Ciao! I’ve been in Rome for five days now and I am excited, sun-kissed (or burnt), and exhausted! I’ve created this blog to keep family and friends updated on my almost year-long experience abroad. I will also plan on including other things on my website, like my projects from both my “art” classes and my design studio and maybe even a special section for gelato!
We flew out of the New York City on Tuesday, Aug. 23, as a class, which was crazy since we got to reunite with our classmates in the airport. It was so nice to see everybody, catch up, and build the anticipation until we arrived in Rome the next morning. Some of the school staff picked us up at the airport and we drove to the Villino (dorm), catching glimpses of the city as we passed. My excitement almost made it easy to overlook how awful taking two suitcases and two backpacks through the cobblestone streets to reach the villino in sweltering heat was. After arriving we were assigned our rooms and had some time to unpack and shower before an orientation to the villa and a walking tour of our neighborhood, Celio, which is near the Colosseum! Fun fact: from the Villino’s rooftop terrace I can see the Colosseum! After that, my friends and I went to explore the city! As we walked we saw the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trajan’s Column, Altare della Patria (Italy’s main national monument), and we stumbled our way into the charming small Piazza Sant’Ignazio where we ate dinner and ended with gelato outside the Pantheon!
On Friday we toured our academic building, called the Rome Global Gateway (RGG), which is around the corner from the Villino. The RGG is a really nice facility with our studio, computer lab, library, kitchen, courtyard, and terraces. In the afternoon, a large group of us went to get new SIM cards for our phones and got acquainted with Rome’s public transportation. We returned and cleaned ourselves up for the Rome Program’s Welcome Aperitivo. An aperitivo is kind of like a cocktail hour. The restaurant was beautiful and the food was delicious. I really enjoyed simply spending time with my friends in our new environment.
Saturday was definitely my favorite day so far! In the morning we woke up early to go to the post office to get our official document for our permission to stay, after which we went to the Spanish Steps and went in the church at the top, Trinita dei Monti. Some of us then walked toward Piazza Navona, stopping at a small but beautiful church, Sant’Andrea delle Fratte. Once we got to Piazza Navona, we saw Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers and visited Borromini’s Sant’Agnese, which are both incredible! We then walked by Palazzo Massimo, which was the site of one of our design project from last year! Finally, we went inside the Pantheon which is truly as amazing as everything I’ve heard! We headed back to the Villino and bought some groceries! Then we went on a religious pilgrimage to tie into Notre Dame’s Trail pilgrimage on campus which commemorates ND’s 175 anniversary. We walked to three of Rome’s seven major basilicas: San Giovanni in Laterano (huge and stunning), Santa Croce in Gersusalemme (where I saw pieces of the cross!), and Santa Maria Maggiore (where I participated in our first Italian mass!). On the way home our professors treated us to a trendy gelato place in a unique neighborhood (Monte) that had experimental flavors made with organic ingredients – super yummy. In total, I walked 12 miles that day. Once we were home we cooked our first group dinner, which was very successful! Then a large group of us sat outside, drinking wine, and soaking in our experiences!
Sunday was slightly more relaxing. We made a nice brunch, walked through a shopping district, and saw the Trevi Fountain! As we walked back, we wandered into the Altare della Patria, which had architecture almost as extravagant as its views! That night, I took charge of dinner, cooking a frittata. Much to my relief, it was also a success!
Monday was our academic orientation and first day of class. We met the professors, got our studio syllabus, and picked our desk. At lunch we ran and bought supplies at an eclectic hole-in-the wall art store, Poggi. It had everything you could imaging piled from floor to ceiling! After a quick gelato we were back in city for class visiting the site of our first project! The School of Architecture had an opening Mass in San Clemente where I did the first reading, and after we had a reception in the RGG. I’m looking forward to going to the rest of my classes this week. Hopefully the rest of my posts won’t be quite as long, since this was the first weekend and I was visiting as much as I could!
- A view from the Altare della Patria over part of the Roman Forum and the via dei Fori Imperiali
- Me on one of the terraces of the Altare della Patria. The statue behind me is of Vittorio Emanuele, the first king of a united Italy.
- A fantastic coffered barrel vault in San Giovanni in Laterano.
- The well defined circle of light from the oculus shines on the wall of the Pantheon.
- San Agnese located in Piazza Navona
- View from one of the rooftop terraces at the RGG. The Colosseum can be seen on the right. The view from the rooftop terrace at the villino is similar!
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