5/30/2012 Largo Argentina/ Crypta Balbi/Pantheon

5/30/2012

Largo Argentina/ Crypta Balbi/Pantheon

This was my first full experience outside of the Villa Maria. It was fun to figure out the bus system and the tram. It gets really full and it is almost hard to breath, but it is a different experience and I enjoyed it. The Largo Argentina was the first stop. It is a very unusual sight because it is right next to a busy street and many small shops are around it. It is as if this little piece of history is there to remind the rest of society of their roots.

I was shocked to see all the cats around there, but later I did some research and apparently there is a cat shelter really close to there and all the kittys congregate at the Largo Argentina.

Our next stop was the Crypta Balbi. It was a museum and we separated in groups and explored our specific areas in order to give a small presentation on what we learned. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.

Later we visited the Pantheon! This was the most important site that I got to visit on this day. I had been dreaming of being inside the Pantheon and finally my dream came true. As I entered the Pantheon I could not believe my luck. It is a beautiful place. It is full of history and it brings out feelings in me that I did not even know existed. The Dome is a magnificent structure and I can imagine what a beautiful sight it is whenever it snows in Rome.

Despite the fact that I was still a little jet-lagged this day was a beautiful day! I was very impressed with everything I saw. Even later in the day I kept on learning and figuring out how I was going to make my way around Rome while I was there.

Ostia Antica

6/10/12

Ostia Antica

As we walked into the Roman ruins of Ostia I was unaware of how much I would be able to discover throughout the enormous place. The scavenger hunt was a wonderful idea. Our groups roamed through the ruins looking for the items on the checklist and in the process we were able to find many other extraordinary places.

I was also very happy that the weather was so cloudy and fresh that day because I really loved it! We were able to walk everywhere without having to worry about the sun. The museum was very simple, but it had several important statues.

I had mixed feelings about this class because it was our last class as a group, but it turned out to be the perfect ending to what has been an excellent course.

Shelley-Keats House 6/8/2012

6/8/2012

Shelley-Keats House

Today's class was all about grand poetry. I enjoyed learning more about John Keats life and death. He was truly an admirable person. His life story, short as it may be, is full of passion and tragedy. That is probably why his poetry is so incredibly touching. I was glad to be in his old home for a brief period of time and to see the room where he spent the last days of his tragic life.

The Non-Catholic cementery was a unique experience. It would have never occurred to me to think that non-Catholics would be buried somewhere else, but now it makes absolute sense. Although I am not a very big fan of cementeries, I was glad to see the Shelley's and Keats' grave. It was an emotional experience for me because both of these two poets died too young and their potential was cut short at its prime.  

I would love to return to both these places one day, mainly to honor these great two men who, although long gone, have been immortalized through their superb writing ability, and their contribution to Romanticism.

Villa Borghese 6/7/2012

6/7/2012

Villa Borghese

The Villa Borghese is the most impressive place I have visited during my stay in Rome. The paintings and sculptures are exquisite. I had never been to any place that held so much beauty in one building. The Vatican museum might rival it, but the ambiance is completely different. Looking at the pictures was much easier without having thousands of tourists rushing through. I also like the fact that they don't allow cameras. I love to have photographs but sometimes i get carried away taking pictures and I forget to truly enjoy the essence of my visit. There were no distractions. As far as I was concerned there was only me and those magnificent works of art.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was not Bernini, as I originally thought, but Caravaggio who stole my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. His work is marvelous. I was feeling beside myself, as if I had gone into a trance as I was trying to interpret the meaning of his work. There is so much emotion an mystery attached to this pictures. Caravaggio must have known that his pictures would provoke different emotions and reactions within the viewers. He left much to the imagination, and he was not afraid to use controversial subjects either.

TheVilla Borghese is a true testament to the renaissance era, and I would love to go back some day. I want to have the opportunity to look at all these paintings and sculptures at least once more in my lifetime.

St. Peter's Square 6/6/2012

6/7/2012

The general audience with the Pope was an unusual spectacle. The ceremony was full of symbolism, music, and tradition. I suppose that is the way the Roman Catholic Church likes to perform ceremonies, which brings me to believe that is the reason why the have ceremonies like this on the St. Peter Square premises. The Basilica itself is a magnificent work of art and architecture.

I enjoyed the ceremony, however the heat was unbearable at times. I was shocked to see that they do this ceremony every week in six different languages. The Pope seems very aged and frail. It seems like a lot of hard work for him to sit in the heat reading in different languages from all over the world.

Although there were aspects of the ceremony that seemed quite bothersome, I truly enjoyed the blessings and the sermon about family and the importance of love. Overall, visiting St. Peter's square for an audience with the Pope was completely satisfactory both intellectually and spiritually. It was a magnificent event that many people would trade places with me in a heartbeat just to be able to see the Pope. I feel that I witnessed a truly special event during my time in Rome.

The Basilica of St. Peter is a magnanimous structure that took my breath away from the moment I laid eyes on it. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to see Michelangelo's Pieta. The statue is exquisitely sculpted to portray Mary carrying her son after the crucifixion. I was overcome with emotion immediately after I laid eyes on it. I was impressed that I was able to finally see this, and I was thanking my lucky stars for this wonderful experience in my relatively short life.

Capitoline Museum 6/5/2012

6/5/12

Capitoline Museum

I had a wonderful experience as I walked through this historical place. The outside has a mighty and imposing feeling to it. It reminds me if the Capitol in Washington, D. C. We saw many different pieces of art starting with Constantine's monumental remains in statue form. We moved on to many other pieces and Dr. Sheets was a wonderful guide.

I loved seeing Marcus Aurelius Magnificent Bronze statue, not only because I found it marvelous, but because of the extensive history that is tied up to it.

Although I enjoyed every piece that I saw inside the museum, what I enjoyed the most was the foundation of the old Roman structure down in the Basement. It was great to be able to look out the window and catch a view of the Forum. It was breath-taking! Additionally, the building was very much untouched by the modern world which allowed me to transport myself to antiquity for a brief moment of time. It was a wonderful day to be in Rome!

Days off in Rome

The Mediterranean Sea as majestic as I have always imagined. I could not believe my luck as I slowly walked my way into the water. It was the purest and most revitalizing of feelings to have the opportunity to swim in such a beautiful body of water.

I spent most of my time swimming and attempting to absorb all the beauty around me, however at times I felt completely overwhelmed with a feeling of disbelief. How is it possible that I have traveled all the way to the this beautiful part of the world? I have wanted to participate in this trip ever since I heard of it, but I never thought it would actually come true.

It was a day of rest, and fun for me, but most of all it was a day of reflexion. I enjoyed being by myself in the water and thinking about the things in my life that I need to work on and the ones that I have worked on and are the way they are supposed to be.

The Forum 5/31/2012

The Forum

Today's experience was absolutely marvelous. I had heard of the Forum but I always imagined it very differently. When I first walked in my feelings were in disarray. The magnitude of the place is astonishing. I did not know how to react to so much beauty and history.

It was enlightening to learn about the purpose of the Forum throughout the centuries. There is an extensive amount of information about the events that took place there. I was also excited to learn that so many of the structures had been moved there and that many had been restored. I supposed that is what represents the layers of Rome.

My favorite place within the Forum was where the Vestals used to live. Their stories are so intriguing, and I would like to learn more about it. Being a feminist immediately drew me to the stories of women power and oppression which were paralleled in this particular case. However, as I entered the garden I felt this incredibly heavy feeling that can only be described as dread and desperation. This particular location has a heavy imprint of all the things that happened there and all of the emotions experienced by those who lived there.

Overall I would like to point out that I believe that the Forum epitomizes the Layers of Rome better than any other place we have visited so far.

Vatican Museum

6/4/2012

The Vatican museum was certainly a unique place to visit. I had such a wonderful day looking at all the sculptures, tapestries, majestic ceilings and pictures. I particularly enjoyed going through the Egyptian section of the museum. I have always been interested in Egyptian history so I found it very refreshing to have the opportunity to look at all the ancient artifacts, sarcophagus, and even a strange-looking mummy.

 I could not believe how many people were visiting the museum. It was hard to walk and take pictures at the same time because I was practically being pushed, but I suppose when more than 20,000 people visit a place in a single day things have to be done fast and efficiently.

The Sistine Chapel was the highlight of my trip. It evoked a range of emotions in me that are difficult to explain. I felt passionate and even more identified with my religion than I have felt in the past fifteen years. It was such a peaceful place and if I was given the chance I would go back to in a heartbeat.

Palatine Hill

6/1/2010

Palatine Hill

The walk around the Palatine hill was an incredible experience. However, it was highly connected with Forum the day before. I had a wonderful time looking at all the old architecture. Looking at this wonderful place makes one wonder how people carried their everyday activities in that kind of environment. It was a castle, but it happened to be so open that it made me wonder how they protected themselves from the elements. It also occurred to me that even though the Romans were very sophisticated, they also enjoyed interacting with nature as often as possible.

The most breathtaking site for me was the Garden with the fountain and the purple flowers. I could almost picture this palace in all its grandeur. Overall it was a great day here in Roma, but the walking was extremely difficult for some of us. There were many steps, and the heat was unbearable at times.

I would like to point out that finding frequent spring water fountains around the archeology sites can almost be compared to finding an oasis in the middle of the desert. I am looking forward to see many more places here in Rome, and I am really dreading the day when I have to leave this majestic city.