University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

Page 30 text:

THE ERMAN ROOM 18

Page 29 text:

Replica of a fifteenth century Tuscan convent, the Italian Room has the studied air of Renaissance beauty. The vivid ceiling attracts immediate attention with turquoise cazettas separated by mouldings of terra cotta, each set with a carved and gilded rosette. Under such a ceiling, nuns of the San Dominico Convent, Pesaro, copied holy manuscripts centuries ago. Modeled after Italian choir stalls, the tops of the walnut backs are inlaid with the names in olive wood of men who created Italy’s cultural rebirth—Petrarca, Da Vinci, Galileo and others of unsurpassed genius. Plastered walls of dove gray complement the Romanesque entrance and sandstone fireplace from an old Florentine home and provide the background for a fresco commemorating the first woman graduate of a college. Six windows in the alcove are made of old blown glass in tints of yellow, turquoise and light pink. Each window has shutters oddly reminiscent of the Old World. Sunshine gleams through these southern windows onto the velvet cushions, adding a touch of Italian warmth. Student scats simulate the benches of a monastery chapel. They are excellent examples of ecclesiastic furniture made suitable for classroom purposes by the addition of tablet arms. Each seat has the name and founding date of an Italian university carved on its back, reminding students and visitors alike that the first university in the world originated at Bologna in 1088. 7

Page 31 text:

Full of rich burgher gusto, the atmosphere of this room tells of German love for the good life and knowledge. The genius of the German mind is brought out by the many great names carved in a band about the room. Furnishings of the room are made up of the materials and spirit of the German Renaissance in the sixteenth century when German craftsmanship in architecture and woodcarving were beautifully distinctive. Many features of the classroom were inspired by the great hall at the University of Heidelberg, oldest German seat of higher education. Walnut paneling in walls and ceiling contrast with the oak flooring. Window-seats, student armchairs and the doors with columns decorated in stenciled arabesques arc also of walnut. Exquisite stained-glass windows picture the world-famous Grimm fairy tales with iridescent colors, while darkening the room with medieval poignancy that contrasts with the somber setting. Rear picture-panels are made of careful wood inlay. They picture the pursued Heiden-Roslein, heroine of Heine’s love poem, and the golden-haired siren Lorelei, enchantress of the Rhine. The imposing bookcase contains a collection of German books on literature and other subjects donated by the German Ministry of Education. The quotation from Goethe in the shield characterizes German strength. Translated, it reads: “Great mastery results from wise restraint, and law alone points out the way to liberty!” 9