Today was yet another great day in Italy, and the weather was the hottest we’d felt yet. We started off the day with breakfast and a trip to Il Gesu, an extravagant church with impressive artistry. Following our wonderful excursion to the church, we went to the Trevi Fountain, one of the most famous landmarks in the city of Rome. With its beautiful turquoise-tinted water and the impressive sculpture behind it, it was a great spot for many photo opportunities.
After a nice long lunch break where people ate, shopped, and soaked up the sun on the Spanish Steps, the whole group gathered around the Spanish Steps for pictures, hanging out, sightseeing, and gelato. The weather was definitely the harshest it had been for awhile, but everyone was equipped with water. While walking was unbearable at times, the amazing sights compensated for that. After the Spanish Steps, we went on a trip to two more churches. First we went to the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, which was ornately decorated and resembled a lot of the other churches which we’d seen already. We definitely started to see the influence of other artists on the other churches/works of art. Next was the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which was very unique in its layout, but just as magnificent. We took a tour there of many rooms and got to see more of the space than general admission would have let us see.
After that, we walked through Rome as the sun began to drift away and the sky was left with a beautiful darker blue tint with illuminated clouds. We headed back to the same cafe as Day 5 where we had a superb four (three and ½?) course meal of bruschetta, a choice of pasta (pomodoro, bolognese, & cacio e pepe), veal with potatoes and salad, and tiramisu.
It was a great day with beautiful weather and we are excited for another sunny, warm day for the Vatican tomorrow. Thanks to Ella Fendian (AVPA ‘19), Victoria Jian (AVPA '19), and Joella Chase (AVPA '19) for the photos!