Not “Just Another Dead Guy” | Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy

I hear names and titles like Julius Caesar and the Colosseum in almost every history class. I always rolled my eyes and tried to stay awake as we learned about “just another dead guy”. The Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy trip has completely changed the way I view history and I could not be more excited to make that statement. To walk down the same street that Caesar and some of the most influential people in history have walked down is surreal! To stand in the Colosseum and see how they built such a massive structure with their bare hands and with no mortar to hold the large stones together was bizarre. Trap doors and secret passageways underneath the stage using a pulley system to raise large animals and gladiators, both ready to surprise the enemy above, were engineering masterpieces. It is amazing to stand in front of Michelangelo and Bernini paintings, structures, and sculptures that were once a blank canvas or block of marble and see first hand why they are world renown. There is something about being here and seeing these magnificent works of art that no picture in a history book could ever do justice. There are details on every column and a family crest embedded in every building that I would have never seen or learned about had I not gone on this adventure. With family coming in a few weeks, I have already started making a list of things that they have to see while in Italy because there is so much that remians when Roman civilization is studied. This trip has already been so amazing and I have learned so much! I cannot wait to show off my new knowledge and the place I get to call home for the next three months to my family and social media followers. To say least, the first week and a half have been nothing short of incredible! I look forward to the upcoming weeks and the adventures to be had!
Ame McGraw

This photo os from the inside of the Colosseum. This shot shows the passageways and trap doors that were under the stage. It also shows where stadium seats once were for the noblemen (across the floor and to the left).

This photo is from the inside of the Colosseum. This shot shows the passageways and trap doors that were under the stage. It also shows where stadium seats once were for the noblemen (across the floor and to the left).