Chi sono–this was my waking thought on Saturday morning.  But where did this Italian phrase come from?  I didn’t know (consciously) what it meant, so after I got out of bed I looked it up.

It means, “who are they?”

The day before, I met my 11 students at the Fumincino Airport in Rome, and two vans delivered us to our Roman apartments, scattered throughout the medieval neighborhood of Trastevere.

 chi sono?  The early morning light angled into my bedroom through the heavy slats of the wooden shutters; this question, in Italian, lightly touching my waking consciousness.

Who are they?  They are 11 students from Portland, Oregon, and they materialized my dream of bringing a class to Rome, still part of this Arthurian Roman War adventure.  They came to marvel at the art, to read literature from Lucretius to Calvino, to come as writers themselves.  What is this idea and reality of Rome, the Eternal City, the magnetic center of western culture? Arthur fought his way to the gates of Rome, overpowering emperor and pope alike. Now we are within those gates.

Chi sono?

At Palatine Hill, St. Peter’s in the background.

They are Ginger, Amy G, Elizabeth, Carrie, Ken, Stephanie, John, Becki, Nate, Amy W, and Jessica.  We are joined, too, by Kathleen and Jacob.

Grateful to each of you.

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Click on the “Eternal City” tab on this page for a blog feed that will connect you to student blogs.  you can also check out their blogs directly:

Amy Guyer:  http://twoweeksinrome.wordpress.com/

Elizabeth Moscoso: http://spcgoestoroma.wordpress.com/

Carrie Padian:  http://dolcepepita.wordpress.com

Ken Schultz: priamusviator.Wordpress.com.

Amy Webber: http://vitaeccitante.wordpress.com/

Nate Wilkerson: wilkersonnate.wordpress.com

Jessica Zisa: http://avventurearoma.wordpress.com