Travel: In Situ with Darius Arya

Diocletian is the third century emperor that brought the Empire back from the brink of collapse.  After generations of uncertainly, his will, administration, military prowess and ruthless drive established a new period of calm that rippled through the Roman empire.  Just consider the tetrarchy ruling system, new management of provinces, Edict of Prices, and Great (Christian) Persecution! And when it was all said and done he retired in his bespoke fortified villa that became the core of the later town of Split, Croatia.  So richly preserved that it is a noted UNESCO site and also the location for many a scene in Game of Thrones.  Walk the streets of this historic site and explore the archaeology, art, and ancient history beneath with Darius on his recent visit! 

Season 8 of Game of Thrones is upon us! So Darius travels to King's Landing & the real-life grandeur of Dubrovnik.  Darius explores Fort Lovrijenac (Red Keep on GOT), walks along the city's 2km walls, looking for Cersei.  Luckily, local guide & GOT expert Ivan Vuković of Dubrovnik-tourist-guides.com reveals the city's history and tons of insider knowledge on GOT8. They also discuss overtourism that threatens the city more than Daenerys' dragons!  Adriaticluxuryhotels.com made the stay in ancient Ragusa even more amazing! 

The assassination of Julius Caesar is one of history's most famous murders in history.  Darius talks with author and historian Barry Strauss, who has written the definitive book on Caesar's last days.  Darius also walks in real time from Julius Caesar's house (Domus Publica) in the Forum past all of the famed archaeological sites of Ancient Rome to the location of his assassination in the Curia of Pompey, part of the modern archaeological site of Largo Argentina.  You've never experienced the Ides of March like this! 

Who were the most important emperors in ancient Rome, for better and for worse?  There are so many to choose from- and Darius explores Rome's best and worst rulers with author Professor Barry Strauss on the launch of his newest book: 10 Caesars!  So let's explore from Augustus to Constantine, and Darius always has an eye on the emperors' impact on Rome itself.  

Who doesn't like olive oil?  It's an essential component of the (once again wildly popular) Mediterranean diet.  So, it's high time to really learn the ins and outs of what defines "excellent" olive oil. Darius turns to a world class expert, Johnny Madge (johnnymadge.com), who lives in the Sabina region (and is a frequent visitor to Rome).  He is a true olive oil expert and world traveling judge of olive oils from Italy to Japan! So sit back and soak up his words of wisdom that will resonate with you wherever you are in the world, on your next trip to the store in search of the good stuff for your recipes! 

Darius travels to southeast Sicily, to the late Baroque city Modica, to explore the legendary home of Italy's best chocolate.  There is no better place than Antica Dolceria Bonajuto to learn about why chocolate found its home here.  Darius enters the kitchen with Pierpaolo Bonajuto (his family has been making chocolate here since 1880- 6 generations) and discusses tradition and evolution.  You'll fantasize about the food (chocolate, cannoli and more) for the whole week.  So dig in and put Modica on your next Sicily trip! 

On January 17, 2019, millions of people around the world learned about the small historic town of Sambuca di Sicilia through viral news coverage of its offer to sell historic homes for one euro.  The city received 100,000 email requests, and Darius was among the many interested in a visit.  In particular, he wanted to focus on the issues of heritage preservation for the town, already known to Italians after winning the award best borgo (small town) in Italy in 2016.  After making contact with the city mayor Leonard Ciaccio, Darius flew down to Palermo and drove 100 kilometers to the historic center of Sambuca di Sicilia where he was able to tour many of the houses (with a crowd of individuals from around the globe, arriving daily!) and speak with the mayor and his staff.  It's an unforgettable flashpoint to talk about heritage preservation, Sicilian history and archaeology (nearby Punic- Greek Monte Adranone). And of course, the wine and food! 

Italian wines are famous, but how much do you really know about them?  Darius certainly loves Italian wine, but craves to learn more about them and their history.  So, he sits down with sommelier Sarah May Grunwald (www.antiquatours.com) to talk about the wonderful wines produced in the region of Lazio in the charming setting of Massimo's L'ANGOLO DIVINO wine bar/ enoteca in the heart of Rome, at Via Dei Balestrari 12, around the corner from Campo de' Fiori.  It's a talk on the history of winemaking in Lazio (and what's new, as the Lazio wines come into their town) as well as the history of Lazio itself, back to the ancient Romans and their archaeology.  So, listen to Sarah May's words of wisdom (with astute contributions also from Massimo) as she and Darius drink their way through a variety of wines from a truly undervalued region of Italy.  Darius looks forward to drinking through more of Italy with Sarah May, and we're sure you'll agree! 

The Are Pacis (Altar of Peace) of Augustus is arguably the best preserved monument from the reign of Augustus (31 BC- AD 14). It is also in an impressive setting, centro Rome's latest museum creation, by architect Richard Meier, in traditionally Roman travertine stone, with massive windows and sunroof, matched with an integrated series of videos, panels, models, casts and lighting.  It is truly a rich, layered presentation of the reconstructed altar, product of a series of complex excavations spanning several centuries.  Darius presents the museum setting between the Tiber River and Mausoleum of Augustus (currently under restoration) and examines the altar and the history of the excavation that led to the creation of the Fascist museum, now updated with Meier's 21st century construction. 

If you study your history, you'll know that Rome has suffered ups and downs: fires, floods, earthquakes, sackings! But in more recent times, the upswing in Roman city administrations leading up to the time of the Julibeo celebration in 2000 is long gone. Now it's a long, hard road ahead, with the past mayors (and current Mayor Virigina Raggi) under siege and so many things not right (public transportation, garbage service, visible signs of corruption in the workings of the city).  But is Rome actually in ruins?  Darius takes the long view (with a focus on archaeology, the sites and museums of Rome) as he talks with journalist and travel writer Erica Firpo (Italian and American) who writes about lifestyle and contemporary culture. As long-time Rome residents they take a look at the recent (December 28, 2018) New York Times article by journalist Jason Horowitz and give their two cents' worth on the state of Rome today.  Surely a worthy topic on the Eternal City that merits a future discussion.  

Darius sits down at a local cafe in Rome with Daisy de Plume, creator of "That Muse" (THATmuse.com "treasure hunt at the museum") an innovative company that engages visitors in Paris (d'Orsay, Louvre, streets of Paris), London (British Museum, Victoria and Albert, and more), with an eye on Rome, where she once studied art history. Darius and Daisy discuss the common features that may hinder a magical experience at the museum with the family.  Her unique solution, creating fun, rivalry, competition and exploration, has been a hit for families, friends, and corporate gatherings. all in the name of learning about the past is exactly what Darius wants to see more of in Rome, away from the most crowded, overloaded sites and distinct from the mass-tourism experience that so many are bogged down with.  Can Darius and Daisy find some unique Roman solutions as they gaze down into the cat sanctuary at Largo Argentina?  A casual conversation from an archaeologist and a museum expert that may lead to some future collaboration in Rome. 

Join Darius with his friend,  tour guide and all-around Rome expert Ettore Bellardini in the Roman Forum for a walk around the Temple of Saturn, on the occasion of the end of year celebration from December 17-23.   For an intimate look at Roman religion, archaeology, art, and history.  At the end of December, walk with them as they recall the events surrounding the very popular cult and year-end festivities that eventually gave way to the Christmas holidays (that freely borrowed the merrymaking- eating, drinking wine, and  gift exchange from the Saturnalia).  There are so many ways we now reflect and recall the events of the past year and celebrate the good and bad.  Join Darius and Ettore as they help usher out the pre vious year and look forward to an amazing 2019! The new year has just begun and we're already in situ throughout Rome, ancient and contemporary. 

Darius kicks off his new podcast with a walk through his dynamic, historic neighborhood, in the heart of Rome.  From the moment he walks down his apartment steps, through the courtyard gate, dropping off the trash, and clicking the front door of his building open, he introduces you intimately to his city: Travel to Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Farnese, Largo Argentina.  And he takes you into local shops and markets, for vegetables at the banco stand in Campo, the butcher shop, his scooter mechanic, and some bread at Roscioli's, all the time indicating the historic sites of ancient Rome, like the outlines of the late Republican Theater of Pompey and adjacent porticoes, over 2000 years old. He concludes at the site of Julius Caesar's assassination in the Curia (senate house) that Pompey had built.  It's now mostly underneath Darius' local bus stop!  Welcome to his Rome, as the first stop of many in situ! 

Introducing Travel: In Situ with Darius Arya.  This is a podcast hosted by archaeologist Darius Arya. Each episode finds Arya on location discovering and uncovering elements of the past - from the back streets of Rome to the bazaar of Cairo, from the Agora of Athens to the Medina of Tunis, and from the Vatican Museums to the Roman emperor Diocletian’s palace of Split.  He's as comfortable selecting fruit in Campo de' Fiori and zipping through traffic on his scooter in Rome as he is lecturing on site, crawling under ruins, and excavating and preserving the past.  Find him each Monday exploring sites and museums, with a whole range of colleagues and friends offering new insights on art, culture, architecture, and just plain living the dolce vita in historic cities.  He'll get you to dig history in a whole new way!  Be sure to subscribe!  And please support Travel: in situ at Patreon.com/dariusarya.