Pantheon Day

Today was the first real day of classes for my summer abroad.  Today's topic of discussion was the Pantheon.  We started the day with a lecture by my British professor, Lauren Golden.  She is hilarious!  It may just be the accent, but I really enjoy when this woman talks and teaches us.  The lecture was very long, but Lauren's enthusiasm for the topic made it bearable.  I actually learned a lot.  This is quite an accomplishment for a lecture!

The lecture room

 As a class, we went to the Piazza della Rotonda, which is where the Pantheon is located.  While there we were turned loose and told to complete a project.  The basis of the project was to determine why so many people gather at the piazza.  It was also to take time to actually appreciate and enjoy the presence of the Pantheon.  While we doing this, I spent a lot of time inside the Pantheon.  It was awe inspiring to enter the rotunda and look up.  The rotunda is very deceiving though.  The Oculus, or the hole in the top, is 32 feet in diameter.  While inside, the Oculus only appears to be 10 feet or so.  This just shows how large this building is!

I completed several sketches of the building and then the whole class gathered at the nearby fountain to go to supper.  Our Professor Golden and Professor Michael Martin joined us for supper at a pizzeria.  I had a pizza called silvia.  The ingredients were thinly sliced dried beef, merchot, fresh parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and some other sauce that I didn't know.  It was delicious.  The pizza is much different here however.  The crust is almost paper thin.  It is very good and healthy, unlike American pizza.

Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day for the city of Rome.  They are celebrating their 150th year of independence from the Pope's reign.  The city has been filled with security the past few days.  A practice run for the airshow tomorrow was also held today.  A jet fighter airplane kept circling our studio.  It was quite loud.  I hope to attend some of the festivities that will be held.  It should be fun.  Well, it is late here, so I will let you know how my day unfolds tomorrow.  Ciao.