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Roman Through Paris
To lift your mood on the Ides of April, I hereby invite you to the Inaugural Ricochet Pariscope walk with me tomorrow at 7:00 pm local time. That’s 1:00 pm in Charleston, noon in Dallas, and 10:00 am in Oregon.
I’m not going to plan the route overmuch, because the whole point is that you can see something interesting and say, “Hey, what’s that thing, down there on the right?” But my general plan is to begin at the beginning of time.
Lutetia was the largest Roman city in Europe. It was founded on the island in the middle of the city, and it expanded to the Left Bank of the Seine: The neighborhood is still called the Latin Quarter. We’ll start our walk there, so the first thing you’ll see is large groups of Chinese tourists, souvenir shops, and the French military, looking stressed and trying to make sure nothing bad happens to the tourists.
Keep an eye out for the Roman architecture. In the strictest sense, you can’t see it: When the Roman Empire collapsed in the fifth century, so did Lutetia, and by the beginning of the Middle Ages almost everything they’d built was gone. But we know what used to be there. In the mid-19th century, Baron Haussmann renovated Paris. Had he not done so, Lutetia would still be hermetically preserved below the city’s medieval layer, and we’d know almost nothing about it.
Before we go, have a look at these wonderful watercolors by the French archaeologist Jean-Claude Golvin. That’s the best I can do to show you ancient Lutetia for now, since we don’t yet have a time-travel streaming-video app. (But stay tuned: If Dan Hanson’s right about the progress we’ve made in VR, I should be able to do that pretty soon.)
It’s tempting to think that the mistakes made by Paris’s postwar architects were owed, among other things, to their obscene arrogance and their contempt for history. But Haussmann, too, was obviously nothing if not arrogant and indifferent to history: He took a glance at the ancient Roman forum, the aqueducts, the public theater, the basilica — all of which had been buried for more than a thousand years — and buried it again, this time for good. “Unbelievable as it may be,” writes Thirza Vallois, “most of the original Roman amphitheater that was unearthed in 1867-68, during Haussmann’s renovation, was demolished in 1870 to make room for a city bus depot.”
But Paris was even more beautiful after Haussmann’s renovation than it had been before. Why? Because the Romans seem to have discovered architectural principles upon which you can’t improve, save to add decoration or embellishment. Even though Haussmann and his contemporaries were indifferent to the physical relics of antiquity, they ascribed entirely to these principles.
How do you recognize a Roman building? It looks pretty much like a Greek or an Etruscan building, but with some important innovations. The Romans used new materials, by the standards of the time. They were the first to use concrete. (Ricochet has an in-house concrete expert, to whom I direct all further questions about this: He knows way more about this than the rest of us ever will.)
Alright, but apart from the concrete, what have the Romans ever done for us?
They figured out how to go beyond trabeated systems for holding up roofs. If you see arches and domes, it means “Romans was here.”
Okay, but besides the arches and domes, what have the Romans ever done for us?
They appreciated that even though they were able to build without columns, that didn’t mean they should. They had the insight to see that architecture is a language. You can’t suddenly start building things without the columns and expect people to understand what they mean.
Columns, domes, and arches mean, “built by a major-league empire that means to be here forever.” It’s an architectural language everyone in the world understands, because sooner or later, everyone was either colonized by the Romans or colonized in turn by the people they colonized. (Do the words “column” and “colonize” come from the same root, I wonder? Anyone know?)
Alright, but besides the concrete, the columns, the domes, the arches, and inventing the architectural style that everywhere in the world, to this day, means “We’re an empire and we’re here to stay,” what else have the Romans done for us?
Well, they were the first to build cities in neatly-organized grids, with many public spaces, in a systematic, organized way. Haussmann approached the problem of urban planning much as a Roman would.
The Parisian Renaissance was inspired by the Italian Renaissance, which was inspired — of course — by the Romans. So what Haussmann proved is that it is possible to tear down large parts of an ancient city down and rebuild it to make it more practical — or more hygienic, in this case — without destroying the city aesthetically. So long as you strictly follow Roman rules.
French art historians sometimes sneer at the French Renaissance as “derivative,” in that the French were mimicking the Italians rather than creating something new. The period of which they’re most proud is French classical, which they view as original. But it isn’t. It’s still based on the traditional columns and proportions of Roman architecture. (And on Italian renaissance decoration: You can add a lot of decoration to a Roman building without doing it any harm.)
In other words, Paris is Roman all the way down, and to the extent any building deviates from its Roman heritage, it’s always ugly. You’ll see what I mean tomorrow.
Any questions before we go? And hey, does anyone know how to put columns and a dome on this widget?
Published in General
Yeah, but if you watch it live, you can chat with me in real time. I haven’t tried this yet (no one with the app has watched the practice videos), but my hope is that it’s a fun way to interact with you guys and show you what you feel like seeing. (Rather than me just narrating as if it’s a TV show.) I still don’t totally know how this works, because I’m only just learning.
so we download an app to our phone? computer?
I can’t join in today, but what you are describing sounds interesting, and I would love to watch a video of the transactions and interactions.
The columns are Greek, not Roman. They don’t call them Corinthian, Doric and Ionic for nothing. And the golden dimension ratios are as well.
While I certainly am a fan of classical architecture, I like modern as well. The Pompidou Center is fantastic. Pure whimsy. I love wandering around it and marveling. Visible practicality.
I hate what they’ve done to the Louvre with I. M. Pei’s monstrosity in front. It will be forever a blot on his name and can’t make up for it.
Well, if you are, keep filming. That’ll be a helluva tour. And I’ll come visit you in Area 51 when you’re back.
To your phone, via the link Ms Berlinski provided in her OP. Supposedly to your PC, too, but I’ve not found that link.
Apparently, too, you can only harass/interact with Ms Berlinski via the phone link; the PC is watch only.
Eric Hines
I’m not sure that’s his worst; it strikes me that most of that one’s failure is more from its being wholly out of place.
Other of his productions are just as, if not more, ridiculous.
Eric Hines
I’m watching on chromecast, so technically you’re on tv!
That was so sooooo AWESOME!! Loved it – I have comments for later! Thank you – great job!
I watched some of it, while writing my Deadlines post. Sounded fun. Does the app work on an iPad? Notre Dame was really cool. Claire, could you use a tablet instead of a tiny phone? I look forward to more of these. Thank you!
I got audio and video on your first 1 minute piece but could only get audio on the last two.
Fantastique. Look forward to more.
That was a cool tour. Thank you.
Eric Hines
I’m so glad you had fun! I did, too — I think this app has real potential, don’t you? I want to get much better at using it.
My hands are so cold now I can barely type. It was really chilly out there! I didn’t even notice until I stopped broadcasting.
No, thank you for making it possible.
Hmmm. That’s weird. Did anyone else have that problem?
I think it does works on an iPad. But I’m a total beginner with this — that was my first-ever broadcast. I’ll be better able to answer questions about this in a week.
Pssht. You’re the one did the doing. The rest of us just sat around looking over your phone’s shoulder and kibitzing.
Eric Hines
Column and colony are unrelated. The former comes from Latin columna, meaning “pillar,” and ultimately from PIE *kel– (4) “to project, be prominent.
Colony comes from colonus, “husbandman, tenant farmer, inhabitant in new land” from colere “inhabit, frequent, practice, tend, guard, respect,” and thither from PIE *kwel– “to move around.” As does not column, but…wheel.
I’m so upset I missed this live. I’ll watch it recorded on Periscope.
Claire – I really like where you are going with all of this. It’s very creative. Use us as guinea pigs and then really go for growing an audience.
If you go about this the way it looks now – boy, you will accrue a mess of great and diverse material. I really would like to see you leverage that into a strong audience for yourself (and a book!)
So, can’t wait to watch the video from today and eagerly anticipate the next installment.
Sounds like fun but like Mark I could only hear and see your first attempt on my computer.
Periscope does not respond for me on your 2nd and 3rd videos when I click on them using my computer. (I’m using Firefox.) It says get the app but then shows the app to be for phone only.
I bet the issue is that Periscope is natively mobile app. I brought it up on the web (Mac with latest OSX and Chrome browser) and I could see your account and two videos in last 24 hours, but playing either didn’t work.
Used Periscope app on my phone and it works just fine. I searched for Claire Berlinski, which pulled you up without a hitch, and followed you. Was able to see those same two videos and play them without a hitch.
Again, they developed this from the beginning for mobile and not web. So, use the mobile app for all of this and it will work just fine.
Thanks for the tip. Just signed on via mobile and it worked fine. Will watch the video tomorrow.
I really enjoyed the tour! I especially liked inside Notre Dame. I was just a boy the last time I was there, 1960 I believe, but I have vivid memories mostly tied to places like Notre Dame, Versailles, and the Arc de Triomphe, which might speak to your theory on beautiful architecture.
Your voice came in much clearer than during the practice. I was using my iPhone 6 and only had occasional freeze frames and a couple of short lost signals.
One more note: Went to the Periscope website and found this: https://help.periscope.tv/customer/portal/articles/2017800-can-i-replay-a-broadcast-after-it-finishes-
It says this:
Since I could see the replay on the iOS app, you must have kept your screen open long enough. So, not sure why it’s not playing online except that Periscope really isn’t about the web.
P.P.S.:
You may already know all this, but one thing I couldn’t do with your video is rewind and fast forward. Also, it looks like it will be gone in 24 hours. (I wonder if the link will still work)
I love the live aspect of Periscope and hope you keep doing it. But, I don’t want you to lose that content. I found the following on Periscope’s help page: How do I save my broadcast to my device?
So, looks like you can Periscope live AND save the whole video for other use (minus the hearts and chat), like uploading to YouTube and play on a site of your own. Probably need a lot of free memory on your phone before you start.
If there’s ever an opportunity to have a Richochet member group travel to Europe, I’ll be the first to sign up. We seem to have experts in very field….imagine the dinner conversations.
starn,
I just watched it on my home computer (with the 24″ monitor and blue tooth stereo headphones). All I did was go to periscope on my phone, log in and find Claire’s video. Then I copied the url link and then kick up my email program and emailed the url to myself. Then I went back to my computer kicked up the email program there and hit the link. It went directly to Claire’s video and it played very nicely.
Regards,
Jim
Heck of a coincidence, still.
Jim,
Thanks for pointing that out. I just sent myself the link from the iphone app and opened that one in my browser and it worked too.
Plus, I could see the navigation bar that shows me the length of the video and lets me fast forward and rewind. Perfect!
So I guess it was the original link, which did take me to a Periscope page for Claire on the web and I could see that there was a “Lutecia” video and it gave me a play button. However, nothing would happen when I clicked play.
Again – thanks Jim.
p.s.: However, there must be ONE CLICK ACCESS to Claire Berlinski content!
Oh goodness – of course, I should include the link here.
And, here it is … https://www.periscope.tv/w/aeJBpDIyMTMxfDFkakdYREJNUE1PR1qQsz1O7W88bMem6EItw6Mc2b6LasnfMH4DQ3CwYJARgQ==
p.s.: I’m on OSX, and it works in Safari for me, but not in Chrome. In Chrome, the link works, but the video doesn’t play.
And, Claire – I do apologize for all the spam here, but I want give you feedback on all of this so you can tune what you do so it’s as accessible as possible.
Also, I haven’t had a chance to watch any but the first five minutes, so I’m really looking forward to the watching the full tour.
So did anyone have any questions about what we saw? I don’t know if I know the answers, but I thought you might like to read about my grandfather and his connection to Paris and that organ — and to understand why whenever I walk into that cathedral, I miss him.