Roma

Roma, el capital de Italia, is now one of my favorite cities in Europe. At this point in my life I have seen London, Paris, Madrid, and now Rome; and I feel that Rome and London are my two favorite. The argument for London is clear to me, it's incredibly diverse, has amazing history which can be seen through it's buildings and government system, is a welcoming city, and who doesn't like some fish and chips?! After having spent my orientation in Madrid, I was enamored by the museums and art history but did not feel the same welcoming presence that exists in all great cities. Also, Madrid lacks the same amazing history that pulls you in. Two weekends ago I spent exploring Paris with my BC friends. Paris is a great city, it has the eiffel tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the arc de triomphe; all of these are magnificent pieces of art within themselves. However, I did not feel a connection with French society and was somewhat relieved to be back in Spain after a great trip. Perhaps I just needed to learn more about Paris' history and the language in order to feel a stronger connection.

Now there's Rome, my newest favorite. Rome has it all, historic buildings, government, Vatican city (which has the largest Cathedral in the world), amazing art, an over the top welcoming culture and people, and of course THE BEST FOOD EVER! I think I am most attracted to cities with an incredible and depth history, especially when it revolves around the government system (with both London and Rome have).

Our first full day in Rome, we took a bus tour and had a very entertaining Italian man as our guide. We drove around all of the city taking in his stories about each building and monument. Our bus stopped outside of the Colosseum and the group gathered around while we learned about this part of Rome. Right outside of the Colosseum is Rome's "arc de triomphe" where slaves and prisoners of war were sold. This is significant since many of the gladiators were slaves and prisoners of war therefore they were sold right outside of the place that they would fight and possibly die. On one side of the arc is the Colosseum and on the other is Palatine Hill which is old Rome. Palatine hill has the old forum where the senate did everything, the market, and ruins of old houses where the Caesars lived. It was truly amazing to take all of this in.

From here we went to the Pantheon, which is an old temple. In the very center of the ceiling there is a giant circular opening for light to enter. On April 21st every year, the sun is directly above the Pantheon and shines light on who ever stands below, bestowing a 'god-like' presence. April 21st is important because it is the day on which Rome was created. We also saw the Trevi fountain and important sites.

My friends and I decided to go to the Colosseum. The ticket cost 12 euro, and included the Colosseum and Palatine hill. It seemed a bit pricey, but completely worth it. The Colosseum was gigantic, and it seems unbelievable that people used to fight in the center for entertainment. The next day we used the rest of the ticket to enter Palatine Hill. After seeing all of these historic sites, it made me want to take a class on ancient Rome. I know I have studied this in the past, but I seem to have forgotten most of it!

We heard that the Vatican gets very busy early on, so we decided to be the first ones there on Saturday. Hence, we woke up at 6:30am! St. Peter's Cathedral was magnificent, and I enjoyed exploring each part of the church. It was very interesting to people watch there as well because people had come from all over the world to be there. There were nuns from all over the world. From the cathedral we moved onto the Sistine chapel. The sistine chapel is the "official residence of the pope" however, we did not see him! haha. The chapel itself if very small and the walls and ceilings are covered with paintings. I was able to zoom in on the most famous image from the ceiling of Adam reaching out towards an angel.

Upon returning to Spain, I been "wikipediaing" all of the places that I saw while in Rome. I had learned some stuff on the guided tour but wanted to know specific details. I learned that more than half of the people who fought as gladiators were volunteers; there was so much honor bestowed upon the fighters that people volunteered themselves (and their lives/bodies) to be part of this type of entertainment. There were also gladiator schools where prisoners of war, slaves, and the volunteers were trained. I then decided it was time to watch Gladiator! And I currently in the middle of it! So I thank Rome for it's history, amazing food, and a great trip!