Located in Rome, Italy the Pantheon was built in 125 A.D. This monument is actually a Christian church and has been for centuries and very few people know that this is not the original. Having been built two previous times, past pantheons were burned to the ground by wild fires. I guess the saying is true, third time is the charm and the current one managed to remain intact to the present time. This is a perfect explanation to the strange inscription above the porch,“M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT,” which stands for “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this.” This magnificent architectural structure stands tall and strong in the heart of Piazza Della Rotonda Square. One of the best parts about the pantheon is the unreinforced open dome, it remains the largest in the world. I loved that this beautiful building is within walking distance of the Trevi fountain. Decorated in gold frames and marble floor, the inside is absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking. I managed to take a great panoramic photo of its interior. Overall I really enjoyed my trip to Rome. I made so many memories on this trip, met some new friends and gained the experience of a lifetime.http://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/rome/pantheon-facts

The Vatican is the smallest state in the world even though it is entirely surrounded by the city of Rome. The Vatican's position as a sovereign state within a state was guaranteed by the Lateran Treaty of 1929, marked by the building of a new road, the Via Della Conciliazione. On our weekend trip to Rome this past weekend, the Vatican was one of our very first stops of our walking tour. I couldn’t have been more thrilled of the news. Home to the pope, the Vatican is very sacred and holy to the Catholics like myself. The city is filled with beautiful artwork, from fresco paintings, ceilings, head stones, sculptures and national landmarks. 
My favorite part about my visit to the Vatican would have to be the Sistine Chapel.The Chapel is most famous for its ceiling, painted by Michelangelo which took a course of 4 years and he spent much of this time bent backwards painting on top of the scaffolding. I’ve learned so much about this chapel in history classes throughout school but pictures and facts can only go so far. Being there and in person, walking through the decorated hallways I was mesmerized by the beautiful artifacts and paintings. Fun Fact:Sistine Chapel was completely cleaned between the years 1980 to 1989. It was paid for by the camera company Fuji Film. Fuji Film now own all copyright to the paintings, and that is why there is no photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel.
 http://arthistory.about.com/od/famous_paintings/a/sischap_ceiling.htm
http://romanempiretours.com/sistine-chapel-facts/

In the early 2000s there was a TV show on Disney channel called Lizzie McGuire. The show followed a girl from age 13 in middle school to eventually graduating high school when the show run was over. I watched this show every day and in a sense grew up with the characters on TV, saying goodbye to them wasn’t easy.  As a farewell to the fans but mainly to make profit for the industry and its franchise, Disney came out with a movie called The Lizzie McGuire Movie in 2003 following Lizzie’s graduation trip to Rome. The main synopsis of the film is Lizzie throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain wishing for good luck and to have the time of her life in Rome. I’ve been slightly obsessed with this fountain ever since and I finally got my Lizzie McGuire moment this past weekend. Standing exactly where Lizzie once stood I threw 2 euro coins into the fountain, one to return someday and another to find love or get married.The Trevi fountain like the Colosseum is a national landmark in Rome making it a very large tourist hot spot. This beautiful monument was designed by Nicola Salvi in 1732 and competed in 1762. The legend is that if a person were to throw a coin into the fountain, they are bound to return to Rome. This fountain is even more gorgeous at night when its less crowded and my trip to the Trevi was the my highlights of my trip. 
http://www.rome.info/sights/trevi-fountain/

On a cloudy rainy morning my roommates and I left our apartment at 6:30 am to embark on a 3 day trip to Rome with the entire USF study abroad group. It was a 3 and a half hour long bus ride but we were all very excited for our trip. One of the greatest things about my visit to city of Rome was getting to visit their most well known landmark, the colosseum. The colosseum is formally known as the Flavian Amphitheater. Located in the heart of the city, this large amphitheater (currently the largest in the world) was built in first century CE at the behest of the emperors of the Flavian dynasty. It was here where games and other accommodated arrangements of popular appeal, such as hunts and gladiatorial fights were held. Much of building’s interior and exterior of this large monument has remained intact over the years and millions of people worldwide come to visit it each year. This is my second time visiting this historical landmark having been here previously in 2010; My favorite part about this beautiful monument is visiting it at night when its light up and glowing in the night sky. Fun fact: I saw 6 newlywed couples take their wedding photos in front of the colosseum the same day we visited it. 

http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/en/archaeological-site/colosseum

This past weekend on a Saturday, my roommates and I made a day trip to the city of Pisa. We began our journey from Santa Maria Novella Train station; We purchased a roundtrip ticket from the tobacco store and embarked on our hour long train ride there. One 10 minute taxi ride later on this cloudy rainy day, we finally made our way to the leaning tower. Scouting out the tower, time for pictures and lunch was all there is to do in this small town. Our taxi cab driver confirmed this to us by saying there are only 9000 residents living in the city. I was astounded how much bigger the streets and roads were at Pisa in comparison to Florence.
The leaning tower is one of the most well known pieces of architectural structure from across the globe. The tower began construction in August of 1173 and continued for another 200 years before it was finally completed.The tower has 8 stories including the bell chambers and currently stands at 60 meters; It was built perfectly vertically but until 1990 the tower now leans at a 10 degree angle. My favorite part about this trip was going up to the top of this tower. As you approach the top of tower you really feel like you’re about fall because of the tilted angle. I cant express how cool I felt taking a I'm pushing this tower picture. 
http://www.towerofpisa.info/

Leather on goodies on gifts, I am absolutely obsessed with this market district. Located off Via San Lorenzo, this shopping district is composed of two separate markets. The indoor, two level food market consisting of fresh produce, fruits, veggies and meat. The outdoor market consist of leather goods, bags, scarfs and other souvenir items. A magical place for bargaining and haggling for gifts.
It is currently open 9am - 7pm Tuesday through Sunday. This market draws hundreds of people from tourists to locals on a daily basis. My teacher for my Florence food, culture and experience class took us here last Thursday and taught us about the seasons of food and produce. Vendors will only have fresh fruit and veggies of the current season. The fruit stands here look breathtakingly delicious and mouth watering, nothing I've ever seen in the U.S. Fresh off the market, I found myself staring at the red juicy strawberries and ripe bright yellow bananas, I was in heaven. Making my way to the outdoor market, I was hypnotized by the smell of leather and offers I couldn’t pass us walking home with 2 leather bags and a wallet. A little retail therapy cant hurt anyone right? My absolute favorite part about this place is the great deals you can find in this market but be prepared to spend money and lots of it. 

Built in 1869 and designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi, the piazza Michelangiolo Square gives visitors a beautiful panoramic view of the city. By panoramic view I really mean you can see all of Florence, like you do in the postcards. My roommates and I are all buddies by now and we all venture on this trip together. Swarmed by couples, families and your typical groups of tourists the place was crowded for a Wednesday afternoon. Bonding over to go gellato cones, we went up the hill at around 6 pm and stayed until the sun went down. The prettiest sunset you will ever witness in your life and I was on cloud 9. 
You ever heard of the saying “I feel like I'm on top of the world?” Well, you feel this exact feeling when you reach the top of Piazza Michelangiolo. south of the city’s historic district this square is famous for its magnificent view of Florence, both during the day and at night. It’s quite a hike and stairs are a part of this equation so my word of advice for anyone making the journey to the top is to wear comfortable shoes. It is by far my favorite place that I’ve gotten to visit in Florence. I would highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone. 
http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/piazzale-michelangelo.html

The day after we arrived to Florence, FUA held an orientation session for all USF study abroad students and it was followed by an architectural tour of Florence. It was early in the morning and like many my body was still adjusting to the new surroundings and time difference. I was in denial for a few days about being jet lagged, but it is a real condition. Besides the point, on our tour one of our stops was at the Florence cathedral formally known as the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and nicknamed as the Duomo. 
 This gothic-renaissance cathedral was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and its construction was completed in 1436. Decked out in its white, green and pink exterior I walk pass this building (the main square) walking to class each day. This building truly exhibits true beauty and I’m in awe every time I see it.  My absolute favorite part about this place was being able to go to the top of the dome. You can see all of Florence from up there and the view is absolutely breathtaking. There’s an amazing to die for gelato place on the way to the Duomo called Grom off Via della Oche and I catch myself admiring the cathedral on my nightly walks. The cathedral is just as beautiful at night as it is during the evening. 

http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/duomo.html