Writing Assignment #9

What is an Italian? What does it mean to be and Italian?
What I find interesting, is my inability to understand the national pride that all Italians posses. For a while I was offended by their attitude towards immigrants, and change in the world. Back home in the US, we are all immigrants; we are a country built on change and new ideas. So it was easy for me to come to another country, and criticize what they do and how they act, because it’s unfamiliar to me. But it’s arrogant. I can’t judge Italians by what they do or how they act. Because I don’t understand what motivates them to be that way. I could pretend that I know it all because I have been here for over two months. The reality is, I don’t think I will ever be able to understand them. People are too different. I grew up in a different world.

Even still, I think about what they are doing to the immigrants, and then I look at America. How are we handling the immigrant situation? Do we make it easy for people to gain citizenship? No, I don't think we are that much better with our immigrants than the Italians. So why are we studying all the immigration issues in Italy and judging them? Why aren't we reflecting on our own situations? It is interesting to think about, do we hold ourselves to a different standard?

Sometimes I find my self-jealous of the Italian world. Sometimes I think they got it all right. In the US everyone gets up at 6, spends an hour getting ready and driving to work, works an eight hour work day, spends an hour trying to get home, another hour complaining about work, then an hour trying to figure out what to do for dinner, maybe 30 minutes actually eating dinner, then a few hours watching TV, then some at home work/ emails, then they sleep… and get up and do it all over again. It’s terrible, and boring. What are we doing with our lives? We live to work… We go out with friends and what do we talk about? Work… When we meet people what do we ask? What do you do? Work, work, work. It’s wrong. We are here not to work non-stop for the rest of our lives. We should work to LIVE.

That’s how I feel the Italians got it right. Yes they work 5 days a week, but they have a whole 2 hours off in the middle of the day to go home, relax, get some lunch, or WHAT ever they please. Then they get off work, and go out, or spend time with their families. I see so many people here at the same spots everyday. Walking in to coffee shops or restaurants, where the owners already know their name and order. The Italian slow food theory is a perfect example. They wont seccum to this idea of running somewhere to pick up food and being done. Having meals together really helps people connect. I can’t even think about the last time I actually had a dinner with my family, that wasn’t for some special occasion. Its not any ones fault we don’t have dinner together. We are all too BUSY. Mom and Dad work 8 hours a day, my sister has school, then practice, my brother has school, then work, I have school, then practice and THEN work. Again back to the idea of work, what do we sacrifice just to have a few extra dollars? Is it worth it?

Italians have a strong sense of national pride, and individual purpose. They aren't perfect, but Americans aren't perfect either, but I love the Italians and will miss them greatly. CIAO!

Monti Rione

Monti from Ancient Times to the Present:
Originally known as Suburra, home to gypsies, prostitutes, and thieves. Where people, such as Julius Caesar sent his troops after battle for some time to “unwind”. Today known as Monti, named for the many hills of Rome that the rione covers. It is the oldest rione and the most authentic. Despite being in the heart of the city, it is relatively free of tourists and very safe. Before 1874 Monti was the largest Rione, but that year it lost a large part of its land, which now is the Esquiline Rione. Then only a bit more than 50 years later, Mussolini tore down part of Monti to make Via Dei Fori Imperiali. This destroyed around 30% of the residential neighborhood. Despite these two devastating wounds to the rione, in the years following, Monti experienced a “building fever”. Many “immigrants” (I believe this was a misunderstanding in our presentation, immigrants not from other countries, but Italians from other Riones in Rome) moved to Monti. It became a very hip, and spendy area to live. Most of the inhabitants today are doctors, lawyers, journalists, and boutique owners. Many hip jazz clubs, organic food shops, ethnic food and local artisans shops can be found wandering the streets. The people of Monti are pleased in their own advancements, being the oldest but also the “most recent”. But they fear that they will become Rome’s trendy spot, bringing in tourists.



Architectural History:
Via degli Ibernesi is an excellent example of the age of the Rione. All of the buildings you see are build on ancient Roman Foundations. The first couple floors are from medieval times. The 3rd floors are all Renaissance add-ons. And all of the roof terraces were put up in the 1950’s.



La Torre Delle Milizie:
Rome had 200 towers at the end of the 13th century, now only about 12 remain (5 in Monti). La Torre Delle Milizie is the most famous, sometimes called “Nero’s Tower”. Because it is a common myth that Emperor Nero started the city of Rome on Fire and watched it burn from the Tower (Because Nero’s palace was located in Monti there are many stories of him relating to the Rione. Such as.. He was known to sneak around in dark alleyways in hope to catch the local gossip). The Tower was built over 800 years ago by Pope Gregory IX to be apart of his fortress. Sadly as soon as it was put up, the tower began to sink on one side, so it Rome’s own leaning tower! La Torre Delle Milizie stands almost 50 meters tall, which equals about 7 stories.




Monti vs. Trastevere:
They are the two most important rione in the city, Trastevere being the largest and Monti the oldest. The two constantly feud over who is more “Roman”. Supposedly the people from both are the most genuine “Roman”, the women the most beautiful, and the men the strongest. But they will never admit to this being true of the other, so they encourage marriages within their Rione (Romeo and Juliet anyone?). Every few years they choose a male “leader” (bully) and they take part in the “throwing of stones” at the Campo Vaccino. This is a competition in which the rione with the most superiority would be decided. The “leader” would bring his godfathers to watch, as they would throw rocks and use knifes to battle. Who ever won the fight would be known (among the people) as the “Leader of Rome” (because one of them is the only true Roman in the city).


Street Names and Their Meanings:
Piazza degli Zingari: Gypsy Square, in medieval times was the location of a nomad camp.
The Vicolo delle Carrette: Carriage Alley, the location where during the Renaissance, carriages brought barrels of wine from regions far away.
Look for meanings of other street names!!


Piazza Santa Maria Dei Monti:
The Church of Santa Maria Dei Monti was commissioned by Pope Greogory XIII in 1580 after discovering A miraculous 15th century image of the Madonna, Saint Lawrence, and Saint Stephen. The Image was found in ruins of a convent, the church was built on top of the ruins. Every year between April and May a copy of the image is carried in a procession. The Façade of the Church was designed by Giacomo Della Porta (who also did Il Gesu, can you recognize the similarities?)



FOOD FACT!
On Via dei Serpenti the Pasticceria La Licata makes a delicious honey pastry from an ancient Roman Recipe!!!

Naples Writing Assignment #7-8

Before going to Naples I had already made up my mind what I was going to experience there. Danger, scary locals, mugging, and dirty streets. This is what I was expecting. Stepping out of the train station I prepared my self for this environment. Skyscrapers lined the sky, I hadn't seen a building more than 5 stories tall in two months so this came as a shock, and people chaotically walking in every direction. There were no buses running because of a protest going on through the main streets of the city. We were forced to walk to our hostel. All of this reassured me that I was right... this city was going to be one big urban mess. As we made the trek a few blocks to where we would be staying I kept all focus on my backpack. I was carrying nothing of value, for fear it would be stolen. But I was still on my guard. Luckily we all made it to the hostel with out being mugged or killed. Surprisingly our hostel was pretty cool, all of the staff were really nice, and our room had a pretty sweet balcony. After a brief drop off of our things we were off to experience Naples.

For the next day and a half I was pleasantly surprised by this place. The food was amazing, the people were nice, and the city was so interesting. I don't think there is any where like Naples in the world. It truly cannot be described in words. Being there I could see where many of these horror stories and rumors came from. There is a roughness to the city I don't think many people can appreciate. The people seemed more real than the Romans. They were a bit grittier but nicer, and seemed to be genuinely interested in things outside their own life. Always willing to strike up a conversation and answer any questions we had. The streets were filled with odd vendors selling things that clearly weren't "tourist" items. Even though we wandered around in their neighborhoods and stopped to stare at their shops with no intention of buying anything, they were excited to have us.

When looking back on the readings I find that many people probably didn't have the opportunity to see Naples the way we did. Describing the city as beautiful but the people rude, and devilish. I think this is untrue. Naples was beautiful, but not in a "paradise" way. I think that the city actually matched its inhabitants pretty well. Looking at the buildings and winding streets, they reminded me of the people I met. The way you could look at a street and feel the age, tradition, and hardships it went through. Paint chipping of the sides, weird stains, shutterless windows and clothes hanging out to dry. I found the people of the city to be very much the same. They all were unique, you could tell that they had been through so much in their lives. They might not have been Botticelli's Venus of ideal beauty, but they were beautiful in a different way. Just like we found beauty in the old buildings and streets, we found beauty in the people. I think this was an important lesson that all of us learned.

Arriving back in Rome was a different experience for me. I rushed home to meet my family, who were visiting for the weekend. When I came back I had a much different feeling of pride for Rome. This was my home, where I had been living for two months and now it was time for me to show it off. It was sort of fulfilling to walk them around the city and share it with them. I love Rome, and have learned so much about it, I wanted to be able to give some of my experience to the people that I care about. So even though sometimes I could tell they would rather not listen to my hour rant about the founding of Rome and the Forum while we stood on the Capitoline hill, I went on. It was funny to see them struggle with the same things I went through when I first got here. "Why can't we get coffee to go?" "Why would anyone close stores in the middle of the day? "Its 6'o'clock and I am STARVING! I CANT WAIT two more hours!" But interesting, because it really showed me how much I have grown and adapted to the life as a Roman. I felt apart of the city after this realization hit me. I knew where to go, and how to speak to people (somewhat, thanks Fede!).

Some strange things began to happen to me after they left. Walking around people would come up to me and ask me questions, or for directions, in Italian and I easily responded. Yesterday I went to the ATM, the first one wasn't working so I tried the one right next to it. While I was finishing a man was trying to use the broken machine. He asked me "Is there something wrong with this machine?" "It's broken, you can use this one when I am finished, I will only be a second." As I walked away, it hit me. That man just spoke to me in Italian, and I responded with ease with out even thinking about it. I was proud of my self and my mad Italian skills (haha). But mostly I wondered what had changed. My first few weeks here no one would dare to approach me on the street and ask me anything or speak to me in Italian. But now it was happening daily. Did I appear more confident, more Italian?

It is an interesting thing to think about, that all of this might have happened in a few short weeks. And now in just 10 days I will be leaving. Rome has made such an impact on me, what will it be like to return to my "other" "old" home. I wait with sadness for these next few days to pass. Slowly cleaning and packing up my things. Something tells me I will miss Rome, and from now on... I will never be the same.

The Jesuits and Il Gesu

When entering the mother Church of the Jesuit order in Rome, one is blown away by its stunning and elaborate decorations and beauty. It is impossible for passers by not to notice the looming façade of Il Gesu. Before researching the Jesuits, I was unsure of who these men were, what they believed, and what their significance in history was. It was surprising to see that the Church does not give an accurate portrayal of the ideals of the order. Il Gesu is a contradiction. This essay will give a history of the Jesuits then some insight into the incongruent art of the mother Church.

To fully understand the Jesuits we must first begin with the man who created the order. In 1491 Íñigo Oñaz López de Loyola was born in Northern Spain to a wealthy family. He joined the Spanish Army at a very young age. Íñigo was made for the army; he was intrigued by the action and glory, and was known to have many rendezvous with the local women. In 1521 while defending Pamplona from the French, he was hit by a cannon ball, shattering his right leg and breaking his left. Over the next few months Íñigo went through many painful operations, all of which were unsuccessful. This sadly left him with a permanent limp. During his long recovery he was deprived of his favorite romance novels and ended up stumbling upon the stories of the lives of the saints. Íñigo’s spiritual transformation began during this time. Inspired by the heroic and chivalric Saints, he gave up everything to spend six years doing charity work. He also practiced and analyzed the divine mystery of God and religion. After a vision from God he wrote “The Spiritual Exercises,” which was a guide to his new way of life. It taught how to use meditation as a way of clearing one’s mind and making better decisions. The book also stressed the importance of modeling oneself after Christ as a messenger of God.

To further his religious transformation Íñigo went to study at The University of Paris. Here he became Ignatius of Loyola, which we know him as today. He studied theology and Latin, and continued his studies of the Catholic Doctrine. While at University he gained six followers, all of whom were trained in his “Spiritual Exercises”. It was said that Ignatius had a “strange ability to impress and enlist anyone however reluctant, whose talents he needed for the cause” (Wright) (An interesting observation, it will be an important quality of his later missions). The seven men then swore an oath to go to Rome to serve the Pope after being ordained as Priests in Venice on the way.



In Rome at this time the Pope was struggling with the Reformation. Almost all of Northwestern Europe had broken away from the Catholic Church. The world was expanding; the time of the explorer was coming to a new high. The Americas had been discovered, trade and travel across the continents were becoming more common. With all of these changes there were many people the Church was failing to communicate with. Not only were they unable to speak with them effectively, they could not connect on an emotional level either. They did not know what moved them or what inspired them. Then Ignatius and his men showed up with “an inspiration of Providence that it is impossible to ignore” (Wright). In 1540 Pope Paul II created the Papal Bull Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae officially establishing the men as the Jesuit Order (Society of Jesus).

The Jesuits were different from other orders of their time. They had to take the normal oath: poverty, chastity and obedience to God. But the requirements had an additional oath, which was obedience to the Pope. The Society focused on the spread of the Roman Catholic Doctrine as the Pope interpreted it. To make this possible they focused on education and missionary work. With these goals they brought thousands of souls to the church.

The Pope was able to send the Jesuits all over the world, with their vow to go anywhere he commanded. Because they were a secular clergy, they didn’t have to live in cloisters or have a certain dress. This provided the ability to go out into the world with some ease, and adapt to the dress, culture, and language of the locals. All of this was a way for them to understand the people on a deeper level. With this knowledge it was easier for them to adapt Catholicism to make it more accessible to locals. In the New World the Jesuits saw their greatest success. Mexico and Brazil took to the faith with enthusiasm, and many remain Catholic today.

Not all of the missions resulted in success though. In Japan they hit a great stride early on, but a jealous emperor put it to an end in 1597 by crucifying 54 people of the faith. Even though there are many more stories of failure, the Jesuits remained persistent in their goals. They were willing to go out and be martyrs for their religion, which showed great devotion. This attitude and their successes inspired a new frame of mind in The Church Triumphant, which would bring optimism and self-confidence to Catholics everywhere.

Education was the driving force behind the Jesuits and their mission work. They were the “School Masters of Europe” opening colleges all around the continent, in their mission to educate the world. At their peak in the late 18th century there were 120 colleges in Italy alone. Jesuits were the first to establish the four-year liberal arts education system, which are still used today. Tuition fees and large donations from the wealthy families of the students were the main source of revenue for the Society.

In 1568 the foundational stones of the first Jesuit church were laid. The name Il Gesu was chosen as a dedication to Jesus, which was obviously an important theme for the Jesuits. Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (the nephew of the Pope) financed the project. This gave Farnese the ability to have the final say when it came to the design of the church. Giacomo Della Porta won the design for the façade. It is considered the first baroque façade and it was the prototype for Jesuit churches around the world. There are two sections: the upper and the lower register, with a large entablature separating them. Both registers have double pilasters to divide the space. One can see two pediments, first at the top of the building and the other placed over the door. The width of the façade is equal to the height, but the upper register is slightly narrower. Della Porta added volutes to create movement from the lower to upper register. Above the door is the Jesuit emblem, the IHS, which is the Greek abbreviation for Jesus. At the top of the façade, the Farnese family crest looks down on the street, emphasizing the family who was gracious enough to help. Farnese’s own architect Jacopo Vignola was responsible for the rest of the church, but dropped out half way through. Della Porta stepped in and finished the project.



The layout of the inside of Il Gesu was revolutionary. Jesuits focused on preaching and wanted a simple design to emphasize it. As a result the nave became shorter and wider, with only one aisle. The high ceiling made for better acoustics, allowing the voices of the preachers to travel further and louder. Additional side pulpits permitted multiple sermons to take place at one time. This layout proved so successful in communicating with the mass amounts of people showing up for sermons that it became the norm for all future churches.

Decorations inside Il Gesu did not start until over a century after it was completed. The Jesuits planned for the inside to be simple and somber, reflecting the themes of the façade, and maintain focus on the preaching. But wealthy donors had other visions for the décor. When people sent their children to a Jesuit college it was a prestigious action. They wanted others to be impressed. But when they would then visit the Jesuit mother church, there was nothing impressive about it (at least not in the eyes of the wealthy). So the donors paid for all of the decorations inside the church, neglecting the considerations of the early Jesuits. This is apparent when you first enter Il Gesu, now famous for its ornate chapels and frescoed ceilings.

On the inside of the Nave ceiling is the Triumph in the Name of Jesus. Painted in the 17th century by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, known as Baciccio, who was recommended for the job by Bernini. The Triumph took him four years to complete and it remains one of the highlights of the church. The painting gives the feeling that the roof gave out and everything is being pulled up toward the heavens. In the center barely visible is the Jesuit emblem with a halo around it, as if it is shining down from heaven. One can see the holy ascending into heaven and the sinful falling away from it towards Hell. Baciccio was very skilled with his methods to give us this three-dimensional feeling. The stuccowork is so thick it actually sticks out up to 5 inches in some parts. He also used a dark glaze on the gilding to give more illusions of shadows. To say the least, the ceiling is certainly impressive and eye catching.



When one moves further into Il Gesu and reaches the Transept, the Chapel of St. Ignatius is on the left. Like the ceiling, it was completed in the late 17th century by a Jesuit Lay brother named Andrea Pozzo. Everyday at 5:30 the church fills with people and an elaborate light show begins. Music plays and at the height of all the excitement the painting of the altar piece drops and reveals a silver statue of St. Ignatius rising to heaven. Today the statue is a cast plated with silver. Pope Pius VI melted down the original in order to pay war ransoms set by Napoleon. On both sides of the altar are sculptures showing some triumphs Ignatius helped accomplish. To the right “Religion striking down Heresy” shows a woman holding a cross and heretics shunning away from it in pain, with a small Putti ripping apart a heretical book. On the left “Faith over Idolatry” shows a woman with a cross standing over a dragon with a barbarian king begging at her feet. One also sees the depiction of a heretic a woman with mangled hair trying to pull the king back. The chapel is incredibly ornate, which is contradictory and ironic when thinking of what Ignatius had in mind for the décor of the church.



On the opposite side of the Chapel of Ignatius is the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, designed by Puerto ad Corona. Francis Xavier was one of the original founders of the order, and the second Jesuit saint. In a silver box making up the altarpiece, there is his skeletal arm, which was glorified because of his preaching abilities. There is a painting above glorying his death and martyrdom in Asia. He is surrounded by very inaccurate depictions of the Chinese natives. Above that is a relief in the stucco above the painting of him being carried into Heaven.


Following the Themes of Martyrdom we see through out the Il Gesu the High Altar is dedicated to the circumcision of Christ, done by Girolamo Muziano. This was a very important event for the Jesuits. It was the first time Christ shed blood, which foreshadowed his eventual crucifixion, and when he was given his name. The painting in place is currently a 19th century replacement of the original.

Il Gesu stands today as a complete misinterpretation of the Jesuit order; a giant contradiction for everything they stood for. They attempt to justify this as the changing of the times, or adapting to what the people wanted. I see it as a tragedy, for as intelligent as the Jesuits were, they were manipulated. There was no way of stopping the donors from gilding the ceilings and completely marbleizing the high altar. Now when people enter the Mother Church of the Jesuits, they are given an inaccurate interpretation of who they were and what they did for the Catholic faith.



Bibliography

The First Jesuits / John W. O'Malley. Cambridge Mass: Harvard University Press 1993

The Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church / Malachi Martin. New York: Simon and Schuster 1988

Ignatius of Loyola: Founder of the Jesuits / John Patrick Donnelly. New York: Pearson/Longman 2004

Gods Soldier's: Adventure, Politics, Intrigue, and Power: History of the Jesuits / Jonathan Wright. New York: Doublepay 2004

The Jesuits : missions, myths and histories / Jonathan Wright. London: HarperCollins, 2004

Rome/ Mauro, Paola, Eric & Jack Lucentini. 2006

The Jesuits and The Arts 1540-1773/ edited by John W. O'Malley and Gauvin Alexander Bailey ; original Italian edited by Giovanni Sale. Philadelphia : Saint Joseph's University Press, 2005

Photos

http://www.siprep.org/faculty/mahlbach/images/stIgnatius_000.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/graeme/308609019/sizes/l/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benjamin_galle/3093134512/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/edboyz/1417321783/

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8s4s-3dNBG0kFvfLZBAJiu-A8YGgBNgqR_QmPL8HmvTuuec08ziVILq4J3RPz4W_ChVw6fB4T5hKf_UNzxfng5L7WNNORlT-Y2ybwa-LqXodzGYC8LgI2nmFpl4QWiz_oTO-xhqTAGQ/s400/StFrancisXavierArm.JPG

Monti: take one

For my Rione project, I have the fortune of having the oldest neighborhood in Rome, Monti. Before starting most of my research, I took a day to explore. I took with me no map, no books, and had no real destination. My goal was to wander. The streets in Monti were narrow, and real much different then the tourist traps I see on a normal basis around the Campo. Twists, turns, and steep streets. Cool vintage shops, and funky new art shops. Old Fashion Cafes, and modern hip restaurants. Sometimes after turning a corner the Colosseum would appear in looming at the end of the street. As I continued to walk around I fell in love with all these things, and my excitement grew to learn more about it.

After starting some research I found out so many cool things about the history of the rione. But the most facinating aspect of Monti, in my opinion, is the evolution of the people in the neighborhood. In ancient Rome it was where the most poor population lived, full of thieves and prostitutes. During the Medieval times when the Papacy left Rome, and the aqueducts where left in ruin, people needed moved closer to the river for water. Slowly but surely people made their way back into the abandoned part of the city when the Papacy returned. Today Monti thrives as a trendy neighborhood, full of young people and hipsters. The Monticiani have a proud sense of identity, built on hundreds of years of change and growth. I am intrigued by the people, and want to learn more. Even from my explorations I have noticed the sense of individuality these people feel. They seem more comfortable, confident, and friendly.

I can't wait to really start working with my partner and taking off on this project. Monti was a really great choice, and our presentation is going to be great!

Processions

Some notes on my chosen Festivals thus far.

FESTA DE’ NOANTRI

District: Trastevere (across the Tiber)
What is NOANTRI?
The combination of the words “we” and “others” in the dialect of the people from Trastevere, noi+antri = Festival of We-Others (ourselves)
8 day long festival
Markets, dances, songs, fairs
Procession
At Beginning (every 3rd Sun in July) and End of Festival
Madonna taken through the neighborhood
Madonna Del Carmine (Joyful Virgin of the Carmelitans)
1535 fishermen pulled her out of the Tiber
Originally in San Crisogono, then moved to Santa Agata
Procession Route: From New home to Old Home
Only about 50 meters apart, but take a winding route
Pauses at each church for a blessing
2nd procession
Taken down the Tiber in a boat
hinting towards its origins
Carried by 16 men on wooden Platform
THINGS TO DO:
Visit the Churches, and icon
Find out more details about why the icon is important
Find out more about the Festivities during the week
What does it do for the people of Trastevere??
Interview some people??

FESTA DI SAN GIOVANNI

District: Monti
June 23rd: The Night of St. John
Opens Up Summer, Party of Happiness and Brotherhood
First fires of the year
Considered purifiers
Herb of St. John under your pillow:
ipet, garlic, Artemisia, verbena and rue
Witches of the New Summer, Fly around Rome to escape the “big walnut Benevento” for the great sand??
To protect your Self
St. Johns Wort Oil: walnuts
A broom and bowl of Salt outside your door
Forcing them to count the twigs on the broom, and
grains of Salt
Ate snails
Avoid quarrels and betrayals
Emphasizes the expressiveness of women
Witches are a positive “power”linked to knowledge and ancient
natural remedies
Also seen as a rebel, exclusive, naughty

THINGS TO DO:
More Information
Why witches? Why are they flying around?
What is the religious meaning?
What special events does the community have?
Why?

Writing Assignment #5

After Writing Assignment #4 I am sure everyone could tell that I wasn't too excited to be going back to Rome. But being back really has made me appreciate everything I left. Coming home to my bed, and the familiarity of my surrounding really made me appreciate Rome more. I feel like "home" isn't just where you live, but a place where you feel comfortable. Even though on my way home I couldn't feel the pull that Rome has over me, I felt it as soon as I got off the train. Being able to navigate from the train station home, grocery shop, and just sit in my living room, made me feel good.

This really got me thinking about the true idea of home. There are so many people we see on the streets everyday, what do they consider home? It is interesting that we can recognize the homeless people, they seem to always be in the same areas. Why? I think it is because they have their own sense of home... even though they might not have the actual physical location. But sitting on the same bench, watching the same people go by, and sleeping in the same shop door.

What would happen if they were given a home? Would they find different ways to appreciate it then I do? I didn't want to come back to my 5th floor apartment, with a balcony looking out on to one of the cities most beautiful piazza. Whats wrong with me? I wonder what things I really do take for granted on a daily basis? If these people who have nothing could find happiness and home in the little they have, why couldn't I be happy coming back? I have been thinking a lot about how spoiled I am to have these things, and how I can appreciate them more. It was nice having everyone gone this weekend. It really gave me a chance to think about things, and really get to know somethings about my self. This taught me a lot and I am thrilled to be back in Rome, and extremely lucky I had somewhere so great to come back to.