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Pilgrimage to the Eternal City

Gama Harjono ,  Contributor ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 03/23/2008 3:05 PM  |  Travel

The Eternal City of Rome has been an important city and sacred place since ancient times.

Interestingly, the oldest Roman catholic edifice, the paleo-Christian Pantheon, was originally a pagan temple commissioned to the architect Agrippa by Emperor Adriano in 27 A.C., and only later, in the 7th century, consecrated into a church.

The harmonious circular-shaped edifice now houses the tombs of the kings of Italy, as well as that of Raphael.

The brilliance of Rome's catholic churches continues to awe pilgrims. By tradition, however, there are four significant churches in Rome -- also known as the four patriarchal basilicas -- that are essential to a Catholic pilgrimage.

The basilica of St. John Lateran

Across the Italian capital -- at the opposite end from the Vatican -- is Rome's official cathedral, the West's oldest basilica, the foundation of which was laid by Emperor Constantine I in 324. It was thus the ecclesiastical seat of the bishop of Rome (a role assumed by the Pope) until 1309, before the status was granted to St. Peter's basilica upon the Pope's return from Avignon.

The basilica of St John Lateran, dedicated to Christ (therefore its official name is Archibasilica Sanctissimi Salvatori, the Arcihbasilica of the Most Holy Savior), ranks as the most important in the peninsula and contains the papal throne.

The basilica's main facade, in a baroque style, is often said to have been designed as that of a royal palace, not of a church. In the square of the same name, the world's tallest existent obelisk stands. The piazza now hosts the First of May concert with some of the biggest names in Italy's music industry partaking in the annual televised show.

The basilica of St. Peter

More than a just a church, St. Peter's basilica is effectively the mightiest (the second largest by area after the basilica of Our Lord of the Peace in the Ivory Coast) catholic structure on the planet.

At the very heart of Christendom, it predominates the tiny territory of the Vatican city while its royal crown dome has been a feature of Rome's skyline since the late 16th century.

Inside the basilica, among the innumerable artworks and underneath Bernini's phenomenally tall baldachin, is what's believed to be the tomb of St. Peter. Another addition, since April 2005, is the tomb of Pope John Paul II.

A feature of the catholic cathedral is the cupola, which is open to visitors to climb up. The dome, which is 135 metres tall, treats visitors to an astounding view over the Eternal City.

One cannot help but admire the sumptuous basilica, which, in spite of the busy traffic in the surroundings, is a holy site for the Church of Rome. It is also believed to be the burial place of St. Peter, the first pope of Christianity, following his crucifixion.

The monumental St. Peter's square embraces visitors with "open arms" as they walk through the pair of elliptical colonnades, ingeniously designed by Bernini. The square also features an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome in 37 A.D., the only obelisk in Rome that has not been removed from its original position since Imperial times.

The basilica of St. Paul

Owing to its location -- outside Rome's fortified walls -- this basilica may be lesser known. But the story of the UNESCO-listed world heritage basilica is more involved than its location.

In the 4th century, the foundation was laid upon what is believed to the site of St. Paul's martyrdom, a process by the awful means of decapitation.

This church suffered terrible damage due to pillaging and natural causes and was restored and repaired throughout the Middle Ages up to the 19th century. However, a graceful 13th-century cloister survived the years.

Curiously, a sarcophagus was discovered beneath the altar a couple of years back during an archaeological excavation.

The basilica of St. Mary Major

Within a 15-minute stroll of Italy's busiest transportation hub, the station of Termini, sits one of Rome's gems, the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

The basilica's undulating two-tiered baroque facade on one side, and its twin copper cupolas, keep the eye constantly moving.

Peering inside, visitors are awed by a 5th century Byzantine mosaic that recounts stories from the old and new testaments, or alternatively, one can take a tour of the tombs of different popes.

The basilica, dedicated to Mary, was constructed between 432-440 by Pope Sisto III, and since 1377 its belfry has been the tallest in Rome.

The tradition of celebrating the miracle of the snow falling is derived from the legend of Pope Liberio's dream in which the Virgin Mary appeared, only to tell him of snow miraculously falling unseasonably in August. The "Madonna della Neve," during which a cascade of white petals falls from the ceiling of the basilica, is celebrated on Aug. 5.

Italian Artists in Jakarta - March 2008

Franco d'Andrea in Trio (of his New Quarter)
Concert 10 March 2008
Istituto Italiano di Cultura Jakarta



A New Taste of Italian Jazz

The crowd’s enthusiasm was tangible, unhampered by the evening’s drizzle. The public certainly came to meet, and above all listen to, Franco D’Andrea on a grand piano while he’s in Jakarta.

Franco D’Andrea and his New Quartet came to take part in the Java Jazz Festival (7-9 March). With the support from the Italian Embassy, the Italian Institute hosted another concert on Mar. 10 as a “fitting closing” for the participation of Italian artists in the capital’s biggest jazz gig, said Livia Raponi, the Institute’s Deputy Director.

The auditorium brimmed with dignitaries, foreign diplomats, including the Ambassadors of Italy, the Czech Republic, Greece and Lebanon, and jazz lovers, all eager to experience a taste of Italian jazz.

D’Andrea has a successful career back in his country either as a musician or a music teacher. The award-winning artist is considered a sort of a “legend” for his involvement in the early phase of the Italian jazz history.

Born in Merano (at the extreme Italo-German border) young D’Andrea experienced with trumpet and saxophone in the 60s before turning into piano and performed as a soloist or collaborated in groups.

A poet-musician, D’Andrea has over two hundred compositions, many of which recorded and released in Europe. D’Andrea music is modern jazz with creative interpretation. He warned though that at times it could be difficult to understand his tunes. The veteran musician confessed his penchant for authenticity.

The Italian legend is full of energy and explosive creativeness during his performance. He generally digs in the history of jazz to extract a language that is contemporary and provokingly fresh. D’Andrea loves to express himself with his instrument, attempting to spark creative explosions.

This was his first time in Indonesia though he’s no alien to jazz festivals as he tours them around the world with this band. His view on the Java Jazz was the Indonesian festival has gained an enormous status despite its recent history. Compared to European jazz festivals, “Java Jazz felt fresh”, said D’Andrea.

In his Jakarta tournée, D’Andrea brandished new tracks in his latest album, the Siena Concert, that was released earlier this year. Some of the tracks played were Into the Mystery, Monodic, Fragole, and Slow Five.

To wrap up his solo show, D’Andrea played a medley of classic tunes Lover Man and Caravan.

To everyone’s surprise, there was a second part in the concert: an impromptu trio performance as two of his quartet members joined the stage. Aldo Mella was on contrabass whilst Andrea Ayassot on alto and soprano saxophone.

The energy quickly turned unstoppable. In three, they created a balanced dialog with the audience. There were personal glories sought, no showing off individual virtuosity, instead D’Andrea and his companions complemented one another as a collective sound.

Once again, Franco D’Andrea New Quartet (even sans its drummer, Zeno de Rossi had to leave in the afternoon) delivered their impressionistic yet adventurous sound, giving its Jakarta fans another taste of Italian jazz.

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Text by Gama Harjono (email: unmacchiato at gmail.com ; tel. 0818 072 41 072)
Images courtesy of IIC Jakarta

Patrick Perez in love with his host country

http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20080203.C02

The Jakarta Post
February 03, 2008
Features


Patrick Perez in love with his host country
Gama Harjono, Contributor, Jakarta


He emanates an air of humility and claims to be shy. But a chat with French culture envoy Patrick Perez is as enjoyable as a stroll through Paris.

With over twenty years' experience in promoting the French language and culture overseas, the director of Centre Culturel Fran‡ais in Jakarta beamed with pleasure as he confessed his love for Indonesia.

He was the one who chose Indonesia, a long way from his home, the quaint town of Cambrai in the north of France. Deliberate and prepared, the size of Indonesia's capital nevertheless caught him by surprise upon his arrival in September 2006.

"I start my working day by arriving at my office at eight and leave late," and he added how he found it easy to work with his professional team in Jakarta. "I had to train a lot my personnel when I led the Alliance Fran‡aise in Pakistan."

Asked to complete a Proust Questionnaire, Perez proved his appreciation for equality. "I prefer that my staff and I address one another with tu," he said he did not like to use the formal French pronoun of vous.

And he added the quality he looked for in others was frankness. On the questionnaire he scribbled "being frank and sometimes not knowing how to lie" -- as his weaknesses.

Questioned on the "rivalry" between cultural institutes in Indonesia, Perez said he preferred collaboration to competition. "We sometimes work with the other European institutes. These collaborations are important."

"Yes, it's important to get to know the locals through mastering their language." And that's why he takes an Indonesian lesson once a week. "And anyway you'll have to communicate in Bahasa once you're on the street."

Regarding his shyness he said, "particularly when I see a group of Indonesians at a function, I want to come up to talk to them but I don't know if I should disturb them or not".
Indonesia has taught him a few things, he admitted.

"I have learned to smile a lot and to say hello to everyone. I feel that when Indonesians smile and greet me, it's usually done with sincerity."

Promoting his country's language and culture is his lifelong occupation. "The main audience for CCF (the Centre) is those between the age of 20 and 30, but I try to get everybody in," explained Perez. "And that's why we diversify our events."

With the aim of reaching as many Indonesians as possible, Patrick Perez prioritizes Indonesians in the arts. He tries to always vary his programs, whether photography exhibitions, pantomimes, and even the occasional circus.

And the rock music-lover doesn't hesitate to go the extra mile. "I thought, where do we find Indonesians? So we organized a musical event at a shopping centre and recently a contemporary dance show at Taman Menteng in Central Jakarta."

Another practical approach employed by the genial Perez is extending the opening hours of the library and mediath‚que at the Centre. The 4000 plus members can now reserve items for loan on the Internet, then pick them up later.

CCF French language courses have also proved popular. The Salemba campus alone engages tens of teachers, offering regular, intensive and specialized classes seven days a week.
Patrick Perez remained calm about a "hot issue" that is on many French lips -- if not heads: the headscarf, banned by the secular country's state schools and government offices.
But Perez explained that the policy was not, in fact, a ban on the headscarf. "It's not just Muslims. The ban applies to all types of religious symbols.

"I respect people regardless of their religion. Ten percent of France's roughly 60 million inhabitants are Muslim. This is the reality in France," he said.

During the fasting month of Ramadhan, the Centre screens French movies about Islam in francophone countries.

About the banlieau riots in Paris, he said, "Just like any other country, France has its share of social problems. And unfortunately its pretty tough for some French youth right now."

The 42-year-old says he reads the Koran. He began his career as a French language teacher while serving his military in Syria. He says he's not an expert on Islam, but his CV shows more than 20 years of ministerial postings in countries with largely Muslim populations.

For Perez, passion means politics and the Middle East. Peace in the region where the world's most influential religions meet is his dream. He paused for a second before continuing, "I have two adopted children in Lebanon, one Muslim and the other Christian."
"One of them lives in a conflict area and I am very worried. I hope everything will be fine". The other child is living in Venezuela.

Perez said he found Muslims in Indonesia open and tolerant compared to the Middle East. He has explored Java and Sulawesi knowledgeable about local customs. He also admits -- like so many others -- that he adores the "island of gods", Bali.

Given his popularity in the capital and environs he said he was sometimes recognized in public, "Sometimes even in Bali people come up and say hello." He prefers mixing with locals to attaching himself to Jakarta's European communities. "I like to talk and have discussions with Indonesians, that's what I am here for. I have a three-year term in Indonesia and may extend it for an extra year."

Asked where he would like to live if he could chose any country he readily responded "France and Indonesia".

Twenty years ago Perez left France to discover new cultures and he is still pursuing them. On Sundays the humble director explores the capital by motorbike. You might just run into him at Monas national monument playing soccer with the locals.

ººº

Lion Air memenetrasi langit Australia

Beginilah reaksi dan ilustrasi media Australia akan masuknya Lion Air Indonesia ke industri aviasi lokal di negeri kangguru:

Tapi jujur aja, maskapai Indonesia itu kualiasnya baik atau sub-standard sih? Kalau di kantor saya, semua diplomat Eropa kami disarankan untuk terbang dengan maskapai terbaik, eg. naik Garuda untuk domestik, hindari budget airlines.

Dan saya, jujur ... err, akan lebih prefer maskapai asing.

Dan kamu sendiri?