J-term Abroad: Roman Structures, Engineering & Society

Ciao!

Today our class spent the day exploring some ancient infrastructure in Rome. We started our day in the classroom, then took a bus to the Appian Way, Aqueduct Park, and finished our day at the Vatican Scavi.

The first stop of our day was the Appian Way, one of the oldest and most important roads in the Roman Empire. It originally connected Rome to Brindisi, spanning approximately 350 miles. The road was crucial for military and economic purposes, facilitating the movement of troops and trade throughout the Roman Empire. Our tour guide, Alessandra, said the Appian Way was the Route 66 of ancient Rome! The road has lasted for centuries due to the careful layering of the 5 layers and the large stones on top that were designed to handle traffic and weather.

Next, we visited Aqueduct Park, where massive stone arches stretch across the landscape. These structures relied entirely on gravity and precise elevation changes to transport water over long distances. Here we found a tennis ball, and a group of us used it to enjoy a game of 500 while waiting to move onto our next stop!

Our final stop of the day took us below St. Peter’s Basilica into the Scavi. The Scavi is an ancient burial site including both pagan and Christian burial grounds. The Scavi contains the tomb of St. Peter, and has been excavated since the 1930s, revealing parts of the necropolis that date back to the Roman Empire. The Scavi highlights the layered history beneath the Basilica, showing how religious spaces were built and preserved across generations. Unfortunately, pictures are not allowed in the Scavi!

Caio!

Today was an exciting day for the Tommie Engineering Family. We started our day off in the classroom, and hopped onto a bus to take a leisurely 45 minute ride to Hadrian’s Villa. We were graced with an amazing tour guide, Gulia. She had all-encompassing knowledge of the places our class was visiting, and was able to answer all of our questions. It was fascinating to see all of the different spaces that Emperor Hadrian had and how they were utilized. Fun fact, at the Villa, they had a space where you could go catch your own fish and eat it for dinner from what was basically a large swimming pool!

After taking a tour of Hadrian’s Villa, we hopped back onto the bus and enjoyed a quite lunch as a large group at Alice’s Pizza. Here, we enjoyed Roman style pizza from the chain restaurant, with a cold Coke and Nutella filled pastry treat.

Next stop was the Villa d’Este in Tivoli. Julia guided us throughout the its palace and garden, which were beautiful depictions of the Renaissance culture. Here, there was an extensive number of fountains, basins, and grottoes that covered the landscape. Fun fact, the entirety of the water flow at Villa d’Este was sourced strictly by gravity and it was made possible by the different levels of the garden. As a class, were we were fortunate enough to be able to see the Organ Fountain open and play a tune at 4:30 p.m! A few classmates performed a little dance for us spectators. After completing this guided tour, we hopped back onto the bus and made the trek back to our home base of Hotel Twenty-One.

Ciao from Rome! Today our class spent the day at the Vatican, starting with the Papal Audience, then visiting St. Peter’s Basilica, stopping outside with the Swiss Guard, and finishing the day in the Vatican Museums with a walk through to the Sistine Chapel. It was a full day, but one that really stood out because of how much we experienced together.

The Papal Audience was the first event of the day and set the tone for everything that followed. Being there with classmates, surrounded by people from all over the world, made the experience feel especially meaningful. It was one of those moments where simply being present mattered, and sharing it as a group made it even more memorable.

This photo was taken after visiting St. Peter’s Basilica, outside near the Swiss Guard. After spending time inside, stopping for a group photo felt like a natural pause in the day. Seeing the Swiss Guard up close was a reminder that these spaces are not just historic sites, but places that are still actively used and carefully managed.

These two photos were taken later in the day while our class was moving through the Vatican Museums on the way to the Sistine Chapel. A lot of the experience looked like this, walking together, listening, and trying to take everything in. Being there in person felt very different from learning about these places in a classroom or seeing them online.

From an engineering perspective, the Sistine Chapel stood out the most. Even with huge crowds, the space is carefully controlled to protect the paintings. Temperature, humidity, and airflow all have to be managed so the artwork is preserved while still allowing people to visit. You barely notice any of it while you are there, but without those systems, the paintings would not survive the amount of traffic they see.

Taking photos together helped capture more than just where we went. They captured a shared day of learning, reflection, and community, which is a big part of what makes studying abroad in Rome so meaningful.

Ciao!

My day started off with class at 8:45 am where we listened to a presentation from Courtney, Aveline & Josh. They presented on domes and one main takeaway I got from their presentation was always think outside the box. I really enjoyed learning about the egg story and how the dome in Florence came about.

After class we took the metro and made our way towards the Roman Forum. Just outside of the Roman Forum we took some amazing pictures in front of the colosseum and the arch of Constantine.

Shortly after we entered the Roman Forum and walked around learning the rich history of what remained of the Roman Forum and what history could be retold to bring this historical area back to life in front of our eyes. Seeing what remained of the structures and rendered images of what they would have looked like still blows my mind. Unfortunately not much remained of Circus Maximus or many structures throughout the site. We were told that some of the materials used to build the Vatican and St. Peter’s basilica were taken from this site.

The Roman Forum was amazing and I am so glad I got to experience it and walk around such a historic site. After that, our tours for the day were over so a group of us went to the Vittoriano for lunch. Here I ate the best sandwich I have had since arriving in Rome and some really great pizza as well. This location has such a nice view of the city.

After this, we were making our way back to the hotel when we stopped by a medieval store and we looked at all sorts of cool little objects that fascinated us. I was personally interested in the medieval chess set and the Harry Potter wands. There was a free museum of medieval armor and it was a super cool store that was very unexpected.

To end my night off strong I went to a Roma vs Torino soccer match where unfortunately Roma lost 3-2 by a last minute winner. Nonetheless, the atmosphere was amazing and it was an experience I will never forget. Forza Roma!

Sincerely,

– Eric Rico Fajardo

Salve Everyone!

Today, we started our day bright and early at 8:40 am with some class time, where classmates Ben, Bryce, and Taye presented on Trajan’s Column and the Arch of Constantine. Their presentation helped set the stage for the day by explaining the historical importance and engineering behind these structures.

After class, we used the metro transit system to travel to our first site visit, the Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano. What stood out most was the layered history beneath the church. Multiple levels of older structures showed how engineering evolves over time. It was interesting to see how new buildings were constructed on top of older foundations, which reflects early adaptive reuse and long-term structural planning.

Next, we moved to the Arch of Constantine. Seeing it up close made the engineering principles clearer. The arch relies on compression, which we learned about in our class time, forces that keep it standing. It was also interesting to learn how parts of older monuments were reused, showing early recycling practices in construction. There was even locations where old inscriptions could be seen within the new mosaic floor.

Our final stop was the Colosseum. We were lucky enough to go underneath the structure and see the hypogeum, where animals, gladiators, and props were stored. The engineering of the structure was a feat to behold, we saw square arches, curved arches and other compression members. We were shown diagonal blocks that were to structurally support the wall from sagging. The arches above helped distribute weight and support massive crowds safely.

We ended the day by taking the metro back to our hotel, where we ended the night so everyone could get some much-needed shut-eye and get ready for the next day!

Buenanotte!

– Cullen White & Courtney Swenson

Caio everyone!

Today we were up with the sun for breakfast as we had an early departure to Pompeii. After a two and a half hour bus ride, we had finally made it to the ruins. Where we began our tour with Claudio and Michella by looking at the theater, the larger one where primarily comedy plays would occur.

We spent the majority of our time touring around regions I and IX, traveling the streets. Exploring Regions I and IX of Pompeii reveals two very different but deeply interconnected sides of ancient urban life. Region I, located along the southeastern edge of the city, feels more residential and intimate. Its narrow streets, modest homes, and small workshops show the rhythms of everyday Pompeian life, families cooking, artisans working, neighbors interacting in shared courtyards. Walking through this area, it becomes clear how densely populated Pompeii was and how closely daily routines were tied to the architecture. The preserved wall paintings and domestic layouts offer a glimpse into private life, reminding me that beneath the volcanic ash were ordinary people with ordinary routines.

In contrast, Region IX sits closer to the city center and reflects a more commercial and social character. Here, the remains of shops, taverns, and larger domus structures reveal a district shaped by movement, trade, and public interaction. The wider streets and more elaborate buildings suggest a wealthier population and a more outward-facing lifestyle. Region IX feels like the energetic heart of Pompeii, where business, politics, and social life intersected. We also got to see a new excavation site currently happening. We are not allowed to currently to post any pictures from the site but the vibrant frescoes were gorgeous and the mosaic works being dug up were amazing.

After we finished up Pompeii by seeing the secondary, smaller theater in the city center, we reboarded our bus to travel to downtown Naples. We had a group lunch of crocches and margarita pizzas at Lombardi 1892 with their specialty buffalo mozzarella. After we finished lunch, we took a bus tour around Naples noting historical sites such as the castles, towers, and palaces before returning to the hotel for the night.

Buonanotte!

-Brynn Leary

Today we finally got to Rome! We started the day on the plane, where many of us students tried to sleep with varying levels of success. We landed around 10:00 a.m. Rome time this morning, and we definitely felt the fact that it was 3:00 a.m. Minnesota time. Customs was smooth, and we all got on the bus for our 25 minute ride to the hotel, where we were given our bus passes for the trip. Upon arrival at the hotel, we thought we would be waiting a while for rooms, but all the doubles were ready immediately. Most students, besides the two groups in triples who went off to do an extra expedition because they didn’t get their rooms and things until right before 1:30, went up to their rooms and had time to shower and take a break. Then many of us met up at 1:30 p.m. to go explore.

At 1:30, we gathered a group of around 24 students eager to explore, and we all went to the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, pictured below. We then broke off to grab quick snacks, such as pizza, a sandwich, or gelato, and met back up at the Church of Saint Louis at 2:30, when it opened. This church was stunning inside and gave us some great motivation for our next endeavor, going to the Vatican. By the time we got in line at the Vatican, we were down a few people who wanted to head back to the hotel to rest after a rough night of sleep. A group of us got through security and bought tickets to go to the top of the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica. It was stairs after stairs, and then more stairs. We also got to walk between the inner and outer domes, where the walls were slanted at a very odd angle. The view from the top was stunning, as shown below, and the stairs were cramped but interesting.

After seeing all of that (more of the Vatican will be discussed later in the trip), everyone was ready to head back to the hotel and rest up before our debrief at 6:00. After that, many of us went out to different places to grab a final meal for the day, and some went out to explore more. We all completed our homework for the day and then climbed into bed to get a much-needed full night of sleep.

Buona notte, and we will update tomorrow.

-Blake