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The construction of the Duomo began in 1292, however it was not fully complete until 1436. The building was not completed until Brunelleschi came along; however, before he came along the building was just open to the sky. When the people started to built the cathedral, there was no one who knew how to build a dome. However, they continued to build it with the assumption that by the time they got to that part there would be someone who did know how to build a dome. Because of this mindset, the cathedral stayed open to the sky for more than 100 years. Many people tried to come up with ideas of how to build the dome, but it doesn’t work until Brunelleschi comes along. The Duomo is so special because of the dome at the top, and domes were very famous during the Greco Roman Era. It is even more impressive because they did not use buttresses or flying butresses to help stabalize the dome during construction. Domes had not been built for more than 100 years, but Brunelleschi managed to build one. It seems even more impressive when you realize that the Duomo is actually made up of two domes, an inner and outer dome. Florence was able to say come to Florence because only things can be done here, and people there were inspired to be great. People continue to study it and treasure it because things were happening in Florence that were not happening anywhere else, and the Duomo is a perfect example of that. I chose the Duomo because it is one of the first things you see when you go to Florence, and when I was there I did not know many of the things I know now about the Duomo. I did not know about Brunelleschi building the dome, nor did I know about the Pazzi Conspiracy that resulted in the death of Julio inside the Duomo. Julio, the brother of Lorenzo de Medici, bled out on the floor of the Duomo, and I didn’t even know about it until after leaving Italy.

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The Sistine Chapel is the papal chapel that is located in Vatican city, and more specifically in the Vatican Palace. The chapel was constructed between 1473 and 1481 by an architect named Giovanni dei Dolci for the pope at the time, Pope Sixtus IV. Many great artists painted frescoes inside the chapel. The famous painting of The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo is on the ceiling of the chapel. The frescos on the side walls were pained there during the years 1481 to 1483. The frescos located on the ceiling were commissioned by Pope Julius II in the year 1508, and at first Michelangelo said no to the pope. Then Pope Julius II said he would pay him a lot of money to paid to paint the ceiling, and Michelangelo still said no. But, the pope would not take no for an answer and he pulled the pope card, and said Michelangelo had to come paint the ceiling. Michelangelo painted the ceiling during the years 1508 to 1512, and he painted the Last Judgment fresco on the wall in the west during the years 1534 to 1541 for Pope Paul III. The Sistine Chapel is the location where the principal papal ceremonies took place, and it is where the Sacred College of Cardinals gather to elect the new pope. When we visited the Sistine Chapel, our tour guide told us that in Michelangelo’s painting of the Last Judgement, there is a man holding what looks like the skin of a man. Michelangelo painted his face on this saggy skin to say that the Pope was sucking the life out of him, and draining him because he wasn’t getting paid enough. It was very interesting how he was able to very discretely paint himself in the picture while also getting his point across. The artists were so clever to insert themselves into the paintings because they could not sign their artwork.

These pictures were taken before we knew we weren’t allowed to take pictures...please don’t report me :-)

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When most people think about Pompeii they immediately think about the destruction of the city when Mount Vesuvius errupted, and covered both Pompeii and Herculaneum. Before the erruption, Pompeii was filled with merchants, farmers, and manufacturers who used the very rich soil for many orchards and vineyards. However, none of them came to the realization that the soil was so rich due to previous erruptions from Mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum was a much smaller city, but many rich Romans went there for vacation. However, this was not the case after Mount Vesuvius errupted in 79 A.D., and it buried both cities. Before I went to Pompeii, I did not know that the top part of Mount Vesuvius exploded off of the volcano upon erruption. When the volcano errupted, many people tried to flee; however, the people who remained on the island were killed. The people surrounding the destruction did not know how to respond. Titus was emperor at the time of this tragic erruption, and he will become one of the most famous Roman emperors because of the way he reacted to the situation. He visited the areas of devestation, and he executed plans of relief. He also provided aid for places around Pompeii and Herculaneum to help the people recover. The city of Pompeii was not discovered until 1748, and after the discovery archeologists began to excavate the city beginning in 1738. I chose to write about Pompeii because I think it can teach us a lesson today. Even when things are utterly and tragically destroyed, over time they can become beautiful once again.

I hope you enjoy this picture of me zoned out because I was thinking about how good my gluten free sandwich tasted :-)

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa began construction in August of 1173, and the construction continued for around 200 years because of wars that took place during the construction. Before going to Europe I actually thought that the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a building all by itself, but there are other buildings around it. The Campo dei Miracoli or Field of Miracles is made up of the Duomo di Pisa, the baptistry, the Camposanto Monumentale, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tower is the main attraction of the Campo dei Miracoli, and it was designed to stand 185 feet tall. The bell tower is made up of eight stories, and it was originally supposed to stand upright. However, the tower began to sink into the ground and many efforts have been made to restabilize it. In the 1920s, the ground beneath the tower was injected with cement grouting, and this has caused the tower to become more stable. The tower is a huge tourist attraction, and until recent years people were not allowed to climb inside the tower. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built during the medieval time period and that makes it a treasured piece of architecture. During these middle ages there was not a lot of art being made or buildings constructed. The tower is a piece of architecture that we can admire during such a non-sparkly time period. You may think they actually did something right, but the tower is leaning….so did they really? I chose the Leaning Tower of Pisa becuase it has always been on my bucket list. Also, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is where Galileo dropped two balls of different masses off the top of the tower to prove acceleration due to gravity was the same for all objects depite their mass. Due to my love of physical, this made the Leaning Tower of Pisa that much more interesting.

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The construction of the Roman Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, began during Emperor Vespasian’s reign, and he was the one who commissioned it to be built around 70-72 A.D. Vespasian built the Colosseum as a gift to the people of Rome, and although he ordered the Colosseum to be built, his son, Titus, was the one who opened it. The Colosseum officially opened in 80 A.D., and it was celebrated with the 100 days of games. The Colosseum was a place that was built for sheer entertainment, and it was open to all people despite their socioeconomic status. The Colosseum was also used as a theatre where many dramas and reenactments were hosted. However, public executions also took place in the Colosseum, and some were slaughtered there just for entertainment. The Colosseum represented the Emperor’s wealth and generosity, and events in the Colosseum allowed people from all over to see the Emperor in person because he attended events that occurred there.

When Rome first started off as a civilization, it was not a place that was feared nor did other civilizations think that it would become a huge empire. Rome seemed insignificant, but it began conquering, expanding, and growing. They then started to build statiums, arenas, basillicas, temples, and street systems. Rome slowly but surely became one of the strongest empires in the world. They became a force to be reckoned with, and the Colosseum could not have been built if they did not have the power and resources of a strong empire.

Today the Roman Colosseum is a very big tourist attraction, and people come from all over to visit it. About two thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed, but it is still a very impressive piece of architecture. The Romans stopped using the Colosseum when the Western Roman Empire fell, and that is when it started to deteriorate. After the Colosseum was no longer being used, others used its materials for buildings such as Saint John Lateran and Saint Peter’s Basilica. The Colosseum was four stories high and at maximum capacity it could hold more than 50,000 people. It is mind-boggling to think about or even comprehend, and that is why many people want to see what is left of it with their own eyes.

I chose to post about the Roman Colosseum because of the pure awe that I felt when I was able to visit it. It was hard for me to fathom that so many people were killed feet away from the places I was standing. Thinking about people coming to watch murders take place was hard to swallow. Despite some of the bloody events that took place, it is a marvelous sight to see. It is a place that can be admired, and before visiting I did not know that everyone was welcome to attend events that took place in the Colosseum. I just assumed that only upper class and middle class citzens were allowed in; however, everyone was welcomed.

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This was the exact look on my face when I realized that I did not post on Tumblr. I am so sorry, and I will be better. #CologneCathedral