Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Grand Tour

0 comments

Hey you’ve Gotta see this!

Throughout Italy, there are many tourist attractions and monuments that explain centuries of Italian history. If you plan on making your way down south to the beautiful country, I suggest on making a checklist and a plan so that you don’t get overwhelmed with all the crazy tourist sites. The Colossem, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps are a couple of the places I went on my trip to Italy and I recommend going to all of them. Spend your time learning as many things about each of your stops that you can because time is limited and their are dozens of sites to see.
The Colosseum is one of the main tourist attractions that we would recommend to anyone who is planning to visit Rome. If you didn’t know already, the Colosseum is an amphitheatre located in the center of Rome. According to Kristina Kaldis’ blog, the construction of the building started around 72 AD under the reign of the Emperor Vespasian and was completed byEmperor Titus in 80 AD. It was built in the heart of Rome, as a gift to the people by the Emperor when he realized he was elected and ruled because of the consent of the people. The Colosseum was the largest structure built in the Roman Empire. It is 188 by 166 meters long, with a height of 48 meters, and was and continues to be famous for its Romanesque architecture.One recommendation I would make would be to take a guided tour of this magnificent monument in order to fully understand what you are viewing and taking pictures of.
The Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountain is another one of the main attractions in Rome. Its dimensions are 26 meters in height and 20 meters wide. It is located in the Piazza Poli. Nicola Salvi was commissioned by Pope Clement XII to construct the fountain in 1732 and it was completed by 1762.
The fountain is one of the most beautiful and most famous fountains in all of Italy. The Trevi fountain is at the end of the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct constructed in 19 BC that brings water all the way from the Salone Springs. The central statue on the fountain is of Neptune riding a chariot pulled by two sea horses guided by two Tritons.
The statues besides Neptune are Abundance (God of Wealth) and Salubrity (God of Health). According to Kristina Bushie’s blog, there are around 3,000 Euros tossed into the Trevi fountain on a daily basis and as the legend tells it, you must throw two coins from your right hand over your left shoulder into the fountain to receive good luck. If you have the time, try and find a seat around the magnificent structure and just take in the beautiful fountain for what its worth. At the end of your visit, make sure to take your two coins, make a wish, toss, and don’t forget to take a picture!

The Spanish Steps, one of the free tourist attractions in Rome, ties the culture, history, and the people of Italy all in one. The bottom of the steps is located on the Piazza di Spagna, the top of the steps is located alongside the Trinita dei Monti, which is the name of the church at the top of the steps. According to Wendy Bolen’s blog, The Spanish Steps contains 138 steps, which is the longest and widest staircase in all of Europe. They were built at the request of Pope Innocent XII in the seventeenth century. Originally the steps were named Trinita dei Monti, after the church at the top, but they came to be known at the Spanish Steps after a Spanish ambassador who had his embassy on the square. Getting your picture taken in front of the steps is something every other tourist in Rome will do, so just warning you it will be crowded, so be ready to push through the crowd to get it. The neighborhood around the steps is an upper class residential area, inhabited by Roman families who don’t seem to notice the mass amounts of tourists that come through on a daily basis. If you make your way to the outskirts of the neighborhood passed the main shopping streets like via Condotti and via Frattina, you’ll find local Roman’s doing their day to day shopping at fresh vegetable, fruit, and even fish stands.

Tourists Gone Wild- Night life
Traveling to foreign countries with a group of college peers is always an adventure. From reading many of these blogs and personal experience, it seems highly likely that students will participate in a pub crawl at some time during their travels. Pub crawls represent a chance to socially drink with your peers and experience different bars throughout a city for a very fair price. They also tend to give Americans the chance to play familiar drinking games and receive free t-shirts. Italy is no different. As we can see from Maudie Banta’s blog entitled “Crawling into Trouble” many pub crawl promoters seek out young Americans to sign up for these types of events.
This is true in Italy especially in Rome when you will experience pub crawl directors approaching you as you take in the sights of the Colosseum and Spanish Steps. However, Rome has recently made laws to outlaw pub crawls entirely as of May 26, 2010. As our pub crawl director explained to us, the banning is due to an attempt by authorities to eliminate tourist intoxication in historic areas of Rome. As our pub crawl director described to us, “It is the attempt by the mayor of Rome to preserve the historical holiness of Rome.” The elimination of pub crawls is expected to also limit the noise and litter within the city. A helpful hint to future students is: pub crawls are illegal but still run. As our pub crawl director also explained, “pub crawls are more restricted than illegal, there are certain rules they must follow such as traveling in groups of under 15 from bar to bar.” In addition, this law has only been implemented until December 31, 2010 when the government plans to further discuss these issues. So as they say when in Rome…. In addition to pub crawls, Italy is home to pubs and clubs that students will find meet their night life needs. An important note about Italian bars is that many of them view drinking as more of a casual, social experience. Unlike many Americans, Italians go to the bar to socially drink and rarely get to the point that we would consider “wasted”. Keeping these customs in mind will help you assimilate to the culture and avoid many awkward stares from the locals. Likewise, bars in Italy follow a different sort of price mechanism. When ordering a drink, it is always cheaper to be actually standing at the bar. While in Italy, you may experience the terms al banco and al tavolo, which refer to the bar and the table. This little tip will actually save you quite a bit of money. The last form of entertainment that Italy excels at is night clubbing. Italy seems to have any type of club you could be looking for. From open air dance areas to 5 story buildings, clubs in Italy really know how to show a tourist a good time. The best part of many of these clubs is that they tend to play a mixture of techno, American, and Latin music. This mixture gives a different club feel. If you are planning on visiting a club, expect a relatively high cover fee and to be returning to your hostel very early in the morning. Typical clubs in Italy will stay open until 5 am.
top rated clubs around Italy


Why can’t I just Teleport?
For something that seems so simple, this area of your travel can become the most stressful. In order for your trip to run as smoothly as possible, advance planning is necessary. Especially when it comes to planning trains from city to city. From Leah’s blog we see can see that trains can be tricky. By visiting your nearest train station and reserving train seats in advance you can avoid this dilemma. Simply plan out which cities you want to go to and when then look up train times. The people at the train station are very helpful and will probably recommend the best trains and routes to take. From personal experience, I can safely say that making seat in reservations in advance makes a huge difference in the stress levels of the trip. In addition to train tickets, you should consider buying multiple day metro passes. This saves money and time. When spending more than one day in a city, it is advantageous to make this purchase. However, if the metro isn’t your style, taxis tend to be very cheap in Italy. In Rome, we took a 40 minute taxi ride that cost a group of 6 of us around 10 dollars each. The fare was ridiculously cheap compared to other city taxis we have experienced previously. Another form of transportation that is helpful is the infamous “Hop on, Hop off” bus. With so many sights to see, this is a great way to see Rome especially. Fares for this bus are relatively cheap and usually come in 24 hour periods. This bus also eliminates the stress of trying to navigate the city. The tour takes you to all of the main attractions in the city and is great to do in groups. In addition, the open second floor of the bus provides picturesque views of the city as well as a fantastic opportunity to tan. With the beauty of Italy, many prefer to walk the cities. From firsthand experience to do so, you will need supportive, preferably closed shoes. After walking throughout Rome each day, the arches of my feet would ache for hours. In addition, they would be completely covered in dirt and who knows what else. So when in Rome…..bite the bullet and pick comfort over fashion! The last transportation recommendation relates to Venice specifically. Venice is home to a series of canals that lead to almost all buildings. The people of Venice use canals as if we would use roads. The catch is: only Venice has canals, not all of Italy. So if you visit this city be sure to take a gondola ride! My group missed out on this opportunity because we naively thought all Italian cities contained this kind of transportation.


Love it like a fat kid loves gelato
Pasta, Gelato, Pizza, and more! Italy has perhaps some of the most delicious foods you will find in all of Europe. Annie Kishman describes the food perfectly in her blog “Bon Appétit!” In this blog, she says, “the Duomo, Academia, and Roman ruins weren’t the only tourist attractions Italy has to offer” when she refers to the gelaterias that lined the streets of Florence. Italy is known for its food and for good reason. The simple trick to follow when in Italy is to stick with the 3 P’s: pizzas, pastas, and paninis. These three things along with gelato will never let you down. Another suggestion is to visit restaurants that are down small alleys opposed to on main tourist streets. These restaurants will have a better selection of authentic Italian cuisine and tend to be cheaper.






Is the Pope Catholic?
After touring around all day, visiting a church or cathedral can often be a nice time to relax quietly away from your hectic touring schedule, or to even learn more about that religion. Although one might think that churches are for free, many of the times there is a small fee to pay to go inside and or to see different parts of the church. I would suggest spending that money on the better-known churches and cathedral, ones that you will remember your experience at and the actual name of it. Also to look for dress codes before going, almost always you are not allowed shoulders or skirts or shorts above the knees, so remember to bring some type of shawl if you are planning on wearing tank tops, skirts or shorts. While visiting Italy, home to some of the world’s largest and beautiful churches, it is definitely worthwhile to make time to visit the Vatican, Milan’s Duomo, and St. Mark’s Basilica. But before going to either we have learned that it is helpful to do a little research on them first, so that you aren’t just looking at another church. When visiting Rome, it is a must to go see Vatican City. With its own government, military, post service and specialized currency, the Vatican City is considered its own country, and is not identified as in Rome City. Vatican City languages are Latin, Italian, French and English. The Government is a monarchial society with the head of state and clergymen. Katie Hicks talks about all the different duties that the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, has bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, successor of St. peter, Prince of Apostles, Patriarch of the West, and sovereign of Vatican City. He is also in charge of creating cardinals, names saints and intervenes in disputes between the Vatican and local bishops. Here is a little history of the Vatican City before you go, the Swiss Guard was founded in 1506, but the founding of the actual city was not until 1929. The Swiss guards were hired to protect the pope and the Vatican City. Still today they are trained as military defense and have the requirements of being male, catholic, good moral, between the ages of 19-30, at least 174 cm tall, not married, and have a professional diploma or high school degree. Just be aware, you can’t take pictures with them unless you are under 13. When picking out your outfit for the day you go to visit the Vatican, you need to make sure to check the dress code so that you can actually go in and get the whole experience. For girls, you are not permitted in with any skirts above the knee, no shorts, and no bare shoulders; this is similar for the guys. If the weather is too hot to travel all day with these dress codes, you are allowed to bring some type of shawl for your shoulders or to drape around your waist. As you arrive to St. Peter’s Square chances are you will be bombarded with people trying to offer you tours. This can be a win win situation or win lose. It is normally safe to pick the tour with English guides, because they will be from the states and speak English. The line to get in is definitely long and the tours often allow you to skip them, with an additional cost. To get into the Vatican without a tour guide is 20 euro. Tours can range from 25-40 euro, and some even have student discounts. There is so much to see in Vatican City, make sure you don’t just go straight to Michael Angelo’s, Sistine Chapel Fresco. With over 19 museums as mentioned in Katie’s blog, there is so much to see. The Vatican Museum, Musei Vaticani, is full of painting, frescos, tapestries, mosaics, and sculptures which are all part of identifying Vatican and its’ history. When you do go into the Sistine Chapel, besides the dress code, they are very strict about talking and taking pictures. Unless it is your lucky day, don’t take the chances of taking a picture, the guards will find you and make you delete it then kick you out. A good tour time would probably be around 2 hours, which seems like a lot of walking, but is a good amount of time to cover the importance of the city. If you are hungry after all this walking, I strongly suggest walking around that area and finding a nice outdoor restaurant to sit down and eat the fine Italian cuisine. After visiting the Vatican City outside Rome, there is Milan, where Milan’s Duomo, Saint Ambrose is. This is the Second Largest Catholic Cathedral in the World, as said in Catherine Schaser blog. It ranges from 157 meters long and can fit 40,000 people. It is a mix between Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture and designed by Giuseppe Brentano. You do have the chance to climb to the roof, for it will create a unique and memorable opportunity to walk on the Gothic Cathedral along with a great view of Milan. Another Cathedral worth visiting is St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, easy to get to, by waterbus; It is free to get into and shows examples of Byzantine architecture. It is a beautiful Cathedral and shows the wealth and power of Venice.

Rugby gone Wild

0 comments



Hearing about a festival in Florence, Italy that had to do with rugby, I was not expecting what I experienced on June 24 at 7pm in the middle of the Piazza Santa Croce. There was a huge stadium set up with bleachers surrounding a field of sand, screaming fans, one side wearing all blue and another side wearing all white. We took our seats and my heart was beating pretty fast with anticipation of what was going to happen next…

The day starts off with a parade around the different plazas throughout the city with around 100 or so men dressed up in medieval costumes, holding flags and guns, marching to the beat of the drums. We got the most pleasant wake up call at about 8am of the drum parade making its way around the city. This event happens once a year and we were lucky enough to be apart of its festivities for the day. The festival is in the honor of St. John, the patron saint of the city. The event is called “Calcio Storico Fiorentino,” or “Historical soccer from Florence,” originated in Florence around 1200-1300 AD. It served as a competition for many of the nobleman in the area at the time and it was seen as ok because violence and death were accepted back then. The fighting that goes on during these games can date back to when the Gladiators fought during Roman times. The players and the men in the parade wore clothes that represented what was worn in the 15th century. In an article I read about the annual event, even popes such as Clement VII, Leo XI and Urban VIII are said to have enjoyed the bloody game. However, in the last few years, the game has been seen as too violent because of the fights that have broke out in the middle of the game and was actually banned for the entire year of 2007 as punishment for their “unacceptable behavior.”

My friends and I sat down and waited for all of the members of the parade to line up on the field and then it was time for the two rugby teams to enter the arena. The crowd was going wild and I was having a hard time just taking it all in. There I was sitting in front of one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen and I was about to watch big hefty men tear each other to shreds for possession of the ball and trying to win for their “side” of he city. Wearing blue meant you were from one side of the river and wearing white meant you were from the opposite side of the river. The parades of medieval men were summoned off the field and it was time to begin the match. There were 27 muscled and shirtless players on the field from each team and I knew from that point on I was in for a real surprise. The whistle was blown and I was shocked at all the hitting, punching, tackling that went on in the first minute of the game. I was seriously in my own little world trying to keep up with what was going on. The ball was being tossed from player to player but then that player would get pounded into the ground and the next player, white or blue would pick up the ball and run. Men from opposing teams were tackling and fighting all over the field while referees were trying to break up the major punch throwing also going on.

A couple of times during the match, a stretcher made its way onto the field, but no one on the field even noticed. The game continued on as a member of the white team was carried off the field in agony. The gruesome game went on for about 50 minutes and by the time it was over I had to sit down for a good 10 minutes and take in what I had just witnessed. Nothing like that would ever be played in the United States.

The event was more than just a game and some hitting; it was a major symbol for

Italy and city of Florence and the specific neighborhoods playing in the match. The blue team ended up dominating the white team and I even saw one of the blue team members crying to one of his buddies. I was in awe that a man of his size was getting emotional over something like this, but it just made me realize how much nationalism and pride went into this one game. People from Florence and even people from all over Italy take pride in this event and have for centuries.





(Map of where the Piazza di Santa Croce is located)

A Country Within A Country

0 comments








When you go to Rome one of the most popular attractions is Vatican City.Vatican City is its own country inside of a country; it has its own laws and regulations and is one of the biggest tourist venues in the world. The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, lives within the parameters of the city making this one of the holiest places on the planet.

When we arrived at Vatican City, we were awestruck by the number of people that were congregating in the central plaza.As we were headed down the street we saw tons of people lining the street so we stopped for a second and I asked this English tourist what was going on and she said the Pope was supposed to be driving by in a few minutes, sure enough, 30 seconds later the we saw a black Mercedes cruising down the street and inside you could see Pope Benedict XVI. For me it was a humbling experience as a Catholic because I felt a connection to everyone else around me. I was sharing in a common identity that millions of other people share with me, it was a moment of total solidarity and understanding.

After we took a bunch of pictures in the central plaza we headed over to find a tour guide, we ended up getting this crazy, stereotypical Italian man who loved to tell jokes and make his group laugh. We walked all around the walls that surround the city and mark off its own national territory so Romans know where their city ends. We walked through the Musei Vaticani where we saw countless famous statues and many more paintings, frescos, tapestries, and mosaics. We saw quite a few of the Roman gods, which I thought was really interesting because I am surprised that the Vatican which denounces paganism houses these ancient statues. In addition to the Roman gods, quite a few Egyptian pieces are focal points throughout the Musei Vaticani.Our tour guide pointed out that the Vatican itself is made up of many different and distinct pieces such as the pillars from famous places in Rome and artwork that has been all over the world. I personally think the reason the Catholic Church has decided to include such pieces is because the word “Catholic” is supposed to mean universal and these pieces contribute to the idea of this worldliness.

The Sistine Chapel is one of those places that are the absolute highlights of Rome and The Vatican. It was everything I had expected and more, the frescoes were absolutely incredible and massive in a way that is hard to describe. There were strict rules about photography in the Sistine Chapel but our tour guide told us to take some pictures quickly. Some of the other members of my tour group and I whipped out our cameras and snapped a few shots of these famous scenes. Right after I took two shots, the guards rushed over and pulled the cameras out of the others hands and made them delete the pictures immediately. I saw this and quickly tossed my camera in purse so I have two “prohibited” pictures of the Sistine Chapel. Our tour guide was explaining some of the cleaning that has taken place in the Sistine Chapel; a few years ago, a Japanese cleaning company was hired to restore the color to these famous frescoes. Most of Rome and the rest of the world was appalled at this action because it is a commonly known fact that artwork can be damaged through restoration. The fact that the Vatican decided to restore these frescoes to their original glory showed that their true value was not in the physical possession of the artwork, but it lies within the happiness and inspiration that the artworks can bring to many of the patrons and tourists. The Sistine Chapel and Musei Vaticani are some of the most frequented places in the world and I now see why they are so popular. These places can mean so many different things to so many different people.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Bon Appetit!

Italy may be home to

some of the oldest history in all of Europe, but I have to admit, what I was most excited for was the food!

Whether Elizabeth Gilbert is writing about her falling in love with the pasta and gelato, Papa John is bragging about his pizza, or Lady and the Tramp are sharing a dish of spaghetti, we have been raised as an American culture to associate Italy with authentic cuisine. Therefore, my goal of the weekend was to have the most delicious pasta, pizza, and whatever else I could find in Rome or Florence, in my opinion, the ultimate tourist attraction.

As usual, on the train to Florence I was preparing for the weekend by reading the “Let’s Go: Western Europe” travel book. The first subject I flipped to (rather than the sites, museums, or transportation) was the Food section. There I found out that Florence is known for bruschetta and gelato… and considering I find anything with tomatoes to be amazing and, well, gelato speaks for itself, I was even more excited for our arrival.

Florence has it all figured out: plant four gelaterias on every block and everyone is bound to get business- or at least that’s how it seemed. As soon as we stepped out of the train station we bee-lined to the gelateria across the street only to find it packed with the every other tourist from the train station. Clearly we are pretty obvious about our desires in Italy, because everything was written in English at each gelateria, and we never came across a non-English speaking worker. This solidified the fact that the Duomo, Academia, and Roman ruins weren’t the only tourist attractions Italy has to offer.

Then for dinner we put all of Italy’s, and especially Florence’s, traditional cuisine to the test. First (and what I still think of as the best) thing for me to eat (after the gelato,

which is in a league of its own) was Bruschetta al Pomodoro (grilled bread soaked in oil and garlic topped with tomatoes and basil). The tomatoes were bright red, and the entire combination of bread, olive oil, and tomatoes tasted fresher than I could have imagined. No wonder tourists craved Italian cuisine and the media has inflated these historical traditions- it was amazing! I savored every piece of tomato in hopes to make the appetizer last long enough until my dinner came.

Needless to say I indulged in gelato twice a day four days straight (literally) and had bruschetta with every dinner, and I don’t regret a single bite. But I will say, that the hype of the Italian dishes was kind of crazy, and really made me wonder how Italy (specifically Florence) became known for its gelaterias and bruschetta dishes. I found out that although gelato is adored and enjoyed throughout Europe, it is especially famous in Florence because the inventor of the desert, the Buontalenti family, is Florentine. Therefore, the Florentines take this history very seriously and claim the delicacy as their own- proven by the abundance of gelaterias throughout the city.

And although it may seem obvious, pasta and tomatoes are a cultural norm for Italians because of their geography and history. It used to be that the Italians only ate and produced according to the resources they had access to and also according to their funds. Pasta was an inexpensive dish that could be eaten with meat in order to appease an appetite without spending a fortune on the meal. The olives and tomatoes that are present in almost every dish are so ripe and fresh because they grow in the perfectly in the Italian climate- therefore the locals always have access to these ingredients. It is because of the spread by word of mouth, media, and photography that these traditions have spread globally and made Italy an eating capital of the world. So while I found the David to be extraordinary and the views from the Duomo breathtaking; it is the authentic Flortine cuisine that brought me to Italy. After seven weeks of travel I have definitely learned that it’s not just monuments, museums, and landscapes that will bring me to a country- but also the food and deserts!

Lion, Tigers, and Gladiators...Oh My!


I am extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to Europe the past six weeks. I have learned to navigate trains, buses, discount airlines and hostels. I have also learned that things don’t always go as planned and last minute flexibility is an important aspect of traveling in Europe, the worlds most important tourist region. For my last weekend traveling Europe, my friends and I agreed that Italy would be the perfect final destination.

When I first arrived in Rome I could not help but think about everything I have learned over the summer about the Roman Empire. I was standing in the city that was the beginning and end of the Roman Empire, which ruled Europe for over one thousand years. I will admit Rome was exhausting sharing the sidewalks and streets with 2.8 million locals along with thousands of other tourists. However, the museums, medieval churches, ancient temples, and amazing Baroque fountains were worth the long lines, crowds, and some of the strongest body odors I had ever smelled! I enjoyed each place I visited in Rome, but I believe the Colosseum symbolized the ancient city.

When I arrived at the Colosseum, I couldn’t believe I was finally looking at the famous landmark of the eternal city. The structure was enormous and made every other ruin in Rome look dwarfed in comparison. Within seconds of arriving at the Colosseum, my friends and I were approached and asked if we wanted a tour in English. Besides information from our Baedekers we did not know much about this important Roman ruin so we decided to join the tour.

The Colosseum is an amphitheatre located in the center of Rome. It was built on a site of an artificial lake and was part of a massive park. Construction started around 72 AD under the reign of the Emperor Vespasian and was completed by the emperor Titus in 80 AD. It was built in the heart of Rome, as a gift to the people of Rome by the Emperor because he realized he was elected and ruled by the consent of the people. The Colosseum was the largest structure built in the Roman Empire. It is 188 by 166 meters with a height of 48 meters and was and continues to be famous for its Roman architecture style. I also learned that the current name of the amphitheater came from the nearby Colossus statue of Nero, which no longer stands by the structure because it was probably melted down for its bronze after Nero’s reign.
Once I was standing inside the structure, it seemed even larger than it did from the outside. I felt as if I were melting standing in the Colosseum in the hot summer sun and I couldn’t imagine being part of the 50,000 spectators crowed in the Colosseum to watch the bloody battles. The large size was necessary for the large and growing city during the rise of the Roman Empire. Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public. The floor no longer exists, so I could see all of the underground passages and brick cells that once held animals keeping them without food or water for weeks. I could also see platforms that were used to bring the animals to the arena level where they were set free to attack other animals and human slaves. Gladiator competitions were also popular fights that ended in blood and death. After gladiator contests were outlawed some time around 438 AD, the Colosseum was used for several different purposes in the centuries that followed. By the renaissance era the theatre was being used as a quarry to supply the stones from the structure to renaissance buildings around the city of Rome.

After visiting the Colosseum it was evident that even though only a small portion of the structure still exists, the Colosseum is Rome’s most recognizable classical building. I am very glad we decided to take a tour because if we had not we would have been taking pictures of ruins we knew very little about. I can see why this amazing structure is one of the 7 Wonders of the World!

I would highly recommend an English tour of the Colosseum. The following link has has several different options of tours. http://www.viator.com/Rome/d511/the-colosseum?pref=02&aid=g1999

Some Wishes Don't Come True


Prior to departing for our last weekend excursion to Italy, I was told that there were many attractions that I had to see and several foods that I couldn’t leave without trying. Some of the tourist attractions included the Spanish Steps, the Duomo, and the Vatican, but the one that seemed most appealing to me was the Trevi Fountain, so I decided to do a little research before getting onto the plane in Brussels.

From the research I did I found that the Trevi Fountain is the most famous and possibly the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome. It is an impressive monument that dominates the Trevi square in the Quirinale District and brings in thousands of tourists each day. Aside from the obvious, I also learned at http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/trevi.htm that the fountain is the ending part of the Aqua Virgo. It brings water 20 kilometers from the Salone Springs and supplies the fountains with water. It was built in 1732 and commissioned by Pope Clement XII. Nicola Salvi, the architect commissioned to do this painting, based his design off of a design by Bernini that had been halted a century earlier. After 30 years, the fountain was completed in 1762. The central figure of the fountain is Neptune riding a chariot pulled by two horses. The differing personalities of the horses (calm and restive) represent the fluctuating moods of the sea. The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea and legend holds that if you throw a coin in the water you will return to Rome, but only if you toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain. The fountain consists of unique Baroque architecture. With all of this in mind I packed my bag and headed for my final destination: Rome.

On our first day in Rome, we decided to squeeze in as many sight-seeing activities as we could so that we could save most of the second day for the Vatican. So at 8:00 AM on Friday morning we woke up well rested and ready for a big day that would end with tired feet and unforgettable memories. We were able to see the Colesseum, the Spanish Ruins, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. After a long day of walking and filling my mind with historical facts the fountain was a perfect way to end the day because the peaceful flow of water and the magnificent architecture of the monument created an ideal combination of not only a tourist attraction, but also one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

Hundreds of people gathered on the seats that surrounded the fountain simply admiring the view and trying to take it all in. Because it was the end of the day and we had seen everything that we wanted to see that day we decided to join the crowd and relax amongst a sea of tourists. However, I immediately proved my own theory wrong when I realized that this fountain not only attracts tourists, but Roman locals as well. Some sat in the crevices of rocks reading while others decided to show off this incredible monument to their friends and family. This showed me that just because it is a huge tourist attraction does not mean that is doesn’t create a sense of nationalism for the local people.


However, while I had my back turned to the fountain with my eyes closed and a coin in my hand ready to toss I heard a loud splash. I knew that it couldn’t have been my tiny penny that had made such a noise, so I immediately turned around in time to see that someone had thrown a coke bottle full of thick red paint into the center of the fountain. From the rapid chatter that I heard around me I knew that my reaction had been similar to others. Who would do such a thing? My friends and I scanned the crowd, looking for a snickering teenager or a stealthy local, but to our dismay we came up empty handed. Policeman showed up just minutes later and began roping off the main area as the fountain keeper frantically tried to use a rag to keep the rocks from staining red. Shortly after that the fireman appeared with power hoses and high tech equipment, but it seemed too late.



As we discussed our own theories and compared ours to others around us, we came to the decision that it had to have been a crazy local trying to cause a scene or a terrible tourist who did not understand the significance of this historical monument. Out of further curiosity, I searched the Internet for more information and found on http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jJvt0bbVwOeGG-FUxLEM4NHuq-Tw that investigators believe that this act was a repeated attempt of a 2007 stunt when a guerrilla artist turned all of the water blood-red. Apparently, the artist called the act “futurist” in reference to the art movement of 1909. This same man also covered the Spanish Steps with colored plastic balls in 2008. From the article I also learned that because the Trevi Fountain is one Rome’s best-known landmarks, that it is a magnet for attraction-seeking stunts. It didn’t seem a surprise that something so drastic as turning the fountain red might happen. Another man that has been called into question is a man that is known by “D’Artagnan” who has repeatedly climbed on top of the fountain after trying to steal coins thrown in by tourists. This news was so intriguing to me because I really couldn’t believe that someone would do such a horrible thing.

After witnessing the Trevi Fountain being vandalized I realized that this monument was more than simply a popular tourist attraction. It is a representation of the politics of Rome and an imagined community in itself. People may come together for a common goal that includes seeing all that the Trevi Fountain has to offer, but ultimately there are certain individuals that have a hidden agenda and may do the unexpected. This in itself brings people together because whether we identify ourselves as first timers or native peoples no one wants to watch a historical landmark being ruined.