Italy | Greenwich High School Shapers of the World: Pompeii, Florence, and Rome

Depart Greenwich High School for a coach transfer to New York JFK. Depart New York JFK to Rome Fiumicino FCO on Alitalia, overnight flight 609.

Upon arrival Fiumicino Airport outside Rome, a representative will be waiting in the baggage area to escort the group to the coach. We transfer by coach into the Campania region. En route to Cumae, we will stop at an autogrill for coffee and a snack. Once we arrive in Cumae, we stop at a local restaurant for lunch. We begin our exploration of Italy with an expert-led visit to the first ancient Greek colony on the mainland of Italy: Cumae. Founded in the 8th Century BCE, Cumae thrived as a Greek colony for nearly four hundred years until it came under Roman authority in the 4th Century BCE. While still successful under Roman rule, Cumae was ultimately abandoned due to encroaching marshes. During the late 19th Century, the ruins were excavated and explored. Following our visit, we then travel by motor coach to near Baia Archeological Park, minutes south of the ruins of Cumae. Due to volcanic and seismic activity throughout the ages, by the 8th Century CE most of the lower portions of Baia sunk into what is today referred to as the Gulf of Pozzuoli. On land, we can observe the remnants of temples dedicated to Diana, Mercury, and Venus as well as ruins of villas belonging to prominent families. To explore the sunken lower part of Baia, we board a special glass-bottom vessel to observe mosaics, statues, baths, and marble floors 15-45 feet beneath us. A short coach ride takes us to Pompeii, where we check into our hotel and freshen up. We then gather in the meeting room for an Orientation session. The Group Leaders will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Enjoy dinner at a restaurant near our hotel in Pompeii.

Breakfast buffet will be served in the hotel dining room. From our hotel, we will walk to Pompeii for an expert-led exploration of this city frozen in time. Pompeii was a vibrant city when Mount Vesuvius erupted with such disastrous consequences on August 24, 79 CE. It was not rediscovered until the late 16th Century. The first systematic excavations began in 1738 and have continued to the present day. The archaeological site covers more than 163 acres, and about 121 acres have been excavated. We will walk into the amphitheater, see where gladiators trained, walk down Via Abbondanza, the main street, and observe 1st-century political graffiti. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant just outside the park in Pompeii. Following lunch, we will board a motorcoach to Naples for an expert-led exploration of the Archaeological Museum that houses treasures and artifacts found in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Highlights include the famed Alexander Mosaic, Flora and Fauna, and the Farnese Bull. After our visit, we board the motorcoach and head into the historic heart of Naples where we have some free time to walk around the Galleria Umberto I as well as see the historic Teatro San Carlo opera house and Castel Nuovo, a medieval castle constructed in the 13th century. At the Group Leaders' appointed time and place, we will meet to walk together to dinner in Naples. We will return to our hotel in Pompeii by motorcoach after our meal.

This morning we'll set out for Napoli Afragola, the main high-speed train station outside the city center, and board a high-speed train for our next program site. In the afternoon, we will be joined in the hotel meeting room by an art historian who will provide an overview of medieval and Renaissance art in preparation for our field trips to the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia. From our hotel, we will walk to the Accademia for a lecture on one of the most famous statues in the world, Michelangelo's David. We will then have time for independent exploration in the Accademia that includes works by other great sculptors and artists - many of which were collected by the Medici and donated to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany - and a Museum of Musical Instruments.

Breakfast buffet will be served in the hotel dining room. We will travel by motorcoach with a local expert on a field trip to a workshop and quarries above the town of Carrara where we will see the massive machinery used to extract the marble and learn how excavation has changed with mechanized equipment. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant in the heart of Carrara. After our lunch, we travel to Pisa by coach. Upon arrival, we take a short walk to the Piazza dei Miracoli, also known as Piazza del Duomo, which houses the city's famous Duomo, Baptistery, and (Leaning) Bell Tower. The lacy white marble tiers of the buildings contrast with the wide green lawns, which is unusual for a city cathedral. Until the port of Pisa silted up, the city was a strong maritime republic (along with Genoa, Amalfi, and Venice) and the wealth of the city is demonstrated by the civic and religious pride the inhabitants had by funding such a grandiose construction. In the late afternoon, we return by train to Florence where we will have dinner on our own.

Breakfast buffet will be served in the hotel dining room. We will walk to the reserved entrance of the Uffizi Gallery for our self-directed field trip. You are free to see what interests you most and spend as much time as you wish. This is the most extensive collection of Renaissance art in the world, tracing the development from Gothic to medieval to Renaissance to Mannerist paintings as well as architecture and sculpture. You will find many recognizable masterpieces, including Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation, Botticelli's Primavera and Birth of Venus, some Titians, Michelangelo's Holy Family, and a few Caravaggios as well as Artemisia Gentileschi. There is a coffee bar at the end of the second corridor, on top of the Loggia, with a wonderful view of the watch tower and Duomo where you can get a refreshment and rest. Lunch is on your own to enjoy what you like in Florence. The Group Leaders will let you know the appointed time and place to meet for our visit of the Palazzo Vecchio, seat of Florentine government from the Middle Ages thru to today. During our expert-led visit of this medieval structure, we will learn about the powerful Medici family rulers, political strategist Niccolò Machiavelli, and 16th-century artist Giorgio Vasari who decorated the walls of the Hall of the 500. After our visit, we head out on foot to San Miniato al Monte, perched above the city of Florence in the Oltrarno neighborhood. This 11th-century basilica is still a functioning Olivetan monastery, renowned for its magnificent façade and exceptional mosaics. Heading back down the hill into Florence, we walk to a local restaurant for dinner.

In the morning, we drive south of Florence to the famed medieval hilltop city of San Gimignano. An original Etruscan town, this town retains much of its medieval aspect. A short ride a few miles outside of town brings us to an agriturismo (organic farm) where you can visit the farm and cellars. The host explains the production of extra virgin olive oil, wine, saffron, and the characteristics of Chianina cattle. Upon arrival in Siena, we will meet for an expert-led city orientation walk that will end up in the Piazza del Campo. The perimeter of the wide square is the site where the famed Palio horse race takes place in July and August. After, we will continue to the Palazzo Pubblico, still serving today as the town hall. One of the rooms contains an important fresco cycle depicting the Allegory of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti and a fresco of Guidoriccio da Fogliano on horseback. From Siena, we board our otorcoach and continue our drive south toward Rome.

After breakfast, we gather in the hotel meeting room where we are joined by a history professor who will begin to unravel the multiple layers of Roman history and set the stage for our days of exploration. We will then travel to the Roman Forum where a local expert will spur our imagination to envision the buildings now in ruin. The field trip will continue to the Colosseum where we will hear some interesting anecdotes about Roman entertainment so many centuries ago. This afternoon a local expert will lead our walking field trip to three landmarks in the heart of Rome: Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and the Baroque Trevi Fountain. The Pantheon is the best-preserved monument from ancient Rome. We will explore the interior with a local expert. Next, we visit the Fontana di Trevi, the largest in the city and one of the most beautiful. We will end our walk in Piazza Navona where we will learn how the long oval piazza was built by Emperor Domitian (81-96 CE) for track and field games.

Breakfast buffet will be served in the hotel dining room. Our local expert will meet us at the hotel for a walk across the Tiber to visit the exteriors of St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square, and the Castel Sant'Angelo, learning about the history of the Vatican and its role in the history of Rome from its founding to the present. We will stop for lunch at a restaurant near our hotel in Rome. We board coaches or vans to head toward Roma Termini from where we will walk to the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme for an expert-led visit of this museum housed in a 19th-century residence. The spacious, light filled exhibition spaces hold a fine collection of ancient Roman art. Notable are the bronze Boxer at Rest and frescoes from the dining room of Villa di Livia where Caesar Augustus' (Octavian) wife resided. We gather one final time for our farewell dinner at a restaurant near our hotel in Rome.

Depart Rome Fiumicino FCO to New York JFK on Alitalia flight 608. Depart New York JFK for a coach transfer to Greenwich High School.