Tombs, Tombs, and more Tombs!

This past Saturday was full of Etruscan tombs as we visited the necropoli of Tarquinia and Cerveteri with our Saint Mary's group. Just to give a little background, the Etruscan civilization is a pre-Roman civilization that occupied the same area of Italy the Romans eventually conquered when they grew to be a dominant force in the Mediterranean.  Everything we pretty much know about the Etruscans comes from their necropoli (cities of the dead--aka tombs and cemeteries) outside of their cities. Both Tarquinia and Cerveteri are home to the largest and best preserved collections of Etruscan tombs (and have been the topics of study for our Archaeology and Art History classes these past two weeks). 

We first traveled out to the countryside of Tarquinia to explore its painted tombs. When we got off of the bus in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere, we were welcomed by a rare absolute silence, which we gladly embraced. At Tarquinia we were able to go down into and take a look at some of the most well-known Etruscan painted tombs that we had been studying in class (and conveniently had a test on on Monday--a perfect studying tool!). What's interesting to note about these painted tombs is how they focus on the joys of life instead of the reality of death, for most depict scenes of festive banqueting or celebratory games.  

The Tomb of the Leopards

The Tomb of Hunting and Fishing

The view from the Tarquinia necropolis.

As a break in between our day of adventuring tombs, we had a picnic lunch on one of the beaches outside of Tarquinia. While a beautiful day, the beach was absolutely deserted, which allowed to us to explore freely. There was a nice section of rock next to the water where we all convened for lunch as we took in the sights of a few boats and para-gliders on the water. Even a couple of brave souls (not us!) went for a quick swim in the cool water. It was a perfect and relaxing break before we switched gears back to tombs. 

Beach at Tarquinia!

At Cerveteri we explored a different type of tomb, rock-cut tombs (tombs that have literally been cut into the rock). Most of them are formed in tumuli (mounds of earth) and are big enough to house large families. It was extremely impressive to see how they resembled actual houses, for many had multiple rooms and were filled with rock-beds, benches, and even decorations. We were able to go inside five tombs, and while extremely musty, they were in great condition considering they were thousands of years old! 

One of the many rock-cut tombs. 

The Tomb of the Beds

While it was a long day of learning about Etruscan tombs, it was exciting to see and experience them first-hand; we can't wait for our next Saturday field trip!

The Long and Hilly Road: Assisi in a Day

We spent little time relaxing on Sunday as we were off to the train station at 6:30am for a full day in Assisi with a group of Saint Mary's girls. It was our first trip on our own in Italy! 

On the train to Assisi!

After a relaxing train ride with beautiful scenes of the Italian countryside, we arrived at the Assisi train station. 

We've arrived!

Assisi, which is the hometown of St. Francis and has a basilica named in his honor, is located on a big hill/small mountain (we say both because as we shortly discovered, it is way too big to be called a hill). In order to get to Assisi from the station, one can either take the bus, pay a taxi, or walk. Instead of being logical and taking a quick taxi ride or bus into town, we all thought it would be fun to walk in order to save money. 

The city in the clouds.

On our walk to Assisi; it's not that far...

Or maybe it is.

Let's just say that not a moment went by while walking up the hill/mountain to Assisi that we weren't having seconds thoughts about our money saving option. We knew Assisi was hilly, but we hadn't realized that literally Assisi was only hill, and in order to get anywhere in Assisi, the walk is not a walk, but rather a trek. If you ever want to visit Assisi, be more prepared than we were to get some exercise! 

The long trek up the hill.

Looking up at St. Francis's Basilica.

While it was a long uphill battle (pun intended), when we reached the city and travelled up the steps to the Basilica of St. Francis, the views of the Umbrian countryside (the region in which Assisi resides) were absolutely spectacular. 

The view of the countryside from above.

Friday was St. Francis's feast day (Pope Francis had spent the whole day there- we just missed him!), so we caught the tail end of the festivities; flags and balloons still lined the streets, along with some posters greeting the popular pope. 

Decorations for Pope Francis. 

We made it up the hill in time for a beautiful Italian mass at St. Francis's Basilica. After mass, we spent time exploring the city, taking in the views, visiting some historic religious spots pertaining to St. Francis, and shopping! 

St. Francis's Basilica, where we went to mass.

On our way up one of the many hills in Assisi, we saw a sign at a shop that said something along the lines of "Come in and try the best olive oil and balsamic vinegar in Umbria. Do it now because you're not going to want to walk up this hill again!" This sign alone convinced us to go inside the shop and see what it was all about. We ended up meeting the little old man who owned the shop, and we had a wonderful conversation with him. While Italian, we learned that he had lived in the US for many years before settling in Assisi. And yes, the balsamic vinegar and olive oil were amazing, so delicious that we bought our parents a small bottle of each! 

At the end of the day we decided Assisi was well worth the possibility of being sore the next day. The city was absolutely charming and quiet (something we haven't been used to since coming to Rome), the views spectacular, and the people kind and gracious. We also decided that the benefits of having all of these steep hills were a) all of the little pockets of amazing views, and b) the guilt-free feeling of eating gelato because you deserve it! While a long and exhausting day, it was a great way to start our many weekends full of adventures in Italy and all over Europe! 

Time to say goodbye! 

Touring Villa Giulia and Villa Borghese

After a busy first week of classes, we spent a rainy Saturday touring Villa Giulia and the Villa Borghese gardens. We began the day with a long walk from our hotel to Piazza del Popolo, which is located on the edge of the city and served as an entrance point to the city hundreds of years ago.

Piazza de Popolo and churches created by Bernini.

An Egyptian obelisk in the center of Piazza de Popolo.

We spent a couple of long hours at the Etruscan museum located inside the villa, which is the subject we have been discussing in class this past week. A highlight of this museum visit was the possibility that our group was on national Italian news! For what? Well, in one of the exhibition rooms a contemporary Italian artist was creating a work of art out of paper, so we were allowed to go inside and take a sneak peak. When the Italian news came, they wanted shots of people walking around the exhibit admiring the work (or at least looking interested), so they asked our professors if our group could be the "extras" for their news story.  Of course, all of us thought it was funny that they wanted 34 obviously American women who all looked the same age to walk around, but everyone deserves their 15 seconds of fame on national Italian news! We have yet to find the news story online, so we don't know if it ever broadcasted. 

Villa Giulia, which holds the Etruscan Museum.

We then ventured into Villa Borghese as the sky opened up to reveal a beautiful Saturday. Set on a hill, Villa Borghese is the Rome equivalent to New York City's Central Park, with a lake, gardens, walkways, beautiful scenic views of Rome, and museums, including the famous Borghese gallery (which we hope to visit soon!). We had a quick lunch at one of the many bars and explored the quiet park, which seems to extend forever in all directions. We found some outlook points on the edge of the hill with some amazing sights of city, where we could see all the way to the Vatican and the Colosseum!

View from an outlook point in Villa Borghese. 

Looking over Piazza del Popolo.

While walking through the park, we found ourselves on top of the Spanish Steps, which provided us another view of the city and of the busy piazza below. We spent the rest of the day leisurely walking back to our hotel along Via del Corso, one of the main high-class shopping streets (we only 'window-shopped'). For dinner we were craving something other than traditional Italian cuisine and found out that a local supermarket had made-to-order large salads for only €4! You always find the deals when you're a college student! 

At the top of the Spanish Steps. 

Wait, we have to go to school?

The harsh reality that we actually have school in this beautiful city finally set in with our first week of classes. We could tell we had been out of practice (the last time we were in class was May!) as we struggled to get back into the rhythm of school. Last Tuesday we spent four hours in the library doing homework! Hopefully that will not be a reoccurring event and was rather just a 'getting back into the groove of things' kind of day. Our schedules allow us to have some free time in the morning, since most of our classes are in the late afternoon. All of our professors are passionate about their courses and the classes are extremely interesting. Some of our favorite classes so far are Archaeology and Italian Art History. One of the highlights of studying in Rome is being able to see first-hand some of the artifacts and great works that we talk about in class. For example, our professor talked about some of the Ancient Greek and Roman statues we saw at the Vatican museum last weekend! While this semester is definitely not going to be a walk in the park, all of these classes will only enhance our experience here in Rome.

Weekend at the Colosseum and the Vatican

Our first weekend in Rome was jam-packed with visits to two of the most recognizable and famous sites in the world (of the many that Rome has to offer). On Saturday we visited the home base of ancient Rome as part of our "Lectures and Tours" (aka field trip) class. First, we began to learn the history of ancient Rome at the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. 

The Roman Forum

Clearly the hottest day since our arrival, our entire group struggled to keep up with our unfazed and enthusiastic Archaeology professor, the tour guide for the day (we have discovered that everyone who has lived in Rome for a long period of time walks extremely fast). When we did keep up, we learned about the constant recycling of marble throughout Rome, for most of the marble that once decorated the temples of the forum now cover the Vatican and other majestic monuments. Next to the forum is Palatine Hill, the supposed grounds of Romulus's original settlement and later home to a palace for the emperors of Ancient Rome.

Walking down Palatine Hill we found ourselves in front of the Arch of Constantine and the famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Colosseum. From far away, the city's growth seems to hide the massive size of the Colosseum, but when entering, you understand how it was the equivalent to a modern-day stadium, built with efficiency in mind. 

The Arch of Constantine (Unfortunately half of it was covered for restoration and cleaning)

The Colosseum

The Colosseum brought Romans together as a unified society and culture with shared beliefs and principles. While we know the Colosseum for its famous gladiator battles, we learned how its 'entertainment' enforced Roman ideals of law and order, social standing, and the sense of community and 'one-ness' of Romans since all were allowed to partake in the affairs. It is amazing to envision how the Colosseum would have looked in its day, with thousands of peoples coming from all over to celebrate the skill of those fighting and the prestige of the empire, almost like game-day Saturdays at Notre Dame! 

Sunday began with an early 7am start as a group of us explored the Vatican museums, which are open and free the last Sunday of the month. After crossing the Tiber River and turning a corner, we immediately found ourselves facing St. Peter's Basilica. St. Peter's Square was already filled with people who were preparing for mass at 10:30 (at least 3hours early!). Unfortunately we couldn't go to mass and see Pope Francis at noon since we were going to the museums, but we plan on doing so soon! 

Saint Peter's Square

Getting ready for mass in front of St. Peter's Basilica

The Swiss Guard (who have the honor of protecting the Pope)

After the long search for the line to the Vatican museums (which included a confusing conversation with a police officer in Italian), we finally made our way into the museums shortly after 9am. We never realized how many artifacts the Vatican museums house; there are halls upon halls of ancient Roman statues, Medieval tapestries, and paintings of great artists (such as Caravaggio!!), where one can spend hours meandering through. We spent more than three hours there and feel as if we saw less than half of what it has to offer!

Caravaggio's "The Entombment of Christ"

A beautiful tapestry displaying "The Last Supper"

Impressive courtyard of the Vatican Museum

Greek sculpture "Lacoon"

Even the museum itself is a work of art!

Though, we must say, the Vatican does save the best for last--the Sistine Chapel! Our excitement kept building as we traveled through the small corridors to view one of Michelangelo's most famous works. With the constant reminder to not take pictures while inside (though we did see some cameras here and there, and a few culprits were escorted out of the chapel), we stepped quietly into the chapel. Honestly, you shouldn't even waste your time taking pictures, because they wouldn't do Michelangelo's paintings justice. Straining your neck to admire the amazing depictions on the ceiling, you wonder how he achieved this massive feat. It was definitely what we had been waiting for all morning, and we were not disappointed! All in all, it was a perfect end to our first weekend in Rome!

Picture Time!

Finally we are able to get some pictures uploaded! Thank you for waiting patiently.

Our home for the next few months! 

Our room, which is actually a pretty decent size. We both
have our own closets and plenty of drawers to fit our clothes. 

The Pantheon, which is only a five minute walk down the street of
our classroom building. 

Whenever we pass the Pantheon we can't help but be in awe of
this architectural gem. We don't think our pictures do it justice!

The oculus of the Pantheon illuminates the massive space. 

A beautiful Friday morning at the Trevi Fountain. 

Can't believe we're here!