Ariccia

       On November 1st, All Saint's Day, most of Rome closes down as it's a national holiday.  Thus, since none of us had to work, my Italian school organized a "field trip" to Ariccia, a cute town about 30 minutes outside of Rome. Ariccia is famous for its porchetta, pork that is slowly roasted with herbs and wild fennel. According to Wikipedia, it was also famous in Roman and pre-Roman mythology due to its connection to goddess Diana and god Vibius. No clue who they are.
      Before we feasted, our group toured the Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia. This palace was designed by Bernini at the request of Pope Alexander VII (1655-1667) and was designed to emphasize the Roman Baroque style. This palace became the primary residence for the Chigi family. The palace contains original, unaltered furnishings and houses an art history library. It also contains a number of paintings. The collections that stand out in my mind the most were, "The Room of Beauties," which is lined with paintings of the loveliest ladies of the day and the "Nun's Gallery," featuring the nuns from the Chigi family. I wasn't able to take pictures inside the palace but found some online: http://www.palazzochigiariccia.it/english/palace/visit-nobile.htm
    Now, the food. It was an amazing feast. Our Italian teachers ordered everything. We got cheese, porchetta, other meats, bread, bruschetta, marinated vegetables and wine. It was SOO good!