I anxiously hiked forth to the Profondo Rosso store, the classic Italian horror store, founded by film auteur, Dario Argento.
The gravity of this store for me can be overstated. Ever since I've been captivated by the wonders of Argento's pictures, I've always dreamt of making a pilgrimage to the famed store. It's something I've constantly hoped for and with this study abroad experience set motion; I accordingly put this endeavor to the highest of priorities.
After finding my way through the maze of the city center of Rome, I finally discovered, Profondo Rosso.
I ventured in to find everything exactly as I'd imagined. The store was filled with exquisite horror memorabilia, Argento related material, and all sorts of outrageous horror oddities. The store is run by the store owner, Luigi Cozzi, director of a handful of Italian exploitation films from the 1970s.
I ended up some grabbing some wicked Bava and Argento T-shirts, along with some Argento books, written by Cozzi himself.
Luigi Cozzi turned out to be exceptionally kind and quite friendly.
The other, more important reason for journeying such lengths to the store, was to experience the museum within Profondo Rosso.
The museum holds a gore-tastic array of props, costumes, and recreations from a variety of Argento films, all set within a dark, haunted setting.
As I descended, I became fully immersed in the spectacle of the museum's frightening offerings. It was incredible to wander through and observe the horrific wonders found within. The creatures from DEMONS, the murderous crows from OPERA, the demented child-killer from PHENOMENA, along with the towering templars from THE CHURCH, all taunted me as I explored the darkly-lit chambers.
It was an incredible to see these recreations in real life, having grown up watching these masterpieces on the silver screen.
After adventuring through the museum, I returned back to ground level. I spoke with Cozzi for a little bit about the store and film in general. He explained that he runs the store with his wife and would like to return to filmmaking, but the Italian film industry is practically non-existent now. He also spoke about how Argento is set to be making DRACULA, yet was only able to get funding due the concession that he would make it in 3D. Furthermore, all films in Italy currently in production are being made with a future in TV in mind. Meaning that all the themes, violence, and content must be reduced to accommodate what is acceptable on TV.
Although I'd heard about this unfortunate state prior, hearing it first hand was quite depressing. From the country that had produced masterclass filmmakers as Fellini, Argento, Fulci, and Bava, they have become quite lethargic.
I thanked Mr.Cozzi thoroughly for his time, and bid the Profondo Rosso Store a fond farewell.
After such a memorable experience with one of my most idealized sites, I continued forth towards the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Castel Sant'Angelo has a very striking history. Connected with Vatican City itself through a secret passageway, Castel Sant'Angelo was the stone fortress for numerous Pope when Rome sacked throughout its turbulent years.
Today, Castel Sant'Angelo is a quite a prominent figure in contemporary culture. It plays a central location in Puccini's TOSCA, Dan Brown's ANGELS AND DEMONS, and ASSASSIN'S CREED II.
Before actually arriving at the entrance of Castel Sant'Angelo, it is required to cross over the Tiber river. While traveling across the famed bridge of the castle, many dominating Angelic statues stood fearlessly, guarding their scared castle.
I soon entered in and began my ascent towards the top. Large pathways led towards the higher reaches of the fortress, such, so that if any forces were to storm the castle, the defenders would have a much easier task in picking off the opposing storm.
I also observed a perfect Ezio climbing point:
Along with a fascinating, unfinished Angelic statue:
I eventually reached the highest platform of the castle and looked out into the vast vista of the Roman landscape.
Monumental sites as Vittorio Emanuele and Vatican City stood beautifully in site, with the Tiber River streaming through the cityscape. While not as awe-inspiring as the Tuscan landscape or Swiss Alps, the Roman view still provides a snapshot full of history and wondrous relevance.
Before leaving, I observed the most famous object in all of Castel Sant'Angelo and the reason for its name. Legend has it, the arch Angel Michael appeared atop of the castle in 590, signaling the end of the disastrous plague.
Subsequently, I leisurely took the afternoon train back to Florence. It was actually refreshing, being able to travel without fighting against time for once.
After visiting three very different sides of the Roman spectrum over the past two days, I've gathered that the divergence apparent within Rome is quite riveting. Simply, if your just a fan of life, Rome is a place you'll rather enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment