Classics and PER Pupils Explore the Bay of Naples and Rome
Over half-term, pupils from The Perse Classics and Philosophy, Ethics and Religion (PER) departments travelled to Italy for a five-day trip exploring the Bay of Naples and Rome.
Mr Foster, Head of Classics, said the trip was an opportunity to bring Classics and PER to life beyond the classroom.
“Our trip to the Bay of Naples and Rome was a wonderful celebration of Classics and PER, bringing together extraordinary sites, delicious food and the pleasure of exploring new places together, for students and staff alike. From the ancient sites impacted by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE, to the ancient and modern monuments embedded in Rome itself, students were exposed to some of the best cultural experiences Italy has to offer. During moments of free time, student also managed to explore the gelaterias and shops of Sorrento and Rome which provided chances to pause and savour the experience. Our visit to St Peter’s Basilica and to the Dome, and its subsequent view of the city, were particularly memorable and the early start required was declared well worth it by all. The students were fantastic ambassadors for the School and intellectual curiosity was at the fore throughout. It was a rich and memorable trip, full of experiences to treasure and a wonderful reminder of how exciting Classics and PER can be beyond the classroom.”
Below, Year 11 pupils Isabella, Amelie and Jane take us through the trip day by day and share some of their highlights from five days in Italy.
FRIDAY
The sun (or rather, the moon) was shining on us as we gathered outside reception at 1am in the pouring rain. However, this did little to dampen our spirit, as we were headed off to Italy!
Arriving at the airport, we enjoyed some free time and some breakfast before boarding the plane. Once we arrived, the slightly warmer Italian climate and a coach greeted us. The teachers finally relented to an incessant plea for ice cream and took us to the nearest outlet shopping centre. Nobody listened to Mr Foster’s advice to save space for lunch, and mapped out the nearest gelateria. Soon after we headed to lunch, followed by an amazing afternoon at the ancient site of Herculaneum, while we participated in a guided tour. It was incredibly interesting to see the ancient ruins that had been preserved in the ash of Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 AD.
Later, we reached our first hotel, and after check-in and dinner, we fell into a much needed sleep!
SATURDAY
After a good night’s sleep, we hopped on a coach with beautiful views of the Bay of Naples as we made our way towards Mt Vesuvius. As we drove up the mountain, we soon realised that we were heading into the clouds. We walked up the steep mountain to reach the summit, 1281m above sea level, where we only caught glimpses of the view below and the massive crater due to the clouds, but we still had great fun despite the weather.
Once we got back to the coaches, we headed off to lunch and the ancient site of Pompeii. It was truly fascinating to see what ancient Roman daily life looked like. Following the tour, we made our way to dinner at a pizzeria; the food was incredible. To finish off what was already a wonderful day, we got some free time in Sorrento where of course we got some gelato, did some shopping and explored the town.
After the exciting adventures of the day, we all went back to the hotel where we went to bed, tired but happy.
SUNDAY
Early alarms and a rushed breakfast were no match for our excitement—we were officially on our way to Rome! After a comfortable three-hour coach ride, we arrived in the heart of the capital and made our way on foot to the breathtaking Colosseum. Stepping up to the historic arena, we took a step back in time as Mr Foster shared incredible stories about the arena’s construction and gladiator contests. Afterwards, we walked to the Capitoline museums and spent a few hours exploring and seeking out iconic artefacts, like the statue of the Capitoline wolf and colossal statue of Marcus Aurelius. It was amazing to see all the artefacts we had studied during lessons in real life.
The evening ended with checking in at our second hotel and a delicious dinner, along with an early night ahead of the next day’s itinerary.
MONDAY
After a good night’s sleep, we were abruptly woken up at a sharp 6:45 for a day that would unknowingly be the most tiring of all. A brisk morning walk to St Peter’s Basilica (preceded by a search for the precious few ice cream shops open at such an hour!) whiled away the sunny morning, until we were ready for our second major climb of the trip: the 136-meter dome. Satisfied by an awe-inspiring morning walking through the resplendent basilica and sharing deep discussions with Mr Craig, we ploughed onwards to our next stop of the day: The Vatican Museums!
We spent a fascinating afternoon at the Vatican Museums, speeding through the seemingly endless treasure trove of art and culture, including the Gallery of Maps and the Sistine Chapel, as well as an especially relevant spot of Laocoon and His Sons! Beginning to get fatigued, we headed over to Miss Hagan’s favourite, the Ara Pacis, and spent a little while there until it was time to head to the Pantheon – a stunningly preserved temple-turned-Catholic-Church renowned for having the world’s largest unsupported circular dome.
After a much-needed break, we were given some free time to wander the surrounding areas for gift shopping and sightseeing, before finally heading to a delicious dinner. We plodded wearily back to our hotels, exhausted but content.
TUESDAY
Tuesday began on a coach once more as we headed to explore the underground passageways of the San Callisto Catacombs, the oldest and most significant underground Christian cemetery from the 3rd century AD in Rome. Swiftly afterwards, we headed to the ancient port-town of Ostia for lunch before exploring the ancient ruins of Ostia Antica, delighting in the remarkably preserved ruins.
With our luggage packed onto the coach, we began our journey to the airport for our flight home. A long day of travel finally ended with a midnight arrival back at school – tired from the journey, but with unforgettable memories from a brilliant Classics and PER trip.
A huge thank you to the teachers who organised and led such a fantastic experience!