Submitted by Angelina Gargiulo on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of History…
The most enriching experience that I’ve experienced thus far was my personal trip to Rome and Vatican City with my friend, Ben, this past Saturday. I’ve always wanted to go to Rome because of its richness in history and urban lifestyle. It has also been a dream of mine to visit the Vatican in order to see some of Michelangelo’s most famous work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, as well as to discover the rich papal history within the museum. This excursion meant a lot to me because I got the chance to witness ruins from way farther back than the Renaissance, navigate both Italy’s local and regional train system, and explore the food and culture of a very different city.
In Vatican City, we walked through the entirety of the museum and the Sistine Chapel. We explored Roman statues, religious frescoes and works, papal jewelry and accessories, and ancient potteries and mechanisms. Although the Sistine Chapel is definitely the most iconic thing I viewed there, my favorite room of the museum held the oldest pieces. Ironically enough, we were trying to locate the exit and get lunch when we accidentally stumbled upon this room. It consisted of pottery pieces, shields and swords, and pieces of wagon from over 2,000 years ago. It really shocked Ben and I how well these things were preserved. Later that day, we went to the Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome. Both of these monuments had me in awe. I’ve found that the older the history, the more intrigued I am. It amazed me that I was looking at something that people did many centuries ago, making me appreciate it that much more.
As far as transportation and food go, I was extremely surprised. The train system is very similar to America’s, as far as organization and format go. We took the train from Vatican City to Rome, and from our dinner to the Italian regional train. It was surprisingly smooth figuring out which train to get on and where to get off. The biggest difference from New York City’s system was the light of the station and less putrid smell, with a shockingly similar level of madness.
The lunch and dinner I had that day were two of my favorite meals since being in Italy. Both meals were planned last minute, with pretty much zero planning involved. In the pizzeria we went to in Vatican City, I had my first brick oven pizza since studying abroad. It had buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce, and prosciutto on it. Later that night, we went to a seafood restaurant by the Pantheon in Rome. Although very pricey, I got a baked clam and spaghetti dish and chocolate gelato for dessert. Both Ben and I finished our plates entirely, and even went as far as to leave a small tip for the first time in Italy just because the food was that good. All around, my excursion to Rome and Vatican City was a beautiful experience that I will remember forever, and I wish to go back to both locations soon.
