Rome 2015

When in Rome….act like a Roman!

All roads lead to Rome!

My trip to Rome was a short five days with the focus being to learn how to lead student trips through EF Tours. I left Chicago on Wednesday, arriving in Rome on Thursday, and returned to the U.S. on Monday. Wow! It was a fast, intense, educational trip. We visited the key tourist attractions. The Colosseum, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel, Parthenon, Trevi Fountain (unfortunately there was renovation being completed and the fountain was dry), wonderful food and many cobblestone plazas with fountains.

You can hear the roar of over 50,000 people packed into the Colosseum, known as the Flavian Amphitheater, to watch a gladiator fight a wild beast. After a decade of construction, it was opened in A.D. 800 by Vespasian’s son, Titus, with 100 days of games. It was the largest amphitheater in the Roman empire. Used for four centuries before it public interests changed, no longer interested in gladiator fighting. Natural disasters, structural features used in other architectural projects, and vandalism took a toll on the Colosseum. Restoration began in 1990 and is a continuous project to maintain one of Romes most popular tourist attractions. It is amazing to stand within this Roman structure to see the architectural masterpiece.

The Roman Forum, or just the Forum, is the center Rome. Originally a city market but better known as the location of great speeches, public trials, elections, and commercial activity. Once a marshy area drained by the Romans and now famous ruins reminding the world of the once powerful Republic. Walking through the rain careful not to slip on the worn stone path made one think about the path of history from the rise of an empire to a famous tourist attraction today.

The site where Julius Ceasar was buried.

Piazza Della Rotonda, the location of the Pantheon, one of the best-preserved of the ancient Roman buildings because it has remained in continuous use as a church. Informally known as the “Santa Maria Rotonda” because it was dedicated to St. Maria and the martyrs. A circular building with large granite Corinthian where mass is celebrated on Sundays and “days of obligation”. The circular dome with a center oculus, known as the eye of the Pantheon, allows light to enter.

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The Vatican, is it a city or a state? It is a city-state. Vatican City State became a sovereign state with the signing of the Lateran Pacts in 1929. It is the home of the Pope and the center of the Catholic religion. There are almost 1000 citizens living in the world’s smallest independent state, including the famous Swiss Guard providing protection to the Pope since 1506.

Within Vatican City, you will find St. Peters Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum. There are many famous paintings, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco, tapestries telling the history of Christianity, statues, including Michelangelo’s Pieta, and gardens.

Touring Vatican City Museum, gardens, and Sistine Chapel, bottom picture – Michelangelo’s fresco ceiling in the Sistine Chapel

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Touring St. Peter’s Basilica, bottom picture Michelangelo’s Pieta

The Trevi Fountain was being renovated at the time of my visit. It was still amazing to see the fountain, even without water.

Rome is filled with beautiful Piazzas (public square). There is always a fountain, statues, and often vendors selling food or artwork.

Pizza! The pizza in Rome was amazing. We had the opportunity to make our own pizza one evening. A fun activity but not much different from what I do with my homemade pizza.

Making pizza.