Hello everyone ! How are you ? It’s been a while since I published an article and I apologize but I had quite a few things to do because of my studies. This being over, I will resume a regular publication but every two weeks and more every week as before. This is because I want to upgrade my YouTube channel (here’s the link if you don’t know it: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Gwco3CRaA_ZxSrw25LgIA?view_as=subscriber [the videos are in french but don’t worry, english subtitles will come soon]). But don’t worry, the articles will continue to be published.
So in this article, I’m going to tell you about my trip to Rome. I will therefore explain the context of this trip, what I visited, how I felt … Let’s get to the heart of the matter now and, above all, enjoy your reading!
Context of the trip
This trip to Rome was a school trip organized by my high school. It took place at the end of April and lasted for three days. We therefore visited during these three days various monuments of the city, both Roman and religious… Here, I will not speak of religious monuments but only of Roman places.
The trip
First day of the trip to Rome
So we arrived in Rome in the morning and started by visiting the Baths of Caracalla. The thermal baths were built from 212 to 216 AD and are the largest Roman thermal baths ever built. Moreover in the photos (below), we do not realize the size of the ruins but it is really huge. Unfortunately, there is little left besides the walls and a few mosaics, but it is still sufficient to appreciate the extent of the constructions at the time.
After the Baths of Caracalla, we went straight to eat and on the way, we passed the Circus Maximus without stopping there. The Circus Maximus was a huge racecourse, accommodating nearly 100,000 people. Today, there are only a few traces of the stands, however, with the track, which still allows for jogging.
In the afternoon, we visited my favorite Roman monument: the Colosseum. The Colosseum was an arena that hosted various shows such as animal battles, gladiatorial battles and even a re-enactment of a naval battle. During this guided tour, I learned a lot of things like the fact that at the time the Colosseum was covered. But also, that he was much taller with an extra speaker. Besides, there is a misconception about it that I did not know. Indeed, many people believe that the holes in the monument were made during the war but not at all, the Colosseum has never been hit by the slightest shell or bullet. They were simply holes allowing, in Roman times, to accommodate scaffolding, beams …
After visiting this mythical place, we continued our journey towards the Palatine, passing in front of the Arch of Constantine. This monument was erected in AD 315 to commemorate the 10 years of the emperor’s reign as well as his victory over Maxentius.
We then was on the Palatine Hill which was a place that I knew little about. This visit therefore allowed me to learn more about its history and functions. It is therefore one of the Seven Hills of Rome on which there were prestigious dwellings like those of the emperors but also many temples. We then went down to the Forum. Then the day ended with this visit.
Second day of the trip to Rome
The following day, we started the day with a visit to the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian which served from the 3rd century to the 5th century AD. Unfortunately, photos are prohibited in this location. So I can’t offer you any. These catacombs are a very interesting place which is totally based on its history and which is in no way morbid.
The morning then continued with a visit to various religious monuments that I will not talk about.
In the afternoon, we visited the Capitoline Museums which is obviously a place full of a lot of Roman remains as you can see in the photos below. If one day you go to Rome, go there because many famous works such as the She-Wolf of Romulus and Remus or the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius are kept there. We then ended the day with a visit to a church.
Last day of the trip to Rome
On the last day, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica all morning. In the afternoon, we strolled through the streets of Rome. This allowed us to see different famous places in Rome such as the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon which was unfortunately closed to the public. The Pantheon was a temple for all Roman deities. Subsequently, it was converted into a church.
Then we ended the day in Piazza Navona which is one of the most famous squares in Rome. Moreover, it has the particularity of being oval because it was built on the ruins of the Domitian stadium. In addition, this square is the only place where I saw Roman coins for sale and again, it was not a numismatic like in France but a souvenir shop where there were some Roman coins in a basket, mixed with reproductions.
My opinion
This trip was really good and above all very interesting from a historical point of view. Besides, Rome was one of the cities I most wanted to go to. So I almost had to be happy with the trip. Also, I learned a lot of things and I was also very surprised by the place that Constantine holds in Rome. Indeed, many monuments have a connection with him and the guides often speak about it. So, if one day you go to Italy and you are interested in history, don’t hesitate, go to Rome. In addition, Rome is a rather pleasant city with a lot of traffic. Which is normal for a big city. So if history is not your passion, prefer a city like Venice which is really a very beautiful city.
This article is now complete. It was a little different from the others on my site but I hope you liked it all the same. By the way, put your opinion in the comments and tell me too, if you are already going to Rome or if you would like to go there. I wish you a good start to summer and see you in two weeks!
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