Giornale 2

My second excursion was very different than my first because in no way was it planned beforehand. After leaving the Roman Forum, Hannah and I wandered around Rome. I have learned through this travel seminar that I have a terrible sense of direction, and that without Hannah, I would be lost in the city most of the time. As we passed the gelato shops and vendors on the street, I looked up and thought I saw the Spanish Steps. As we approached the steps, I was extremely confused because we were approaching steps but my eyes had deceived me from afar. We were actually walking up the steps of the Piazza del Quirinale. While it was an accident to walk up the hill, we both decided to do our second giornale since we had the afternoon free to enjoy the exhibit at the Scuderie del Quirinale.

Hannah and I purchased our ticket, checked our bags and proceeded to walk upstairs to the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit that the museum has at the moment. I learned about Leonardo da Vinci as a child in history and art classes, so I was expecting to see his artwork however I was surprised not to find any of his paintings on the walls. Walking through the exhibit, I was guided through the drawings, models, and manuscripts that da Vinci either invented or inspired others to invent. The exhibit explores major topics that persisted during the renaissance like war innovations and what the design of an ideal city should look like.      

Two of my favorite pieces in the museum were on the second floor. Stored on the second floor is Leonardo da Vinci’s personal book collection. Each book is displayed in a glass case but it was amazing to see the only book with his handwritten notes. After moving further into the room, I spotted what looked like a wooden bird hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. The structure had a circular wooden center and thin bat-shaped wings. It was the flying machine in which da Vinci used the anatomy of birds to help engineer the structure. He designed the device so that a man could “fly” by compressing it with quick movements. What amazed me was that most of da Vinci’s sketches have inspired inventions that are used today however this is one invention that still is left to be developed further. I feel like the longing to fly has always been around, and it is possible that one day, his sketches and ideas could be used to inspire others to invent a perfected flying machine.

While this excursion was unplanned and it was not exactly what I had anticipated, I am glad I had the experience to see da Vinci’s work and learn more about his life. The Scuderie del Quirinale is a beautiful space, and it has a staircase in the back with large glass windows to see a stunning view of the city. While I reflected on my time at the museum, what amazed me about some of his work was that many of the ideas he had were not fully developed, and that actually inspired other inventors and architects.