Roma was a lovely experience. We mostly stuck to the tours here as there is so much to see. Tours are hilarious to me because it could not point out more how much of a tourist you are, but at the same time we can’t be expected to learn about ancient Roma all by ourselves. We had a tour guide who had spent most of his life as an archaeologist doing research and digging in active sights through the areas of ancient Rome. We went to Palatine Hill, the Colosseum, and the original areas of ancient Roma. I wasn’t aware of how many still active archeological sites there were within Roma. 

This experience in and of itself was very amazing. We gazed over many archaeological sites that had bits and pieces of random columns and statue pieces. It is crazy to fathom how long ago these sights were active. When I looked around I couldn’t help but think about all the stories the land around us has to tell and how so often we are reluctant to listen. Having an archaeologist as a guide was a wonderful gift. He said that during the rule of Benito Mussolini, he was eager to dig up the ancient streets of Roma and did it so fast that a vast amount of history was lost. I wonder what would have been found if curiosity and peace had led to that project. The Colosseum was a wild sight to see. So much of what the media portrays about the Roman Empire is very inaccurate. Gladiators were slaves that served about 5 years and spectators of Roma were required to go to these events. Under the floor of the Colosseum was where all the animals and slaves were kept. I can’t imagine being in an audience of thousands of people who get to decide the fate of my life. 

The next day we attended Vatican City. I was curious to see this place because, on our tour of ancient Roma, we learned a lot about how it used to be a thriving Pagan culture that was brutally lost due to the monolithic culture of Catholicism. All signs and symbols were taken away that represented any type of Pagan culture, this was sad to hear as I have many personal interests in astrology and ancient types of cultures and spirituality. Vatican City is a crazy place to visit. The Vatican Museum is home to over 70,000 pieces, many of which have been stolen, but I am glad to hear that Pope Francis is working to start returning pieces to Indigenous groups that had their artifacts stolen from Roman Missionaries. 

The Sistine Chapel was by far my favorite part of Vatican City. It has Michaelangelo’s first and last paintings to ever be made within the Sistine Chapel. “The Last Judgment” and “The Creation of Adam” were breathtaking to witness. I sat there for at least 15 minutes just staring trying to comprehend, in absolute awe of such talent. Michelangelo was not a painter and he only took the job from the Pope at the time because he needed money. These works for someone who never claimed to be a painter are so fascinating. The detail and angelic-like work is something I feel so lucky to have seen. It is inspiring a lot of work that I want to do once I get back from this trip. I am excited to see how being able to view all these different type of art impacts my style and visions.