Blossoming dialogues of Rome. Notes from a study trip












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            * The “Cibulský” seminar travelled to the eternal city and returned with eternal memories

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            In human life, once in a while, there are moments when things unexpectedly fall into place
            the right place at the right time, an opportunity presents itself and might not present it

            a long time. For example, we go into a rose garden by chance and for that brief moment it 
            beauty of its flowers and fills your nostrils with a sweet fragrance that penetrates deep 

            If you come into a good group and in a good mood, your inner rose can also bloom. We and t
            seminar were lucky, and we were in the right place at the right time and the right mood.


            This seminar has been at the Faculty of Humanities for six years. Under professor Martin P
            collective of the home seminar goes through the great works of the European cultural tradi
            to establish a dialogue with them. At least recently, it was a particularly successful dia

            in a new book translation of Rabelais's Gargantua, which was published last year and still
            display of the Academia publishing house.


            However, this semester professor Putna uses his sabbatical and works in Rome on his work. 
            not be able to continue our book dialogue this semester. That is unless we start to think 
            boundaries of normal teaching.


            Thanks to the support our students received from the faculty, we were able to move the sem
            Eternal City and merge it into eight intense days. We made an exception and left the idea 

            with a book for an attempt at a dialogue with a city in the context of European cultural h

            Photo: Ondřej Trojan


            You might ask, how did it end? How do you have a dialogue with a city that is known not on
            but also for its crowds of tourists who complicate any type of dialogue? It is hard to des

            say that we were taking a walk through time. We removed the veils that cover the city. We 
            ancient stones of the Via Appia, sacrificed to the ancient deities in the mithraeum. We sa
            back to Rome and sitting in chains. We visited the services of the first Christians, held 

            patricians' houses. We have seen the power of Popes rise and fall. We admired Michelangelo
            Bernini's bodies solidified in stone. With Garibaldi, we defended the Roman Republic and e
            of the heavy boots of men in black shirts. We loudly sang resistance songs and watched Rom

            longer exists with Pasolini. As if the goddess of Rome herself was our guide.

            I can continue with naming places we have visited. I can describe what we saw and did. I c

            whole travel book, but you would never know more than before about the dialogue with a cit
            to reveal the last veil that covers the goddess?


            The photos might give you a little hint. However not the photos made every day, quick snap
            camera. But the real photos, those where the author thought and awaited an emotion or a sp
            faculty photographer Ondřej Trojan is a part of this seminar. In addition to reporting for

            engages in artistic photography. Thanks to this our journey gained unusual luxury- we have
            that will hopefully bring you a little closer to the words and sentences with which Rome a
            questions. Can photos and pictures frozen in time and space capture words and sentences? C

            judge for yourself.

            If it seems like they are silent, try to listen closer. If they are still mute, the only o

            go to Rome yourself. Then you will find out that what seems at first sight to be mute, wit
            still articulate and pronounce well. Whether it is a photo or the city itself.


            It seems that we really were at the right time, in the right mood, in great company in a w
            Similarly, like the rose garden we mentioned, even we were capable of seeing a rose bloom 
            trace of knowledge in us that we will carry with us for a long time (or maybe forever?).


            David Plass, translation Melanie S. Terry