Buongiorno!

So, I knew I was going to enjoy my time in Rome, but I didn’t realize just how much Rome gets under your skin! I love it here!

I’ve been in Rome now for roughly 2 and a half weeks. It just oozes hominess! The culture and the environment are very much me! If that makes any sense! I’ve been joking that I’m a local just doing touristy things, but I think that it’s true to an extent. I live in Rome. Well, that is at least until December 21^st haha!

Anyways! I want to share some of my favorite sights (so far) in the city!

Of course, I must talk about the colosseum. It is one of the 7 wonders of the world, for Pete’s sake, (here comes the but) but it is super overrated. It is stunning, don’t get me wrong! It is a real, tangible piece of history that has lasted thousands of years! Despite those facts, it’s super crowded, the inside isn’t super impressive, and it looks just like the pictures.

The relics around it, however, made up for the crowds drawn there by the massive colosseum.

The impressive arches scattered throughout the acreage of forum ruins give you a glimpse into the past. The glamour, the tragedy, and the might of Rome are all on display in this valley of ruins.

If you come to Rome wanting an impressive view of the forum as well as some biblical history, walk to the Mamertine Prison. Here you can visit the cell where Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians. Kinda crazy and mind blowing if I do say so myself!

–> my favorite path is to walk around the perimeter of the forum, by Circo Massimo, then a right up Via di S. Teodoro following the road until you see the winding Via Monte Tarpeo. From there you will arrive at the Capitoline Hill which is also very fun to explore!

If you like WWII history, you could visit Mussolini’s Balcony. In full honesty, I unintentionally visited here, not finding out what it was until many days later. But! The courtyard is gorgeous! It provides a sense of serenity and peace that is in stark contrast to the street just outside.

Piazza Navona is high up on my list of favorite spots. It’s a little touristy, however, the fountains that line the middle of the piazza are jaw dropping. (I would say they are better than the Trevi fountain). A great added bonus is that my favorite gelato shop, Grom, is just steps away from the piazza.

Sant’Agnese in Agone is one of the most stunning churches I have been to so far. The statues and frescos inside the church are a beautiful tribute to the young roman martyr, Saint Agnes.

Somehow in the hubbub of the city, I forget that there is a river in the middle of town. Not just any river, either but arguably the most important life breathing aspect of Rome, the Tiber River!

I’m not sure what it is about humans being so drawn to bodies of water. I like to compare it to Jesus being the living water, so being near water remind us about that life running thorough us 🙂 Is this river a little muggy and trashy? Yes, but what city river isn’t! My favorite time to visit is in the evening and night. It’s refreshing to feel the wind blow by, hear the rush of the water, and be surrounded by stunning architecture.

San Giovanni! I frequent San Giovanni often. It’s the start of the C line on the metro so we constantly change trains there lol! In the middle of the neighborhood cuts a large part of the Appian Way. Pretty cool, right? It would probably be even cooler if I had a better grasp on what the Appian way actually was.

The Basilica of San Giovanni is stunning. It’s a unique basilica, in my opinion, because there is no dome. It’s very rectangular in design. But like all catholic cathedrals, it glitters with gold on the inside. Based on the mosaic behind the altar, I would guess it was built during the Byzantine area. (I just did some research, and it was started in the 4^th century but completed in 1735… so basically it has parts of every architectural and artistic era).

San Giovanni also has some absolute baller cafes! So far, I’ve only been to 3, but I’m excited to explore some more in the coming months!

Pigneto

Last but not least is my little neighborhood, Pigneto! If you judged it based on outward appearances, you would never choose to live or even visit here. The streets are littered with trash, dog poop, and probably a lot of other things I try not I think about. There is a TON of graffiti. And, it is conveniently located between train tracks that lead to the main train station haha.

Pigneto is a local, homey, Italian neighborhood. The locals are friendly. The coffee shops are cozy. The food is incredible. If Rome was Manhattan, Pigneto would be Brooklyn or Williamsburg. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a cute coffee shop munching on a cappuccino and cornetto that cost 2,60 euro in total! (Im also thinking of doing a whole post on cafes in Rome so stay tuned).

Basically, I love it here! That’s all!