After concluding our tour of the Roman Forum, we made our way over to the south side to climb Palatine Hill. Our tour guide, Cristian, noted that we were exploring some of the most ancient areas in all of Rome and had plenty of stories to tell. The name Palatine Hill was etymologically derived from the word “palace” and is famous for being the location Romulus and Remus were initially found – at least according to Cristian. Pictured below is our view from atop the hill:

Once we reached the top, we were welcomed by an all-encompassing view of the Circus Maximus. This was an enormous valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills that had the Colosseum just barley in view. The Circus was once home to Rome’s finest Ludi, which were public games that were connected to Roman religious festivals. Ludi consisted of a wide selection of different events, including horse and chariot racing, plays, recitals, and even gladiator fights. Today, the venue hosts artists such as Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones for tens of thousands of people and also serves as a public park. Check out our view from the bottom:

Our class kept busy both in and out of the class today by learning all about beam analysis and getting legally checked into the country by the Italian Polizia. We’ve been striving to rack up more steps with each passing day, clocking in at roughly twelve miles today. It was incredible to see the scale of these ruins in person and the amazing view of Rome we had at the top. Ciao!

Jack Hergott