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.