Loyola University Chicago

A Tour De Force

While most Rome Center students traveled to other cities on their first weekend in Rome, some took advantage of the several different sights in Rome. On Saturday, Jan. 14, Resident Assistant Tim Grant took approximately 20 students on a "Tour de Force." Grant studied classical civilizations at Loyola University Chicago, and participated in an archeological excavation on the island of Crete last summer.

The buildings included in his tour symbolize the power of the Roman empire spanning from approximately 14 B.C. to 180 A.D. More importantly, each structure represents an individual emperor's tastes and expression of power.

The first site the students visited was Castel Sant' Angelo, a structure Hadrian ordered to be built as his sepulchre in 130 A.D. Apparently, during the Middle Ages, under the ruler Theodoric, changes were made to the original structure.

The building's exterior mirrors a fortress or a prison. The most redeeming quality of Castel Sant' Angelo is the bronze angel that stands on top of the building. According to myth, a plague infested Rome in 590 A.D. As St. Gregory the Great rode up to the fortress, he saw an angel above the building sheathing his sword. This vision was interpreted as the end of the plague and thus the building gained the name of Castel Sant' Angelo. Symbolically, it combines secular and Christian power.

Making their way across Ponte Sant' Angelo, students walked along the Tiber River until they reached the Ara Pacis, a monumental altar given to Augustus in 13 B.C. after he had established peace in the Empire. In the 1930s, the altar was incased to protect it from deterioration. The altar stands as a symbol of triumphant peace and power during the reign of Augustus. Directly across from this building is the Mausoleum of Augustus, which truly appears as a mound of dirt. Nevertheless, it served as the tomb of Augustus and other emperors up until 98 A.D.

Making their way through Saturday traffic on Via Del Corso, the students stopped at the Column of Marcus Aurelius. Intricately designed, the column depicts the brave and politically powerful Marcus Aurelius during his rule from 161 A.D. to 180 A.D.

After a quick lunch, the next stop was the Pantheon, a monument dedicated to all the gods. Grant was able to speak in more detail about the exterior and interior of the building since it is one of his favorite sites. From the outside, the Pantheon looks deceivingly narrow. The interior extends into circular space with a large dome that cannot be seen from the outside. Several altars adorn the inside, since in 609 A.D. it was converted into a church.

As the tour came to an end, many students ventured off into the great labyrinth of the center of Rome. Aileen Sievert, a senior at Loyola University Chicago said, "If nothing else, I could always use the sites I visited today as my guide." Despite the cold weather, the tour was architecturally interesting and historically enlightening.