Lessons of Rome

“What is the lesson of Rome?”

This was the question that our studio professor, Lorenzo Pignatti, posed to my class at the end of the 2014 Rome term. As I attempt to unpack his question a few months after, I still struggle to find an answer. Rome, to me, was a complete whirlwind - 10 hour lectures, a summer that seemed to stretch into October, cobblestone bike rides, ridiculous traffic with little regard for driving laws, long walks along the Tiber, catching sleep on the bus between city visits, stuffing our faces with cacio e pepe, suppli, cappuccinos at San Calisto… By capturing moments on film, I attempted to remember, and to understand the lesson.

Lorenzo said that we may not understand it then, or even in the near future, but hopefully one day we will be able to revisit the experience with a certain knowledge and clarity of what we had.

An exhibition showcasing the Class of 2015’s Rome semester will be taking place July 16-18 at the BRIDGE Center for Architecture & Design. A holistic look at our time spent in Italy will be displayed, and we encourage everyone to come out and share in the memories.