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Published: September 10th 2006
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So as i sit here Sunday night i realize that I have only been here a little over a week, even though it feels as though I have been here two months! My first week of classes went well. I have Italian everyday for 3 hours from 4-7pm and i have 3 classes for 4 hrs each one morning a week. I am taking a Theology class called "Saints and Sinners: A history of the Popes" I am very excited for this class. It may end up being the best class that i have ever taken. My professor, Dr. Vasquez is an Alumnus of CUA in theology and has been living in Rome for 8 years. The class will consist of studying the history of the Church through the succession of the Popes, understanding their lives in relationship to the socio-political structures as well as the then current state of the Church. Every week we will meet on site somewhere in Rome for class. This week we went to the church of Santi Apostili. This church holds the bones of Apostles Sts. Phillip and James. It is 100x better going to churches when we are able to learn what is actually
Mary Pillar
This is the pillar that is visible frfom our school door and is right near the spanish steps. I walk by it a lot and i think it is pretty cool. going on. Dr. Vasquez has been more than impressive with his understanding and ability to relate what we are seeing with a historical significance. This has the potential to be the best class I have ever taken.
My other classes i won't explain in as much detail because i realize that I have already written a lot! I am taking a Philosophy of God class with the same D.r Vasquez and then i am also taking a course called Art, Architecture, and Urbanism in Rome. I switched out of my science class to this one. It allows me to 1. Go to the Papal audiences every Wed that BXVI is in town, and also to learn more about Rome. The professor is a woman named Dr. Flushe. I missed the first class (excused absense~) because I had my time to go to the police station with some of the people from our program to register as a student living here.
So classes are going well. I am hoping to pick up Italian easily. Our teacher only speaks Italian in class, so there is a lot of practice going on.
This weekend I stayed in Rome. On Saturday
Spanish Steps
The Spanish steps are one of the main attractions in Centro Roma. They are a block from our school. They were built by the French after a long struggle with the Spanish government who also wanted to build something there. The French built the steps and the Church at the top of the steps, Spain got the name, since thier embassy resides a 1/2 block away. Dr. Vasquez led a tour around St. Peters and then across the city to the Italian Forum. That was a great chance to not only see, but to really learn about St. Peters and other areas of Rome. St. Peters is beautiful and big and so historically powerful. Although, I think that I had expectations for St. Peters Square and Church to be even bigger than they are, but a lot of it has to do with the fact that 1. St. Peters (as was explained) was built to look smaller and more intimate than its size really was and 2. The fact that I haven’t seen St. Peter’s Square with people in it yet. I still haven’t seen the Pope, but I look forward to doing that when he gets back from Bavaria.
Saturday night after walking like 1,000,000 kilometers around Rome (NO, you did not actually walk 1,000,000 kilometers…if you said I circled the earth a few times then maybe…) the city of Rome had their annual “La Notte Bianca” translation: white night. This is when the entire city stays up the whole night. There were 100’s of different events going on all night throughout the city.
Villa Bourgeise
This was a concert in one of the main parks in Roma the night before la notte biana. I think there were 20,000+ ppl there, and probably 25,000 cigarretts. It was crazy, and a lot of fun.
I started at a wine bar along the banks of the Tiber and then watched some acrobatic stuff on the side walls of the Castle St. Angelo (HUGE building that was built in the Middle Ages to act as a protection for the Pope if anyone invaded Rome. It still stands, as does the stone pathway that leads to the Vatican. This thing is about as big as Kauffman Stadium.) After watching that for a bit I walked around near that Vatican to get some food, gelato, and drinks, then finally caught a bus home @ 6:00am. It was a fun night. Though I wish I would have been able to see more stuff, I was just so tired from walking those million k’s…
Anyways, this thing is long enough, and most of the people who will read this won’t even get to here, so congrats to all of you for that! But I am doing well and am looking forward to another week of classes and a chance to get in a rythem and hopefully starting to figure out how I am going to see all of the things
San Pietro
An angled picture of the facade of St. Peters as we are waiting in line to walk in. that I want to see. There is almost too much to see!
I miss you all and love you very much.
God Bless,
Jonathan
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Jay Breeden
non-member comment
yeah ... Rome doesn't really look that cool. Sorry.