It's been an amazing few days here in Italy! The food is delicious, the sites are gorgeous, and the people are incredibly friendly!
After a long (and painful) two days of orientation, we greeted our first weekend here in Italy with open arms and an adventurous spirit. We were able to go on a two-hour Baroque tour with Professor. Alei, who will be teaching "Rome: Age of the Baroque" starting in late September here at the Rome Study Center.
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| Piazza Navona |
It's one thing to be a tourist and visit the various sites and take in the beauty of it. However, it was a whole different experience when we revisited the same sites with detailed explanations and insights about the history. The symbolism portrayed by the statues and grand edifices were way beyond what I had imagined. These are moments when I learn to appreciate art and all the ideologies attached to each masterpiece.
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| Ancient Egyptian obelisk taken by the Romans as a symbol of power...under it are four rivers, one from each continent (excluding Oceania), personified; This signified the divergence of flourishing Christianity into the world |
Freud, in Civilization and its Discontents, analogized the human mind to Rome. We learned that Rome is a city of layers which built upon itself over the years. While we walk the streets of Rome and absorb its elegance, we forget that ancient Rome is right under our feet! (Freud calls this the unconscious) However, Prof. Alei clarified that while there are definitely layers of Rome, it is a "mixture" of the different layers as well, since the Romans used the same materials that were used in the past (i.e. Marble used during the Renaissance, etc) to rebuild their city. Intriguing.
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| Ceiling painting inside of Saint'Ignazio Church depicting the return of Christ |
The tour ended in the Saint'Ignazio Church, a church dedicated to Ignatius of the Jesuit order. I took a picture of the breathtaking painting on the ceiling right as I walked in. All the paintings inside were painted on a flat ceiling, but it creates an illusion which makes it seem like a very high ceiling. Awesome.
After the tour, we visited the famous Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps.
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| Pantheon |
Unlike the deceiving picture (not sure where all the people went), the Pantheon was flooded with tourists, and there were numerous vendors and men dressed up as Roman soldiers who offered to take epic pictures with us. (3 euros? No thanks) There was a nice choir performance going on inside the Pantheon, and their voices echoed beautifully throughout the building.
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| Danielle, Kaori, and Camy in front of the Trevi Fountain |
The Trevi Fountain, notorious for pick-pockets, was a marvelous sight. The clear blue water flowing from the flawless marble statues definitely captivated me for a while. Thanks to the orientations and the endless warnings we received about pick-pockets, we kept all of our belongings safe.
The Spanish Steps, which Camy thought was some sort of Spanish Dance, is a set of steps which leads to the Trinita Dei Monti church on top. We didn't dare climb the steps--we were sweaty enough already!
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| The Spanish Steps, which is also a popular rest stop for tourists who like to sit in the shade! |
It's incredible how much there is to see in this city. Apparently, we haven't even covered 1% of what the city has to offer. Although it's exciting to roam around Rome and visit all the sites, I hope I'll be able to learn the significance of these historical sites, which I consider to be the true beauty (most of the time), as well. Ciao!
Isaac
