Italia- Rome

Rome was spectacular! History, amazing works of art, piazzas everywhere… we were in love! The main area of Rome is not very big, so we walked EVERYWHERE! We figured out that we walked at least 5 miles a day while we were there, which meant that we could eat all the pasta and pizza that we wanted afterwards! :) But it was also nice to walk because there were important historical sights on almost every corner! So we got to see a lot of the city, and we loved what we saw!

Of course, you can’t go to Rome without seeing the Colosseum! I was really excited to see it, and it did not disappoint. As we walked around the lower and upper levels, I tried to picture what it would have looked like with its white exterior, statues in the arches, marble seats for the important people, podiums, and incredible trap-door stage. There is no floor where the stage used to be, so we could see the hallways and corridors that were underneath, making the magic happen onstage. Everyone at that time could see performances at the Colosseum for free, but they were seated according to social class. Estimates state that the Colosseum could have held 40,000-70,000 people. It was the main social event, and everyone went. The nature of the shows at the Colosseum are definitely disturbing, though. Stories of gladiators fighting each other and animals make me wonder how that came to be an acceptable form of entertainment. But walking in the same place that ancient Romans have walked… indescribable.

Nice night shot courtesy of my photog hubby :)

On the same grounds as the Colosseum is Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. On Palatine Hill lies the remains of the palaces of the emperors and houses of other important people. The Roman Forum was filled with remains of shops, houses, temples, and government buildings. It was incredible to see all of this, but also really overwhelming. There are countless stories that go along with all of these places, and I wish we could have learned them all! After we had walked around the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum, we had a picnic outside of the Colosseum and rested our legs because by this point we were exhausted!  But the day couldn't have been better!

Our favorite part of Rome was seeing the Vatican Museum!  We are not always big museum people, but the Vatican was more than just a museum- it was a spiritual experience.  One of the main parts of the Vatican Museum is the Sistene Chapel.  Being there and seeing Michelanglo's "Last Judgement" was incredible and such a beautiful depiction of our faith.

Up close shot of Michelangelo's "Last Judgement"

I can't imagine how he painted all of this!

Another famous part of the Vatican Museum is Raphael's Rooms (four rooms that Raphael painted for the palace).  This was my favorite part of the Vatican.  I didn't know much about these rooms previously, but I couldn't help but be in awe of them.  The rooms were smaller than the Sistene Chapel, so it was a more intimate setting, and I could see the emotion of the paintings up close.  Thankfully, we had the audio guide that explained the various paintings, which brought them to life even more.  I can't even describe how amazing these paintings were.  I am not a painter, and I don't have a discerning eye for art in any sense.  But it was easy to see that Raphael's paintings were a huge step above the norm.  His use of light and motion and emotion was simply stunning.  

This painting looks so 3D!

A painting of an angel releasing Paul from prison.  Such amazing lighting!

Great motion and emotion.

Raphael's "Transfiguration".  Again, the lighting is incredible!

By the time we were finished looking at Raphael's Rooms and the Sistene Chapel, our necks hurt from studying ceilings for so long!  But it was so worth it!

The Vatican Museum, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum were definitely the main attractions in Rome, but it seemed like there was an endless supply of extremely significant things to see.  Here are some more amazing sights that we saw in Rome...

The Trevi Fountain

The Spanish Steps

Piazza Navona

St. Peter's Bascilica

Michelangelo's "Pieta"

Raphael's grave at the Pantheon.  The inscription on his grave reads: "Here lies Raphael by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared that she herself would die."

Michaelangelo's Statue of Moses

As you can see, we loved Rome!!  Florence, Pisa, Sorrento, Naples, Amalfi, and Pompei were amazing too!  All of these places were our favorites in some way.  We are so thankful that we had the chance to experience such a beautiful and inspiring country!