Cougars enjoy full day of sightseeing in Rome

Day 7 of BYU’s Italian tour saw the Cougars rolling through Rome, with stops at the city’s most popular must-see attractions.

The day began with an appointment at the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. While St. Peter’s Basilica was temporarily unavailable to tours because of a papal commitment, the BYU players, coaches and families were still able to pass through the Vatican’s many halls and galleries that house vast collections of art and artifacts from throughout history. The Vatican experience culminated with a visit to the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s awe-inspiring ceiling panels were admired amidst massive crowds on a sunny Saturday.

From the Vatican, it was off to visit the 18th-century Trevi Fountain, recently cleaned to restore its brilliant white luster. A weekend crush of admirers surrounded the fountain, but its beauty still afforded visitors the opportunity to appreciate the fountain’s appeal.

After some free time for lunch, a short stroll took to the team to the Pantheon, erected in the 2nd century AD as a pagan temple and standing today as the best-preserved of the imperial Roman structures. With a dome standing 141 tall and the same distance across, the Pantheon boasted the world’s largest unreinforced free-standing dome until the construction of the Astrodome in the late 20th century. The building’s imposing entryway columns belie the beauty of the interior; the structure’s design and engineering elements made the Pantheon a highlight of the week.

A visit to the three-fountain Piazza Navona was followed by some more free time to explore, after which the Cougars were led to the Colosseum for a guided tour that also encompassed surrounding ruins, wherein are found the Forum and remains of various temples, markers, and archives. Rome’s modern-day government buildings are also adjacent to the ancient sites, providing a tangible and symbolic link between new Rome and its 2,500-year history.

The day concluded with a rousing team dinner at a restaurant near the Colosseum; the traditional Italian menu was enhanced by performers who sang at stages throughout the meal. It was an enjoyable way to cap a busy day.

The Cougars will on Sunday attend morning church services before departing on a long drive to Sorrento, in southern Italy. The team will have its headquarters there for two nights, the second of which will feature BYU’s next game, against Serie B side Carpisa Napoli, on Monday.

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PLAYERS’ PERSPECTIVES—

Junior defender Avery Calton:

Roma!! With a long day ahead of us we headed to the Vatican, where we were once again moved by the genius work of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. Our guide explained that Michelangelo sensed his health was taking a turn for the worse so he assumed his work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel would be his last. In order to add prestige to what he thought was his last work he painted with precious stones instead of common minerals.

Seeing the history of the Bible come to life overhead was both interesting and spiritual! One thing I love about this group is that we are always asking questions and trying learn as much as possible!

Next we bused to the Trevi Fountain, where thousands throw a coin into the water every week wishing for love. Hey now, hey now…did you know that Roma is “amor” if you say it backwards and amor means love in Italian!! We might have broken out in song to the Lizzy McGuire soundtrack at the base of the fountain.

We had about an hour before we walked to the Pantheon--a wonderful piece of architecture and engineering genius. Cindy Phillips (Bizzy’s mom) told us how the dome was built with concrete mixed with terra cotta to reduce the weight. There is a giant opening in the roof of the dome, which allows sunlight and rain into the church of the martyrs. After another hour in the Piazza Navona, we headed to the Colosseum.

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Junior goalkeeper Hannah Clark:

After a busy morning, we continued our tour of Rome. Our next stop was the Colosseum in the heart of ancient Rome. It was an amazing experience to think about the history of where we were and consider how old the things were that we were seeing and walking on. The United States has hundreds of years of history but seeing the ruins of a city with thousands of years of history was truly breathtaking.

The Colosseum was way bigger than I expected with super-steep stairs. A large portion of the structure is gone due to several earthquakes and destruction over the years. I asked our guide about the parts missing from the walls and she shared that the Colosseum was built with travertine and iron, which kept the foundation firm. However, when the people went to war they needed the iron for weapons so they took it from the Coliseum causing many of the holes and missing parts from the walls. We had a great experience seeing all the Roman ruins.

We then went to dinner at an underground cavern, and ate the best pizza I have ever had! We enjoyed a fun Italian trio singing several Italian classics--a great dinner with fun entertainment. It was a long day in amazing Rome and I can happily say it is time now to go to sleep!

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