Bravi ragazzi!

A second team formed by some of our students challenged five Italian guys in a soccer match last Saturday. Before the game started, the Pantheon Institute kids confessed to me they had never played this sport before! Well…I have to say that nobody noticed that on the field! The Pantheon Institute students demonstrated to be a very close-knit team. The determination of these guys made the Italian team task very hard to accomplish: as a matter of fact, the American guys scored the first goal after just five minutes!

The Italian team’s predominance started standing out after twenty minutes from the beginning of the match and so, in spite of the great commitment of the team that represents our Institute, the guys that were “playing at home” took the upper hand and were successful on the Pantheon Institute.

After such an intense and enthralling game, the match ended up with handshakes and the promise of a return match that will no doubt see the Pantheon Institute team give a hard time to the Italians again…

Bravi ragazzi!

Forza Roma!

Our students have lived in Rome for more than three months now and they managed to integrate themselves into the city’s social life very well. The last and most evident proof of this dates back to last Sunday: as a matter of fact, a conspicuous number of Pantheon Institute students went to the Olimpic stadium to watch the Roma-Atalanta soccer match on that day.

Those who know Italy a little bit, are aware of the fact that one of its most local "sights" is a soccer match. Winston Churchill said that Italians lose wars like soccer matches and soccer matches like wars; soccer, or calcio, is the national obsession. Everyone, regardless of age or social class, is an expert, quick with an opinion on a coach's lousy decision or a referee's unprofessional conduct.

Rome has two teams: Roma (representing the city) and Lazio (the region), and the rivalry is fanatic. When Romans are introduced, they ask each other, "Laziale o romanista?" The answer can compromise a relationship! Both Roma (jersey: yellow and red; symbol: she-wolf) and Lazio (jersey: light blue and white; symbol: imperial eagle) claim to be truly Roman.

Last Sunday, our students joined thousands of other Roma fans to watch the game that let the city’s team surpass Inter FC and become the leader of the Italian soccer championship.

Thanks to Roma’s victory, that Sunday turned into a real celebration which went on along the city streets and squares even after the game was over.

Happy Birthday Roma!

Every year on April 21th, Rome celebrates its birthday. On this day the doors of numerous museums and archeological sites are open to the public, and the streets are flooded by sumptuous processions of gladiators, senators, and other heroes of the Roman many-century history.

According to legend, the twin brothers Romulus and Remus were the founders of Rome. They miraculously escaped death in their infancy, and were nursed by the she-wolf. But the evidence of the story was found only some time ago: during the excavations in the Forum area, which have been held for 20 years, were found the remnants of the ancient palace, which is considered to be founded some 750 BC. On the place, where stood the Temple of Romulus (which is now the part of the Santi Cosma e Damiano), was found the frame of the historical building, which was unsuccessfully searched by many generations of scientists. Thereby, Rome has proved once again that it is the "Eternal City".

As usual, also this year a procession of people dressed as Roman gladiators, soldiers, gods and goddesses will take place along the Via dei Fori Imperiali. According to the website of the “Gruppo Storico Romano” that organizes it, this year's parade will start at 11:30 am on Sunday, April 18th at the Circo Massimo and will make its way along a fairly circuitous route to the Via dei Fori Imperiali.

This is truly a unique occasion to deepen one’s knowledge of ancient Rome and to see how much Romans love their beautiful city!

April Photo Competition

Once again, we asked our students to share with us their amazing experience here at the Pantheon Institute by sending the best pictures they are taking during their study-abroad experience in Rome.

This month’s photo competition theme is “Us, the students of the Pantheon Institute”. We invited the students to send us all the pictures they like, especially the funniest ones... The deadline will be April 20th, as after that all of them will be very busy with their final exams! As a matter of fact, this semester is coming to an end…days are flying by so fast but we are sure our students are enjoying the time they are spending here in the Eternal City!

April’s prize for the photo competition will be a nice basket full of typical Italian products: chili pepper olive oil, wild boar sausages, Limoncello cream, Ciambelle al Vino (wine biscuits), truffle pasta and Chianti wine.

Isn’t this more than a good reason to participate?

HAPPY EASTER! BUONA PASQUA!

While you probably won't see the Easter bunny if you're in Italy for Easter, you will see that this is a major holiday in Italy, taken so seriously that even those who don't enter a church all year long will go on Easter Sunday.

Solemn religious celebrations are held in many towns on the Friday or Saturday before Easter and on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday, the Pope celebrates the Via Crucis in Rome near the Colosseum. A huge cross with burning torches lights the sky as the stations of the cross are described in several languages. While Easter mass will be held in every church in Italy, the biggest and most popular mass is held by the Pope at St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday morning, Mass is celebrated in Saint Peter's Square, and hence it can have a stadium feeling. Afterwards the Pope delivers the blessing known as the "Urbi et Orbi - to the City and to the World" from the balcony on the façade of Saint Peter's.

Obviously, also food plays a key part in the celebrations. Lamb and eggs are found on tables around the country along with seasonal vegetables and salad. Local dolci specialities join with the national uovo di cioccolata and la Colomba, a dove-shaped cake covered with icing and almonds.

If they are not already away from home, it is often on Lunedi dell'Angelo - also called Pasquetta, that full-stomached Italians head for their favourite places. In Rome the thing to do is to go fuori porta - out of the gates of Rome - and wander about the countryside picking wild chicory and feasting on lamb that has been roasted on an open spit.

As Pantheon Institute, we want to wish Happy Easter to everybody! Enjoy our beautiful city now, when finally the warmer, sunnier days of spring have come! BUONA PASQUA!

A night at the bowling!

Bowling is not exactly the most practiced sport in Italy. That’s maybe why there are only two or three bowling places in a city as big as Rome. Brunswick in the north part of it, close to the Olimpic stadium and therefore quite far from the Pantheon Institute offices and dorms in the historic center. In spite of this, we decided to organize a bowling night for our students there: Brunswick is the biggest bowling in Rome with its 24 lanes, a mini-golf and a beautiful restaurant.

Right after Wednesday’s Italian class was over, we left the Pantheon office and we headed towards Piazza San Silvestro to take bus n. 53 that would lead us straight to our destination. As soon as we reached the stop, we got on the bus but the driver immediately asked us to get off…the bus was going to the deposit! These are the inconveniences of using public transportation in Rome, a city that’s as beautiful as much as it is chaotic, from this point of view! After chatting for a while, our bus finally got to there. It took us about one hour to get to the bowling, but it was worth it!

Rome’s Brunswick is really cool and our students felt “a little bit like home”…After renting the shoes, the PI students decided to take two lanes and the competition started! I have to say, as a spectator, that the show was really exciting! Many of the Pantheon Institute bowlers proved to be very good. With excellent techniques and powerful shots, almost all of them scored way more than 100 points…with just few exceptions.

Between one shot and another, we had also some time to eat something…also in this case, the students felt like home: everybody had either an hamburger with French fries, fish and chips or a slice of pizza, and everything was delicious!

After bowling, we tried also a little basketball. Our students from Clemson University proved to be real champions! Their score was amazing…

After two very nice hours spent at Brunswick, we decided to go back home. We had a pleasant walk along the Tiber and we reached Piazza Mancini, a square that’s right in front of the Olimpic stadium and we caught bus n. 2 which led us right to Piazza del Popolo.

Bowling was so much fun! And it is definitely an activity we will propose again to the future students of the Pantheon Institute.