School Trips to Italy

The famous Roman ruins at Pompeii give a fascinating glimpse into Roman life. In AD 79 the fury of Vesuvius was unleashed upon this prosperous city, killing many of its inhabitants and burying it under a thick layer of pumice and ash. Today, the excavations reveal the ruins of the city’s amphitheatres, forum, baths, streets and many splendid houses, some with their elaborate frescoes still visible. One of these mosaic frescoes famously bears the Latin phrase ‘Cave Canem’ meaning ‘Beware of the Dog’, reminding us that these were people like ourselves whose lives were ordinary until the cataclysmic eruption.

Situated adjacent to St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums display a vast collection of Roman and Greek artefacts and statuary as well as some of the most important art of the Renaissance. Among the highlights is the Map Room, a vaulted corridor with an array of painted maps showing the Papacy’s reach throughout Catholic Europe. The tour culminates at the Sistine Chapel whose incredible roof was painted by Michelangelo.

The fascinating Naples Underground City is a labyrinth of tunnels and subterranean rooms which in some cases date back thousands of years. The tunnels were originally excavated by the ancient Greeks as a water storage system, and you can still see reservoirs holding water. In the twentieth century they were used as bomb shelters during WW2.

Rome’s most famous monument needs little introduction.  The huge amphitheatre which staged gladiatorial combat was built during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian and later enlarged by Domitian.  The exterior is built of travertine marble while the interior comprises a rough volcanic rock.  At its height the Colosseum could seat 50, 000 spectators who would have watched hand to hand combat, gladiators fighting wild animals, and re-enactments of famous battles.  With the Fall of the Roman Empire, the Colosseum fell into disuse and for over a millennia was stripped of its more valuable stone. Only within the past century have efforts been made to preserve and conserve its structure.

Located in the Palazzo delle Belle Arti, the National Gallery of Modern Art was founded in 1883 to represent the national art of the newly unified Italian State. It displays a wide range of artworks created between the late 19th century and the second half of the 20th century and is the only national state museum in Italy that is dedicated to modern and contemporary art.

Our guided walking tour begins at the iconic Rialto Bridge which spans the Grand Canal. The next stop is St. Mark’s Basilica and Square where musical bands play, and cafés spill out onto the piazza. You continue to the Doge’s Palace, famous for its gilded ceilings and paintings by Veronese, Titian, and Tintoretto. The tour ends at the Bridge of Sighs from which prisoners took their last look at Venice and sighed.

The Doge’s Palace is one of the most famous buildings in Venice. Situated on the Piazza San Marco, the palace was the seat of power for the Doge – the ruler of Venice – and the mighty Venetian Republic. Built in the Venetian gothic style the Palace is famous for its gilded ceilings and opulent apartments, decorated with works of art by Veronese, Titian, Bellini and Tintoretto. The Doge's Palace also contained the prisons, some of which were accessed via one of Venice's most famous bridges, the Bridge of Sighs.

Pisa is just an hour from Florence and is an essential visit. The Leaning Tower is situated in the central Piazza dei Miracoli. Work began in the twelfth century to construct a bell tower for the Romanesque Cathedral of Pisa but almost immediately the tower began to tilt due to the soft ground and inadequate foundations. Climbing the tower via its 296 angled steps is a unique experience and there are outstanding views from the top.