To Pisa!

Our trip began with an early bus ride to Lucca. The way provided a wonderful view of the countryside with rolling green hills and plots of farmland. It's a shame that I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. When we arrived, we met up with our rent-a-guide; a friendly Italian man who clearly had a passion for the history of his town. He took us from place to place, pointing out significant land marks. I wouldn't have known it by just looking at the town, but it actually had quite a rich history. Lucca was officially established in the 2nd century B.C.E. Since then, it has seen its fair share of war, pilgrims, revolutionaries, and artists. Our tour was limited to the Old City (within the walls), where, at one point, there used to stand about 100 churches. There are now only 20. The walls we were looking at were actually recently rebuilt (15th to 16th century) due to a war with Lucca's long time rival, Pisa.

We proceeded to walk through the rest of the town, and I was struck by the realization that the atmosphere was quite different from Prato, in that there were almost no immigrants to speak of. The few that I had seen were comfortably mingling with the locals, which is something you definitely don't see everywhere. It was a beautiful - and well-off - with a plethora of local myths and legends. We got to see many of its most famous churches, and aristocratic houses, and there seemed to be a lot of stores selling random, miscellaneous items like samurai swords and and cos-play gimmicks, which makes sense considering the fact that there's a really large, 5-day comic con that takes place there every year between the end of October and the beginning of November.

When we has seen everything our rent-a-guide had to show us we made our way to Pisa. Before arriving at the the Square of Miracles, where the leaning tower, Pisa Cathedral, and the Baptistery sit, we made our way through a very interesting market that sold all kinds of tapestries, strange gadgets, souvenirs, and umbrellas (on a bright sunny day.) We passed through the hoards of people and under an archway that finally brought us to the Square of Miracles. It's literally exactly like what it looks like on television: people sitting on the grass, in the midst of three colossal structures, and taking "leaning pictures" beside the Leaning Tower. The whole area was, apparently, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and was once very close to the sea side. The water has long since receded, but hundreds of years ago, ships would be able to find their way to shore using the reflective surface of the baptistery's roof, which I found quite interesting. The three structures - with the tower being the most obvious - I later learned, were not originally leaning. It was, in fact, a design flaw in the the structural layout. The foundation of each building, at some point, began to sink into the ground causing them all to tilt. A rather successful mistake. We were given time to walk around for a bit before heading up the tower together. For some reason, security was very, very strict upon entering the Leaning Tower, more so than anywhere we've been so far. Military guards, with automatic guns made sure no weapons of mass destruction made it into the holy tower. Something must have happened in the past to make this necessary, I imagine.

The climb was brutal - perhaps more so since I'd only had an hour of sleep - but it couldn't have been more worth it. Of all the heights we've scaled so far, this one was by far my favorite. I couldn't even tell you why. Perhaps because I was imagining what it must have been like to be a priest, in my long flowing robes, standing on a tower with no railing whatsoever, looking out at the world from a tower that symbolized man's attempt to reach the heavens, with the soothing backdrop of the ocean with its salty smell and humid breeze. I was, admittedly, not terribly excited to make the trip to Pisa. My general attitude towards famous monuments in general (probably due to my past experiences with excruciating family outings) was that I could pretty much just google it, and it would be more or less the same thing. This trip to Italy has definitely made me re-think this bleak outlook on sightseeing. 

Rome, on purpose this time!

This week's excursion took us to the wonderful city of Rome. As soon as we had left the station and stepped out into the streets it was clear that Rome was an entirely different kind of city, different to the "kinds" I had been to already. It didn't take long for me to realize that within this holy city lies the best and the worst that Italy has to offer. The monumental churches and and statues were a stark contrast to the prostitutes and the number of times I was offered drugs. The people were different too - all kinds of people, of different color, nationality, and certainly fashion sense. This, I suppose, is to be expected in any large city. 

I had gone to Rome with a particular interest in its history. Namely, its ancient history. Surprised isn't the word - maybe disappointed - I'd use to describe how I felt about most of the ancient relics and structures being long gone. It was, after all, the center of Christendom in the ancient world. I suppose the church saw little reason the maintain its pagan roots. This aside, there was still much to see, and much that was worthy of awe.

One of the few ancient relics that remained was perhaps one of Rome's most famous: the Colosseum. Built in 70 A.D. by Emperor Vespasian, this Flavian Amphitheater was initially a gift to the people of Rome, a means of making amends after the reign of the terrible Emperor Nero , who had initially burned down a village, where the Colosseum currently stands, in favor of a grand house and a giant bronze statue in his likeness. This ancient building would be the center of Romes entertainment for hundreds of years to come. All were welcome (unless you were an actor, former gladiator, or a grave robber), and entry was free. It was almost chilling to think of what people must have seen there, but at least many of the people who died were criminals (I guess.) A gruesome means for entertainment, to be sure, and some might argue that it was almost barbaric (and they would be right) but I couldn't help but wonder if we - the people - had changed all that much. Still, it was a sight to behold, and I'll probably be kicking my self for the rest of my life for being too cheap to go inside. 

There are many churches in Rome - truly you will find no end to them - but not all are equal. Some will leave you reeling with wonder, asking yourself how such grandiose dreams were ever conceived of in the first place. This, for me, was Romes most revered Jesuit church. St. Ignatius founded the Jesuit order somewhere around the 1500's. Ignatius claimed to have had a vision in which God had ordered him to become a soldier for Christ. So he founded an order that would go on to spread knowledge as well as the Word of God through the far corners of the earth. And that they did, and as they did so, they happened to gain a good amount of power and influence. Currently, one of the most famous Jesuits is none other that Pope Francis himself. When I went inside I was struck by the odd sensation of a rolling wave (not really, but... it was something.) Such is the power of artwork done in the baroque period. It was as though everything in the church was moving from one corner to another. Everything inside was alive. It was a little creepy actually. It was no wonder that this church had set the standard for all Jesuit churches to follow. I am not a religious man, but in that moment I was reminded that if there is a god, surely he/she is creativity its self. No matter ones spiritual disposition, it would be a mistake to visit Rome and not visit the church. [name pending!]  

Would that I could list all the monuments that stole my breath, but I will have to limit it to three (for now.) The oldest, and perhaps most important, relic of Rome's ancient world still standing: the Pantheon. Its survival is due solely to the fact that it was at some point converted to a church. Had this not been the case, it would have been used as a quarry, like the rest of its kind. Unfortunately what we had seen was not what it had been once. The bronze plating had been relocated, it's gods and goddesses torn down. It ached me to imagine what it once must have been. However, it still retained much of its former glory. The single cut marble pillars imported from Egypt, its hidden dome that inspired and aided visionaries like Brunelleschi in the pursuit of architectural perfection, its towering presence, all of these things do nothing short of amaze. It was, in fact, my favorite building out of (what felt like) hundreds. 

There is much that Rome contains. Its past is a blend of holy water and blood, it's people an accurate reflection. My only regret is not having more time to spend there (and not bringing a second jacket!) But I will definitely return, because I do not think a person can  truly absorb everything that it holds in one lifetime.