Friday afternoon was spent exploring a (somewhat) new area of the city with two of my classmates. Our expedition began as we searched for Il Fornaio, a Katie Parla recommendation, for a quick bite to eat. We had discussed different foods in class all day prior to Roman lunchtime (which is apparently between 1-3 pm) when class lets out, so by the time we were released by our professoressa we were completely starved and our thoughts consumed with daydreams of food. I ended up getting pizza with prosciutto e formaggio, and I've come to learn that Roman thin crust pizza is served on the go by cutting a rectangular slice off, folding it in half, toasting it, and eating it like a square sandwich. We decided to sit on the edge of the fountain in Campo dè Fiori and enjoy our quick meal amongst the flower vendors facing the marketplace. We wandered through the side streets that led us to Via Giulia and ended up caught in a freak hail storm that lasted a mere three minutes after finishing our food and ended up crossing the Tevere (Tiber River) into Trastevere.

Trastevere spans for a white alongside the river, and is filled with many kitschy, quaint streets. I really enjoyed the small streets and variety of colors covering the houses from bright terra cottas and faded oranges to pale pinks and crumbling, exposed cement. There was also a lot more graffiti than I had expected but it gave the whole area a hipster vibe and added to the history-meets-modern day atmosphere. Every few streets would open up into a different piazza which was exciting to see what's around the next corner, and eventually we ended up in Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere. We were told that the basilica there was one of the most breathtaking in the area, and it did not disappoint. It looks quite worn but beautiful from the outside with the fading frescos and mosaic work on the outer facade and roof adorned with ancient statues overlooking the piazza and fountain. As I stepped foot inside and the entire church opened up before my eyes I was truly taken aback. The soft sunlight shone in through the vaulted windows and the golden mosaic tiles glimmered in the afternoon glow. The ceiling was covered in paintings and gold-plated moulding, the chapel covered in beautiful frescoes of biblical origin, and the stained glass windows pouring colored light upon the pews that sat within this incredible space. It is truly one of the most magnificent places I have seen thus far, for it is small and quiet and reserved from the outside, but utterly breathtaking inside (unlike Piazza Venezia which boasts of riches and glamour from first glance and the ruins which epitomize antiquity and pull many tourist eyes).

We continued our trek through Trastevere by climbing higher up into the area behind my residence where we discovred beautiful views overlooking the city and found ourselves taking a nature hike through one of the parks, Villa Sciarra. It was such a strange area, because we discovered that the park was filled with statues and fountains of various mythological creatures (in particular, lots of odes to Pan) and headless figures. The most perplexing was a fountain featuring four slightly suggestive female figures expressing different emotions in their human faces and torsos that were connected to lion hindquarters. Interesting. Emerging from Villa Sciarra to find a quick bar to take a pit stop at, we then continued on to explore Villa Pamphilj, one of the largest parks in Rome.

Villa Pamphilj impressed immediately. The park had huge open grassy areas, arches overlooking green hillsides, and paths lined with orange trees that led us to various sculptures and fountains, not to mention a beautiful area dedicated to the goddess Venus and a mansion looming above it which we later discovered was connected to one of the most gorgeous yards I've ever seen. The park also aligned with part of the old Aurelian wall which was very cool to see up close. I'm excited to go back to this park again and see what other treasures it holds, because it was definitely a treat to see all of this beautiful natural space incorporated with amazing artwork and architecture. It was an exhausting day of hauling around our textbooks and hiking up the hills of Trastevere, but it was a really rewarding experience getting to know my neighborhood a little better and discovering these natural spaces within the eternal city.