One Week: Piacere!

Kate and Mac Walking the Steps at the Vittorio Emanuele Monument

Italian: Piacere

English: Nice to Meet You

I find it unbelievable that I've past the one week mark here in Roma. I already feel settled in my apartment, and even slipped the word "home," a few times in reference to it. Rome is such a large city, and you can truly live by the mantra: "A Church a Day."

Michelangelo's "Cristo della Minerva" in St. Maria Sopra Minerva; Ceiling in St. Ignazio's; Classmates and Professor in St. Ignacio during the Baroque Tour

As I mentioned in my previous blogpost, which included me discussing Piazza Navona, I attended a free Baroque Walking tour organized by my school with one of the art history professors. Aside from discussing the Piazza, we stopped at two churches: St. Maria Sopra Minerva and St. Ignazio's (center of the Jesuit church in Roma). The first church stop was quick, but not so quick that I didn't stand admiring my first ever site of an original Michelangelo! Cristo della Minerva, or "Christ the Redeemer," was completed in 1521, and the composition, or the position in which Christ is standing, was designed entirely by Michelangelo himself. 

St. Ignazio's was absolutely breathtaking, the ceiling in particular will leave a kink in your neck as you attempt to absorb all of the intricate detail. If you can believe it, the ceiling is actually flat because the Jesuit's were banned from building a dome in the church. Therefore, the artist's illusionistic skills are that much more exemplary. 

The Girls Standing on the Steps of Vittorio Emanuele Monument; Mac and the View atop of the Terrezza

After passing this glorious structure the day before, Kate, Mac and I decided to venture over to the Vittorio Emanuele Monument after the Baroque Walk. This structure is pristine in all forms, but amplifies the August heat here in Rome. Regardless, we quite enjoyed visiting this monument and walking up the many steps to enjoy the view atop of the terrezza (Terrace), which was a great way to have a panoramic view of the city. We decided we will go back to fully enjoy the free museum they have inside the building, as well as all of the architectural details when the heat subsides.

Church of Saint Cecilia

On Sunday, we decided to walk along the side streets of our neighborhood, Trastevere, in hopes of seeing the catacombs at the Church of Saint Cecilia. Of course, since it's still August, the catacombs are closed. The church was stunning, and again I found myself gawping at the ceiling. We'll be back soon to explore the spooky undergrounds of this beautiful Church.

Kate and Mac standing in Campagna di Amici; Welcome Dinner Delights

Monday night, our school hosted a welcome dinner at one of Rome's best open air markets: Campagna di Amici. This was a special treat since the Market will not be open until this weekend once September starts. The school reserved the entire location, and we enjoyed a wonderful three course meal outside amongst candle light. I wish I was able to take better photos, but my 90 mm lens was not enjoying the fact that there were no external light sources. 

My favorite dish was the antipasti. It was an assortment of classic Italian delights, such as: prosciutto e panne, smoked salmon, insalata, bell peppers, fried aubergine (eggplant), potatoes with meat (I believe pancetta), pomodoro (tomatoes, of course), and mozzarella. My mouth was in heaven, enjoying flavors and tastes of each preparation. The main course included two kinds of  pasta, as well as a rice dish. To my disappointment this wasn't anything special, but the antipasto was large enough that it frankly didn't matter. Lastly, the dessert! Initially, I was not convinced this was going to be very good. The tiramisu was alright, again Italians enjoy making their tiramisu like pudding, but what really was stellar was it's all off-white counterpart on the left. I am still not sure what this was, but it was a fluffy cream-pudding that was filled with citrus flavors. It was a lot lighter than I thought, and quite refreshing for a person who usually doesn't care for pudding.

Kate and I awkwardly Salute you in our unintentional matching outfits.

This week has been filled with miscellaneous sight seeing, eating, and my hopes to become better acquainted with this divine city. Expect more posts detailing my Italian class, Wine Tasting, and describing the differences between Italian and American ways of living.