University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Gophers in Italy: Days 2-3
8/11/2018 9:20:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FLORENCE – The Minnesota women's basketball team wrapped up its time in Rome Saturday morning, but not before seeing two more famous landmarks the city had to offer and winning its inaugural game of the trip.
After using day one in Rome to get acclimated to the new city and time zone, day two began in earnest Friday morning with a visit to Vatican City. The team began its tour around 8:45 a.m. with a local guide to inform along the way.
The team made its way through the Pigna Courtyard where Palma Kaposi got to spin the large art piece in the middle of the courtyard, Pomodoro's Sphere Within Sphere. From there, the team was led to a series of panels depicting what was to be seen in the Sistine Chapel. No pictures are allowed to be taken in the chapel, so it was necessary for the tour guide to explain what everyone would see since she wouldn't be able to explain it later when everyone was there.
Sphere Within Sphere inside Vatican City
A series of long hallways led the way to the Sistine Chapel. Statues, tapestries and other art pieces lined the hallways, while the ceilings featured intricate designs and images. The final exhibit before reaching the chapel was the Gallery of Maps, which featured large paintings of various regions of Italy along both sides of the hallway. From there, a staircase led down to the Sistine Chapel, with a reminder not to take pictures or talk as it was considered a holy site.
Gallery of Maps
After spending about 15 minutes inside the chapel, the penultimate stop brought the group to Saint Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world. The team then exited to Saint Peter's Square for a group photo before heading to the gift shop for anyone that wanted to buy a souvenir.
Saint Peter's Basilica
The rest of Friday featured the team's victory over Deep 3 Select, as well as free time.
On the final day in Rome, the team visited the Colosseum Saturday morning. Joined by Thursday's guide, Falvia, the team first gathered at the Arch of Constantine before entering the Colosseum. After a brief but informative tour, everyone was allowed to take some free time to explore the site on their own, take pictures and visit the gift shop.
Outside Arch of Constantine and Roman Colosseum
The team then departed Rome and headed north for Florence, arriving Saturday afternoon. The Gophers will stay there until Tuesday morning, playing their second game of the trip on Sunday night.
