Doing as the Romans Do: Week 3 (GL 350)

     Rome is a city of faith. As week three of our experience in Rome came around, we began to focus on this concept. As the introduction of St. Peter's letter in "The Smiles of Rome" states, "Inspired by the blood of the martyrs, Christians made Rome their 'Holy City,' the destination of pilgrims for two thousand years." People from all over the world come to Rome for different reasons: to see the city they've seen in movies, read about in books and heard about from the mouths of others. Some come for the sights, the history, the food, the atmosphere, and some might not even know why they come, but seem to be drawn to the Eternal City.

The Holy Stairs or Scala Sancta

     The churches in Rome, ancient, historical and beautiful, are an important part of what makes Rome so grand and beloved. On every street, there seems to be a countless number of churches, or chiese, with open doors inviting pedestrians to enter and experience their beauty.  Personally, not one church we have visited so far hasn't struck me in some way, as I gape at the frescoes, statues, tombs and ceilings, imagining what life was like in ancient times and thinking about the meaning behind everything. Margaret Visser writes in "The Geometry of Love," "Memory, in a church, is not only individual, but also collective: the building is a meeting place for a group of people who agree with each other in certain important respects." I feel as though even non-religious people who visit the churches in Rome are able to take away some kind of meaning from them.
     This week, during a student-led tour, we visited the Holy Stairs, or Scala Sancta. According to Christian tradition, these stairs led up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, which Jesus Christ stood on during is passion on his way to trial. These 28 marble steps can only be climbed on one's knees. As some of us climbed the steps, we learned that some people say a rosary on each one (which might take all day), I though, said a Hail Mary on each one. This was a humbling experience for me, as I reflected on Christ's passion. An experience like this cannot be had just anywhere. Visser also states that a theatre is like a church. There is a stage in a church and seats for an audience and in both places, people come to "live together through a trajectory of soul...to be led by the performance...to understand something they never understood before, to feel relief, to stare in amazement, or to cry." I found it interesting though, that the difference between a theatre and a church, is that "a church can go on 'working' even when there is no performance and no crowd. A person can come in to a silent church in order to respond to the building and its meaning. This can produce an experience as profoundly moving as that of attending a performance. The same thing cannot be said of visiting an empty theatre."

Visiting the Trevi fountain at night

     Along with visiting San Clemente and San Giovanni in Laterano, we had guided tours of the catacombs and the aqueducts in Rome. At the end of the week, while everyone else went off to travel on our free weekend, I decided, along with Ciarra to stay on campus, catch up on some homework and explore Rome on our own. This included going to the zoo in Rome, visiting the Trevi fountain at night, catching a movie in English, and finding a Mexican restaurant. It was a fun experience and I am grateful to have had another great week in Rome. I can't wait until the next five weeks and I plan to make the best of every moment.