Submitted by Kayla Baptiste on the 2017 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of English…
For the final week, my peers and I headed back to Rome. Our first day back in Rome was relaxing, to say the least. However, I took the time to reflect on my time in Florence. I noticed how different the two Italian cities are from one another. Florence is beautiful, in the artistic sense, rather than Rome’s historical beauty. While I had a great time in Florence, I was ready to get back to finish exploring Rome, especially since there were still more places to finish before I fly back home.
Following the free weekend, we took a class excursion to Vatican City, visiting the museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. I didn’t know what to expect prior to entering the city limits. My knowledge of the Vatican stems from history courses and movies (i.e.The Da Vinci Code).
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, one of Michelangelo’s greatest works, was one of the places we visited. Previously, I mentioned my love of art. Seeing his work, up close and personal, was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. Well, there was Florence, but I would have never imagined that I would get to see the Sistine Chapel and to admire the work of Michelangelo.
After the Sistine Chapel, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the largest churches in the entire world. Throughout my time in Italy, I heard Michelangelo’s name a lot and it just so happens that he also played an important role in the building of St. Peter’s. He was the lead architect on the project. Interestingly, he took on the project in his 70’s for free. Yeah, that’s right! For FREE! His only request was that he wanted full artistic control. Also, the church is home to Michelangelo’s Pieta.
The next day, we visited the San Sebastian Catacombs. I had to overcome a lot of fears that day because I was out of my comfort zone. I am claustrophobic, but I had to get over that very quickly to enjoy the Catacombs. The long, dark, damp corridors that once held the bones of prominent Christians and Pagans, who couldn’t bury their dead within the city limits of Rome. Our tour guide, Richard, explained that the reason for burying their dead outside of the city goes back to the Old Testament, where it was forbidden to bury the dead within the camp.
Upon exiting the Catacombs, we entered a church where the remains of San Sebastian are buried behind an amazing display. I learned a lot from those two days, especially pertaining to Christianity and its practices. From the Vatican to the Catacombs, I embraced a new understanding of Italy and its religious culture.