From my time in Rome, I was really able to immerse myself into some of the most amazing historical landmarks of human history. Everywhere you look, there are sites that house the most powerful empire in human history, where many influential individuals reigned and developed their historical significance. One landmark that particularly stuck out to me mostly because of its sheer size was the Coliseum. For its age, the amount of the Coliseum that still stands is just amazing, and it is hard to fathom that it is taller than the stadium we call home, Kyle Field. The epic battles and entertainment put on in that structure is something you just wish you could have seen with your own eyes, and the remnants inside are incredibly thought provoking and amazing to see. On the same wave of being impressive from sheer size, I was left speechless upon entry to St Peters Basilica in the Vatican. I cannot think of a structure that has made me freeze in shock like I did this week. The art within the basilica is not replicable, and truly creates somewhat of an out of body experience. Also within the Vatican, I could not get over the Sistine chapel and Michelangelo’s incredible work. Lastly, but definitely not least was the Roman Forum, that housed some remains of once extremely important buildings for the prosperity of the Roman Empire. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to our tour guide tell us some of the history that happened in that small plot of land.
Aside from sightseeing, I had the experience of making fresh pasta, and touring a family’s wine cellar that had some amazing history. Their cellar below their shop was discovered to once be a bomb shelter, and we got to hear all about how the volcanic rock keeps the right temperature and humidity to ferment their wine. It was a small business that had a really good story, and a really good product. We ate carbonara that we just had made and it was something I would love to do again. Overall, Tome is a beautiful city that is very active and hectic, but in a good way. It is extremely well rounded in landmarks, history, food, and culture and I am extremely blessed I had the opportunity to spend a week there, getting a feel for what life as a Roman was like.
