During the Easter break, Classics pupils from the lower fifth through to the upper sixth went to Italy. After a very early start (4.30!), we arrived in sunny Naples to a pizza and some incredible
mosaics, paintings and sculptures in the Archaeological Museum. On the second day, we went to Pompeii, where we only just missed the Pope, who was also visiting the site. Here we could really engage with Roman life, seeing their public temples and theatres as well as more private areas, such as their houses, fast-food restaurants and brothels.
On the third day we travelled along the famous Amalfi Coast to Amalfi itself and then on to Paestum. Here, we marvelled at three incredibly well preserved Greek
temples and a museum that housed painted tombs, depicting divers, men at a symposium and gladiators. On our last day at the bay of Naples, we went to Herculaneum, another city destroyed by Vesuvius. This was even more fascinating as it preserved second storey buildings! After another pizza/pasta lunch, we climbed up Mount Vesuvius, the destructive, still active volcano. This gave us unforgettable views both of the Bay of Naples and the volcano itself.
We spent the last two days in Rome. We did a wonderful walking tour of Rome’s ancient sites on day five of the trip. Enjoying glorious sunshine, we visited the Ara Pacis, the Pantheon, the Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum. We could now start to compare the provincial Roman towns we had been admiring so far, with the
capital and heart of the Roman Empire and gain insight into imperial life. On the final day, we saw the famous Fontana di Trevi (unfortunately under restoration!), incredible Christian and pagan catacombs and Ostia. Slightly sullied by the rain on this final day, we still managed to enjoy these sites and bask in the glory of the ancient world.
Athina Mitropoulos
Head of Classics
