Week 5

Week five's time was dominated mostly by our four day field trip to the Umbria region, which we visited Spoleto, Perugia, and 2 nights in Assisi. All of the towns were strategically placed towards the top of a hill for defensive advantages, which lead to some amazing panoramic views of towns and landscape below. To me Perugia felt like a right fit, a good “vibe” if you will. I am not totally sure why, maybe because of the abundance of people my age, or the architecture, but I would like to go back someday and explore the city with more time. Assisi had an extremely medieval feeling due to the exposed stone facades, castle on the hill top, and several buildings had defense fortification like structures. Although Assisi was a medieval town, most of the characteristics that made it feel like a medieval town are modern. In the 1920’s the town was made to look once more like a medieval town.

However for me the highlight of the week was visiting the Basilica of Saint Peter, here in Rome. I have been in the Basilica several times, and every time I find something new to see. 

The ornamentation is so vast, so many sculptures by Bernini and other famous artist, it truly is a building of the ages. The grand scale of the space is honestly overwhelming, but one cannot fully grasp the full scale unless you climb to the dome’s base, when you can look at the interior over the transept and the Baldacchino. People are mere ants in comparison to the space. This is when you fully understand the grand scale of the space. In addition the panoramic view of Rome is quite breathe taking in its own right.