This post continues the chronicles of Steve Bridge’s class trip to Rome.
It was nice to have a full day of Rome. After a quick trip on the Metro we started at the Spanish steps. It’s a popular location and was filled with tourists. We had a really nice view from the top and we could see the dome of St. Peter’s (where we’re headed tomorrow) in the distance.
Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain. Much to our dismay, it was under construction and there wasn’t too much to see. Instead, we did some souvenir shopping. It was interesting to see the different items that the vendors had for sale. Dr. Bridge is quite proud of his Pope Francis bobble head that he bartered for!
From there, we headed over to the Pantheon. We rounded a corner down a narrow street that suddenly opened up into a piazza—and suddenly there it was! The Pantheon is really cool and huge. Its structure is engineering genius. The present building dates back to Emperor Hadrian (126 AD). What’s most impressive about it is that even today, nearly two thousand years after it was built, its ceiling remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. It was quite amazing to walk around inside it.
After the Pantheon, we got a little turned around looking for a particular gelato shop (which we never did find). But we ended up at Gezù, a Jesuit church that is quite magnificent. From the outside it looks just like any other large building, but inside, the artwork, statuary, and other decorations are outstanding. During the daytime, there is a statue of St. Ignatius Loyola (the founder of the Jesuit order) hidden behind a large painting. However, every day at 5:30pm, sacred music is played and the painting slides away into the floor to reveal the statue, as large spotlights are switched on to showcase the piece. Amazingly, we just happened to be at the church precisely when it happened! This was quite unexpected, but really fascinating.
We ended our day with dinner at one of the local restaurants. I ordered the pasta with mussels and clams and was impressed by how much seafood I received for the price. No way the portions would have been this big in the US. It was delicious!
Submitted by: Matthew Pfannenstiel