From March 10 to 15, the students of the 2nd year of the Degree in Architecture made an academic trip to Rome to learn about the culture and architecture of the city. Nicolás Margos, student of the Degree, shares his experience.
"On Tuesday morning, March 11, we visited the Vatican Museums. Vatican Museumswhere we contemplated works of classical sculpture such as the Laocoön, the Torso of Belvedere or the Apollo. We also visited the picture gallery, where we saw the Transfiguration of Raphael and the Burial of Christ by Caravaggio. Finally, we visited Raphael's Rooms and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel . Afterwards, we went to the place and St. Peter's Basilica, with the magnificent dome and Michelangelo's Pietà, Bernini' s Baldachin and other works.
We finished the morning at Castel Sant'Angelo. In the afternoon, we had class at the University of Santa Crocenear Piazza Navona. At the end, we went to visit the place, which houses Bernini's fountains, including the Fountain of the Four Rivers, and the facade of the church of St. Agnes, by Borromini. We ended the day in Campo de Fiori, the site of the project, and saw the Farnese Palacewhose façade was designed by Michelangelo.
On Wednesday, March 12, we began the day at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Basilica of Santa Maria Maggioreone of the four major basilicas of Rome. It is interesting its paleochristian layout and the different chapels built over the centuries, such as the Sforza chapel, by Michelangelo, or that of Sixtus V, by the Fontana family. Also noteworthy is the entrance portico by Fuga and the Rainaldi apse. Next, we went to visit Santa Maria degli Angeli, a church located in the ancient Baths of Diocletian and from there we went to the Quirinale, where we found the church of St. Charles of the Four Fountainsby Borromini, the church of St. Andrew of the Quirinaleby Bernini, and the Santa Maria della Vittoriawhich houses the sculpture of the Ecstasy of St. Teresa, also by Bernini.
We ended the morning at the Barberini Palaceof Maderno, Bernini and Borrominithe latter authors of the two staircases. After lunch, we went to the Gianicolo hill to visit the Temple of San Pietro in Montorioof Bramantewhich is located at the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome. From there, we went down to the Trastevere to see the sculpture of St. Cecilia, from Stefano Madernowhich is located in the church of the same name; the sculpture of the Blessed Ludovica, by Bernini, which is in San Francesco a Ripa, and we end at the basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
On Thursday, March 13, we started the day at the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, where the mausoleum of Julius II is located, of which Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses is part. We then visited the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill and the Imperial Forums. In the afternoon, we went to the place del Campidogliodesigned by Michelangelo, and entered the Capitoline Museums. Capitoline MuseumsThe Capitoline Museums, which house important works such as the Head of Medusa by Bernini, the Dying Galata or the Capitoline Venus, among others. Finally, that afternoon, we ended up at the Church of Il Gesú.
On Friday, March 14, we started the day by visiting the Trajan Market and the Forum of Trajan. We then began a tour of Baroque Rome, where we visited the Trevi Fountain, the Church of Santa Andrea delle Frattewhose dome and tower are by Borromini, and inside are two angels by Bernini. From there, we went to Piazza Spagna and Piazza del Popolo, where we entered the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, which preserves important works by Caravaggio and a chapel by Raphael, among others.
We continue our tour along Via Ripetta to reach the Ara Pacis and the Mausoleum of Augustus. We visit St. Louis of the French, where Caravaggio's paintings of the conversion and martyrdom of St. Matthew are located, and we end at the church of San Ignacio with its magnificent frescoes on the vault, the work of Andrea Pozzo. In the afternoon, we went to the Pantheonthe great lesson of Antiquity, and to Santa Maria Sopra Minervathe only Gothic church in Rome, which preserves a risen Christ by Michelangelo, a funerary monument by Bernini and the frescoes of Lippi. We ended the trip contemplating the Our Lady of the Pilgrims of Caravaggio and the Prophet Isaiah by Raphael, both works in the St. Augustine Church.
This trip has been a unique experience. Seeing in person everything we have studied in class has been unforgettable. There is no comparison between analyzing a building through photos and plans and being there, experiencing its scale, observing how the light hits each space and understanding its relationship with the city. Touring Rome has been like traveling through time: suddenly, you find yourself in the Colosseum, imagining the hustle and bustle of the Roman spectacles; then, you enter the Pantheon and hallucinate with the perfection of its dome; and later, you find yourself in the place Navona, seeing how Bernini and Borromini left their mark competing in the same place with their architectural works.
Something that has impressed me is the amount of art you can find in any corner. Not only in museums, but also in churches that on the outside look simple and inside hide amazing frescoes. I remember entering a church and coming across a Caravaggio in front of me, with that dramatic light of his that made the scene seem to come out of the painting. You would stare at it, listening to the teachers and sharing their love for art. The best thing about this trip has not only been what we have learned, but how we have lived it. Rome is a city that envelops you with its history and beauty in every corner, but what has made this experience unforgettable has been sharing it with my classmates and teachers. It has brought us together as a group: from the long walks (and the broken legs) to the impromptu dinners in any trattoria, every moment has been magical.
If anything has marked me from this trip, it has been the way in which our teachers have transmitted to us their love for art and architecture. They didn't just explain data, but they made us feel the history behind each building, each painting and each sculpture. The way they explained everything to us made us experience it in a totally different way. Their passion is contagious and they have managed to make us get excited about each building, each sculpture and each painting as if it was the first time we were seeing them. That is what makes this trip so special and what we will always remember.
Text written by: Nicolás Margos, 2nd year student of the Degree in Architecture.
