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.