young children, parents and grandparents (shown above) on a tour with a guide.  I assumed they were from Israel. The children knelt and touched the shiny plaques as the guide knelt there too explaining about the individuals.  Maybe they were relatives of the family.

The cobblestones themselves are ubiquitous throughout Rome and placed in intriguing ever-repeating spirals.  The cobblestones are shaped like an elongated pyramid about a foot long and pounded into the street. They are of course part of the charm of historic Rome even though making walking a tad challenging.  The brass commemoratives contain the name, birthdate, date of abduction, (usually to the Auschwitz death camp in Poland) or date of liberation ( quite rare.)   They are graphic reminders of the tragic, violent and brutal deportations of that era.

While pursuing art, painting the river, shopping, dining and enjoying the museums and ancient history one can understandably not realize various aspects of the history.  The pulse of modern Rome goes on and we have our agendas.  But pausing, even if briefly, to this episode of history is worthwhile. The echoes of the past have a way of informing our current lives, enriching us as we honor those fallen under despots or during wartime acts.  Harrowing as these might be, they need to be recognized. So hearty thanks to Gunther for spearheading this effort.

Above- the author painting in the Jewish quarter at Piazza Mattei in Rome with the Turtle Fountain as the motif.

As I painted the Tiber River on several occasions on this trip and others- that motif now shows us the 19th century addition of the retaining walls and promenades along the river.  Before that the river would flood annually as rivers do.  The result is that the Rome of today is several yards higher than ancient Rome.  The relevance here is that this is why the ghetto is located here in the first place.  A previous pope of the Renaissance deemed this undesirable flood-prone area a good place to allocate to the Jewish population.  Ironically, it is now prime real estate. 

The corollaries to our current era of worldwide autocrats are inescapable.  When we hear of deportations and similar terror by Trump goons with the sanitized name of ICE we know we have returned to an era of people being violated because of their ethnicity- just as in Europe of WWII.  There is no legality, no due process, just efficient overnight removal without oversight to ghastly and inhumane prisons in El Salvador and elsewhere.  Mass extermination of entire populations in Europe or the targeting of entire segments of the population based on sexuality, gender, ethnicity was the method of Hitler and it has the same enactments and approval by Putin, Trump and many other thugs of the 21st C. autocrat club.  

In retropsect, we recall some excellent movies that portray this era where art is sometimes a central part. Some of these films include; Tea with Mussolini, Its a Beautiful Life, The Night of the Falling Stars, The Monument Men, Sophie's Choice and The Woman in Gold.

Above- "July Morning-Ponte Sisto, Rome" This plein air oil by the author depicts a view of the Tiber River near the Jewish Quarter in Rome.