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This term the Classics Dept and Curator joined forces to run a Baroque and Classical Culture trip to Rome for pupils from Syntax and Poetry. Eleven pupils were accompanied by Miss Parkinson, Mr Callinicos, Mrs Callinicos and Mrs Graffius, and the group was put through an intense artistic and historic marathon, involving a very great deal of pavement bashing, interspersed with coffee, shopping and  ice cream breaks.

We stayed in the Convent of St Anna run by a Carmelite order of nuns mostly from India. It was spotless and very comfortable, and provided the group with a pleasant walk each morning through the grounds of Nero’s Golden House past the Colosseum, the Forum and the Vittorio Emmanuele monument and then on to whatever activity was planned for the day. The pupils had been warned to expect a lot of walking, and they were not disappointed! We estimate that we walked on average eight miles a day, and on Sunday managed a very respectable twelve miles.

On the first day we set off at 5am, driven to Leeds Bradford by a very noble Mr Turner, and were met at Rome airport by the very efficient Stefano from the Jesuit Limousine Service (it’s not actually called that, but it was recommended by a Jesuit, and the firm provides luxurious levels of transport! Definintely a cut above the College minibus) and on checking in at the convent, we immediately set off for the Gesu to pay our respects to the mother church of the order. The pupils were given their first introduction to baroque illusionistic art and we all marvelled at the impressive ceiling which appears to have dissolved in a blaze of golden light so that you can see straight through to Heaven. Next to the Gesu are the Rooms of St Ignatius, and we crammed into the three very simply furnished bare rooms from where St Ignatius managed the expanding Society of Jesus and where he died. We stopped to say some prayers of thanksgiving for a safe journey, and then headed on to S Ignazio, where the 17^th century Jesuit artist Fr Andrea Pozzo  had painted an even more audacious optical illusion. The dome of S Ignazio from the inside looks like a lofty and beautiful classical structure, but in fact it is a flat canvas s stretched across the roof. There is no dome- they couldn’t afford one. Supper that evening was in a family run restaurant, del Palloro, where the food is lavish and arrives in seemingly endless courses. The long walk back to the convent was rather necessary.

Day Two was set aside for Ancient Rome, and Mr Callinicos introduced us to the history of the Republican Forum, and highlighted some of the remarkable sights and events of that place. We were struck by the House of the Vestals, and relived the murder of Julius Caesar and the inflammatory speech of Mark Anthony. Outside the Colosseum was a daunting queue snaking back for miles. But Mrs Graffius is an old hand at getting in to ancient monuments ahead of hapless tourists and promptly marched the group to the front announcing that we were an important party of classical scholars from a Jesuit College. Works every time. Inside the arena the important party of classical scholars tried to imagine how it must have felt to be part of a massive baying crowd watching gladiators, sea battles and animal fights. An interesting archaeological exhibition showed fragments of chicken bones and oyster shells found in the seating area- early example of a fast food culture? We moved on to the Palazzo Nuovo on the Capitoline- a beautiful palace complex designed by Michelangelo housing an extraordinary collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. It was a real privilege to see the Capitoline Venus, the Spinario, and the Dying Gaul in the flesh, as it were. The day ended with a long siesta then excellent Roman pizzas.

Saturday saw a complete change of pace as we tackled the full on blowsy, thrilling art and architecture of the Roman Baroque. Bernini’s Ecstasy of St Theresa, in all its theatrical glory, provoked a good deal of conversation and we all agreed we either loved it or hated it. We then looked at two very different architects of the period- Bernini (no escaping him in Rome) whose S Andrea al Quirinale is a sort of Ferrero Rocher assault on the senses, and his great rival Borromini whose elegant and restrained S Carlo al Quattro Fontane appeals to the intellect and won the competition hands down as far as our group was concerned. It was gratifying to see the pupils appreciate the complex, sophisticated mathematical beauty of S Carlo over the more obvious in-your-face appeal of S Andrea. An unexpected bonus was the chance to see the tiny Renaissance rooms occupied by the young Jesuit saint, Stanislas Kostka, and the room where he died, which has a marble recreation of his deathbed.

We lunched next to the inevitable Trevi Fountain and spent the afternoon eating superlative ice cream, drinking fabulous espresso in the 18^th century Caffé Greco and feeling very underdressed on the famously smart Via Condotti and the Spanish Steps. That evening we walked to the medieval Ghetto and enjoyed typical Roman Jewish cooking such as fabulous stuffed artichokes seethed in garlic and oil.

On Sunday we walked for hours, it seemed, to get to St Peters for the Sung Mass only to discover that the Pope was ordaining a vast number of African bishops and that St Peters was closed for the morning. We walked back to the Piazza Navona (more Bernini) and marvelled at the Caravaggios in S Luigi dei Francesi, and the architectural wonder of the world that is the Pantheon. After lunch, and more ice cream, the intrepid group walked back to St Peters for a late afternoon mass, and had the luxury of finding it relatively empty. This enabled us to enjoy its unique atmosphere and see Michelangelo’s Pieta without being jostled against wall to wall tourists. It was a good time to visit. Finally, very footsore, we slogged back to the convent, packed our bags and then headed out for another pizza- by popular request. The evening ended, as most of them seemed to, in the excellent gelateria opposite the convent where the pupils ate phenomenally huge and excellent ice creams.

Next morning we were met by the Jesuit Limousine Service and flew home, where the Stonyhurst Limousine Service, operated by Mr O Connor, picked us up- many thanks to him.

For a relatively short visit, the pupils managed to cram in a vast number of experiences and it is hoped that we can arrange a similar visit to Florence in future- the city of the Renaissance, and also some jolly decent ice cream shops.