My favorite piece of art would have been the statue of David by Michelangelo. The detail was so precise, and yet the statue itself was larger than life. I loved how there were no visible imperfections, and the detail looked as if it was a cast of a real body.

In this post is a photo of me with the group on top of Castel Sant’Angelo. It was made around 120 AD as a mausoleum for Hadrian.

Over time it became Papal property and was the fortress the Pope fled to should Rome be overran with invaders (which did happen). Now it is a museum.

I like it because it is unlike the other massive building near it – St. Peter’s Basilica. St Peter’s is white marble with bronze, while this is red roman brick. I also like how it is right along the river and gives a great view of the Vatican.

I’ve never had lamb + truffles before. It was delicious. Photo is included with this post!

After a busy night in the Vatican Museums, we all were tired and needed a little break. While we may have needed a break, we still were anxious to go and see more of Rome. We all met in the lobby at 8:45 for a tour of Castel Sant’Angelo, the castle that we were supposed to see on Wednesday, if it wasn’t for Pope Francis’s speech. The Castle was originally a mausoleum for the Roman emperor Hadrian, where his ashes and those of his family were placed. Later, other emperors had their remains placed in this building. It remained a mausoleum until the 400s, where it was turned into a military fortress. It remained that until the 1300s. As a military fort, the fortress was thought to be impenetrable. The walls were thick, it was stationed on the Tiber River, and it was the tallest building in Rome for quite some time (see picture). Also, armies could use more than just ammunitions to defend the castle. It has been documented that bronze decorations were thrown on attackers, and stone statues were destroyed and catapulted over the walls. When the building became under control of the papacy, it was used as a fort that a pope in St. Peters could run away to, via the Passetto di Borgo. In 1527, Pope Clement VII escaped to the fortress through this passage when German mercenaries sacked Rome (also when the Swiss Guard sacrificed themselves for the Pope, which led to the Swiss Guard we see at the Vatican today). It was also used as a prison, holding those who were thought to be heresies. As the threat of invasions became less prominent, it was decommissioned and turned into a museum. At the top of the building is a statue of the Archangel Michael. According to legend, a plague in 590 was driving Christians to revere a pagan idol. When Pope Gregory I heard of this, he went to the Church, and when he arrived, a clap of thunder was heard and the idol was destroyed. Then, he went back to St. Peters, and crossed a bridge next to Castel Sant’Angelo. He looked up, and saw a vision of St. Michael the Archangel wiping the blood from his sword and then sheathing it, a symbol that God was pleased. While this is just a legend (heard first from a traveler from the 15th century), the name still stands. When we finished touring the castle we had lunch at the top. I spent the rest of the day working on blogs and researching, only stopping to go shopping for a little and to watch the World Cup in the lobby (Unlucky 5th shot for Chile) and to get dinner. Beyond that, nothing much happened. It was the day of rest that we needed before Florence.

After a long day yesterday, we left at 9:00 to Pontifica Urbaniana University for the last time. Everyone was more or less awake, and we found our room and started right into class. We discussed Christianity, specifically, the Protestant Reformation. With Mr. Hesting in International Relations we discussed Multi-National Corporations (MNCs). We discussed if it really was a good thing to have corporations that make more money than countries, and have more power too.

We have seen it already in Rome, with American businesses everywhere, and in the World Cup, where rules (like no alcohol to be sold in stadiums) were broken so companies could enjoy more profit (*cough* Budweiser *cough*). For the second day in a row, this sparked a lively discussion, and I think Mr. Hesting thought we all did an okay job in class. Once we were done, however, we were completely free for the rest of the day, until 6:45PM.

Everyone was happy for some free time, so after a quick panino I ran back to the hotel to get a few assignments done. Then, at two, the whole group went out to go shopping. Mr. Hesting led a group of us to the so-called “Geek Shop” where there were medieval swords and wands on display and for sale. After a quick stop in, we all traveled back to the hotel. Once back at the hotel, we still had around four hours to burn, so I submitted some blog posts (the internet is slow again, by the way) and talked with friends. When 6:45 finally came around, we were all in the lobby awaiting our tour of the day: The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel at night.

For this special occasion, we had a new tour guide, Rich. When he came, we walked through and around the Vatican to get to the entrance to the museum. The Vatican Museums have 53 different galleries, not including the Sistine Chapel, and are 508 years old. The museum not only has a very large collection of Renaissance artwork, but also Greco-Roman marble statues, Pagan bronze statues, relics from civilizations past, contemporary artists like Dalí, and major artists like da Vinci, Raphael, Bernini, and Michelangelo.

As the tour began, we walked through a courtyard with a massive pinecone made of bronze. It was a pagan idol that was dug up many years ago and put on display. It was right next to the courtyard that dinner for the night was held. After a brief meal we all left for the museums, anticipation flowing through our bodies. When we first get in, we pass a hall at least 100 yards long filled with excellent Roman and Greek statues. These are statues that would be centerpieces in museums in America and other parts of the world, and they’re in essentially a storage hall in these museums. Let that show just how massive this collection of art is in the Vatican Museums.

Past the storage hall, we entered a courtyard with pristine Greek and Roman statues. Most of them were life size, some bigger, but all of them were amazingly detailed and precise. The famous Laocoön and His Sons was on display here. As we wandered through in a state of awe, we entered into more rooms filled with statues. Many of these rooms had painted ceilings with gold leaf and mosaic or marble floors. One room was even made to look like the Pantheon, and had a large bronze statue of Hercules as the main piece. In the next rooms, the statues were switched with tapestries, many of them larger than to be of use anywhere but a palace.

Soon, we came upon the Hall of Maps. In it were detailed, artful maps that were almost larger than would be useful. The ceiling was overwhelming. It was golden, with coats of arms, paintings, angels, and anything you could imagine on the ceiling. It was one of those rooms where you catch yourself staring with your mouth wide open. The only part I regret about the room is that because it was night, the pictures did not come out as not as clear as they would be in the day.

Past the Hall of Maps we saw more and more of the type of art that you think of when you think about the Church: Massive paintings depicting biblical events or important events of the church. Just like the last hall, these rooms had ornate ceilings that were nearly as nice as the paintings themselves. After a few of these rooms we walked into Raphael’s “School of Athens.” This fresco was beautiful, the details and little references, like putting da Vinci and Michelangelo’s faces on two of the people, were outstanding. And again, the ceiling was magnificent. After that, we only passed through a few more rooms until we reached the crown jewel of the museums, the Sistine Chapel.

Having been in existence since 1368, the Sistine Chapel (or “Sixteenth Street Chapel,” as it was called by a friend back home) was restored under Pope Sixtus IV in the 1480s. Today, it is used for occasional mass, as an art museum, and for the Papal conclave. The Papal conclave is the voting process for the new Pope. Whenever a Pope dies or resigns, this process begins. All the cardinals in the world, as long as they are under 80 years old, are locked in the Sistine Chapel and vote, twice in the morning and twice at night, for a new pope. There is to be no politics here, only prayer to God, that he will guide them to vote for the right person. The process is repeated until a two-thirds majority is reached, and if the potential Pope agrees. If there is no Pope elected, they stay locked in until there is. Hopefully, however, we do not witness another one of these for a while.

The chapel features many frescoes from many different artists, all done in the Renaissance period. On one wall, there is the Life of Moses portrayed in frescoes; on the opposite wall, the Life of Christ mirrors that of Moses. These events draw parallels to the two figures. As Moses is shown coming down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, Jesus, on the opposite wall, is shown giving the “new commandments”, the Beatitudes, on his Sermon on the Mount. As the Trials of Moses are shown on one side, the Temptation of Christ is shown on the other.

On the ceiling are the famous frescoes by Michelangelo. In center is the famous Creation of Adam, where Adam is given life by a touch from God. This is one of his most famous pieces, rivaled by the piece right behind the alter, The Last Judgment, which shows the saved on the left, and the damned on the right. In the corner, we were informed by Rich, was a portrayal of a Cardinal who did not like Michelangelo. So, he is depicted as the Judge of Hell in the bottom right corner. Again, the only regret I had was that I was not allowed to take any photos.

After the Sistine Chapel, we all were drained. We had just gone through one of the most amazing museums in the world, and there was still so much we could have seen. We could have spent days in single rooms, and months in the Sistine Chapel alone. However, it was getting late, and we headed back. On the way back, we got gelato, and talked about the beauty that was what we just saw. The consensus was overwhelmingly positive: The Vatican Museums were some of the greatest things we had ever seen.

After a deep sleep, we all were fully rested and ready for class. Well, most of us. We went to a different room today for class, what was supposed to be our room yesterday. In World Religions today, Dr. Stark gave us a good lecture on Hinduism and Buddhism, where we learned about Hinduism’s caste system and the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism. Before we switched to International Relations, we all went to the bathroom, third stall, to look out the window. From it, we saw the most magnificent view of the Vatican I’ve seen yet.

After the photo shoot, we went back to class and talked about terrorism. It was an involved group discussion where everyone was able to say what they wanted, one of the first in International Relations. Once class ended, we went to a bakery to get sandwiches for lunch. They were great (what food isn’t great here?), and we had a good amount of time before our tours began. While everyone else went to the store to get food and other goods, I stayed home to try and keep up with work for International Relations and World Religions.

After a little break, Jill met us in the Lobby and we were ready to go. Jill led us to the metro stop and we rode the subway over towards the Spanish Steps. It was then that Jill handed us off to Ana, our guide for the day. Once she passed us off, it was off to the Spanish Steps. They were larger than I had anticipated, and after two days of walking I was glad we weren’t walking up them. Also, I didn’t know they were called the Spanish Steps until I saw the embassy right across from them. Once we looked at the steps, we stopped at the Column of the Immaculate Conception. It was made in the 1800s, and faces statues of biblical leaders on it, like David and Moses, and the Pope often comes here to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception every year. Then, we started our walk towards the Pantheon, but not before stopping by the Trevi Fountain. Unfortunately for us, it was closed. It was not flowing water and it was being cleaned and repaired the day we went. While it was unfortunate, I can report that it is a massive fountain, and that I was still able to throw my coin in the fountain. Once we finished throwing coins, we continued off to the Pantheon.

I was not sure what to expect for the Pantheon. I had heard that it was an amazing piece of construction, something that was not able to be replicated for thousands of years. I also heard that it was barren on the inside when everything was lost after the fall of Rome. While I was never quite sure about what to expect from it, I still walked the distance with anticipation. The Trevi Fountain disappointed me a little, with being closed and under construction, so I was not sure if this would meet my expectations. Needless to say, it exceeded my expectations. The structure was very large, and being sunken into the ground, looked larger the closer you got. Facing it, its columns and triangular top reminded me of Ancient Greek architecture. I couldn’t wait much longer to go inside, so after a few pictures we all headed in. Inside, the dome looked to be 10 times higher than it looked outside. Not only was it massive, it was a perfect circle, too. The oculus in the top of the dome let in light that shone on the walls of the Pantheon like a laser beam. While the dome was massive, it was completely empty. The indents on the dome were pattern shaped and made gauging its height difficult. It was very appealing, even though there were no frescoes or golden icons on the ceiling. The Pantheon was originally used as a pagan temple for the Romans. It was for all the gods, hence the name “Pan-the-on”, which is Greek for “all the gods.” Therefore, it would be a temple to the greatness of the Roman gods, and would have hundreds of gods lining the walls in statues, mosaics, and icons. While it was a pagan temple, it was converted to a Roman Catholic Church in the 800s. This removed all the pagan imagery and established the dome for God. This dome also holds the resting place of artists like Raphael.

When we were through with the Pantheon, we went off to Piazza Navona. The plaza had three rivers, two churches, and an embassy – needless to say, it was a lot to soak in. The highlight was the centerpiece of the plaza, the Fountain of the Four Rivers. It was a piece made my Bernini, with four figures representing the four major rivers of the known world that the Church had influence in. In the middle of it is an obelisk. Once we finished the obelisk, our tour guide left, and we walked to Piazza de Popolo to watch the Italy-Uruguay world cup match. The game was exciting, with shots, saves, and a bite or two, and the plaza was filled with fans from around the world. It is amazing how non-government organizations like FIFA can bring together people of different races, genders, and nationalities over a common love for football. The international presence was apparent, with us Americans in the back, international tourists all around and Italians watching with anticipation all throughout the square. After the game ended we all took the metro back, had dinner, and enjoyed a night at the hotel.

The day started off great, as the internet had gotten much better now that another school had left the hotel. Suddenly, I could now look up information for Mr. Hesting’s class in a matter of seconds, and it helped us all put together the last touches on our Model UN resolutions.

We learned that in the United Nations, things called resolutions are passed, which are similar to guidelines in that they recommend a solution to an issue that has been brought up by a committee, but the solution may not be enforced. This is because most resolutions are non-binding. However, for the sake of the discussion, we assumed they were binding agreements. Each country proposed at least one resolution to the UN, and the countries would discuss on it and vote for or against it. I (United States of America) went first with Rélynn (India).

We proposed an immigration reform amendment that would help solve illegal immigration on the India-Bangladesh border, and help make it easier to apply for temporary work visas in America. We both did a great job and Mr. Hesting was very pleased, and our resolution was voted in unanimously. The rest of the class went and there was more discussion, more votes, and more debates. All in all, I feel like it was a successful activity. Then we studied on Judaism in World Religion for the time we had left. It was important that we did that as we were to go to the Jewish Ghetto that day.

After lunch and some downtime, we all started walking down to the bus stop to get to the historic ghetto. Once we saw the Tiber Island, we got off and crossed onto it. As it was the only island in the Tiber in Rome, it was important so that bridges could cross from the old city to Trastevere. Across the island was the Jewish Ghetto. It was the last ghetto in Europe before they were reinstated by the Nazis.

It was first commissioned by Pope Paul IV in 1555, and was still used to contain the Jews until the 1880s. The size of it was extremely small and walled in, and was often affected by disease and flooding. Inside, the Jews were allowed only one house of worship, so they build one large building and put five synagogues in it. Then when the ghetto was destroyed, they made a great synagogue as a testament to the world that they were still there.

Most of our ghetto tour took place at the Museo Ebraico. Our museum tour guide Ursula showed us the Torah scrolls and covers that were saved from the ghetto, and showed us the two synagogues on the museum land. The first one was small and basic, and regularly used for worship. After that one, we went to the Great Synagogue of Rome. It was much larger than the other synagogue and ornate like a cathedral, with a ceiling that had all the colors of the rainbow and the four trees God mentions in the Hebrew Scriptures. That being said, it was still smaller than most all of the churches we had been to. What is amazing is that this building, which seated around 600 worshipers and was smaller than an average size church, was 1/4th of the size of the ghetto, which contained as many as 9,000 Jews at a time. Yes, the ghetto was that overcrowded. Unfortunately, there were no cameras allowed in either of the synagogues or the museum.

When we left the museum and the ghetto, we crossed over the river to Trastevere, which literally means “beyond the Tiber.” The streets were very narrow in this area, and there was no semblance of any of these buildings being planned. As we wandered through we stopped by a few churches, like Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, San Francesco d’Assisi, and Santa Maria in Trastevere. Santa Cecilia was in what used to be the home of a Roman woman named Cecilia, who was a martyr. We then walked by the church where Saint Francis of Assisi once stayed (hence the name), and after an espresso break, we went into Santa Maria in Trastevere, which is quite possibly the oldest church in Rome. It had painted ceilings and a nun playing the organ the whole time (see picture).

Then we went to a pizza place for dinner. The pizza was delicious. Once we were done, we had a Nutella calzone for dessert, and walked along the Tiber, which had a riverside market. It was there we watched the US Men’s National Team advance to the Round of 16 with a 0-1 loss. Once we finished walking through, we all returned to the hotel to catch up on work and get a good night’s sleep.
Santa Cecilia

Well, we may have woken up earlier than I would have enjoyed, but it was all worth it. We all were in the lobby by 8 to go across the street to the Vatican so we could see Pope Francis’s bible study in the Vatican. While we hoped we could go and get a good seat up front, it was a bit crowded, to say the least, and we needed a ticket to sit in the seats. Unfazed by our lack of tickets, we found a corner that was on the path the Pope would cruise around. I ran into the corner so I could get a good place to stand and take photos. Once the whole class packed in, we waited. Eventually the crowds filled up, and the monitors set up in St. Peters Square started playing footage of the Pope walking down to his Popemobile. The crowd tensed up, anxious to see him. However, being the people’s Pope that he is, he stopped to everyone who was waiting for him in the auditorium hall and greeted them. Once he finally got out, he stepped into the square, and the crowd started cheering. He climbed in his car and started waving around as they drove him through the people. The driver zipped him around the square, quick enough to see everyone, but slow enough that the Pope could wave all around and kiss babies that were given to him. Twice, it looked as if he was turning down our stretch of territory, but both times he quickly turned and went down another path. Eventually, he turned our way. Instantly I felt my body squeezed between the barricade and my classmates behind me, inching forwards, trying to get a good picture of him. We all started screaming his name, and I did my best to get a good picture of him (see photo), without only seeing him through my small camera screen, and instead looking at him with my own eyes. He waved, smiled, and laughed his way through our section before driving up to his chair in the square.

The forecast had called for rain, and rain, it did. Showers were off and on the whole time we were in the Vatican. I was lucky enough to hold the umbrella for a nun who was beside me, so I stayed relatively dry. The Pope gave his speech, and it was beautiful. He talked about how we (Catholics) do not need the Church, but how the Church needs us, and how the ministry of Christ can only be fulfilled through community. The speech, initially read in Italian, was then translated into about nine different languages, and a few I did not understand. Once it was done, the Pope offered a blessing to all of us and our families, and blessed any religious items we may have had.

Afterwards, we all went back for a lunch on our own. Jacob and I roamed around to find somewhere with WiFi, and others did the same. Then, we hopped on a private bus to go to the US Embassy to the Holy See. The embassy was high security, so we couldn’t take any photos unless done by an intern. However, it was atop a hill that looked over the Circus Maximus, and was very beautiful. There we met a few members of the embassy, and talked about what the career was like and what relations with the Holy See were like. First, we learned that there is a difference between the Vatican and Holy See; one is the independent state, the other is the governmental organization controlled by the Pope. We learned that the US and Holy See are in constant communication all the time, and are often working together to help spread peace and aid. Everyone at the embassy loved Pope Francis, and enjoyed working with him and the Cardinals, and after seeing them all in the morning, I understand why.

Once we were finished with the embassy, we took a group photo and walked up a hill to see a spectacular view of Rome from on top of a hill, and to see the building of the Knights of Malta. It is interesting, as the Knights are a government without a territory to rule over, and one of the requirements to be a knight is to recognize it as a government. Also, there is a secret in the keyhole, but you’ll have to see to find out. When we finished that, we went to the Circus Maximus and walked in the footsteps of the great Roman Athletes. When we finished, we hopped back on our bus and had some time to kill before dinner. Dinner, once it came, was delicious. The appetizers included two types of caviar, bruschetta, and a small slice of bread with a lox of sorts. For dinner, I was supposed to get mushroom risotto, but instead, I got the seafood risotto. I didn’t complain, it was delicious, with octopus, clam, and shrimp. Much better than mushroom. Afterwards, we all got a small gelato and hiked back to the hotel, a long day finished.

After a much needed sleep, we woke up and walked off to the college where we would be studying. Where we are studying, Pontifical Urbaniana University, is right by our hotel, and has a great view of the Vatican. When we got there, we went to where we thought our room was, only to find that it was in use. We asked a local student, who was a Franciscan brother, where we could find our room. After many stair climbs and running around, we found our room, with a great window view of the Vatican.

We started class and learned about the conditional, unconditional, and liminal states, as well as magic. We also had a discussion on our opinions of US foreign policy. Once class ended, we all went to the university café for a brief lunch. Afterwards, we travelled to the Vatican post office to change cash and mail letters. The Vatican post office is completely separate from the Italian Post Office, as the Vatican is its own state and in treaty with Italy. We then went back to the hotel to rest up before our tours for the day. Today, we were to go to the Forum, the Coliseum, and St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. We took the bus to the forum without any major delays. The bus let us off right in front of the “Wedding Cake Building,” which was made in celebration of the unified Italy.

Once we arrived to the Forum, I was shocked by how hilly the terrain had suddenly become. I later learned that this was because they have excavated many meters deep to find the ancient ruins that were hidden over the years of dirt and trash and construction that was placed on top of them. Before we walked into the Forum, we stopped by Trajan’s Column, which depicted the Roman victory over the Dacians. When it was uncovered, it was propped back up and a statue St. Peter was placed on top of it. We then climbed down into the forum.

In the forum, you can see the different layers of stone and rubble that accumulated over the years on top of the Roman ruins. From the main clearing you could look down the Via Sacra, which would take you all the way to the Coliseum. In the Forum were many important buildings, as government events would take place there. The tomb of Julius Caesar was in the middle of the Forum, right next to the area where he and other important Romans like Mark Antony would speak.

We then travelled to the Arch of Titus (see photo). This arch depicted the Siege of Jerusalem on its inner walls, so as to describe to one who could not read the power of the Romans. There is a theory that some of the wall is made of the stone of the Temple of Jerusalem; however, this is a debated issue. We then went to the Coliseum. I learned that the Coliseum was not, in fact, a marble structure, but mainly brick and concrete. However, its size is true to its name. Only looking from the center inside of the Coliseum can accurately depict its size. It is, in a word, colossal. The under the stage is a set of tunnels and passages where the Gladiators and slaves would prepare before the festivities. Also interesting about the Coliseum is that it is littered with holes on its sides. These holes were filled with metal, precious or otherwise. Over time, however, they were looted and melted down, in order to make things like coins, poles, weapons, and build buildings like churches.

After the Coliseum, we traveled across to St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. It is home to two major things: the supposed chains of Peter and Michelangelo’s statue of Moses. The statue of Moses is a very intricate piece, with horns (a misinterpretation of a halo) and a beard, all carved from the same piece of marble. The chains are in good condition, and are said to be the chains St. Peter was held in when he was imprisoned before his martyrdom. After a quick look at the church, we went to dinner.

Dinner was either a variety of meats and cheeses, or a variety of salads. I chose the meat and cheese. The mozzarella was the best I’ve ever had, and the Ricotta was creamy and went great with the fresh honey provided. After dinner, we all went for Gelato. It was great, especially with panne (whipped cream). Then, we took a bus back to our stop and enjoyed an early evening at the hotel.

After two flights, one with a rough landing, we finally made it into Rome. After a quick trip through customs and a bus to the hotel, we finally got a glimpse at the Vatican. However, everyone was exhausted, so a quick lunch was well received. I had grilled liver, and it was interesting. The flavor was mild, and the texture was soft. I suppose I would have it again.

Then, we went off to the Vatican. We crossed into St. Peters Square, and looked around in awe at the massive Basilica in front of us. We made a quick stop at the water fountain, then crossed borders. The border between the Holy See and Italy is unique in two ways: it is the only completely demilitarized border, and it also changes frequently. When the Pope is not in the Square, the boundary is just outside St. Peter’s Basilica. However, if the pope enters St. Peters Square, the boundary is now St. Peters Square, as agreed upon between Vatican City and Italy.

I was amazed at just the outside of the structure, so I couldn’t wait to go in. But before we went in, we climbed up to the dome. After 15 stories, we reached the base of the dome. Then we were able to view the insides of St. Peters from above.
After some photos and explanations by our tour guide Jill, we travelled up another 13 stories to reach the top of the dome. The view was outstanding, and we could see all of the Vatican and of Rome.

After a long trek downstairs, we reached the base floor and toured the Basilica. It was easily one of, if not the, most beautiful buildings I have ever been in. Everything was marble, much of it covered in mosaics or gilded. Caskets of Popes lined the sides, and massive sculptures were everywhere. We were lucky enough to attend a mass, which while not in English, was very beautiful.

The Baldachino, called St. Peter’s Baldachin, was in the center (see photo). It is a ciborium, which is a canopy that covers the altar, and also is positioned over the tomb of St. Peter, who was the first pope of the Catholic Church, and who the Basilica is named after. All popes after him are the successors to St. Peter. It was commissioned. After more photos, we left, returned to the hotel, and went to dinner. Dinner was next to the place we went to for lunch, and I had Cacio e Pepe. It was delicious. Afterwards, we all went back to the hotel to crash, one day completed.