Life in Rome is definitely unique. It is unlike living in any other city in the world. And when you study at John Cabot University, you will live in the heart of the Eternal City. This means you will walk where emperors once walked, and you will be surrounded by antiquity; remnants of a world from long ago. At the same time, you will explore a modern Rome--a city that still thrives on beauty and the pride of its wonderful past. Amazingly enough, you will discover all of this and more simply by walking.
Walking is an important aspect of Italian culture and life in Rome in general. And your journey at JCU in Rome will be represented by a few different forms of walking.
Site-Seeing in Centro Storico
When you first get to Rome, you will want to soak in all of the culture and see all of the main sites right away! Your first few days--and even weeks--will be spent walking...a lot. You will walk all around the Centro Storico, the historic center of the city, and see most of the main tourist attractions: the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, and more. In fact, much of this will be done during your first few days of JCU Orientation. One of these days in particular will be your Navigation 101, a day where your orientation leaders guide you and your group throughout the city, showing you major historic sites and landmarks. This day is meant to get you familiar with your new home!
Getting Acquainted With Trastevere
Once you are a little familiar with Rome as a whole, you will continue getting acquainted with your new home by walking around Trastevere, where JCU is located. Trastevere is not a huge neighborhood, but there are a lot of little streets that twist and turn, as well as many beautiful piazzas, so it may be a little bit confusing at first. You will spend time with your new friends getting used to the beautiful charm of your new urban campus. You will walk to class at Guarini and Tiber, walk to your local grocery store, and walk to your favorite coffee spot. You will find the best streets to take, the quickest routes, and the most picturesque paths. Walking around Trastevere will quickly become one of your favorite parts about your new Roman life!
Adjusting and Becoming a local
Before you know it, you will know the city like the back of your hand. Although so much walking may have been an adjustment at first, once you are at JCU for a few months, you will be well acquainted with your new lifestyle, and walking everywhere will be second nature to you. You will also quickly become accustomed to Rome's public transportation systems, but more often than not you will prefer to just walk--especially when the weather is good. You will walk to meet up with friends, walk to Via del Corso for a day of shopping, walk to the center for an afternoon brunch, walk to new neighborhoods, and more.
Passeggiata
Once you become a well-seasoned Roman, you will enjoy walking on another level. You will understand the concept of Il Dolce Far Niente, the Roman pursuit of beauty and art, and you will definitely embrace the need for the evening passeggiata (walk). The passeggiata is not walking with a particular destination in mind...it is simply walking for the enjoyment of walking. This is a leisurely stroll, usually in the evening after dinner, meant to clear your head, enjoy the sunset, socialize with family and friends, or just to soak in the beauty of the world around you.
