Rome holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the first places I visited with EF and students, and it was the place I proposed to my wife. The 2015 trip was in between those events, and it was my first teacher training tour as a presenter. Rome is my favorite city for obvious sentimental reasons, but the history, the art, the food, it has it all. The Vatican has one of my favorite paintings, the School of Athens by Raphael and it will never leave because it is fresco painting meaning it is painted straight on the wall. There is just so much art; it is an unforgettable place.
On the left is the dome of St Peter's Basilica created by Michelangelo and inside you will find one of his greatest pieces, the Pieta. Fun fact about the Pieta (and I have many more), if you stand Mary straight up she is 9 feet tall. They wanted to depict Jesus, although age 33 as a baby.
On the left is the courtyard inside the Vatican city and on the right is Bernini's great Baroque statue, Ectasy of St Teresa. Baroque focuses on the divine meeting the earthly, and when you see this in person you can see how his sculpture is almost in motion.
On the left is of course the great Colosseum and although it is a must see I rather prefer the walking through the Roman forum. The fact that so much of these ancient sites are still intact is such a treasure for a history teacher taking students abroad.
Right along the Tiber river, what a view!
