BSR News Winter 2012 / 1 NEWS. The Newsletter from The British School at Rome. BSRWinter 2012

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1 BSRWinter 2012 NEWS BSR News Winter 2012 / 1 The Newsletter from The British School at Rome

2 2 / BSR News Winter 2012 CONTENTS FROM THE DIRECTOR From the Director 2 Autumn 2011 at Via Gramsci 61 3 Rome Events 5 Summer School As Popular As Ever 5 One Rome Scholar Comes Full Circle 6 Chair of Faculty of the Fine Arts Wears Many Hats 7 The Portus Project Puts the BSR in Headlines 8 BSR Continues To Attract Research Visits 9 The Library/Archive Brings History To Life 10 Autumn 2011 Publications 11 UK Events 12 On A Personal Note 13 Help Us Find Our Award-Holders 13 Become a Member 14 CONTACT US The British School at Rome Via Gramsci Rome, Italy Tel: Fax: info@bsrome.it London Office The BSR at The British Academy 10 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AH Gill Clark (scholarship and publications enquiries) Tel: +44 (0) bsr@britac.ac.uk Mary Ellen Mathewson (alumni news, membership and development) Tel: +44 (0) development@bsrome.it Many thanks to all BSR staff, residents, and others for supplying the information for this edition of the BSR News. Any errors or omissions are entirely the fault of Mary Ellen Mathewson, who pledges to continually improve. Registered Charity No It is my pleasure to write a brief note introducing this first edition of BSR News. Much of what we do at the British School at Rome is reported quite formally, for instance in the Papers of the British School at Rome. This communication is meant to focus on the personal side of the BSR the people, the places, and stories behind the scenes. BSR News also signals our intention to communicate more consistently and more informatively with the entire BSR community; our members, current and former awardholders, and the multitude of friends we enjoy from around the world. This autumn I was privileged to spend three weeks in Canada, meeting old and new friends and reaffirming our role as a home for Canadian scholarship. I am immensely grateful for the hospitality shown to me there, and for the stimulation of meeting new colleagues. The pace at the BSR continues unabated. The lecture theatre is filled to capacity for lectures, post-lecture rinfrescos continue to push the limits of the 8 o clock dinner deadline, and some outstanding conferences have taken place on a wide variety of topics such as portraiture, cultural heritage, and the influence of nineteenth-century Catholicism across the continents. The diversity of BSR activity continues unabated as well. BSR News is but one example of the many innovations and new ideas which colleagues are driving forward. I hope that you will enjoy future editions, and please do support the BSR by becoming a Member (p.14) so we can continue to support the marvellous achievements of our award-holders and residents. Professor Christopher J. Smith

3 BSR News Winter 2012 / 3 Autumn 2011 at Via Gramsci 61 Former award-holders and all resident visitors know very well the fluidity of life at the BSR. Some seasons are a whirl of activity residents out in Rome every day, 2-3 lectures a week, new collaborations borne of unique trajectories while other seasons are relatively calm, with scholars and artists working long hours alone in the Library or in their rooms and studios. This autumn has been a particularly busy season. Beginning with the Award-Holder Presentations on 5 October, life in Rome has been virtually non-stop. Nightly dinner, where friendships form and projects begin. New Scholarship, New Collaboration This autumn there was a remarkable synergy of scholarship and artistic creativity focused on northern Africa. Mattia Toaldo is the first recipient of an award jointly sponsored by the Society of Libyan Studies and the BSR. His work focused on contemporary relations between Italy and Libya, whilst Rashid Ali (Giles Worsley Fellow in Architecture and shortlisted for Young Architect of the Year) looked at colonial relations between Italy and Mogadishu through architecture and archival photography. Kimathi Donkor (Derek Hill Fellow) linked the present to the past with a brilliant portrait of two contemporary Africans in Rome. This rich mixture of expertise and creative reflection on the complex relationship between Italy and the shores of northern Africa is just one example of the BSR s range and interdisciplinary strength. For complete details of all Autumn 2011 Award-Holders, visit our website.

4 4 / BSR News Winter 2012 Autumn 2011 at Via Gramsci 61 continued What makes the BSR special remains the same nightly served dinners with lively discussions, casual chats in the cortile, mapping the day s plans over morning coffee in the kitchen with other residents the atmosphere is as it always has been, a community for the highest standards of professional activity within a casual environment. All of the rooms have been redecorated (with new mattresses), unlimited wi-fi access has been introduced throughout the building, and there is even a new widescreen plasma TV in the residents communal area. These are physical improvements. Equally important are the improvements in the way we communicate with the BSR community and the world. The new website and this edition of BSR News are just two examples of our commitment to raise the bar. In addition to the new website, the BSR s Facebook page now has over 1,500 friends both are valuable resources to keep abreast of BRS achievements, whether artists exhibitions or scholars publications and conferences. Do check the website often, and join the BSR Facebook page. Early October morning in the cortile.

5 BSR News Winter 2012 / 5 Rome Events Residents Trip to Bomarzo. As ever, we have had a busy and exciting programme this autumn; complete details of all events are now listed on our website as well as on Facebook. The range of activity includes both formal lectures and more informal engagements with the city, and there are more events for fine artists. For example, early in the year, Turner Prize Finalists the Otolith Group (Anjalika Saga and Kodwo Eshun) stayed at the BSR and presented an evening of discussion as part of a collaboration with MAXXI the Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, Rome. The first annual Geoffrey Rickman Memorial Lecture was delivered by the Director of the École francaise de Rome, Prof. Catherine Virlouvet, on the positioning of storage systems in the Roman trade world. This is an outstanding example of the interdisciplinary links ever present at the BSR: Roman trade and storage was one of Geoffrey s lifelong passions, and is still a focus of research today. The surprising discoveries at Portus in September provide new information about trade and storage, and there will doubtless be fascinating collaborations in the future (see p.8 for more information about the Portus project). Support for award-holders has become a key part of our activity. New PBSR Editor Mark Bradley gave an informal talk on publishing and PBSR for residents, and organised trips included a tour of the Forum guided by Christopher Smith, a visit to Portus led by Simon Keay, and trips to the Vatican, Bomarzo, San Giovanni Decollato and Cinecitta Film Studios. Summer School As Popular As Ever The two-week Ancient Rome Summer School was oversubscribed yet again this year. In September, 26 students attended the course led by Cary Fellow Dr Robert Coates-Stephens and Dr Ed Bispham from Oxford. Those selected were from Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Royal Holloway, St. Andrews and Warwick. The approach is thematic, concentrating on the social, economic, political and religious activities which constituted life and death in ancient Rome. Each day s itinerary is introduced with an evening lecture, and the visits integrate monuments with museum collections and tours of the latest excavations. Every year participants have the same thing to say tough schedule, loads of fun. This course would not be possible without continued support from the Cambridge Classics Faculty, the Craven Committee of the Faculty of Classics, Oxford University, the Gladstone Memorial Trust and the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies. One student remarked, Hats off to the Course Directors for a terrific blend of serious scholarship and humour, underpinned by careful programming.

6 6 / BSR News Winter 2012 One Rome Scholar Comes Full Circle This year s W T C Walker Lecture was given by Mark Wilson Jones, who in December completed five years as a member of the BSR Faculty of Archaeology, History and Letters. Mark was Rome Scholar in Architecture in the early 1980s, and before moving to teach at the University of Bath (where he is currently Postgraduate Director of Studies), he combined research into architectural history and archaeology with private practice in London and Rome and parttime teaching at universities and research institutes in Rome. His book Principles of Roman Architecture (Yale University Press ) was the first ever book to be awarded both the Banister Fletcher Prize and the Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion. In early November Mark presented in his lecture the fruit of a decade of research on the origins of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders, and in particular the theme of Design by Contagion: Interaction between architecture, art and craft in Ancient Greece. Considering the numerous past efforts trying to understand how and why these families of forms came into existence it was startling to find, as layers of theories and preconceptions were peeled away, that there was fresh light to shed on the subject. Despite the specialist nature of the evidence invoked, Mark s conversational style and his grasp of the realities of creativity struck a chord with the practitioners in the BSR community. A lively discussion ensued over dinner and the next day, in the kind of chance encounters between library and studio that mark the singular character of life at the BSR. We look forward to hosting the launch in Rome next autumn of the forthcoming book from which the talk was drawn, Origins of Classical Architecture Temples, Orders and Gifts to the Gods in Ancient Greece (Yale University Press). The BSR derailed my career in one sense and launched it in another. I won the scholarship for design, but being immersed in the interdisciplinary vortex that is the BSR sent me off on an unforeseen trajectory. Today, I am able to bring a design sensibility to my academic scholarship that would never have been possible without the formative influence of the BSR. Faculty members can bring, I think, a rather useful perspective when engaging with current scholars, taking the long view of future challenges and conundrums with which they might be struggling. Mark Wilson Jones

7 BSR News Winter 2012 / 7 Chair of Faculty of the Fine Arts Wears Many Hats John (next to Christopher Smith) accompanying the residents on a trip to the Forum. Chair of the Faculty of Fine Arts John Gill has over thirty years of experience in major arts organisations in the public sector, in both administrative and curatorial roles. He brings not only a wealth of knowledge to the role of Chair, but also a limitless amount of energy, enthusiasm, and hard work. Whether John is meeting with BSR partners, organising selection committees for Fine Arts scholarships, or helping with the continual search for additional funding, he is never more than an or phone call away from the BSR. John spent a week in Rome this autumn. He participated in the Award-Holder Presentations, helped new residents find their feet, and accompanied them on the first outside visit of the term experiencing the Forum as never before with Director Christopher Smith leading the tour. Ongoing communication between members of the BSR Faculty and award-holders is crucial to the interdisciplinary mission of academic, artistic, and cultural exchange, and John Gill epitomises this engagement. We give him a couple of hours each week to enjoy his passion for opera and ballet lithograph hunting! Members of the Faculty of the Fine Arts are those gallerists, educators, and artists, many of them alumni of the School, who are best placed to advise the Director on a wide range of matters concerning the appointment and welfare of artist Fellows and Scholars. But my role is not simply to Chair committees and appointment panels mercifully! The real pleasure of Faculty membership is visiting and supporting the artists in their studios in Rome. Though they are well looked after by the staff, visiting Faculty members have an important role to play as facilitators, advisors and friends. I know that, by our small contributions, we can make a difference to the artists experience of their time in Rome. John Gill

8 8 / BSR News Winter 2012 The Portus Project Puts the BSR in Headlines Archaeologists from the BSR and the University of Southampton, under the direction of Professor Simon Keay, announced in September the discovery of a Roman shipyard; the largest ever found in the Mediterranean. This shipyard, or navalia, is of great significance to understand how Rome exercised commercial and military dominance in the Mediterranean. The latest discovery is part of a multi-year project that seeks to provide answers to a number of key questions about Portus character and development, its regional context and relationship to Ostia, and its connections to other ports in Italy and the Mediterranean. The recent phase of the Portus excavations were funded by the BSR, Soprintendenza di Roma, University of Southampton and the Arts and Humanities Research Council, with new work being conducted on the conservation of the area, further reinforcing the British School at Rome s reputation for the sustainable management of archaeological sites. In addition, the project was chosen as the flagship project at the launch in Rome on 23 September of the Net Heritage Portal, a European-funded initiative maintained by the AHRC ( The BSR s work at Portus, Ostia and Castel Porziano place it at the heart of one of the largest archaeological sites in the world. See the Archaeology pages of our website for more information about this important discovery, including the international press articles. Above: The Autumn 2011 Portus Team. Right: Simon Keay explains the discovery to Professor Don Nutbeam, Vice-Chancellor of Southampton.

9 BSR News Winter 2012 / 9 BSR Continues To Attract Research Visits More than 120 visitors came to stay at the BSR this autumn, whether former scholars progressing their research, institutional group visits, or private individuals looking to the BSR for research guidance and of course, the world-class Library. A group of classics teachers spent a week in Rome using the BSR as their base for research as well as accommodation, and a group from the Soane Museum spent a week in Rome also based at the BSR. The University of Auckland sent sixteen Roman historians to stay for three weeks, and Professor Lawrence Keppie led a group from the Trimontium Trust in Scotland on a research visit. We warmly welcome visitors, because the diversity and breadth of their research interests enriches the atmosphere at the BSR. Space is at a premium during certain times of the year, however, so if you are planning on undertaking research in Rome and would like to stay with us, it is best to contact accommodation@bsrome.it well in advance to ensure there is a room available. Classics Come To Life Thirteen classics teachers spent October half term at the BSR on a course sponsored by The Classical Association, The Roman Society, Cambridge Classics Faculty, Oxford Classics Faculty, The Joint Association of Classical Teachers, and Student Travel Services. The classics teachers depart from the BSR for a site visit. Everyone at the BSR collaborated to support us in a variety of ways. We had room to hold seminars, access to the Library for those late night research queries, excellent food, drink, and company; all in an incredible location. Permits to sites and advice about the itinerary produced splendid results. Everyone commented on the value of the course and we hope to continue our relationship with the BSR. Cressida Ryan, Schools Liaison and Access Officer, Merton College, Oxford Photo Courtesy of Cressida Ryan No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Colosseum.

10 10 / BSR News Winter 2012 The Aurum in Pescara, venue for the introductory event at the opening of the exhibition of Ashby s photographs held at the Museo delle Genti d Abruzzo, Pescara in July The Library/Archive Brings History To Life Anyone who has been to the BSR knows that one of our main treasures is the Library world class in scope and depth, and with a staff that have professionally and personally touched the lives of hundreds. Night falls on the Library. The exhibition of Thomas Ashby s photographs of Abruzzo which was launched last May at the BSR has travelled this fall to L Aquila, Pescara, Sulmona, Chieti and Teramo, attracting national attention in each locale. The significant press focus is partly due to Ashby s reputation in Italy, but also because of the tragic earthquake that devastated L Aquila in The BSR s unique collection is now a precious documentary history of this once thriving region. These photographs can be seen on the new website, which has received over 2.2 million hits since its launch barely two years ago. Visitors from over 50 countries spend an extraordinary average of 22 minutes per visit. Because of this global demand, BSR Librarian Valerie Scott is hard at work sourcing additional funds to continue to expand the digital collection. Library Staff Continue to Go Above and Beyond In September the Ashby Abruzzo exhibition was visited in Sulmona by Signor Vezio Martocchia, an Abruzzese who now lives in Aosta. Leafing through the catalogue, he was astounded to see a photograph of his father as a boy, participating in the festival of the Madonna delle Libera at Pratola Peligna in His father Gino was born in 1899 and passed away when Signor Vezio was only 10 years old. This is the only existing photograph of him as a boy and his family is delighted to have made this discovery a century later. Signor Vezio wrote to Valerie Scott: E difficile esprimerle a parole quello che ho provato e provo ancora ma, sicuramente, provo per lei e l Istituto in cui opera, un profondo senso di gratitudine. We are sure Thomas Ashby would have been delighted as well.

11 BSR News Winter 2012 / 11 autumn 2011 publications BSR Registrar and Publications Manager Gill Clark achieved a remarkable feat this autumn with the publication of two Archaeological Monographs, and the first print and online edition of the Papers of the British School at Rome in association with Cambridge University Press. Portus and its Hinterland, edited by Simon Keay and Lidia Paroli, resulted from a conference held at the BSR. It presents the results of various projects focused on this site, the principal maritime harbour of Rome between the first and sixth centuries AD. Portus was one of the largest, richest and most accessible Roman ports in the Mediterranean, and there is a clear need to foster interest and greater public awareness of this remarkable site to ensure that the port and its surrounding hinterland are preserved for future generations. The BSR excavations at San Vincenzo al Volturno were some of the most extensive of any monastery in Europe. The discoveries described in San Vincenzo Maggiore and its Workshops, by Richard Hodges, Sarah Leppard and John Mitchell, vividly bring to life the art, architecture and economy of this early medieval monastery, including its ninth-century abbeychurch and its extraordinarily wellpreserved workshops. (And somehow Gill also found time to write a chapter on the numerous animal bones from the rubbish dumps in the workshops!) BSR Members may purchase both of these volumes at a discounted price from the BSR London office. Contact Gill directly at or bsr@britac.ac.uk For the cover of the new-look PBSR Gill searched the BSR s digital collection to find this map by Pirro Ligorio.

12 12 / BSR News Winter 2012 UK Events It has been a very busy autumn for the BSR at the British Academy and elsewhere with formal lectures, discussions and social evenings. On 10 November a group of BSR Life Members attended the Sir John Soane Museum s annual lecture When in Rome: John Soane s Roman Sightseeing, presented by writer and historian Matthew Sturgis (who coincidentally is brother of formal BSR award-holder Dan Sturgis). We hope to do more joint events with the Soane Museum in the future. Our Humanities Lecture, The Roman Shipyards of Portus, was presented by Simon Keay to a packed audience on 21 November. The lecture is available in its entirety on the BSR Website. 22 November saw the first Architecture scholars reunion in many years. Hosted by Adam Architecture at the Carpenter s Company, this evening was the first of more regular opportunities Richard Hodges catching up with old friends. for award-holders to stay in contact with the BSR and, equally important, each other. An exciting collaborative discussion event took place on 10 December at Central Saint Martin s School of Art and Design. A wide range of artists explored how the BSR can be a recognised centre for interdisciplinary work involving creative and visual arts, as well as critical theory. On 15 December Professors Richard Hodges and Chris Wickham presented a lecture at the British Academy to coincide with the publication of San Vincenzo Maggiore and its Workshops, a major report on the recent excavations of the ninth-century abbey-church. There are a series of events planned for January to June 2012; details will be posted on our website as each event approaches, so check back often. Members enjoy a drink and a chat after lectures.

13 BSR News Winter 2012 / 13 On A Personal Note Joanna Kostylo has come to the BSR as our new Assistant Director from her most recent teaching post at UCL. Fluent in three languages, Joanna brings a wealth of experience to the task of coordinating research programmes, seminars and international conferences, having also served as Programme Coordinator at CRASSH (Centre for Research in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities) in Cambridge. Joanna holds an MPhil degree and a PhD in Italian history from the University of Cambridge, and her research interests include the social, religious and medical history of Renaissance Italy, in particular the history of the book and intellectual property, Renaissance medicine and the Reformation. Geraldine Wellington, who has been a pivotal (and irreplaceable) member of the BSR staff for over 18 years, has sadly decided to retire due to ill health. She was nearly always the first to welcome visitors as they came through Joanna is currently researching the Vatican Secret Archives and the Jesuit Archives in Rome for a forthcoming monograph, Medicine and Reform in Renaissance Venice and Cracow, to be published by Oxford University Press. That is, when she s not planning conferences, helping residents, or as a professional violin player, occasionally rehearsing. Joanna on the Bomarzo trip. the front door and was always there to answer all their questions or solve any problems. As she recalled in a note to colleagues I have been affectionately termed the amicable Cerberus (Professor Geoffrey Rickman) or the Iron Duchess (resident Tony Anderson) or even Magna Mater (borsista Dr Luca Baldoni). Her tabletennis skills are legendary (particularly the high heels) and her infectious laugh resounded throughout the building we all miss her every day and in so many different ways. Help Us Find Our Award- Holders There are over 1,000 former BSR award-holders throughout the world, and most of them are in touch with someone else from their time spent together in Rome. Unfortunately, we have lost contact with some of them, and we are actively looking to re-establish contact. Our intention is to continue to build an active former scholar community, both in the UK and elsewhere in the world. These microcommunities help everyone network within the BSR community, connect more fully with what is happening globally in their field, and they re great for social events. If you know of someone who has been at the BSR but has perhaps lost touch with us, please ask them to contact our Development Officer Mary Ellen Mathewson at development@bsrome.it she will help them connect with the events happening near them.

14 14 / BSR News Winter 2012 Become a Member of the British School at Rome Supporting the BSR through your membership provides the current Director with a critical pool of flexible, readily-available funds that can be put to use wherever they are needed most urgently, with immediate impact for our residents, programmes, and staff. Whether used to supplement scholar stipends, artist supplies, or cutting-edge technology for conferences because we are a small institution, the power of this financial support to strengthen the BSR is exponential. Please return the attached Membership form to Mary Ellen Mathewson at the London office. If you have any questions or would like more information about supporting the BSR, please do get in touch with her at +44 (0) or development@bsrome.it ) We hope you will agree that the benefits of becoming a Member of the BSR are meaningful and valuable. We have pledged to make our community more intimate, increase networking opportunities, provide better and more consistent communication with our Members, and build on our core strength delivering extremely high value on a very limited budget. At the BSR, we truly punch above our weight, and we hope you ll join us. BSR Members, residents and guests enjoyed a spectacular enogastronomic tour which showcased traditional foods from the Abruzzo region last spring as part of the Ashby Abruzzo Event.

15 BSR News Winter 2012 / 15 Janet Haslett Janet Haslett, National Art School Sydney Fine Arts Resident, created the installation depicted on the cover. The carpet was made with assistance from Diana Taylor (Abbey Scholar ) as a compliment to Rome Scholar in Architecture Alison Crawshaw s Grande Balcone installation, with the gracious assistance from Paganini Tessuti of Rome who donated the samples. It is in homage to Arte Povera, but also reflects Janet s experience of Italy and particularly the city of Rome. Photo courtesy of Serafino Anato BSR News Printed on 130gsm matt coated (comprising 100% recycled content) using vegetable-based ink. Printed by: Information Press Designed by: Touchmedia

16 The British School at Rome Via Gramsci Rome, Italy Tel: Fax: London Office The BSR at The British Academy 10 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AH