Today (our last full day in Italy) we visited two different sites outside the city of Rome. The first was Hadrian's Villa. Hadrian was emperor from 117-138 CE. Calling this place a villa is like calling a mansion a little shack. It is HUGE. It is the size of a small city and completely self-sustaining. Some of the notable things inside it are a gigantic mysterious pool (Olympic size) and Hadrian’s own private island that he had constructed on his man made lake for his “me time.” The next site we visited was the Villa d’Este. This site was built by the Cardinal Ippolito d’Este in the 16th century and required the redirection of a tributary of the Tiber River to power its many large fountains. One of these spectacular fountains was a self-playing organ that was completely powered and played by water. Overall, the site not only provided many striking views but also a peaceful journey through its numerous paths. More than a full hour was given to explore the entirety of the garden whic...
Popular posts from this blog
Today was a bright, cheerful, and jam-packed day! First, we went to the Ara Pacis Museum. Outside of the museum is the Res Gestae (Things Done by Augustus) and Augustus’s mausoleum. We read some of the Res Gestae and discussed Ausgustus’s mentality, ego, and beliefs. The Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) was built during Augustus’s rule. People would come here to worship the Augustan peace, peace that occurred during his reign. The panels mainly depict the founding narratives of Rome, and the peace that they brought about. Next, we went to San Luigi dei Francesi, a French church in the Campus Martius (the field of Mars). This church is famous for its Caravaggio paintings, depicting the life of Saint Matthew in the Chiaroscuro style. The church’s baroque style is clearly demonstrated through the ornate gold decorations that adorn the ceilings and walls. F ollowing our visit to the Church, we walked to the Piazza Navona, which used to be a stadium, to see the Fountain of the ...
Ave!
ReplyDelete