Submitted by Christiana Campana on the 2017 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of English…
I promised myself 2017 would be a year of adventures, and trying new things and flying to Rome on January 2nd definitely kicked that off the right way!
I grew up in suburban New Jersey, about 45 minutes outside of New York City. The oldest buildings in my neighborhood were the middle school and the high school and they were built in the 60’s. To say that there is not much history in Montvale, NJ is an understatement. I did (and still do) visit NYC frequently, however, “The City” is a far cry from ancient Rome. When I got to Rome, I was immediately in awe of the history and culture that this city provided in just a 20-minute walk from my hotel. As I wandered around on my first day, I couldn’t help but stare in awe at the incredible buildings and arches, the completely intricate detailing that has lasted centuries, and the stories and culture behind each and every building. In some of the pictures I have attached, you can see cars and trucks surrounding these ancient structures which definitely shows the contrast between the old world and the new.
The first day, a few of the other students and myself walked around, just enjoying the sites that the city had to offer us. While we were walking, there were times that we would just stop and stare, trying to take in the fact that these buildings have been here for centuries, and will probably remain for a very long time after we are gone.
I think the reason that many of us are so in awe of the longevity of these buildings is that nothing produced in our time was really “built to last” even the ever popular iPhone is made to self destruct after a few years so that we, as consumers, need to buy a new one.
While it is a complete shock to be seeing these buildings, the history and the change are refreshing. It’s incredible to me that the people of Rome are so used to driving past the Coliseum on their way to work, however, I guess that if you live somewhere long enough you can get used to anything, but I hope I never get used to this wonderful city.