Lisa's Section:3

Trevi Fountain-It is a baroque fountain. It was built in Rome, Italy and still remains there today. It was originally made as an aqueduct. The fountain was built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa around 19 BCE. The impression that the Trevi Gountain left on me while I was visiting was amazing. The detail of the architecture and the impact it has on your while your standing right in front of it is amazing because of how large this fountain is. I also think it leaves an everlasting impression of how famous it is just by the amount of people who are near and looking at the fountain at all hours of the day. 

The Vatican- The Vatican city complex has many different parts to it. The Vatican city complex and St. Peters Square is located in Vatican City which is its own country surrounded by the country of Italy. It is still located in Vatican City today. The complex is a combination of different buildings and public spaces including major museums and a church. The Vatican complex was finished by Gianlorenzo Bernini who also decorated the inside of St. Peters basilica. However, the building itself was built by the Emperor Constantine. The Vatican has an indescribable impact when you are there embracing it first hand. The meanings it has and to be standing in such a large space where you can see architecture and detail all around you is simply amazing. I think seeing the Vatican in person makes a much larger impact because you see how large everything is and you also see it on a scale that is not available anywhere else.  

The Parthenon- is a temple dedicated to Athena and one of its main purposes was to house the monumental statue of Athena that was made of precious materials.  The Parthenon was made the by Athenian people in Athens, Greece where it remains today. Although many piece of the Parthenon have been taken and now lay in various museums across the globe today. Seeing the Parthenon in person while it is being restored was an amazing sight and opportunity. The detail of the Parthenon is so complex especially for the time that it was made in makes it even more breathtaking. It is also crazy to think about the fact that the Athenians built this huge complex temple in such a short period of time. The Parthenon leaves an everlasting impression of how intelligent and hard working the ancient Athenians were. 

Thalee's Section:2

Piazza Navona- located in Rome, Italy is on of the most popular places in all of Rome for people to gather. It was originally created as a stadium for athletic events and chariot races in the first century and in the 15^th century is was laid out from the ruins of the stadium. It is home to three fountains, including the Fountain of Four Rivers, created by Gianlorenzo Bernini, which is one of the pieces that we learned about in class.  Usually the fountain is an open space, but when we went to visit, something called the Piazza Navona Christmas Market was going on. This starts at the end of November and lasts for six weeks. We walked through the Piazza and had lunch at a restaurant, so we were able to sit outside and look at the market. 

Piazza della Signoria- located in the heart of Florence, Italy, Piazza della Signoria was built at the end of the 13^th century. Here there are many statues, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David statue. The copy of the David is located in the same place that the original was located before it was moved.  This Piazza also has part of the Uffizi Museum located in it, which is one of the two museums that we went to while we were in Florence. This Piazza is one of the most important places in Florence. The day that we went it was raining, so it was hard to fully enjoy it but even with the rain it was a very beautiful place. 

Theater of Epidaurus- located in the small village of Epidaurus, Greece. This small village is best known for its theater that was built in the late 4^th century B.C. The theater is best known for its acoustics as we saw when we were there. We all walked up to the very last row of the theater while one of the tour guides dropped a coin in the center of the stage and we were all able to here the coin drop perfectly, without her using anything to help the sound travel up to us. It was amazing that they were able to take these aspects into account when creating something like this, so long ago. Seeing it in person was an awesome experience to say the least. 

Courtney's Section: 1

Piazza del Campidoglio- located in Rome, Italy, is a square largely laid out by Michelangelo and bounded by Rome's town hall, is next to the Palazzo Senatorio (to the rear), and the Musei Capitolini, or Capitonline Museum to either side. This is also where the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (my piece of art I had to know for our class) is located. In person, it is very beautiful as the view from the Piazza is a wonderful panorama of the city. It also has many stairs that lead up to the Piazza and the Capitoline that make for a beautiful experience.

Foro Romano- Located in Rome, Italy, the Roman Forum was the heart of the Roman Empire for almost 1000 years. Today, its one beautiful ensemble of majestic buildings that have been reduced to nearly nothing, but that which stands the test of time, prove to be amazing. It was cool to see all of the history there, especially since you are basically walking in the footsteps of Julius Caesar, Nero, Claudius, Hadrian, etc. We came here and viewed this site at the perfect time of day. Here, you can see the sun was beginning to set and cast a luminous glow on the ruins that was absolutely breathtaking.

Spanish Steps- Located in Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Italy...this is a beautiful square that dominates the cities most elegant shopping district, and is perfect whether you choose to come visit day or night. The steps are the piazza's most celebrated sight. More properly known as the Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti, they have a beautiful double staircase that cascades down the slopes of the Pincian Hill from the Church of Trinita dei Monti. They were built between 1723 and 1726, and both the square and the steps take their name from the Palazzo di Spagna, built in the 17th century as the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. Thalee and I came to visit these beautiful steps at night and it was such a pretty place to be. We then enjoyed dinner in one of the nicer restaurants around the Piazza, it was a great night!

Acropolis Museum- Located in Athens, Greece... built at the southern foot of the Acropolis, it has a massive gallery filled with pieces from the Parthenon, as well as it houses the remains of the frieze that are not located in the British Museum. The building was designed by Bernard Tschumi who has nonetheless provided a beautiful showcase for the Acropolis Museum's collection and many other precious finds. Some wings, including the Parthenon gallery, opened in 2004. After viewing this Museum, I thought it was awesome the way that Tschumi designed it. I liked how it was built on a slant, as to mimic the design of the Acropolis. As well as, the see through floors so that the viewer was able to see some of the ancient ruins where they discovered various pieces in the museum at. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this museum, although I wish I would have been able to view the frieze in it's entirety. 

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This blog is created by three college undergraduate students: Thalee, Courtney, and Lisa,  in dedication to our study abroad experiences in Rome, Italy and Athens, Greece. Here we will be posting photos as well as descriptions of some of the most famous public squares and forums in all of Europe. Hope you all enjoy can enjoy our experiences with us as much as we did!

Ciao!

Courtney