Rome is Our Classroom: Gelato, Forums, Markets, Mosaics

Wednesday, June 12th

Yesterday was the first day that Rome truly became our participants’ classroom! They started off the morning with their Survival Italian class, learning vocabulary and questions related to food, drinks, and restaurants. Then, they put their new knowledge to use by ordering some beverages in a bar near the school (in an Italian “bar”, you can order a cappuccino, an espresso, and breakfast foods like cornetti… they are a bit different than the “bars” we have back home!)

After class, the participants enjoyed their lunch: a caprese salad, some lasagna, and panna cotta for dessert. We then made our way to Gelateria G. Fassi, a gelateria that was founded in 1880 and passed down in the Fassi family for generations, famous for its gelato ever since! Our interpreter presented us with the history of the gelateria, and then we met the owner Andrea, who gave the students a tour of the “lab” where he works his magic! The participants donned hair nets and shoe coverings to learn about the process of making traditional artisanal gelato and creating new flavors, and some even helped him mix and scoop freshly made banana gelato! We all got to try a few more flavors before we headed off to dinner, where everyone could not stop talking about how delicious the gelato was!

Following dinner, we took a bus to meet the students’ art history professor, Simona, in Piazza Venezia where she shared a bit of information about the architecture of Rome. This piazza is truly incredible because it provides a glimpse into the many “layers” of Roman history: on the left you can see Trajan’s column, which tells stories of the emperor Trajan’s victory in the Dacian Wars sculpted in the marble, and to the right is the enormous Vittoriano, built in the early 1900s to celebrate Italy’s first king Vittorio Emanuele II, just 50 years after he helped to unify Italy. After this condensed history lesson, the students got to experience something truly magical. We walked down a set of stairs into Caesar’s Forum, and received headphones from a guide. As we walked through the remains of columns and porticos, we listened to an informative presentation on the forum and watched as reconstructions of what it could have looked like were projected onto the ruins. The students were in awe as the past overlapped with the present, and the ancient city of Rome seemed to come alive before their eyes.

As we returned to the hotel, the students were tired but already looking forward to exploring more of the city and participating in their first hands-on art workshop!  
 

Thursday, June 13th

Today, the students once again had their Italian class in Piazza Campo de’ Fiori. They tested out the vocabulary they learned yesterday and discovered some new words by going on a scavenger hunt throughout the market. They looked for different types of stores (such as the tabaccheria, pizzeria, or giornalaio) and learned what they could buy in each and how much things cost. They even picked up a few souvenirs once class was over!

After lunch, the students had their first hands-on art workshop. Together we learned about how mosaics were made, and that they were first used as paving stones in ancient Rome but quickly became used for decoration on walls, too. Then our participants got to put our own skills to the test, and I think it’s safe to say we all have a much deeper appreciation for mosaics now! The experience was challenging but rewarding, and students produced so many creative designs: from Zodiac symbols and Roman ruins, to night skyscapes and geometric patterns. To end the day, students had free time to relax and explore our neighborhood in groups before dinner.

Tomorrow, the students will become pizzaioli (“pizza-makers”) and make their own pizzas for lunch, and we will spend the afternoon exploring the Colosseum and the Palatine hill. A domani!