Daniella’s Blog from Rome, Part 4: Beyond the Bucket List
It’s great to see the places you already knew about, but can it be even better to discover the ones you didn’t.
By Daniella Dickson
Before coming to Rome, I had a list of places I couldn’t wait to see: the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Vatican. But surprisingly, the places that left the biggest impression on me weren’t the ones I had been counting down the days to visit. It was the ones that caught me off guard.
The first was San Clemente. From the outside, it looks like a beautiful medieval church. But once you step inside, you realise you’re not just visiting one building; you’re travelling through time.
What fascinated me most was descending through the different archaeological layers beneath the church. As we walked lower and lower, it genuinely felt like we were walking backwards through history. We moved from the medieval church to an even older one, and then farther into ancient Roman structures. You could feel the air becoming cooler and damper with every level.
Seeing partially buried columns, ancient walls, and traces of Roman architecture slowly transform into Christian spaces was something I had never experienced before. It made me appreciate that architecture isn’t always about replacing what came before. Sometimes it’s about allowing different periods to exist together in one place. Watching the architecture, materials, and iconography evolve as we moved through the layers was unforgettable.
The second place that surprised me was Villa d’Este.
After spending days surrounded by the energy and crowds of Rome, arriving at Villa d’Este felt like taking a deep breath. The gardens were peaceful, the fountains seemed endless, and everywhere I looked, there was another incredible view. We spent hours simply walking, sitting, and taking everything in.
What stayed with me most wasn’t just the beauty of the gardens; it was the relationship between architecture and nature. It made me think about how powerful landscape can be in shaping architecture. The vast greenery, flowing water and terraces worked together to create a space that felt calm and timeless.
If I were to return to Italy, Villa d’Este is one of the first places I’d visit again. I’d happily spend an afternoon sitting in the gardens, reading a book, sketching, or simply enjoying the scenery.
Looking back, these were the places that surprised me the most. They weren’t necessarily the sites I was most excited about before arriving in Rome, but they ended up leaving the biggest impression. They reminded me that some of the best experiences happen when you don’t know exactly what to expect.
Daniella Dickson is a third-year student in the History & Theory of Architecture program. Last summer, she traveled to Rome to take Prof. Morgan Currie’s course ARTH 3701/4701: The Eternal City.