At the Beginning of Time....

Today we went and looked at the earliest parts of the Forum and the very first settlement on the Palatine hill which eventually turned into Rome! The remain of these little huts wasn't much to see but the fact that they are there from the 900-800s BC is pretty cool and impressive.

We also walked around the Forum but didn't talk about most things only the earliest remains because Dr. A is teach us chronologically so we will come back to see later structures another time. My two favorite temples we saw today (theres not much of them since they are so old haha) are the temple of Vesta and temple of Castor and Pollux.

Temple of Vesta which guarded the "Hearth of Rome"in the form of the eternal flame and was run by the famous Vestal Virgins.

All thats left of the Temole to Castor and Pollux the semi-divine brothers.

We also saw the Curia which was the Roman Senate House and was plain but really neat as well as the artwork inside!! 

Reliefs that used to be on the exterior of the building.

pretty painting 

Roman princess!

imperial armor

view from the Palatine overlooking part of the Forum.

We also went to the BEAUTIFUL church of Saint Clement (San Clemente) which was sooooo cool because you enter on the modern church which dates to the 16th century but then you can go down below the church and see NOT ONLY the 4th century layer that used to be the church, but also the 3rd, 2nd, and a little of the 1st century layer!! We went pretty far underground but it was amazing to see all those layers of history all in once place. Once again, pictures were forbidden but I snatched a few anyway haha

gold mosaic above the altar, the sheep at the bottom represent the 12 disciples.

beautiful marble floor which was really intricate and colorful.

pretty gold ceiling which was a lot shinier in person haha and was huuuggeee this is only a third of it.

4th century fresco!!! I know its kind of blurry but this was the hardest picture to sneak.

I wasn't able to get any pics of the 3rd century level because the people were intensely watching to make sure we didn't take pictures haha but it was a Mithraeum (sanctuary to Persian god Mithras)

2nd century room with 1st century elements! in this room to the left (not in the picture) you could see down into a tunnel that channeled a little stream and can be traced all the way to the Cloaca Maxima (the great drain)!! This means that Roman sewer systems are still functioning!!

So that was class for the day. VERY hot but also very interesting! I also got to see what I was absolutely looking forward to the most: the Coliseum!! ahhhh. We didn't go inside today or talk about it but we walked right along the outside of it and its so massive, beautiful, haunting, awe inspiring, just sooo many things I can not describe to you but any nerdy Latin student such as myself would identify with :) 

Ciao!