May 17
Today was an amazing day! We walked to the Roman Forum (or Foro Romano). I loved imagining what life was like thousands of years ago, as these foros were the epicenter of life back then with law courts, senate chambers, hubs for mercantile and social life. They unified those in the area and were extremely important to life in the day.
Our next stop was the Colosseum. Before our visit, my knowledge of what happened at the colosseum was limited to what I had seen in the movie The Gladiator. Learning about the history of this building was an eye-opening experience. The Colosseum is so ahead of its time, with it being built similarly to that of a football stadium; however, the death and destruction that occurred during this time makes this remarkable architecture a rather somber place to visit. Niro’s symbol of “Rome Reborn” saw around 2 deaths a day. Romans gathered around to see gruesome fights as they generated wealth often through human trafficking. Standing at the center of the Colosseum after learning of the history gave me a greater sense of the gravity of the events that occurred back in the day.
Next we went on a street art tour in a neighborhood. Before this, I didn’t fully appreciate art on the street and how it is actually an expression of the artist. It was really amazing being able to see these pieces of art and how it is a way for the artist to express their emotions and beliefs. Every piece we saw showed the diversity in Rome and all had different meanings. The neighborhood where all of the art was located was super cool, and I feel like the art united everyone. Even though people come from different backgrounds, the art showed that they are all one as Italians. As we walked around, I loved seeing how neighbors stood on the street chatting with each other- which is very different from typical American neighborhoods. One of my favorites was the ear, as it served as a great reminder of the importance of listening. This tour really helped me learn to take time to draw meaning from art we see around us and see how activism can be expressed through different mediums.
Today was a great day full of walking! Can’t wait to see what happens next!
