I like the View (from Rome & Florence)

steven

12 years ago

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As the semester comes
to a close, my time in Europe dwindles. Naturally, I had to visit Italy and what better city to start with than
the capital? It goes without
saying that we ate like emperors. Among other dishes that I am unable to translate (recommended by
servers), I had lasagna, ravioli, mussel and clam pasta, and of course, pizza
(which was in my biased opinion, inferior to that of Chicago). My only disappointment was that chicken
parmesan eluded me, and take my word when I say that I scoured every menu. I
apologize for the absence of food pictures, but am certainly not sorry. In my opinion, food should be consumed
and enjoyed, but not glorified (Instagram stinger).

Sightseeing in Rome is
literally impossible to avoid, as seemingly every street has some ode to the
Roman Empire, whether it be a temple, fountain plaza, statue or historic
building. But we were certainly
not avoiding sightseeing. On the
contrary, we embraced it. As much
as I despise being pegged as a tourist, I had zero shame strolling through the
streets of Rome with a dropped jaw and a camera dangling from my wrist.

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We visited Vatican
City, the world’s smallest sovereign state, and the offical residence of the Pope. Despite its dimunitive size, it manages to house St. Peter’s
Basilica, the Vatican museums, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. Of the three, I enjoyed the wide spectrum of artwork of the museums the most. There were tapestries, mosaics, sculptures, graven depictions, and of course, countless paintings.

All three attractions housed absurd decadence and wealth. It was easy to see why many scowl at the hoarding of wealth by the Catholic church.

On Saturday, the four of us friends escaped via a high-speed train to Florence. While it would have been very possible to remain in Rome for all three days, we wanted to get a sampling of another city.

Arriving at 8:46 a.m., we were able to explore the city, visit the Duomo, and get duped by a novice trumpeter. I can see why Florence was the workshop for so many great artisans. ts winding streets, charming homes, and bustling population reminded me a great deal of our beloved Sevilla.

Florence also is home
to San Museo, the largest Renaissance museum and the home of David, sculpted by
Michelangelo himself. He stands a
daunting 5.17 meters high (17 feet) and has zero blemishes, according to my
untrained eye for Renaissance period sculptures. Photos weren’t allowed, but I really
believed my readers deserved a glimpse!

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Our last day in Rome, I visited the Coliseum and was absolutely blown away. I should prelude this by noting that I watched the scenes of the Coliseum in Gladiator before arriving to get amped. Despite daydreaming of heroism in the ring for much of my visit, I managed to learn a few interesting facts:

1. In addition to gladiator spectacles, the Coliseum also hosted other exhibitions, including circuses, musical/drama performances, the hunting of exotic animals, and my personal favorite, naval battle re-enactments, which were achieved by flooding the ring and the two basement levels below.

2. The editor was responsible for booking and organizing the spectacles. Considering it was common for the current emperor to attend, I’d imagine this was a bit more stressful than our current editor profession (although newspapers, magazines and books are important too).

3. Upon death, the animals would be transported to the lower levels to be butchered on the spot and the edible parts would be distributed to those in attendance as concessions, free of charge. Hail Caesar!

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There was much, much
more to our Italian experience but I’m afraid I have to begin studying for
exams (gag). Feel free to contact
me via twitter @hopesteven14 with questions or comments

¡Ciao!

-Steven

Stay tuned for my
coming Swiss adventure next weekend!

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