Ostia Antica and Santa Cecilia
Today the class took a trip to the archaeological site of Ostia Antica. This is a current archaeological site, which happens to be the site of our recurring guest lecturer throughout Sicily (a third professor from Hunter). She returned to the tour to explain to us the importance of Ostia as a port town during early Roman history, and was able to give us a behind the scenes look at the current spots of excavation, informing us on how an archaeological dig actually works. The town shared many similarities with that of Pompeii and Herculaneum in its structure, and comparing and contrasting the sites was very interesting. The professor’s lecture was extremely detailed, and I loved having such an expert on all aspects of the site taking us through its intricacies.
A Room in Ostia Antica
After Ostia, a few of us traveled by bus to the Santa Cecilia church in Trastevere, which contains a crypt devoted to that of Saint Cecilia. The crypt was absolutely stunning, and we were able to see the original of a sarcophagus we saw copied in the previous catacombs (in San Callisto). Afterwards, we explored the rest of the church, and headed out into southwestern Rome. The city there is very different, as it is not as catered to tourists as the historical area where we spend a great deal of our time. I enjoyed seeing a different part of Rome, and exploring the many narrow alleyways and piazzas that make up the area. We then crossed the bridge to the nearby Tiber Island (Isola Tiberina), which historically housed the sick or criminals in ancient Rome (individuals whom the Romans wanted to separate from the rest of their inhabitants). The island is between the eastern and western halves of Rome, right in the middle of the Tiber River.
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere