Ancient Pompeii and Rome

Over the last couple of months we have visited and talked a lot about ancient Rome. We have also heard a lot about how different classes of people lived at that time. We've learned about the fall of Rome and how it happened. This past weekend we got to learn and see the same things about ancient Pompeii. I felt there were definite similarities between the two but also a lot of differences stood out to me.
We've learned that ancient Rome had a lot of power but that the power over the years changed. At one point the power lyed in the emperors and at another time it lyed in the church. Rome also spent their time leisuring in ways such as eating, drinking, and watching fights at places such as the Colloseum. They would pair people against people or people againt animals and watch one kill the other. This is one of the main differences that stood out to me between Rome and Pompeii.
When we went to Pompeii I learned that the people of Pompeii spent their time eating and drinking much like the Romans did but they also spent the majority of their time being physical with one another. People from other places would come to Pompeii for the main purpose of having sex. The people there didn't have any morals and at that time thought that it was normal to do this. It was definitly a different culture than what we have today. Pompeii to me seemed a lot more relaxed than what we've learned of ancient Rome.
I thought it was very interesting to see how the different groups of people lived in both places. I also really enjoy seeing the ruins of each place as well and I was really impressed on how in tact the ruins of Pompeii still were. There were still fresco painting in the rooms that were very clear that we were able to walk by and see. Although like every city there are different classes of people I thought it was interesting to see that they weren't as spread out in Pompeii. We walked inside a high class house and then a short walk we were at the low class houses. I think Rome and Pompeii have both been a learning experience and I enjoyed being able to see both places.

The Catholic Church being Roman and Global

Throughout this trip so far we have seen many examples of how Rome has this amazing history revolving around the Catholic Church. We've learned that the Catholic Church was started in Rome and for a very long time was the main power in Rome not only in just a religious standpoint. However through learning that we've also learned how the Catholic Church branched out of Rome and Italy and eventually became a global power and religion. I think the Catholic Church has definitly played a major role in the changing of our world and especially in Rome.

We've learned that during Rome's highest point in power not only did it use it's power through the emperors but also very much through the pope. The pope today is more of a religious figure but back in the earlier centuries and especially in the Renaissance the pope was more of a political figure. The Catholic Church had a say in everything. City laws that were made were passed by the Pope even. The Catholic Church was the biggest provider especially for art, we have seen many paintings and sculptures and a good majority of them revolve around some type of religious message. Without the Catholic Church a lot of what we can see now wouldn't be here at all.

In many ways even today the Catholic Church still does remain very much Roman even though it is a religion all around the world. Rome is where the Pope lives today and it is the place of many religious gatherings such as where the cardinals learn and study. There is also the St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel which still remain standing and are huge Catholic landmarks. The Catholic Church in Rome has also branched out and made the religion available in many different languages. There are church's that are even made for a specific language not just Italian or Latin.

Not only is the Catholic Church Roman though, today it is very much global. For instance in America there are Catholic Church's in almost every city. There are even Catholic schools and colleges available. There are these things not only in America and in Italy but around the world. I also think it is global because although the highest Catholic leader, the pope, is in Italy there are still power figures around the world. There are bishops and priests stationed for all areas around the world. The Catholic Church is also a base religion that a lot of other religions have branched off of. I think that the Catholic Church has definitly expanded and will continue to expand throughout centuries to come.

Leisure

Leisure to me can most easily be described as resting or relaxing. When I'm at leisure I'm not working or stressing but usually with friends having fun or even sometimes just by myself watching t.v. or sleeping. Throughout this trip I feel like my leisure time has changed. On our free days out of class I almost always go into the city and sight see or shop. I think this is an obvious influence of the Italian culture.

As I've walked around Rome it seems that the Italians who are not working are still out and about. I see them shopping or leisuring in parks and piazzas with friends. Although Americans do this too in similiar ways I still think in some ways Italians are more productive when it comes to their leisure. I think that one difference is that here kids can begin to go out at night at a younger age. When I was a young teen I would hangout with my friends at someone's house but here it is not uncommon to see younger teens in the bars or out in Rome's night life. It is more acceptable here than what it would be back home. This being that the laws in Italy are different also.

Another difference of leisure I've learned about is siesta. Siesta is a time in the mid afternoon where business' and shops close for a few hours and then reopen again in the early evening. I'm not sure what all Italians do during siesta. One I have learned about though is that the mother or wife would go home during their siesta to prepare dinner or lunch for her family before returning back to work. This is a huge difference than in America because back home I don't know many women that would spend their limited time off from work preparing food. Usually one would spend it relaxing or sitting down after a long morning of work.

After this trip I think my idea of leisure will change. When I am here sitting around or sleeping in on my free days I feel like I am wasting this experience. I always want to spend my free days out doing something or seeing something new. I think this will carry over when I return home. I think it will be very hard to just sit around at home watching t.v. all day because I have been without it for two months. I see this as a positive change though because I feel like I get so much more out of my day even during my leisure time.

Piazza's

Throughout our time in Rome we have visited many different places and settings. In my opinion I think seeing Rome from the tourist areas is much different than seeing and experiencing Rome in the civilian areas. All over Rome there are many Piazza's. A piazza is a town square where many Italians go with their friends to eat, drink, talk, or eden just to hang out. They are usually always very crowded with many different things to do.

The most exciting piazza I have seen so far is Piazza Navona. During the day Navona will have many painters out in the square, many shops open with people, and also a lot of outside resturants filled with people talking and eating. At night Navona is very much the same. However; at night it will be completely lit up with lights and instead of painters out there will be musicians playing and singing. There are also many beautiful and historical fountains decorating the square. This piazza is very beautiful, and much like all the other piazza's, it gives the tourist a very good insight to how Rome really is.

I think the piazza's describe Rome because it shows how relaxed Italians really are. All around the city we see people rushing and in a hurry to get somewhere else, but in a piazza it is very different. People aren't rushing around at all they are enjoying the time they have outdoors and with their friends. For example one of the biggest cultural facts we've learned while in Italy is that Italians never get drinks to go. They always sit down and enjoy their coffee or expresso with a friend. This can be seen immediatly in any piazza.

I also think in piazza's you can learn about the culture by looking at the numerous amounts of art everywhere. There are always painters and paintings sitting out showing off their love for their country, which resembles how every Italian is. I've learned that Italians all have the upmost respect for Italy. There are also fountains and historical buildings in a lot of piazza's that have been there for hundreds even thousands of years. The fact that these pieces of art are still standing and being honored shows a lot about the amount of respect Italians have for their surroundings.

From what I've seen so far piazza's also show a big difference between how Americans act and how Italians act. Back home I think it is very rare for a big group of people to just be "hanging out" outside the way that Italians do in piazza's. Usually Americans are in malls shopping or inside at a resturants eating but Italians are much more relaxed when it comes to the secular side of things. They enjoy each others company I think more often then you would see Americans do.

Rome strengthening my faith

So far throughout this trip we have been given the chance to see many magnificent works. We've been able to learn about this great and powerful city that is now what is considered ruins. Many people could say that Rome proves their faith because how could people build and create such a city without the help of God. People could also argue this and say how could God let such a great city fall. I personally think Rome bolsters my faith.

Everywhere we have looked we have seen art reflecting the history and most of that history has reflected faith in one way or another. Just recently we have visited the first cathedral ever in the world. As someone who believes in God this is a awesome site to see. At the basilica of San Giovanni there were also tons of fresco paintings all over the walls and sculptures decorating it as well. I think being able to go inside and look at this impacts my faith. Even after all these years the fact that these paintings and buildings are still standing for people to look at to me is very symbolic of how powerful God can be.

The city of Rome has taught me a lot in just a few weeks. It is one thing to just go to a site and look around or take pictures but when you actually learn the history of what everything means it changes completely. It makes the art even more beautiful and meaningful then it already was. Also at the San Giovanni Laterano and Santa Scala there was a statue of Peter that we were able to see. On the statue there is a dis-colored part of his foot that has changed over the years due to so many people touching the statue. When we saw this I definetly felt my faitIh grow. I thought it was such a symbol of God to see that over the years enough people have come to this statue and to the basilica that it actually changed colors.

Rome can be such a beautiful place and I think it would be hard for someone to not see God in every piece of work. I think looking at the art also teaches me a lot about how people used to act back in the beginning of the centuries or at least my interpretation of how they acted. I think through the art people seem to have been a lot more humble and a lot more in touch with their spiritual and artistic side. Seeing that also changes my faith because in a way I think it shows how God may have wanted us to act. I've really enjoyed seeing these works of art over the last few weeks and for me personally it had definetly strengthened my faith.

Rome as Oppressive or Exhilarating

My oppinion of Rome is that I think it is both oppressive and exhilarating. I feel like it is definetly exhilarating because everywhere you look there is some part of history that is so significant. Just like when we went into that museum there was so much art and every piece has a history behind it. I also think that it is exhilarating because this is the city that used to be the center of the world and I felt like I could still feel how powerful it is by just walking around it. I don't see how a travelor could come to this city and not get excited everyday when learning about these things.

In the book the Italians it talks about Italy as the teacher of many arts. Throughout my time here so far I can definetly see how Italy is a teacher, and how a lot of that teaching is done in Rome. The Italians book said how Italians have created a variety of crafts and skills and taught it to the foreigners. I think this adds to Rome being exhilarating because even just by admiring the art I felt that I was being taught new crafts and skills. I never imagined someone being able to create such art work before coming to Rome.

I can also though see how Rome could be oppressive because the atmosphere here is very different then what I've seen before. The streets are very crowded and there is the language barrier that a travelor would deal with everyday. The lifestyle people live over here is very different and I think a travelor would need to have an open mind in order to feel comfortable in Rome. Personally I still don't feel completely safe while in the city. We've heard a lot about how stealing goes on everyday and that has impacted the way that I have felt here. If someone were to have a negative experience here I think it would defintely impact the way they look at all of Rome. I think that in that way it could be oppressive for some travelors.

Reflection 1 on Colloseum

When we went to the Colloseum the first thing that impacted me was the size and beauty of it. I think it gave off a really humbling feeling by seeing how people back in that day could build something like that. I also think by hearing how old it really is made me respect that it's still around a lot more.

The part of the tour that impacted me the most was comparing it to our White House. It felt kind of scary to imagine our country falling one day the way that Rome did. The people back then had no idea what would come of their city or that thousands of years later people would be touring through it. I think the tour guide comparing the Colloseum to something in our own country made it a lot easier to realize how important it is also.

I'm also really glad that the Colloseum was the first tour we went on because I feel like it definetly sparked an interest I didn't think I had. I never really enjoyed history classes or anything like that. I think being able to be there and see it in real life made it a lot more interesting. In the Italians it talked about how tourist come and some come to look at the sites. I didn't think coming here I would be one of those people necessarily just because I didn't know a lot of background on the stuff were seeing but after the Colloseum I think I'm definetly more of that type of tourist than I thought.

It was also I think more interesting because i felt like it had a distinct purpose. It wasn't just a painting or something to look at but there were stories behind it. The tour guide talked about how it was used to fighting and how all these "important" people would go to it and watch. She also pointed out the cross were the emperor would sit. I thought it was really cool seeing the similarities we have with the people back then because we still have a lot of fighting for entertainment going on now.