Submitted by Brynna Torpey on the fall 2023 semester program in Rome, Italy…
Ninfa Day Trip
A beautiful botanical garden, an hour outside of Rome. Used for multiple high-end fashion campaigns from Gucci to Prada. This is the most magical and beautiful place, where art is alive. Being able to witness these gardens was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Everywhere you look life is around you and multiple colors of all ranges surround you. (Submitted during Week 7)
Tivoli and Villa d’Este
Tivoli is a short trip from Rome, about a 50-minute train ride outside of the city. Tivoli is a gorgeous small city with the gorgeous Villa d’Este. The Villa has multiple fountains and flowers all around. As you walk through you feel like you’ve been transported to a fantasy land. It is an ancient Renaissance garden with ties to the Borgia Family. Throughout the Villa d’Este are iconic fountains and hand-painted walls. The Villa is now considered a museum and is located in the heart of Tivoli, and protected by the culture society. (Submitted during Week 8)
Parco Villa Gregoriana
Villa Gregoriana, in the town of Tivoli, is an amazing national park. With beautiful trails and connections to Mythology. You are able to visit the Grove of Mermaids and the caves of Neptune. Throughout the park, you witness beautiful animals and waterfalls. It’s an amazing reconnection with nature outside of Rome. The park offers the opportunity to enhance your knowledge of history outside of the city. It was commissioned by Pope Gregory XVI but was destroyed by floods. It was submitted for recovery in 2006, and that’s why it’s open to the public today. (Submitted during Week 9)
Palazzo Doria Pamphilj
Doria Pamphilj, is a beautiful palazzo inside the city of Rome, just down the street from the Roman Monument. The Palace was once owned by Doria Pamphilj and passed down through multiple generations. It’s located on Via del Corso, which is where most Romans do their shopping and eating. Inside the palace are many Renaissance paintings and sculptures. With rooms adorned with rich colors and embellished with gold. There are many rooms throughout the place with a chapel, with beautiful stained glass, and a nursery with a floating gold crib. The palace and art itself are one of the most regal things I’ve ever seen. (Submitted during Week 10)