Neverending Maze

On Saturday night I decided to take a walk throughout the city. I started out in Trastevere, but sadly my shoes gave me such blisters that I had to buy a new pair right then and then I just felt the need to go home. However, I wanted to walk to Piazza Navona and try a famous dessert, tartufo, at Tre Scalini. I decided to walk along the Tiber until I reached Via Vittorio Emanuale. From there I walked for a bit until I saw a sign for Abbey Theatre, a bar I'd been to, and Piazza Navona. Perfect, I thought.

Not perfect. I seemed to have had short term memory loss and forgotten that the streets of Rome are never easy to navigate. I turned where the sign said to, and then proceeded to walk around a block and end up right back where I began. By this point, I just wanted to be home, so I comforted myself with gelato and started walking home, when I ran into the unattainable Navona. Of course this would happen after I had given up.

Moral of the story is that no matter how many times one has been to a place in Rome, it's not always the easiest to get back to it. These "roads" that connect everything have no true rhyme or reason and one really has to just get lost in order to be able to find where one's going.

Fountain of Facts

I am straying from my usual blog about fountains of water to focus on my TA, Una Kimokeo-Goes: Fountain of Facts. Sometimes Una just randomly spits out these ridiculous things that I never in my life have heard of, and I sit there in awe wondering how she knows them. Una has said it is because she took part in debate competitions throughout school, and I give that a lot of credit, but I also believe it is because she is just a curious person and will follow through when she thinks of a question.

Una will research anything that pops into her mind, whether it is five minutes or five days after she thinks of it. It has helped her to identify some of the things around Rome, which in turn helps us to learn a bit more about the city we've spent so much time in. I can honestly say will not forget some of the things she has told me so, thanks Una!

Won't Take No for an Answer

As I was walking through Piazza Navona today, I stopped by the first place I ever tried gelato to see the name of it. I saw that it was Mariotti and proceeded to walk away but the man working there wouldn't let that happen. He asked me if I wanted ice cream, and I replied no because I'd already had some. He grabbed my hand and ushered me inside, telling me to at least taste the cioccolato, since it was named the best in Rome. In fact, there was even an award featured prominently on the wall that verified his claim. I took a scoop and said ciao and was off on my way.

Sometimes, to generalize, Italians can get very pushy to the point where it's annoying. However, I loved this interaction. The gelateria man was extremely nice and just trying to garner some business, and for some reason I separated it from the other times I felt the servers were trying too hard. I don't think I cared because he wasn't asking for my money, he just wanted me to try the best chocolate. These are the little things I'm going to miss when I leave Rome in a week and a day, and I'll be counting down the days until I return once more to Roma.

Rome on the Silver Screen

Rome has been the setting for many movies, so for our self-created walks I decided to hit some of the places seen in movies such as Roman Holiday, Angels & Demons, and La Dolce Vita, among others.

• Start at Piazza Navona. Right in the center of the piazza is the Fountain of the Four Rivers, which plays a critical role in the new movie directed by Ron Howard, Angels & Demons, based on the bestselling book of the same title by Dan Brown.

When facing away from Sant' Agnese in Agone (the big building with the grand facade that takes up most of the piazza) and the fountain, walk down the little nameless alley and make a left onto Corso del Rinascimento. Cross the street using the crosswalk and stay straight on Via Salvatore. Make a right onto Via Del Dogana Vecchia and walk a little bit to then make a left onto Via Seminario.

• The Pantheon will be straight ahead. This spot is relavant to the Italian NeoRealist film Umberto D. In this movie, Umberto is down on his luck and is forced to ask for spare change, but he runs into an acquaintance and acts as if he was just passing through. It's a sad time for Umberto because he feels like he is losing his dignity along with his pensione.

From the Pantheon, continue down Via Seminario, which turns into Via Caravita. Stay straight and you run right into Via del Corso. Make a right and follow this street all the way until you come to the mouth of Piazza del Popolo.

• In Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck spend the day on Via Babuino, another road that leads directly to the piazza. This is an fun experience for Hepburn, since it continues the excitement the two shared the previous night.

From the piazza, walk down Via Babuino, one of the three roads extending from del Popolo. If you continue for a few minutes, you will run right into Piazza Spagne and the Spanish Steps.

• It was here that inThe Talented Mr. Ripley Matt Damon pretended to be his former friend and crush while on a date with a woman, when in reality he had really killed Dickie and only sought to inherit his fortunes.

From Piazza Spagne, walk to the left where the road splits onto Via Due Macelli and turns into Via Trafuro. At about the fourth street on your right, make a right onto Via Arcione. This turns into Via Lavatore and leads you directly to the Trevi Fountain.

• This is probably Rome's most famous fountain, and it is the setting for what many people wish they could do. In La Dolce Vita, Sylvia and her companion Marcello wander the streets around the fountain and happen to stumble across it. She immediately jumps in, calling for him to join her, but as he does the water shuts off, effectively ending the fun night they were having.

Here is the end of the walk, so make sure you throw a coin in the famous fountain to guarantee your trip back to the Eternal City for hopefully many more walks!

1. "In Italy Online - Rome in the Movies." In Italy Online - Hotels in Italy, Villas in Italy, Lodgings in Italy, Traveling to Italy and Information about Italy. 17 June 2009 .

King Tritone

Il Fontana del Tritone in Piazza Barberini is yet another piece of work by Bernini. Commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1642, King Triton kneels and blows water out of a conch shell. He is located at the foot of the Via Veneto in the middle of the busy Piazza Berberini.

Pope Urban VIII came from the Barberini family and had the fountain built after his family palace was completed. On the tails of the dolphins, Bernini carved the Barberini coat of arms, the papal seal, and the keys of Saint Peter.

Although The Fountain of Triton isn't nearly as popular as the Trevi or the Four Rivers, it is still relevant to the landscape of Roma. People don't necessarily hang out there at night because it's in the middle of a busy intersection, but they'll use it as a meeting place or a place to sit for a few minutes. We got paninis from a bar close to the fountain one time and the barista asked my friend to meet him at the fountain later, effectively combining two very Roman traditions - going afer young Americans and rendesvousing where there's water.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Sant' Agnese in Agone

The giant facade that takes up most of Piazza Navona is that of Sant' Agnese in Agone. Borromini created this massive structure after he replaced father/son architects Girolama and Carlo Rainaldi, who were commissioned to build it by Pope Innocent X. Borromini mostly followed the former architects' plans, but he strayed in that the facade is concave, in order to emphasize the dome.

The church was built over the site of a brothel where Saint Agnes was stripped naked in order to make her renounce her faith. She wouldn't and miraculously her hair grew long enough to cover her exposed body. St. Agnes was also martyred there, which is another reason why a church to honor her is suitable.

Sant' Agnese in Agone is just one example of the many scattered throughout Rome with specific ties to a saint. This is one thing I like a lot because it gives people a chance to learn the history behind the saint and what they stood for and how they lived their lives.

Hollywood Navona

Before I had even read Angels & Demons, I was learning about Piazza Navona in my architecture class. I loved it then and longed to see it, and after I read the book I wanted to even more so, if only to get a better picture of the setting.

I haven't seen the film yet, but I know Navona plays a crucial part in the climactic moments of the plot. The movie pulls into it all the elements of Piazza Navona one loves, specifically the Fountain of the Four Rivers. I think it would have been interesting to be here while filming was going on to see how the drew worked their way around the famous piazza without disturbing its charm. However, I also think I'm better off without having seen the filming, because then I can just enjoy Piazza Navona the way it is, a pretty oval filled with arts and food.

Botanical Gardens

The other day we went to the Botanical Gardens after class, where we took a long walk among the very green garden since most of the flowers are out of season and finished blooming. However, it was still pretty and serene walking though it.

As we were getting ready to head out, we stumbled upon a fountain which had not had the best upkeep. It reminded me of many other fountains in the city. The Trevi Fountain and the Fountain of the Four Rivers and all the other well known fontanas are mostly always clean and ready for pictures. But many of the other fountains around Rome are so small, unknown, and old that they don't seem to warrant as much attention.

I think this is part of the appeal of the fountains of Rome. If one wanted to see a prefectly white, gleaming piece of art than one could just look in a book. However, seeing the fountains which have aged and weathered ages Rome and reminds us that it isn't today how the city once was.

Cittá dei Ragazzi

Instead of having a discussion in class today, we took a field trip about a half an hour outside of the city. We took the public buses, which led us to Cittá dei Regazzi, or Boys' Town. Boys' Town of Italy is a place which houses close to 60 orphaned boys from countries all over the world. It was founded in 1945 by Monsignor John Patrick Carroll-Abbing, an Irish priest in the Vatican Diplomatic Services. It became incorporated in 1951 and is recognized as an American Charity with service abroad.

It was a really interesting place to go; it's sort of like a city within a city, but the boys run where they live. The orphans are responsible for certain chores, such as cleaning their rooms and keeping the main road clean, and also for governing themselves, running the kitchens and shops and keeping themselves organized. The boys go to school and also learn to work with computeres, ceramics, glass, etc.

While we we getting a tour, we met with the mayor of Boys' Town, a 17-year-old from Afghanistan who had been living in the community for two years. He was elected by his peers for a term of two months. Once elected, the mayor gets to choose his cabinet as well. The mayor explained in Italian some of how thier government worked and we got a pretty good translation and picture from our tourguide.

Even though it was extremely hot walking from building to building, I really enjoyed going to see Boys' Town. I think it's a great place for kids to come and learn responsibility and still be able to have fun. It gives them a chance to interact with other young men from similar backgrounds and gives them a chance at a better life than what they most likely would have had.

1. Boys' Towns of Italy, Inc. 14 June 2009 .

Fontana in Firenze

Last weekend we took a trip to Florence to get a look at another major city in Italy. After traveling all day through Siena and finally to Florence, we were pretty tired. We showered and ate dinner and proceeded to share a bottle of wine, but then we split up. Joe, Jackie, and I took to walking around the city since we didn't feel like going back to the hostel just yet. Somehow we ended up in Piazza della Signora staring up at all the statues strewn around us, including a replica of Michelangelo's David.

Right next to Palazzo Vecchio is the Fountain of Neptune. It was created by Bartolomeo Ammanatti in 1565 for the wedding of Franceso I de' Medici to the grand duchess Johanna of Austria. The face of Neptune apparently resembles that of Cosimo de' Medici and the entire foutain is supposed to be "an allusion to the dominion of Florentines over the sea."

It is a pretty fountain, but oftentimes these pieces make me scratch my head. This one in particular made me wonder, because it seems as if a child is right under Neptune's naked body. If one looks closely, the child looks to be handing something to Neptune, but I am still unaware of the significance of it and why it had to be carved into the precious marble.

1. "Palazzo Vecchio." The Museums of Florence. 14 June 2009 .

Living in Navona.

Some of our friends in the Architectural Engineering program were fortunate enough to be assigned the apartments overlooking Piazza Navona. I have no idea how this happened. All I know is I'm a little bit jealous. The AE kids get to look down on a beautiful piazza bustling with activity for the same price every had to pay, even those living far off in Trastevere.

People can rent the apartment fitted around the outside of the piazza, but the prices can get pretty steep. However, if I were ever to somehow someway make enough money, when I come back I would definitely look into staying in a place like this.

Domus Flavia

High up on Palatine Hill is where many of Rome's most famous characters lived. The best preserved buildings are the House of Augustus and the House of Livia, his wife. Apparently, Augustus lived a frugal life but the following emperors disregarded his example and created extravagant lifestyles for themselves and their families. The extensive ruins are those built by Domitian, Domus Augustana and Domus Flavia, the two wings of his palace.

When we walked throughout Palatine, being able to identify the ruins helped a lot when seeing them, as opposed to just standing there looking at really old buildings. Two unique things that are part of the ruins are fountains contained in the Domus Flavia, the official wing of the palace. One is in the shape of an oval, located in a spot where it could easily be seen from the dining hall of the palace. Up close, it actually reminds me of a ship for some reason, but one can definitely tell it could have been a source of beauty. On the other hand, one wouldn't know that the octagonal fountain in the courtyard was a fountain, just by looking at it today. It seems very shallow and not what one would expect.

Seeing the dried up fountains reaffirms the fact that they have been part of the aesthetics of Rome for centuries, not just the more recent creations like the Trevi Fountain or the Fountain of the Four Rivers.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Protestant Cemetery

We held class outside the Sede today, and on the agenda was the Aventine Hill area. We went to the top of the hill and got a beautiful view of the city, the Roseto Comunale - a rose garden in the shape of a menorah because it was built over an old Jewish graveyard, and the Knights of Malta priory, which has a keyhole that shows a miniature view of St. Peter's dome lined by trees. All of these were beautiful and definitely worth the walking, and I don't think I would have ever seen these had it not been for our class.


But the first thing we stopped at was really interesting. Right across from the Piramide Metro station is the Protestant Cemetery, where centuries of non-Catholics have been buried. Walking through the cemetery is a very peaceful experience, with birds chirping and room to walk along all of the numbered rows, housing hundreds of headstones. Cats are everywhere; the cemetery is yet another cat sanctuary in Rome, the other being right near Campo de' Fiori. Many of the epitaphs tell of people who were born elsewhere but came to Rome and wanted to rest forever here. I really liked this quote from Longfellow, which pretty much sums up many people's feeling about the city:

"There is the centre to which all gravitates
One finds no rest elsewhere than here.
There may be other cities that please us for a while,
but Rome alone completely satisfies.
It becomes to all a second native land by predilection,
and not by accident of birth alone."

The old cemetery is right next to the new one, but it doesn't hold nearly as many graves in the shadow of the Pyramid that is the memorial to Caius Cestius. It's path weaves in a distorted circle around a central grassy area, and in the upper left hand area is the grave of famed English poet John Keats, whose epitaph reads "Here lies OneWhose Name was writ in Water."

We got to spend about thirty minutes walking throughout the damp grass of the cemetery, and it made me really appreciate my family and the life I get to live everyday.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Gotcha!

Today, I decided to just relax and do some people watching in Piazza Navona. I grabbed a panini and strolled through the artwork displayed in the center, constantly amazed at how beautiful these handmade creations were.

When I first walked into the Piazza, there was a noticeable quiet-the water from Il Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi was absent, and the fountain dried up. I'm still wondering why this was; maybe it was time for a cleaning? However, it didn't tear at me too much so I neglected to ask anyone. Instead, I took a seat on a bench and enjoyed the beautiful weather and crowds of people.

Naturally, there were some peddlers around offering sun umbrellas and hats. One such man didn't forsee what he got today; two policemen taking him in, most likely for a fine. Watching the scene play out was actually pretty comical. At first, he ran away and just went to the other side of the piazza. His mistake was to just take a seat right there, for the officers saw him and decided to stalk him like prey until they jumped behind him. All I know was that afterwards they walked him somewhere, and when they were walking back he had none of the goodies he was hawking earlier.

In our three weeks of being here, that was the first time I have seen a peddler get any kind of reercussion for their actions. I guess the polizia were just trying to keep the beautiul piazza free of any kind of blemishes.

Festa della Republica

This year, I'll get to celebrate two countries' birthdays! In just over a month, I'll be home for Fouth of July barbeques, beach trips, and buddies. But today, while in Rome, we celebrated the 63rd year of Italy as a reublic. In 1946, the citizens of the country voted for a republic over a monarchy by nearly 2,000, officially ending the 85 year monarch.

Instead of going to class this morning, we headed to to Via dei Fori Imperiali to stake out a good spot for the parade. Jackie, Aimee, and I were able to get a view from up on a hill and watch the goings on down below. All different segments of the military marched during the parade, some showing some very unique formal attire.

Although this was the official parade day, the girls and I got a sneak peak Friday night while walking home from Piazza Navona. At around 3am, the main road was closed and we stopped to ask the esercito what was going on. Here, they were having a practice for the main event that took place today. When we walk by security personnel during the day, sometimes they look pretty scary; Friday we were laughing and joking around with them. The carabinieri even pulled us aside for a picture.

I wish the cop who pulled me over in May would have liked to laugh a little bit.

1. "The “Festa della Repubblica” is the Italian national holiday." Welcome to Italian Week 2009 in Brisbane - THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL. 02 June 2009 .

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.

The other day we did a field exercise, where were split into groups of two and had to lead the class to a fountain somewhere in the city. Eric and I were partners and we decided on Il Fontana dei Tritoni. It's located in Piazza della Bocca della Veritá, and the little garden/park area it is situated in also houses the Temples of the Forum Boarium, Hercules and Portunus. The fountain was created by Carlo Bizzaccheri in 1715. Bizzaccheri was apparently strongly influenced by Bernini in the creation of Fontana dei Tritoni, because of its "theme and position."



After we succesfully navigated the cobblestones of Trastevere and crossed the Tiber to our fountain, Mia let us know what was around us: Bocca della Veritá. It was pure coincidence that we had discussed this just the day before. Legend has it that this "Mouth of Truth" would slam closed if a liar put his hand inside. Of course we all wanted to give it a try, and luckily none of us lost any appendages, but it would have made for a more interesting story if that mouth had closed ...

1. "Fontana dei Tritoni, Rome MyTravelGuide.com." Travel Guides and Hotel Reviews MyTravelGuide.com. 03 June 2009 http://www.mytravelguide.com/attractions/profile-78381605-Italy_Rome_Fontana_dei_Tritoni.html.

2. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Pennsylvania, Anyone?

Although it is a relative ghost town around midnight, Piazza Navona was in full swing when we walked through it last night around 22:00. There were people hanging out near the fountains, and music blaring as we reached our cross street. This was because some guys had taped a flat cardboard box to the cobblestones and were breakdancing all over it. As much fun as I think it would be to learn to breakdance, cobblelstones and headspins just wouldn't mix well for me.

We were strolling through Navona to head to what many people dub the Penn State bar. Boticelli's is located right in between Via di Parione and Via di Santa Maria dell' Anima, and it is a fun place to just sit, relax, and hang out. It's a cozy atmosphere where we didn't have to scream to be heard over the music; actual conversations could be had. We went for a little bit and got a feeling of home, with many American colleges' penants hanging throughout the bar. A recurring theme was Penn State and in the last Stanley Cup series, a Pens game was playing. Being able to walk in and say hi to Giovanni, who remembered us, made us feel like we had carried a little piece of PA with us to Roma.

Navona at Night

On these weekend night that my friends and I go out, it's not surprising for us to see people hanging around statues and monuments with store bought beverages having a good time. This is most notable in Campo de' Fiori, where throngs of people crowd around Giordano Bruno any given night to catch up with friends, stop for a few to figure out their next move, or just sit and people watch.

If one would like to see a stark contrast to this, simply walk a few streets to Piazza Navona. My friends and I walked through there at around midnight last night, and coming from the lively piazza of Campo de' Fiori, Navona looked like a ghost town. In the famous piazza's defense, Campo de' Fiori is surrounded by bars and restaurants open until late, whereas Navona attractions had all shut down.

Even though no one was throwing themselves over the fountains, there were a few stragglers chatting on the benches. Walking through was pretty amazing; we were able to catch the piazza in a rare state of solitude, although we did liven it up for the few minutes that we strolled through, as seen by the fabulous poses of Sam, Aimee, Joe and Jackie.

Campeones! Campeones! Ole! Ole! Ole!

The Super Bowl is a huge day for American football; it's one of the most watched things on television, and advertisers pay millions of dollars for a 30 second commercial clip. Across the Atlantic, today was the equivalent of that, just with a different kind of fútbol.

At 20:45 tonight, the championship game of the UEFA league kicked off between FC Barcelona of Spain and Manchester United of England. Soccer is the king of sports in Europe, and since the game was being held at Stadio Olimpico, it was no surprise for us to see fans trickling in throughout the week for tonight's matchup.

The girls and I decided to go to a bar in Campo de' Fiori to catch the game, and were surprised to find out that the entire city of Rome had stopped serving alcohol, beginning Tuesday at 23:00 and ending Thursday morning at 06:00. This really put it into perspective how integral alcohol is in American sports, most notably with tailgating.

FC Barcelona prevailed 2-0 in a game that lasted just over 90 minutes, ending around 22:45. Despite not being able to buy any celebratory brewskis, the Barça fans still found a way to show their joy. As we were walking home, there were kids jumping and splashing around in one of the many fountains in Rome, and I'm sure the same thing was happening all over the city. Although it is illegal and the Carabinieri followed close behind, it was still fun to see people getting so excited over sports. Normally, these fountains are only for aesthetics, and sometimes to fill up a water bottle or two.

Being in Roma, I'm not able to watch the Phillies play and I have to catch up with all of my sports information online, but tonight I got to experience it firsthand.

Maybe I didn't get to actually go to the game - 2000,00 euro for a ticket is a little too rich for my blood - but I was able to stand amongst the fans chanting Barça! Barça! Barça! and feel the love all the same.

A Really, Really Detailed Recap. Mi Dispiace.

I realized I haven't written about my life in Roma yet, so I'm going to give a recap of what's been going on for the past few weeks.

The first week was a time to settle in, have orientations, start the first few classes, etc. It wasn't too taxing, other than all of us getting our bearings in our new home. We all walked around taking in the sights, trying to see as much as we could as soon as we could. Luckily, I walk by Il Colosseo, Il Foro Romano, and Il Vittorio every day on my way to class, and later that first week a few of my classmates and I went to Il Fontana di Trevi, the Spanish Steps, and Rome's equivalent of 5th Avenue, Via Condotti. That was our first Thursday, and we realized we would miss the Grey's Anatomy season finale. We set out to figure a way to see it, and Sam (housemate) came to our rescue when her dad suggested watching it in real time with a special program. We woke up at 3am to watch 2 hours of American television, something we haven't been able to do since, and without giving anything away, it was well worth it.

That weekend we stayed in the city and went to the Capitoline Museums, climbed the Aracoeli Staircase, and spent some time in Trastevere. All were very cool; I loved seeing the history and conquering the stairs. Sunday I went to Mass at Basilica di San Clemente, and although I couldn't understand anything other than the sign of the cross, I really enjoyed it. The main road, Via dei Fori Imperiali was closed for Race for the Cure, so it was awesome to be able to walk down it without the zooming mopeds or honking cars.

Our second week here we really got into class, discussing our readings and doing our journals and blog entries, but we also took some "field trips" as a class and on our own. We visited the Pantheon, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, and Sant' Ignazio on Tuesday and then the girls all headed to Campo de' Fiori for the open market. After that, Sam, Aimee, Jackie (all roommates) and I went to Piazza del Popolo and Pincio Gardens, which are all the way at the top of the Via del Corso, a main road. On our way back, our tired feet took us to Giolitti, a famous gelato place. Although my order got a tad messed up because I don't understand Italian, it was still delicious. The is, until I ate like a child and spilled some cherry and cream on my white shirt. I'll never learn.

We had big plans for Wednesday, until it became incredibly hot and the thought of planning our weekend took over. The girls and I planned a trip to a town near Sorrento, at Marina del Cantone. Thursday we went to the Vatican to see Saint Peter's Basilica, which was just unbelieveable to actually see it in person. The six students in my program wanted to go to the Museum, but decided to grab lunch first to fuel our bodies for the no doubt long trip inside. After paying at least 10 euro a person for a slice of pizza and a drink, we were told the museum was closed due to it being a Holy Day (Ascension Thursday). We didn't want to leave on such a sour not, so we decided to climb to the top of the dome. After a short elevator ride and 320 winding, narrow steps, we got out and had a panoramic view of the amazing city we are calling home.

Thankfully we didn't have class on Friday so we were able to go away for the weekend. Here is a little recap of how our Friday went:
1. Woke at 4:45 to be out by 5:30 to catch the 6:12 train to Napoli
2. Information boards were broken, so we missed our train, only after just jumping off the wrong one as it started rolling away
3.Finally made a train at 8:15, which went pretty smoothly
4. Took another train from Napoli to Sorrento, filled with an accordion playing teenage gypsy and a breastfeeding woman, both coming right up and asking for money. Also, a third gypsy decided it was too hot so she took off her pants and showed everyone her black training bra and undies
5. Train broke down for 20 minutes, 5 stops from Sorrento
6. Get to the station, only to have to board a bus for what we thought was a 20 minute ride. It was 50
7. Reach our destination, the Villagio Nettuno Resort, only to find that all the restaurants and markets are closed for siesta, and there are hundreds of jellyfish, deeming the sea untouchable
8. Later on, we got some good sandwiches and gelato in our stomachs, shared a bottle of wine, and got ready for a better weekend than our hilariously frustrating Friday

We spent all day Saturday on Isola di Capri, which was absolutely gorgeous. We had to have climbed at least 500 stairs to reach the top of the island and the main town, but it was well worth it. After getting our fill of the town, we headed back down for food and relaxation, and finally some swimming. Saturday night was the same as Friday; we came home from our excursion, showered in our private bungalows, grabbed some pizza (did you expect anything else?), and hung around beautiful scenery.

Sunday was another travel day, although it was admittedly much smoother than Friday. We got back to Termini and our our walk back to the apartment, Aimee, Sam, and I saw Tony Parker and Eva Longoria lunching. We were starstruck and couldn't stop talking about it the whole way home. After almost 60 hours of being away, we were home in Rome and our beds were calling us louder than ever.

Yesterday was a low key day; we had class from 9-11 and broke for about two and a half hours, in which we grabbed some food for our growling stomachs. Joe, Jackie, and I walked around Piazza della Rotunda until we had to get back for a class movie. The computer wasn't working, so we got to go home early where the weekend caught up with me and I hit the bed for a good 3 hours.

Today was a busy one. As a class, we saw the Colosseum, Basilica di San Clemente, and San Giovanni in Laternano. Our two TAs, Mia and Una, our teach Dr. Browne, Jackie and I all decided to go to Scala Santa, the holy staircase. These 28 stairs are said to have been the ones Jesus Christ ascended on his way to Pontius Pilate during his trial, and no feet can ever touch the stairs. They have been covered by wooden boards, and if one wishes to go up the stairs, one must go up on one's knees. Jackie and I decided to do this, and although it hurt a bit, we were both really glad we completed it. After hitting home for some food, Jackie and I went to Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum. Unlike during class, we were able to walk inside and throughout these ancient places. Seeing where the gladiators and animal were kept before the fights was pretty ridiculous, and it's hard to imagine such things ever happened.

We came back and were home for about 3 hours before we decided to go to the beach soccer game on Viale Aventino, played between Brasil and Italia. It was an exciting game; Italia came back to tie it at 5, but then Brasil prevailed in extra time. This free game was part of the European Champions Cup week, which culminates in the game between Manchester United and Barcelona tomorrow night.

I apologize for what looks to be a novel, but hopefully now I won't wait two weeks to write about my life. Love and Miss you all!

Water, Water Everywhere

A set of the many things Rome is famous for are its ancient aqueducts, some of which are still in use today. Back in the 2nd century BC, Rome's city wells were no longer delivering the water needed to keep the city running, so a series of aqueducts were built to bring in water from surrounding hillsides. The largest aqueduct was Aqua Novus, which stretched around 59 miles outside the city.

The aqueducts worked by collecting water from a spring in the hills to a reservoir. This built up pressure and guaranteed a steady supply to the city. The brilliant engineering tactics allowed for each Roman citizen at the time to have about 1 cubic meter of water each day, which is more than what most city residents see today.

Because of these aqueducts, Rome has fountains located all over the city continuously flowing with clean water. Locals and tourists are able to pop open their empty water bottles and fill them up, use the fountain to clean their hands or slash their faces, or plug a hole in the bottom of many to allow the water to squirt up like the water fountains we're used to.

One such fountain right outside my classroom, called Il Fontana del Facchino, is also a famed "talking fountain." These talking fountains and statues were used for political satire and some would actually respond to each other all across the city. The practice is generally dead, but one can sometimes still find a fountain starting a conversation.

1. "Fountains of Rome." Avventure Belissime - Italy Tours, Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Pompeii, Amalfi Tours & Shore Excursions. 25 May 2009 .

2. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

3. "Roman Aqueducts." UNRV History - Roman Empire. 25 May 2009 .

Markets at Navona

When I first got to Piazza Navona, there was a tent erected right in the middle with what appeared to be a little bookshop inside. Of course, I would never pass up the opportunity to look through books, even if they were all in Italian and I had no idea what I was looking at. I strolled through the inside and came out on the other when I stumbled over all the artists creating and selling their work.

Piazza Navona was once a place filled with fresh fruits and vegetables on weekday mornings. The open air market that now fills up the middle of Campo de' Fiori was moved from Piazza Navona. However, Navona wasn't the first place it stood; the market was originally in the Campodoglio.

Today, there aren't food markets found there, but around Christmastime there is its famous Christmas market with goodies for people of all ages to enjoy. I would have liked to have seen such a thing, but even now the beauty of the piazza resonates with every step, regardless of what is situated inside.

1. "Piazza Navona, monuments of Rome, art, itineraries." Activitaly, guide in Rome and Italy. 25 May 2009 .

2. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Piazza della Rotunda

One thing that gets overlooked when stepping into Piazza della Rotunda is the fountain directly across from the Pantheon. Although I wasn't able to find it's exact name, the fountain was designed and built in 1575 by Giacomo Della Porta under the commissioning of Pope Gregory XIII.

In 1711, Pope Clement XI had the vase that stood in the middle replaced by an obelisk. This obelisk was another Egyptian one, in honor of Pharaoh Ramses II and taken from the Temple of Isis.

Today, many people can be seen lounging on the stairs leading up to it while waiting on their companions or when taking a break from all of the walking around in hot Rome. It is a nice place to relax and people watch, and even splash yourself with the cool water when the temperature creeps toward unbearable.

1. "Picturesque Piazza della Rotonda at the Pantheon in Rome �." Bed and Breakfast Little Italy and Chaplin Hostel in Rome. 16 Apr. 2009. 25 May 2009 .

Papal Prince

The man behind many creations throughout Rome is Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a favorite artist of three popes in a row. He lived from 1598-1680, and during his lifetime created brilliant works of art and planned many spaces which we marvel at today.

One huge impact he had was on the Church, where we can see Bernini's influence right as we step into the Vatican. He designed Piazza San Pietro, where enormous colonnades create the makings of an open circle, welcoming people into the Basilica with the Church's open arms. Inside is his famous baldacchino, a "magnificent canopy of gilded bronze" which stands over the papal altar.

Bernini's work is found in many other piazzas; he not only designed the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, but also the piazza itself. His work inspired the Trevi Fountain, and the obelisk in front of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is held up by the marble elephant he carved to be the base.


Gian Lorenzo Bernini gave so much to the city of Rome, and I think it pays a great deal of respect to him to continuously see people flocking to his creations, even hundreds of years after their beginnings.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Present for You .. Now a little something?

Sam, Aimee, and I took a nice, long (and I mean long) walk around the city yesterday which brought us to Piazza del Popolo. Although this piazza looks open and welcoming now, it apparently used to be the site of barbaric instances, specifically public executions of condemned men during the celebration of Carnival. Luckily for criminals, this doesn't happen anymore.

Right in the middle of this great piazza stands an Egyptian obelisk, brought to the piazza in 1589 by Domenico Fontana on the orders of Pope Sixtus V. However, it was deemed too "inadequate for the size of the square," and so the fountains of lions were added to the four corners around it. The water flows out of the lions' mouths into a circular pool below.

It was here that the girls and I were approached by a man handing out roses. After being in the city for just a little over a week, this has happened many times. Men will walk around, hand out roses as "presents," try to strike up a conversation, and when one turns to leave will ask for "a little something?" It can get very irritating to constantly say, "No, grazie" without having them get the message. However, we are getting better at avoiding and forcing the "no," no matter how badly we feel. It may seem funny for everyone at home to hear about men walking around like this, trying to get money for roses, but we see it every day when we are out and about. In fact, even tourist sites warn of these rose peddlers. I think the men like to hang out at certain tourist destinations, hoping to catch a young couple in love or some women who want to be swooned, which is why they were found near Il Fontana dell' Obelisco.

1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

2. "Rome by Thais - Fontana dell' Obelisco." Thais.it - Arte & Natura. 20 May 2009 .

Basilica di San Clemente

This past weekend I went to my first Mass in Rome. I was excited to be able to go to church here and head to a new chiesa every Sunday to celebrate my religion in the city which is famous for bordering the center of the Catholic faith, Vatican City. I chose to attend Basilica di San Clemente for the sole reason that it was conveniently located near my apartment and I wanted to be able to find it easily so I wouldn't show up late. However, after researching the Basilica, I found out that it is a tourist attraction that many flock to.

What makes this church so unique compared to the others around the city and one that many put on their list of places to see is the fact that is is actuallt three layers, all with a story of its own. One enters through the street level of Via San Giovanni in Laterno into a 12th century church, beautifully kept and a place where Mass is still celebrated. The ceiling shows an intricate Apse Mosaic, Triumph of the Cross, and where Mass is currently held was preserved from where the choir sang in the 6th century.


Go down a level and one reaches the 4th century church, where frescoes detailing the life of St. Clement can be found. It is also where a"deep pit" was discovered, which is thought to be a baptismal font. The street level church was built over the original in 1108. These first two levels are dedicated to this martyred fourth Pope.

The bottommost layer are ancient Roman buildings and a temple of Mithras. Mithraism was an all male cult brought from Persia in the 1st century, which was a rival to Christianity. When the 4th century church was built, the Temple of Mithras was deilberately destroyed but a room used for ritual banquets still remained. The sound of rushing water can still be heard, which is attributed to a lost spring or an ancient aqueduct.

This rich and unique history is definitely draws people to Basilica di San Clemente. All three layers are open for visitors to roam throughout, with a 3 euro charge. Excavations are still being completed by the Irish Dominicans, since much of the bottom layers have yet to be uncovered.


1. "Basilica San Clemente Roma." Basilica of San Clemente Rome. 19 May 2009 .

2. Picture of mosaic and info. - "Bailica di San Clemente, Rome." Basilica di San Clemente - Rome, Italy. 2005. Sacred Destinations. 17 May 2009 .

3. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Come, Eat Here!

Like many of the piazzas found throughout Rome, Piazza Navona is encircled by ristorantes and shops. When one walks by, most times there will be servers trying to get you to sit outdoors and try their food. My classmates and I got lured into one such eatery when starving after class one day. It happened to be the first place we looked at and decided to just sit down.

Lunch was good, but the waiter was probably better, seeing as he continuously put on a show for us. He joked around with us, referring to my roommate Jackie as "Blondie" and exclaiming how everyone spoke Italian that day after we had ordered our meals. He looked at the bottom of the wine bottle when it was empty, insinuatind there was a hole in it because we had finished. The whole thing probably happens dozens of times in a day, and we were just a few out of his audience.

This type of thing happens daily in Rome, where a worker tries to lure you in with their menu, but not all the time do the servers play so much to their diners. When I first thought of him calling Jackie "Blondie" I thought it was kind of rude, but now that I think about it, people in the United States do that all the time and it makes for a better dining experience. So even if the food may have been over priced because of the touristy Piazza Navona, this Italian kept us entertained and having fun throughout our lunch in the hot sun, and I would go back, if only to see if he pulls the same tricks again.

Thank You, ArtH297

Although I wish I was living in Rome for seven weeks purely for fun, I am taking classes, one of which mandated this blog. We had to pick a theme and a place to write about a few times each week, and I feel like it took me forever to decide which-out of the hundreds in the city-I should do. I decided to concentrate on the theme of fountains and the beautiful place of Piazza Navona.


I learned of Navona in my ArtH297 class last spring, and the name has always stuck with me. Being able to see it firsthand was amazing. It is different than most piazzas in Rome due to its shape, which is of Domitian's Stadium. Athletic competitions used to be held there, and the stadium could hold around 33,000 people. Today, every day is filled with artists in the center and street performers strumming guitars around the sphere. There are multiple ristorantes circling the center, and one must be careful of the sly Italian waiter ready to lure you in for some food - my classmates and I were not so lucky during our second visit. Piazza Navona is a place to sit and relax in the warm summer sun; it is also the place where one can enter a gelateria and fall in love with gelato, helping to cool one off when the sun becomes too much. It was where I first tried and subsequently fell in love with the delicious dessert, enuring that Piazza Navona will always hold a special place in my heart.


1. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Ode to Sabrina

Il Fontana di Trevi is easily one of Rome's most famous fountains; there is hardly a time one can visit without also being joined by hundreds of others. This famous masterpiece is relatively young compared to the other structures in the city. It was inspired by Roman triumphal arches and designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and completed thirty years later. Il Fontana shows Neptune, god of the sea, and two tritons on either side of him along with seahorses. One is calm while the other looks uncontrollable; these two represent the two natures of the sea. The fountain was built to commemorate the ending of a Roman aqueduct, the Acqua Vergine. It is said that if one throws a coin into the fountain, one is guaranteed a trip back to Rome someday. Apparently many people are due to come back; the daily amount visitors toss in around 3,000 euro! The coins are collected each night and the money is put into a charity to help feed Rome's poor.

My sister, Sabrina, studied in Rome two years ago and declared this her favorite spot in the city, so of course I couldn't wait to visit it myself. I had seen pictures and she had spoken so highly of it that I wanted to make it one of the first things I saw here. Il Fontana doesn't disappoint; when I went I couldn't help but just stare at all the intricacies and the beauty of it. Naturally, I threw in a coin, which has two good consequences - contributing to a charity and solidifying my return to the city which I've already fallen in love with.

1. "BBC NEWS | Europe | Trevi coins to fund food for poor." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 27 Nov. 2006. 19 May 2009 .

2. Publishing, DK. Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides). New York: DK Travel, 2006.

Buon Giorno!

Finally in Roma!

I landed at Fiumicino around 8:45 Monday and was surprisingly not tired, even though it was 2:45 at home. Obviously, it was the thought of actually being here that had me going. A few of us in my program got our bags and taxied to the Sede di Roma, where we will be taking classes, at the Piazza Collegio Romano. The girls moved on to our apartment on Via Labicana, which is just a short walk from Il Colosseo. It is unbelievable how all of these historical landmarks are put right up next to modern day society. The rest of the day was dedicated to getting settled, something in our stomachs, and then we all napped for a good 5 hours. The jet lag had finally struck.

The rest of the week has been dedicated to orientation and starting classes, but I have been able to see a ton of what makes Rome "Rome." Some I have seen in passing, and some I have sought out, but all of them have been amazing. I honestly cannot wait to explore more of what the Eternal City has to offer, and since we're keeping a blog for class, I get to share it all!

Ciao!