OJCL Torch Spring Torch 2019 | Page 20

Three Awesome Sites in Italy South Gubernator Chloe Constantinides, Wyoming High School Every other year, Wyoming High School offers the Latin students a chance to go to Italy. This opportunity was amazing, and getting to see a bunch of different historical sites with all my Latin friends seemed like a dream. Italy certainly did not disappoint! Wasting my summer away working to pay for this trip was worth it. My friends and I got to see the most remarkable things, and we all agree these are the top three: #1 The Domus Aurea: The backstory of the Domus Aurea: After the great fire in AD64 there was a huge plot of empty land on the Palatine Hill. The infamous emperor at the time, Nero, decided not to help the citizens whose homes were destroyed, but to build an extravagant palace, filled with marble statues, frescos, and of course gold -hence the name- on top of ruins. After Nero’s rule, the palace was completely emptied of anything valuable and now lives under the baths of Trajan. The Domus Aurea itself is one of the most incredible places I have ever seen. It’s filled with frescos that cover a bunch of walls. The length of the building was huge! A bunch of excavating was still going on inside, but didn’t take away from the experience. The tour was really interactive, we even got to use virtual reality to see what the reconstruction of the palace would look like. This stop was by far the best. If you are going to go anywhere in Rome, the Domus Aurea is definitely a must. 20 TOP: Domus Aurea ceiling BOTTOM: Wyoming Latin in the octagonal room of the Domus Aurea