Our final day in Rome was epic, filled with several iconic, must-see sites. We started off with an ascent up the Palatine Hill to the remains of the first century A.D. palace built by the emperor Domitian. From the Palatine, students were able to look down upon the Roman Forum, examining it from above before descending back down the hill and walking through the site at ground level. We then proceeded through the recently opened underground tunnel to get a close-up view of the column of Trajan, a monument celebrating his military conquest of the Dacians in what is now modern-day Romania.
After lunch in the Monti neighborhood of Rome, we visited the Holy Grail of Roman sites, the Colosseum. Built by the Flavian emperors in the second half of the first century A.D., the sheer scale of the structure dazzles and overwhelms. We then headed next door to the Basilica of San Clemente, a modern Catholic church built on top of a sixth-century church that was, in turn, built upon a Roman house and coin-making factory from the first century A.D. We all enjoyed exploring this architectural “lasagna.”
On our way to dinner, we stopped at the Trevi Fountain to take pictures and throw coins in the water, thereby ensuring we will return to Rome. Our last meal in Rome began with focaccia, continued with four different pastas, and ended with tiramisu. Not a bad way to cap-off three amazing, action-packed days in the Eternal City.
