Blog — Another Pointe

There is no way of visiting Rome without going to the Vatican City. You do not have to be religious whatsoever. There is so much history enclosed within its walls, but the most amazing part is seeing incredible art in every corner.

St. Peter´s Square (the Vatican´s main plaza) was designes by Lorenzo Bernini in 1656. I think the entire plaza is very harmonious and radiates both respect and beauty. The main element is St. Peter´s basilica, which I found to be one of the most stunning churches I have ever seen. I was not expecting less but the exactitude and balance of all the decorations makes it abnormally fascinating. It is also home of Michelangelo´s La Pieta, sadly I did not get to take a picture of it (please look up a picture).

I thought the David was pure perfection but this sculpture goes beyond perfection. Being a dancer I find it strange how something motionless is able to transmit emotions. I have seen paintings and sculptures where there is clearly an emotion that sets the mood of the work. But somehow La Pieta, a piece of delicately carved marble, is able to make the viewer cry. Completely motionless, but Mary´s face while holding the body of Jesus portraits such an honest pain that it gives the viewer the opportunity to live that moment with her.

The Vatican museum was incredible. If you plan on visiting, I highly recommend you to not do it in mid July. There is too many people, it is not the same thing when you have no one pushing you around. Even though it was crowded, there were moments in which I was so emotionally connected to the artwork that nothing could bother me. This happened to me when I entered the famous Sistine Chapel. I stared in awe at Michelangelo´s frescoes for as long as I could and then I left the Vatican feeling gratified and overjoyed.

Rome is quite a journey. Getting lost and letting your curiosity wander around is a great way to experience and get to know the city. The Tiber River, ancient Roman sculptures, Egyptian obelisks, interesting markets and shops...there is just too much to explore!!

Altare della Patria. Just a humble monument for Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy. — *Altare della Patria.* Just a humble monument for Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy.

Sometimes you can find a G for Greta in some pretty strange places.

Roma you will be missed!!!!!

-Greta

Photos by Greta Elizondo and Luis Elizondo.

Finally Roma!! I had never visited before. We all have a lot of references about what Rome looks like but what it feels like to be walking through its streets and ruins is a completely different story.

Probably one of the most recognized landmarks of Rome is the Colosseum. It was built between 70-80 A.D, started by Emperor Vespasian and finished by his son Titus. The amphitheater could seat around 50,000 people. All sorts of games and entertainment could be seen at the Colosseum, from gladiator fights to naval combats (yes, somehow they flooded the arena for this).

It truly is an architectural masterpiece. Of course the building by itself is stunning but even the small details in the inside show that Romans had brilliant minds. For example, along the staircases there is a small canal used to drain the water out of the building, possibly very useful for cleaning.

The Roman Forum was the main plaza of ancient Rome. Surrounded by government buildings, citizens would meet here for political or economical business. Being able to walk through the Roman ruins is just incredible. It gives us a better understanding of how the Roman Empire became so powerful. In my opinion the key was not only to have a strong army but to use their architects and engineers at their fullest potential.

There is so much to discover in Rome. You can be walking around the narrow streets, not really knowing where to go and all of a sudden end up standing right in front of a magnificent ancient building, like the Pantheon.

The Pantheon is thought to be almost 2,000 years old. Aside from standing in perfect shape, the Pantheon´s elegance and explicit design is a very good example of the great architecture implemented by the Roman Empire. At first it was built as a temple to all gods but later was turned into a church, historians think this is one of the reasons why it has survived. It is very famous for its dome. The dome´s weight would have been to heavy to be supported, so Roman engineers made the walls thinner on the upper part and also used lighter materials. Also the distance from the top to the floor is proportional to its diameter making the design even more impressive! (I was lucky to be traveling with my dad who is an architect).

I learned so much about the greatness of the Roman Empire but specially the understanding of the "All roads lead to Rome" saying.

-Greta

Photos by Greta Elizondo and Gabriela Garcia.

Roaming in Rome

All Roads Lead to Rome