NO. 1
ROME
$6.99
A TRAVEL & ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE
EXPLORING THE STREETS OF ROME Breathtaking view away from the city | p. 02
THE COLOSSEUM
THE SPANISH STEPS
Visiting one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome | p. 04
Another common tourist attraction | p. 06
ROME
NOV 2019 DEC 1
what's inside this issue
01
arrival
06
the Spanish STeps
02
Exploring the Streets of ROme
03
doors & WINDOWS
04
the colosseum
ROME magazine DEC • 2019
1
ARRIVAL
The First Night in Rome
"I let the cool breeze flow against my face and observed the area around me. So this is Rome, I thought."
I stood in the middle of the dark
It was a dark night when I arrived
street, on cobblestones
in Rome, so I could not fully
glimmering in the moonlight. As
capture the city’s beauty. We had
we lingered outside the van,
decided to stay at an apartment-
unloading suitcases from the
style building, not a hotel, so I was
trunk, the cool breeze flowed
excited because I had the chance
against my face and I observed the
to feel like a local, living in an
area around me. So this is Rome, I
apartment in Rome, rather than a
thought. It was the spring of 2018,
tourist staying at a hotel. After
and my family and I were on
checking in with the building
vacation in Italy. After taking a
owner, we finally entered our
tiring flight from Chicago to
apartment. It was quaint, with a
Turkey to Rome, we had finally
kitchen to my right as I entered,
arrived at the cleverly-named
as well as a small living room with
Leonardo da Vinci Airport, from
a TV and pull-out bed, and a
which we had taken a ride to our
bedroom on the left side of the
apartment.
apartment. At the moment, even though we were filled with excitement about being in Italy, we were tired, so after unpacking, we went to sleep.
ROME magazine DEC • 2019
2
EXPLORING THE STREETS OF ROME Taking a Walk
There were countless stores, many with glass storefronts to display available products. As I expected, there were many luxury clothing stores, as well as other Italian fashion stores. Among the small, narrow streets, there were local shops, while in the more crowded,
I woke up to the glowing rays of sunlight peeking through the curtains. I forgot where I was for a moment -- what was I doing in this strange new room? Then I remembered I was in Italy. Since we woke up extremely late due to jet lag, it was almost lunchtime, so we planned on taking a walk for a bit before heading to a restaurant to eat. This would be the first walk of many we would come to take on our vacation. After wandering around, taking photos and exploring the area outside the apartment, we ventured further and came to a quiet cobblestone street flanked with earthy-toned buildings. Unlike in America, where the wide streets made the area feel more open, this street was narrow, making the buildings seem to close in on us.
large areas, the stores grew more brand-name. Countless passersby carried shopping bags from the stores around us. After some more walking, we came to a wide, open plaza packed with throngs of people, some tourists, some locals. The buildings here seemed taller and more open to the public than in the small street I was previously walking in, as there were more people walking in and out of them. Each building was lined door-to-roof with windows, similar to those in America, but these buildings had a rustic feel, in hues of orange, tan, beige, cream, and pink. They were made of a variety of materials too; some were made of stone bricks while others were made of what seemed to be concrete.
ROME magazine DEC • 2019
3
DOORS & WINDOWS
I remember taking many photos of the buildings, doors
of
especially Italian
the
buildings
doors.
The
were
each
unique in their own way. One door would be a rich dark chocolate brown, while the door of the next building would be a vivid teal color. They looked different than American doors; in America, these doors appeared more rustic. Each door had a different pattern or was made of a different material, while in America, from what I was used to, each door appeared similar in general. The windows were also various colors, and they would often have
shutters.
The
buildings
were
uniform in that they each had many windows and were relatively tall, yet every building was a different color and had its own unique architectural details. As I walked down the street, I realized that
I
kept
mentally
comparing
the
ambiance of Italy and America. I noticed that
the
countries
atmosphere was
quite
of
these
different,
&
two the
reason was because of the buildings. These differences in architecture, I feel, show
the
differences
in
culture of Italy and America.
history
and
ROME magazine DEC • 2019
4
THE COLOSSEUM The Highlight of the Trip
One of the things I was looking forward to visiting in Rome was the Colosseum. In Latin class at school, I learned about the Colosseum and the history behind it, so I was fascinated when I actually got to see it firsthand. It was remarkable to be able to see this well-known historical sight, that I had only ever seen pictures of in class, with my own eyes.
After waiting in several long lines, we were finally able to head inside the Colosseum itself. Three levels of arched openings towered above me. Each level contained a different style of column, either Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian, with Corinthian columns being the most elaborate (Cartwright). I thought about how the Romans built this edifice without the technology we have today. The Colosseum was a freestanding structure constructed with stone and concrete. It was quite large, made to seat over 50,000 people; it took eight years to build (“Colosseum”). As I stood inside the Colosseum, I thought about how much time & effort the Romans put into building it, which made the experience all the more worthwhile. The overall ambiance was majestic due to the size of the building, though the colors were rather dull. Brown, tan, and beige tones swallowed the area surrounding me. These were the colors I thought of when I thought about history, after all. The significance of the building and the feeling of being in it, though, is what attracted me. I stood on the balcony & imagined being a spectator of a gladiator fight in ancient Rome. It was at this moment that I realized how rich of a history Rome has, & how much of it is shown in its architecture. Once again, I thought about how the building demonstrated a difference in the ambiance between Italy and America. I had never before seen a building close to what I was currently witnessing, & was intrigued at seeing something capturing an unfamiliar aspect of a different culture. The Colosseum is the perfect example of a building displaying a cultural aspect unique to Rome. I left the Colosseum with a sense of awe; my curiosity was satisfied.
ROME magazine DEC • 2019
6
THE SPANISH STEPS
Visiting the SPANISH STEPS and exploring the depths of the structure
When walking back to our apartment after a short drive, we came across the Spanish Steps, another monument. While studying important Roman monuments for the National Latin Exam in class one day, we learned about the Spanish Steps, so I was intrigued. The Spanish Steps were set on a long street lined with luxury boutiques, stores, and cafes. I noticed huge flocks of tourists gathering on the steps and taking photos. Wondering what made this monument so attractive to tourists, I headed closer. To my dismay, it was just a long, steep set of stairs. There was no big attraction waiting at the top. However, I still appreciated the architectural details of the stairs. The ivory-toned cut stone gave the area a simplistic feel, and the texture of the stone blocks lining the stairs added more visual interest. I sat down and took photos of the area. I thought about the significance of the Spanish Steps to Roman culture. As a popular tourist attraction, many people come here, but do they think about its importance?
By the end of my vacation, I felt like I had learned a lot about Rome and what it would feel like to live there as a local. My main takeaway from the trip, though, was that the ambiance of Rome and America are very different, which is mostly due to their architectural differences. The architectural differences really bring into light the cultural differences between Rome and America. For example, the Colosseum shows that gladiators were a part of ancient Roman culture, and the historical sites in America suggest otherwise. Rome is well-known by tourists for its historical buildings and monuments, perhaps because they represent a culture in history that is so different to ours. Each building has a story, and these stories are what make up a place. In Rome, these stories are shown in the weathering away of the Colosseum's brick by natural elements, attacks, and the eventual fall of the Roman Empire.