Italy 2025 -Day 2: Roman Forum and Environs - Anya and Carthan

Anya and Carthan:

We started off the day with continental breakfast at the hotel. We then rode the metro to the Roman Forum, where we saw the Palatine Hill, Temple of Romulus, Arch of Titus, and more.

Ascending the Palatine Hill.

Part of the group at a Roman Forum overlook.

For lunch, we ate at local Italian restaurants, which were hospitable and delicious. We headed to the Colosseum, exploring top and underground levels and how they were organized into a hierarchy of the seats.

The group in the Colosseum at floor level.

Throughout the day, we noticed the influence of nature on architecture, such as the acanthus plant carved into ancient corinthian column heads.

An acanthus plant.

A Corinthian column.

Then, we walked to San Clemente’s Basilica, where Abe and Nathan explained the significance of the mosaics and frescoes on the ceiling and walls, as well as the emergence and spread of Christianity in Italy.

Nathan and Abe delivering the first part of their presentation on the Basilica di San Clemente.

Lastly, we ended the day by sharing an amazing dinner with the Harvard-Westlake group. Thank you to our chaperones, Ms. Schuhl and Dr. Lessie, and tour guide, Kaitlyn, for a wonderful day!

An advertisement in Rome’s Metro; not what the group had for dinner.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Italy 2025 - Day 9: Padua - Amelia and Leela

Image
Amelia and Leela: A view of Padua’s Basilica di San Antonio. We started off the day with breakfast with our host families. We then met up as a whole group outside of the school in Valdo to ride an hour long bus into Padua. Once we got to Padua, we took a walking tour of the Basilica of Sant Antonio, the Prato di Valle, and the Piazza delle Erbe. The Poly group and our Italian friends walk through Prato di Valle. A view of Piazza delle Erbe. At each place, some of the Italian students gave English presentations about the history of the place. Then we had free time to explore the areas of Padua, eat lunch, and go shopping. After exploring the city, we met up as a group in the Piazza dei Signori. The group gathers in Piazza dei Signori. Once everyone was together, we took a short walk to the Scrovegni Chapel and its nearby museum. We and the Italian students and had some time to wander through the museum, which had beautiful vases, glass pieces, and stone-carved portraits. I really enjoye...
Read more

Italy 2025 - Day 8: A Free Day with Italian Host Families - Filiz and Allison

Image
Filiz and Allison: Part of the system of canals and the River Sile that surrounds the medieval core of Treviso. Today, we didn’t have a fixed agenda besides spending time with our Italian host families (which meant we could sleep in after a week of early mornings). We began the day with a leisurely morning before catching a train to Treviso, a city/town near Valdobbiadene. The historical center of Treviso. While it was a relatively long ride, it was nice to have the time to rest and reflect on the previous days. In Treviso, we shopped at a few stores before sitting down for brunch. The menu included a mix of Italian and American food, and it was admittedly nice to have a reminder of the cuisine back home. A representative store in Treviso. During brunch, more Poly students and their Italian hosts met up with us, and we hung out while finishing our food. Afterwards, as a group, we walked around Treviso. We made several stops for souvenirs but also some for gelato and sat at a nearby caf...
Read more

Italy 2025 - Day 7: Venice - Anya and Carthan

Image
Anya and Carthan: After our first night staying with the students from Valdobbiadene, we enjoyed separate mornings and breakfasts with each of our host families before meeting at the Montebelluna train station. We changed trains in Treviso to reach our final destination of Venice. The group and our Italian friends on the regional commuter train to Venice. The rainy approach by train across the lagoon to Venice. We walked the streets with our umbrellas and saw many bridges and colorful buildings. The group and our Italian friends navigate the labyrinthian Venetian streets. The group and our Italian friends visit Venice’s Jewish Quarter. The group reaches the Rialto Bridge. While there, we visited the Piazza San Marco, characterized by the Venetian lion emblem, as well as the various cultural influences on its architecture. The group and our Italian friends gather together in St. Mark’s Square. The group and our Italian friends explore the interior of St. Mark’s Basilica. We also rode go...
Read more