During April, the 10th and 11th grade Latin classes had the opportunity to visit Rome for a week. The entire trip was organized and realized by Frau Amann and Herr Lühr.
Our trip can be divided into three distinct parts: exploring the remains of Ancient Rome, appreciating medieval and modern Italian art and architecture, and enjoying our free time.
We had all read about some of the historical buildings from the times of the Roman Empire in Latin class, so it was nice to see some of them in real life. From all the ruins left from Ancient Rome, including the Colosseum, the Forum Romanum, and the place of Caesar’s death, the Catacombs of Domitilla stood out. Located on the outskirts of Rome, the catacombs provide a fascinating glimpse into early Christianity. It surprised me what efforts they had to undertake to bury their fellow Christians after running out of land. Not only were the catacombs pitch dark and dug deep inside the earth, but they also used to have an unbearable smell of decay.
Besides the remains of Ancient Rome, we also visited more contemporary landmarks, including the Villa Borghese, an art museum, and Vatican City. The amount of wealth and craftsmanship displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican museums was very impressive, with long halls and large domes filled with some of the finest art I’ve ever seen.
Although appreciating Rome’s cultural heritage was fun, we also enjoyed our free time. Some of us went shopping, and we discovered the Roman quarter of Trastevere, which was a nice place to spend our evenings.
Thank you, Frau Amann and Herr Lühr, for going with us on this great trip. It was an eventful week, and we all were sad when we had to leave Rome after a week.
