We first visited St. Peter’s Basilica in St. Peter’s Plaza. In the center of the plaza is an obelisk, also known as “The Witness” because it “witnessed” the crucifixion of St. Peter himself. There are multiple fountains inside the plaza that light up at night. Aside from the obelisk and the actual Basilica, there are two semicircular structures that form an embrace around the obelisk, created by our favorite sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The Basilica is also guarded by Swiss guards, whose uniform consists of colorfully striped parachute pants. Within the Basilica, we saw sculptures of multiple figures, including Bernini’s best friend, Christina, queen of Sweden, who left her throne to convert to Catholicism and was never married. In the basement of St. Peter’s there is a crypt built to hold the remains of former religious figures, which includes former popes. It has been referred to as “The City of the Dead”. Afterwards we visited Hadrian’s Mausoleum, which was built for Hadrian b
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Salvēte, omnēs! We leave tomorrow for our trip, and we hope that you will check this blog while we're gone for updates and pictures! We probably won't really get started until Saturday evening, but we'll confirm here when we've made it to Naples! Below is a reminder of our travel details. Departure Students check-in at 181 Lincoln Place by 11:00am -- all suitcases can be brought to the Study Hall. We will leave for JFK (via bus) at 12pm. 3/7/19 AZ 609 JFK 4:35pm > FCO 7:10am (3/8) 3/8/19 AZ 1263 FCO 9:45am > NAP 10:35am Return We will return to 181 Lincoln Place by bus after landing at JFK on 3/17. We will post to the blog when we've landed and are boarding the bus. 3/17/19 AZ 610 FCO 2:45 pm > JFK 7:45pm Accommodations in Italy We will spend March 8th-10th in and around the Bay of Naples. While there, we will be staying at the Hotel del Sole ( http://hoteldelsolepompei.it/en/ ) in modern-day Pompei ( Via Plinio, 19; 80045 Pompei) . T
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 Four Rivers, d
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