Roy Claverie Rome 2018

After what had been an interesting and surprising journey overseas, it was nice to step off of the
plane and know that I had arrived at Rome. The first thing one notices is the brutal sun and heat,
which would be a challenge throughout the trip. Not knowing what to expect, I took a group bus
from the airport and arrived at a small school named St. Stephen’s located next to the
Circa Massima (Circus Maximus).

Welcome sign in Fiumicino (Airport of Rome)

Shortly after arriving at St. Stephen’s we were split into three groups and did a walking tour around

the city for the purpose of locating Latin inscriptions on buildings. Even before spending a whole day

in the city, I had already walked past the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill, and the Theater

of Pompey, in which Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Theater of Pompey (now a cat sanctuary)

Inside the Colosseum

Everyday we would wake up, have breakfast, and then usually go to class and learn about the historical sites that we were to visit on that day. After class and lunch, we would depart for the historical sites. Upon returning from the sites, we would have dinner and be given free time to do what we wanted at the school or go with a group to a nearby gelato place and get gelato.

One of numerous places to get gelato in Rome

Rome was unlike any city in which I had stayed. I had never been able to look out my window and see buildings that had been in that location for around 2,000 years. Everyday leaving school, we traveled back in time to walk among and read about the ancient buildings and ruins left behind by an empire destroyed by time and growth.

Inside Nero's Domus Aurea (Golden House)

In addition to learning the historical significance of the buildings, we learned about recurring artistic motifs on every building. At first these artistic motifs seems to be difficult to remember and find, but by the end of the trip I was able to describe most major artistic motifs on these ancient buildings. After returning home, I began to notice that these ancient motifs are everywhere in the modern world.

A picture of unfluted Ionic columns with a dental frieze and
 an artistic motif called "egg and dart"

About halfway through the program we took a 2 hour bus ride to a town on the Mediterranean Sea called Sperlonga. There, we saw what is believed to be the villa of the emperor Tiberius. After visiting the villa, we made our way down to the beach to relax and take a break before the second half of the program.

View from inside Tiberius' cave dining room

View of the beach at Sperlonga

Famous statue of Augustus Primaporta
in the Vatican

During the second half of the program we visited the Vatican. Growing up I had heard about Vatican City, but walking in I really did not know what to expect. My personal favorite group of works inside were the Raphael Rooms, all of which were culminated in seeing The School of Athens. The School of Athens is a picture I had seen before, but getting to see it in person was a reminder of the history of the city.

The School of Athens

Tomb of Scipio Barbatus in the Vatican

In the final days, we visited the Galleria Borghese, which holds Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s statue of Apollo and Daphne. Seeing this statue along with the 3 other statues he has in this gallery fed my further fascination with the work and style of Bernini along with a new interest in art.

Bernini's Apollo and Daphne

From the beginning of the program, our group was split into three smaller groups to write and perform a play. This play, which was to be based off of a myth, was our biggest project for the program. The main requirement of the project was that the play be written and performed in only latin. Our group was assigned the myth of Actaeon and Diana. In the myth the hunter, Actaeon, sees the goddess Diana bathing in the woods and is turned into a stag. After being turned into a stag, he is hunted by his own dogs and killed. Overall our play, while on the shorter side, was a success and hopefully understood by all watching.

A picture of me portraying Actaeon in our play

As the program came to an end, I was saddened by the thought that I would have to leave the city and people I met there behind, however, I was certain that I would not forget what I had seen and that I would make an effort to stay in touch with the people I met.

Picture of our group in the private baths at Hadrian's Villa

Our group designing a triumphal arch near the Colosseum

Gratias/Grazie:

Over the past two years I have had the pleasure of traveling first to the Concordia Language Villages to study Italian and then this past summer to Rome to study Latin. Both of these experiences have had profound impacts on me, such as a new interest in Italian and the Classics, and have helped me meet new people and make new friends for life. Without the generosity of the Wilson Family, I would not have participated in either of these amazing programs, therefore I would like to say thank you. Thank you for allowing students every year to travel to these exotic places and participate in these education programs.