Roman Ruins...My Classroom

The Capitoline Hill.

Behind the Capitoline Hill where the remains of the Roman Forum lay.

One of the Triumphal Arches in which victory parades would march through on their way to the top of the hill where the Temple of Jupiter used to stand.

I didn't take a picture of the Largo Argentina when I had class so this one is from the bus tour but you get the idea!

It has been a while since I have blogged, merely since this past week and weekend have been so very busy I have not gotten the chance to sit down and write about what is going on here in Rome. However, this is something that must be blogged about...my art history class. Every Thursday morning from 9am-12:30pm I have an art history class. Now this is not just any art history class where you learn about paintings and mosaics from inside a classroom, using slides and books to view the art. This is an on-site class, meaning we never meet in a classroom, we only meet standing in front of our subject for that day. Also, it is titled an art history class but it is more of an archaeological class, in that we study the Ancient Rome whose ruins still lie scattered throughout the city today. The class is titled Cities, Towns, and Villas and it is a study of how the ancient Roman people lived their everyday lives. We met this past week at the Largo Argentina, where there are remnants of the four temples that used to lie there, which is also where Julius Caesar was stabbed. After having a short lecture there, we moved on to the Capitoline Hill, which is where the current Capitol of Rome lies but is also where the Temple of Jupiter used to stand. Behind the Capitoline Hill lies the last standing ruins of the Roman Forum and the Seven Hills of Rome. It is so awe-inspiring learning about such a magnificent past while actually standing in front of the ruins that date back to the B.C. centuries. How these structures are still standing remains a mystery to me, but you could say that this class is going to be my favorite for I feel as if I am a part of Ancient Rome by just being in the presence of these massive ruins.