Roman Flora

30 May 2023

When confronted by Monty Python’s age-old question, “what have the Romans ever done for us?” my first response is, “urban flowers.” I am an ignorant flower enthusiast. Whatever ardor I…

Orchids in Trastevere

Celebrating Naples’ Scudetto

30 May 2023

On the night of Thursday, May 4th, Naples’ football club—the S.S.C. Napoli—won its first Serie A title in 33 years. The team was also awarded the highly-coveted Scudetto, one of…

A Neapolitan Street beaming with celebration after the May 4th Serie A victory.

My Road to Pompeii

30 May 2023

Over the weekend, my suitemate and I went to see Pompeii. Visiting the site of that ancient tragedy had been on my agenda ever since I landed here in Italy…

Fresco in the Villa dei Misteri

The Villas of Tivoli

28 May 2023

Last weekend, I traveled with friends to Tivoli to see Hadrian’s Villa and the Villa d’Este. We got to see two examples of the villa: the imperial Rome version, and…

Pool at the Villa d'Este

A Weekend in Ischia

28 May 2023

From April 29th until May 1st, my friend Ella and I had the opportunity to travel to Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples, through Carleton’s Boyd-Niles Travel Fellowship.…

The Castello Aragonese d’Ischia from the Spiaggia dei Pescatori

The Porta Portese Flea Market

28 May 2023

Greetings from Rome! In this blog update, I’ll be discussing my numerous visits to the Porta Portese Flea Market. This flea market occurs every Sunday morning, rain or shine including…

An array of classical statuary of unknown origin for sale. Note the bust being used as a canopy tie-down point

Animals of Italy

28 May 2023

Looking back at the pictures I’ve taken these past few weeks, I realized that it was filled with the following things: animals, food, saints, and Jesus. Given these statistics, I’ve…

Sunbathing.

Habits, Coppola Caps, and Berets: Roman Style and Identity

28 May 2023

In experiencing Rome for the first time, I had fully prepared myself to embrace the impressive culture of Italian fashion with thorough research. As a place vibrant with people in…

Ads like this one are found everywhere on the street. It is hard to walk around without the allure of sparkly jewelry and fancy clothing enticing you to embrace the material.

St. Peter’s through the Eyes of a Tourist/Pilgrim

28 May 2023

As I have been visiting holy sites in Rome and in the surrounding area, I have been approaching them in three different ways, as a student, as a tourist, and…

St. Peter's central nave and the baldacchino of the high altar

The Tastes of Rome

27 May 2023

How can you talk about Italian culture without mentioning the cuisine? From the pasta, to the gelato, to the pizza, to the aperitivo, food is an instrumental part of Italian…

Many panini offerings