Day 1 - Arrival, Altar of the Fatherland, Capitoline Hill

To give you a truly accurate idea of where we are in Rome, I snapped some pictures.

The Pontifical Irish College

The Villa Irlanda, our home for the next month, is a converted convent on the grounds of the Irish College. Above is the front gate. The entire complex is surrounded by a high wall and a limited access gate, making the grounds rather secure.

The College itself sits in the center behind a simple fountain. The building, designed in a horseshoe format, is absolutely gorgeous. The class that I am taking will be held inside in one of the lecture halls.

Il Colosseo in the distance

Walking outside the gates of the Irish College in one direction leads you to the Colosseum, as seen at the end of the street...

Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano

...Follow the road the other way, and you come to the backside of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, the Palazzo Laterano, and the Lateran Obelisk


Following a general tour of the immediate area, Prof. Coolman allowed us to explore for three hours prior to meeting for dinner. A couple of us grabbed espressos in the shade before purposefully getting ourselves lost in the city. I took too many pictures to post here, and many of the pictures are of things that I will experience later on; check back later for those!

After a great meal at a local pizza place (fantastic food, never getting Dominos again), Prof. Coolman took the group on a quick trip from the College to the Capitoline Hill. A few historical remarks were made, but kept to a minimum (there's plenty of time for learning).

Overlooking and discussing the ruined tunnels to the Colosseum

The Colosseum at sunset with a statue of the goddess Victoria on the Altar of the Fatherland in the distance

The Altar of the Fatherland, with Vittorio Emanuele II, the first King of Italy, in the center on horseback

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with two eternally lit braziers and two of the Carabinieri

Capitoline Hill concordata

Piazza del Campidoglio

View from Capitoline Hill

Forum from Capitoline Hill

Brief musing for today: no matter what you do, all Italians seem to know that you are American, (or at least not Italian). I tried very hard to blend in and use Italian when I could, but often I received responses in English. Oh well. My Italian skills thus far have helped with navigation and eavesdropping, what more is necessary?

Tomorrow, classes begin at 9am. Following our class and a long lunch break, we will be taking tours of the Roman Forums and the Colosseum.

Thus ends the 1st day.