Salvēte, omnēs! We had a very long day, but also gorgeous weather for our visit to Cumae and an amazing dinner at Add'u Mimi in (modern) Pompei, and we are full, happy, and tired. Tomorrow will we head to the archaeological site of (ancient) Pompeii, part of which is just across the street from our hotel, and then we will head to the top of Mount Vesuvius. 









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Salvēte, omnēs! We leave tomorrow for our trip, and we hope that you will check this blog while we're gone for updates and pictures! We probably won't really get started until Saturday evening, but we'll confirm here when we've made it to Naples! Below is a reminder of our travel details. Departure Students check-in at 181 Lincoln Place by 11:00am -- all suitcases can be brought to the Study Hall. We will leave for JFK (via bus) at 12pm. 3/7/19 AZ 609 JFK 4:35pm > FCO 7:10am (3/8) 3/8/19 AZ 1263 FCO 9:45am > NAP 10:35am Return We will return to 181 Lincoln Place by bus after landing at JFK on 3/17. We will post to the blog when we've landed and are boarding the bus. 3/17/19 AZ 610 FCO 2:45 pm > JFK 7:45pm Accommodations in Italy We will spend March 8th-10th in and around the Bay of Naples. While there, we will be staying at the Hotel del Sole ( http://hoteldelsolepompei.it/en/ ) in modern-day Pompei ( Via Plinio, 19; 80045 Pompei) . T...
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We first visited St. Peter’s Basilica in St. Peter’s Plaza. In the center of the plaza is an obelisk, also known as “The Witness” because it “witnessed” the crucifixion of St. Peter himself. There are multiple fountains inside the plaza that light up at night. Aside from the obelisk and the actual Basilica, there are two semicircular structures that form an embrace around the obelisk, created by our favorite sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The Basilica is also guarded by Swiss guards, whose uniform consists of colorfully striped parachute pants.  Within the Basilica, we saw sculptures of multiple figures, including Bernini’s best friend, Christina, queen of Sweden, who left her throne to convert to Catholicism and was never married. In the basement of St. Peter’s there is a crypt built to hold the remains of former religious figures, which includes former popes. It has been referred to as “The City of the Dead”.  Afterwards we visited Hadrian’s Mausoleum, which was built for ...
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Today (our last full day in Italy) we visited two different sites outside the city of Rome. The first was Hadrian's Villa. Hadrian was emperor from 117-138 CE. Calling this place a villa is like calling a mansion a little shack. It is HUGE. It is the size of a small city and completely self-sustaining. Some of the notable things inside it are a gigantic mysterious pool (Olympic size) and Hadrian’s own private island that he had constructed on his man made lake for his “me time.” The next site we visited was the Villa d’Este. This site was built by the Cardinal Ippolito d’Este in the 16th century and required the redirection of a tributary of the Tiber River to power its many large fountains. One of these spectacular fountains was a self-playing organ that was completely powered and played by water. Overall, the site not only provided many striking views but also a peaceful journey through its numerous paths. More than a full hour was given to explore the entirety of the garden whic...
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