Day 15 – Our Last Day Together

386 Words, 2 Minutes.

I woke up and immediately left the apartment to grab a Caprese sandwich, then returned to pack. Looking over the various magnets, postcards, and knick-knacks I’d compiled over the trip was bittersweet, as I reminisced on a trip that somehow felt much too short and decades long simultaneously.

Moussa and I started our navigation to San Clemente around the same time as everyone else but were delayed by the protests. We ended up walking to the church and were able to mingle amongst the protesters.

When we arrived at the church, we sat for a bit with our classmates as we waited for the rest of the group. Tired, hot, and sentimental, I could feel the looming end of our trip in the air. The church was, unsurprisingly, beautiful. Its selection as our final destination felt extremely appropriate, as a site that showcased the layering of history, as well as the Catholic domination of Rome that followed much of the periods we’d studied. Claridge writes: “The present church dates from AD 1108… but the marble panels forming the choir enclosure come from its even larger predecessor of the C5, which has been excavated beneath the nave.” The differing styles of art and design present in singular churches was one of my absolute favorite things to observe during my stay.

Below we were able to see a small temple to Mithrais. Learning about this mystery religion was a highlight of the trip for me, and it’s fascinating to see two different types of worship literally stacked on top of each other, especially given the relationship between Catholicism and Mithraism. We also observed the older Basilica, with its beautiful frescoes and mosaics, and St. Cyril’s tomb. At the very bottom of the site, we saw a Roman domus and the stream of water running under it.

Afterward, we enjoyed dinner together, laughing over memories from the trip and writing our notes to one another. Once I got back home, I booked a hotel for my trip to Paris and went to bed. I woke up early, around 3 AM, and hopped in my Uber to the airport. My time in the Rome via Brooklyn program, all my adventures and new experiences, as well as my week afterward in France, are memories that I’ll likely treasure until I die.