Roma functionality

Rome has transitioned from imagination into reality. 

At no point in my life, past or future, will I repeat my relationship with Rome. I will never study another city as I had studied the ancient city. The unreplicable nature of what Rome is to me is not merely about learning the names of buildings or the architects. It'about the dominace of the imagery, the mystery of the unvisited, and the final unvealing of the city before my eyes.

The Roman Forums. From textbooks, flashcards, maps, and essays for Rome, I found myself in a surreal limbo of familiarity and the new. The experience of walking through the ancient ruins contextualized the space I had imagined in my mind. 

Arch of Titus and Colosseum.

I enjoyed the real scale and perspective of buildings and their relationships with each other. From just aerial maps and artist depictions, it's impossible to appreciate the landscape in which Romans once walked through.  

Colosseum.

Roma's unique historical topography leads to questions about the new purposes of these grand monuments. Unlike the cities and structures I've visited thus far, the Roman ruins have been stripped entirely from their original functions.

Trajan's column

The new functions of ancient ruins are a mix of humanity's desire to preserve the past and to serve as a backdrop for tourists' pictures.

From early morning to late at night, I navigated through the crooked Roman streets. On top the thousand layers of history, a modern city breathes with cafes and businessmen.

The night shrouds the monuments and offers beautiful dynamic perspective to the sculptural programs throughout the city.

St. Peter's in the Vatican. 

Arriving at 11 at night, the whole piazza was void of people. The aloneness, the quietness, and the grandness of entering the Vatican treated me well. 

Vatican museums and the Basilica of St. Peters. 

Hands down my favorite part of Rome. The view from on top of St. Peter's to have a grand and final look over the beautiful and rich city of Rome.