It seemed like this last day was designed specifically for our departure. After we packed, we were taken back to downtown Rome and went into the Capuchin Crypts. It was very exciting entering crypts made completely out of the bones of the deceased members of the monks, creating many forms of the Memento Mori such … Continue reading Day 9 – Going out with a Bang!
On June 29th, we visited Florence for the day. Florence is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance, and it’s home to many masterpieces from that time period. We went to the Roma Termini train station and I noticed that it was like a mall except with trains. There’s a little train for kids … Continue reading Firenze
Today was the best day yet. We visited the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. Call me strange, but this center is more exciting to me than anything else here in Rome. Each room, funded by different countries of the United Nations, was like stepping into another culture. The presentation moved me. It was … Continue reading Most Inspiring Day of Rome Yet
Today was a blast. We had our last day of class, which was bittersweet, but also meant that we had more time to explore Rome with the following days. Margaret and Chloe showed me this rad pizza place during lunch, and it was a shame I didn’t visit it earlier! It had some of the … Continue reading Day 6 – Vatican Museum!
On our last day in Italy, we went to visit the Cripta Capuccini, which is a crypt decorated with the bones of 3,700 monks that have passed away. This crypt is a reminder of our own mortality. It had to have been one of the creepiest sights I’ve ever seen in my life. I wish … Continue reading Monk Bones, the Feast Day, and Missing Italy
Oh Florence, where do I begin? We got up extra early this morning and took a private bus to the train station. Unlike other public faculties in Rome, bus drivers do not mess around if you are late! Luckily we were not. We then took a train to Florence. More on the train later on … Continue reading Day 8 – A Day in Firenze
Saturday we had a major disappointment. Something was going on in the Pantheon and we couldn’t even get close to the doors. However, before that happened a few of us went to visit the Mouth of Truth which is supposed to bite off a dishonest persons hand. It was fun and we got to see … Continue reading Day 6: Pantheon and Spanish Steps
On Friday, we visited the Vatican Museum, the second largest museum in the world! While we were there, we saw legendary works such as Michael Angelo’s Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s School of Athens, and countless other gorgeous pieces. My favorite piece was the “Celestial Globe” painted by Giovanni Antonio Vanosio in 1567. The globe is … Continue reading Rome: Musei Vaticani
June 26th was our last day of class, so we had plenty of free time before our trip to the Vatican Museum later that night. We decided that we would like to go back to St. Peter’s Basilica to look at some of the embalmed bodies that were on display, and also to look at … Continue reading The Vatican Museum, the Last Day of Class, and the Sistine Chapel
How to explain the Vatican Museum? In one word- astounding. By far this is my favorite place in Rome at the moment. The Vatican Museum is the second largest museum in the world falling behind the Louvre, which is no surprise, but this is something I didn’t know beforehand. One of my favorite pieces is … Continue reading Vatican!