Week 1: 9-15 January

Welcome to the first blog post of official blog post by the CUArchitecture Spring 2012 Rome program. Although we have only been here for just a few days, we have done enough to fill a month’s variety of activities. Just some of the things we have been doing this first week include visiting famous sites of Rome, having Epiphany Mass with the Pope at St. Peter’s Basilica, eating Italian gelato and pasta, receiving our first architecture project and taking a walking tour of the Seven Hills of Rome.

We are getting acquainted to our new dorm rooms at the St. Johns facility in Prati. We seem to be finding our new studio to be much better than the one back home. Our new studio does not appear to leak, the light tables are immaculate and pinning into the walls does not make your hands go numb. Our new studio space is located right off the Campo de Fiori, a very diverse and popular square in Rome. It is a farmers market by day and a lively nightlife scene by night.

We are also finding the cons of living in Italy. Trying to submit our Permesso di Soggiorno has proved a major challenge, the amount of stairs are ridiculous, Italians are crazy drivers and very slow walkers, the street vendor people are extremely annoying and there are people wearing “trash bags” everywhere. And when we say “trash bags,” we do not mean those literally, but as a description to their annoying glossy, puffy jackets.

First studio pin-up

Eric explaining the reuse of this ancient frieze as a door frame.

Michelangelo's axial set up of the square.

The Campidoglio

Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli.

On top of the Victor Emmanuel Monument.

The Imperial Palace on Palatine Hill.

Walking in the Circus Maximus

Eric Jenkins and Marina Kavalirek

Gelato at Giolitti

The Pantheon

The Pope at Epiphany Mass

The front door to Pallazzo Pio; our studio.

Eric sketching for us at The Campidoglio.

Beginning of Seven Hills walking tour. This building incorporated spolia in its inner walls as preservation.

The entire gang acting normal on top of the Victor Emmanuel Monument.

Overall this week seems to be a great introduction to a semester abroad in Rome and we are personally excited to see what is come. 
Alex Bahr
John Abowd