Download Booklet for Italy 2017 - The Mountbatten School

THE MOUNTBATTEN SCHOOL
Tour di Roma, Sorrento, Pompeii e Monte Vesuvio
25-31 Maggio 2017
Il Capo di Gruppo: Mr Cox
Vice Capitone: Mr Gentle
Assistente Capo: Miss Morgan, Mrs Willis
Nome dello studente:
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Welcome to our tour of Rome, Sorrento, Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. You can expect to have an amazing
time, see fantastic sights, experience the excitement of travel, take in the history and culture of a very special
place, and make some great new friends.
Emperor Vespasian’s Colosseum, AD 70
LUGGAGE AND FLYING
We fly with British Airways from Gatwick. On both flights you can take a bag for cabin luggage and your
suitcase will go in the hold.
Remember to pack liquids - including toothpaste and creams - in your hold luggage as this makes life easier.
You can take bottles of 100ml or less onto the plane, but they must be in see-through plastic bags and
security will check them. They will make you throw away any larger containers including drinks.
You must pack tweezers, scissors, or anything that is potentially a ‘weapon’ in your hold luggage.
You can take a cabin bag up to the dimensions of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm, including the handle, pockets and
wheels. The bag must fit into the bag gauge available at the check-in area. Most students just take a
rucksack/shopping sized bag. Please check website if unsure. Hold luggage is 23kg. The maximum
dimensions of the bag are 90cm 75cm x 43cm, including the handle, pockets and wheels. Any weight over
will be charged to the student.
Cabin luggage
Hold luggage
Website link for British Airways: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/baggag/public/en_gb
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A 1930s model of ancient Rome around AD 100. Note the imperial palace overlooking the Circus Maximus chariot-racing stadium to the left, the
red brick aqueduct, the Roman Forum top left of the Colosseum, and the nearby gladiator training complex
WHAT TO PACK
Money
You will need around €150 euros and a small amount of pounds for the drinks at the airport. You will want to keep money for
the final few days, including an evening meal on the last day. Please ensure you have a very safe wallet/hip bag. You will be
responsible for your own money, and buying snacks/lunch and drinks at meals.
Passport
You will not get on the coach without your passport and EHIC card.
Water bottle
It will be hot; you will need a water bottle to re-fill, or need to buy water regularly.
Mobile Phones
A mobile phone is useful but please remember to turn internet roaming off!
Continental adapter
You will need this for any electrical appliances.
Valuables
Pick pockets will pounce on tourists. Treat your possessions as uninsured and look after them carefully!
Medicines and Toiletries
You are responsible for providing inhalers and painkillers. Please label name clearly. Take plenty of high factor sun cream.
Clothing & Shoes
It will be hot and you will need a shower in the evening. To save taking two outfits for each day, change for dinner, then keep
these clothes for the following day. Bring a light coat in case of showers. Girls will need to cover heads/shoulders in churches.
There will be a lot of walking. High heels and flipflops will be no good for climbing to the top of St Peter’s.
Swimming Pool clothing
You should bring a towel, swimming costume and a swimming hat for the pool (some hotels require this).
Guide books
The DK Eyewitness book on Italy is great; buy a used one on eBay for a few pounds.
Rucksack
A light rucksack is essential for the excursions. Use this as plane hand luggage.
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TRAVEL DETAILS & EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBER
Flight Times & Pick Up Times
BA 0546
BA 2611
London Heathrow to Rome Fimicino, departing 10:45, arriving 14:20 on 25 May 2017
Naples to London Gatwick, departing 21:05 arriving 22:50 on 31 May 2017
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05:30
08:30
10:45
14:20
Meet at school, ready to depart at 05:45 – passports in hand luggage, not in hold luggage
Check in at Heathrow
Depart BA 0546
Arrive at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Rome
Return flight BA 2611 is scheduled to land at 22.50. We expect to be in school by 1.00 on morning of Thursday 1 June.
Parents: please check planes are on time online and add 2 hours to return to school. Students will phone you once we are on
the coach with an estimated arrival time. Symphony Coaches are the transfer in the UK.
Emergency contact numbers in Italy:
07572 464069
07947 891549
ACCOMMODATION
Rome – Hotel Pacific
Viale Medaglie d’Oro, 51 Roma, 00136, Italia, Tel: 39 063 9732072
Sorrento – Hotel Giosuè a Mare
Via A Caruso, Meta, Napoli, 80062, Italia, Tel: 39 081 8786685
Interior of the Pantheon in Rome, 27 BC
Alexander the Great, detail of mosaic at Pompeii
Below: Palatine Hill with Imperial Palace (background) and Circus Maximus (foreground)
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Itinerary
Thursday 25 May
Friday 26 May
Saturday 27 May
Sunday 28 May
Monday 29 May
Tuesday 30 May
Wednesday 31 May
Morning departure. 3.45pm arrive at hotel. Walk
to central Rome for some of the sights including the
Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Trevi Fountain.
8.30am arrival at Vatican Museum. Lunch, then visit
to St Peter’s, climb Michelangelo’s Dome (€5 extra).
9.15am arrival at Castel San Angelo followed by walk
to Colosseum for a visit at 3.30pm then Roman
Forum. Night walk to market stalls of Trastevere
along River Tiber.
Central Rome to see the Wedding Cake, Trajan’s
Market and Capitoline Museums.
Coach to Sorrento, stopping en route at Monte
Cassino.
Full day visiting Mount Vesuvius and from 2.30pm,
Pompeii
Early lunch in Santa Maria Capua Vetere followed by
excursion to Royal Palace at Caserta. Fly home.
Emperor Augustus, AD 1st Century
Food & Dining
Breakfast
We will break our fast in the hotels – normally self-service – rolls, jam, juice, coffee etc.
Lunch
You will be given the opportunity to visit cafes or buy food and drink from stalls. Do be adventurous at
lunchtime, as evening meals tend to be reasonably simple as the hotel is catering for all tastes. You can also
buy food before we go out each morning from a nearby supermarket, which can be cheaper.
Evening Meal
All students will be expected to sit down and eat together and not leave the table until given permission to
do so. At restaurants you should dress appropriately. You will probably want a snack at Naples airport.
There is usually a big first course of pasta, then a smaller main course and a simple dessert. Do try as many
types of food as possible; it is part of the experience of going abroad. Only water is supplied at mealtimes.
There will be a charge if you would like an alternative drink.
The Roman Forum
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Café Culture
Traditionally, Italians drink cappuccino (plural = cappucini) in the mornings only. They like their coffee strong
(favourite brand – Lavazza) and enjoy espresso or even espresso doppio (a double shot of espresso). You
may prefer your coffee milky (café latte), with a dash of milk (macchiato) or a black filter coffee (Americano
or café lungho). Do not simply order a latte as you might in Starbucks – they will give you a glass of cold
milk. Cioccolatte caldo is hot chocolate. ‘The’ (pronounced ‘tay’) is tea. It is most likely to be served without
milk unless the waiter knows that you are English and will generally be undrinkable.
The Mountbatten School
Visits Code of Conduct
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Remember to be polite and cooperative at all times, whether dealing with each other, members of staff or
members of the public. You are representing your school.
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Listen carefully to all instructions and act on them.
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Punctuality is important. Always report at the time and place agreed with members of staff.
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Never go anywhere without clear permission from a member of staff. Always go in groups of at least three,
never alone.
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Treat others and their property with respect. Ensure hotel rooms or accommodation is kept and left tidy.
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Report all incidents or breakages to a member of staff immediately.
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Quiet and lights out at the agreed time.
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Coaches are to be kept tidy, no litter or chewing gum.
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No smoking and no alcohol. These and any other prohibited item must not be purchased to be brought back
e.g. fireworks, penknives or laser pens.
Failure to follow this code of conduct will result in sanctions being applied:
Minor incidents will be dealt with on the visit by the member of staff with responsibility for behaviour. Sanctions may
be a verbal reprimand or loss of free time.
Serious incidents will be dealt with on the return to school and could result in a ban from further visits.
In the unlikely event of a student committing gross misconduct the student will be sent home from the visit early at
the expense of the parent.
Signed (Student name):_________________________ Date: _____________
The Roman Forum in Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background
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RULES FOR SWIMMING
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No student may enter the pool area without the permission of a teacher.
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Any student in the pool must be able to swim a minimum of 25 metres.
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There must be no running on the pool-side.
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Bombing, diving and rough play is forbidden.
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The whistle (or agreed signal) means stop, look and listen. It must be obeyed instantly.
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Three whistles means evacuate the pool.
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Spectacles, if worn in the water, must have unbreakable lenses and suitably secured.
If we are able to swim in the sea you cannot swim past the point marked by the teachers, and obey all
instructions from the lifeguards.
USEFUL INFORMATION
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Roads can be very dangerous and traffic is on the left. Take great care.
The Police are not always as helpful as in the U.K. They can be very unpleasant if you get on the
wrong side of them, so be polite at all times
You will be able to change money but will have to pay commission. You can also use the ATMs. Best
to take your money with you from England.
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Pickpockets are just as keen to exploit the unsuspecting tourist as they are in London. Take care in
any crowded area that your wallet, or purse is not visible; the closer it is to your body the better.
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The quality of toilets can vary greatly. Try to use the toilets in galleries and the hotel.
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Once in your hotel room, ensure that you make yourself aware of fire notices and exit routes.
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Take care when paying in shops – have a friend with you and hold up the note, especially a large
denomination one, and say how much it is.
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Do not buy anything from street vendors and never agree to a portrait painting, hair braiding etc.
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Make sure you have plenty to drink – carry a bottle of water with you.
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Pack your bag/rucksack carefully each morning, with water, sun cream, etc. This is your responsibility,
as are things like putting on sun cream, making your money last, etc.
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You are part of a group, and that can be a pain as well as a pleasure. There can be long queues, some
waiting, and you may not be able to put your own needs first.
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The Colosseum
The most spectacular remaining edifice of ancient Rome, the Colosseum has a history that is half gore, half
glory. Here, before 50,000 spectators, gladiators would salute the emperor and cry ‘Ave, imperator, morituri
te salutant’ (‘Hail, emperor, men soon to die salute thee’); it is said that when one day they heard the emperor
Claudius respond, "or maybe not," they became so offended that they called a strike.
Designed by order of the Flavian emperor Vespasian in AD 72, the Colosseum was inaugurated by emperor
Titus eight years later with a program of games lasting 100 days. The arena has a circumference of 573 yards
and was faced with travertine from nearby Tivoli. Its construction was a remarkable feat of engineering, for
it stands on marshy terrain reclaimed by draining an artificial lake on the grounds of Nero's Domus Aurea.
Originally known as the ‘Flavian Amphitheatre’, it came to be called the Colosseum because it stood on the
site of the Colossus of Nero, a 115-foot-tall gilded bronze statue of the emperor that once towered here.
Inside, senators had marble seats up front and the Vestal Virgins took the ringside position, while the plebs
sat in wooden tiers at the back, then the masses above on the top tier. Over all was the amazing velarium,
an ingenious system of sail-like awnings rigged on ropes and maneouvered by sailors from the imperial fleet,
who would unfurl them to protect the arena's occupants from sun or rain.
Once inside, take the steep stairs or elevator up to the second floor, where you can get a bird's-eye view of
the hypogeum: the subterranean passageways that were the architectural engine rooms that made the
slaughter above proceed like clockwork. In a scene pre-figuring something from Dante's Inferno, hundreds
of beasts would wait to be eventually launched via a series of slave-powered hoists and lifts into the
bloodthirsty sand of the arena above. Legend has it that as long as the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand;
and when Rome falls, so will the world. Not that the prophecy deterred Renaissance princes (and even a
pope) from using the Colosseum as a quarry. In the 19th century, poets came to view the arena by moonlight;
today, mellow golden spotlights make the arena a spectacular sight.
Although the Colosseum had 80 entrances, it only had one exit which was named after the Roman goddess
of death—the Porta Libitinaria—which was how dead gladiators were trundled out of the arena. Historians
state that most of these warriors did survive to fight another day. If the die was cast, however, the rule was
a victorious gladiator was the person to decide to take his opponent's life. He was often spurred on by the
audience and the emperor’s up or downturned thumb.
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The Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is one of the most popular sights in Rome. It was once the centre of the mighty and extensive
Roman Empire – it was from the buildings that once stood in this area that the Empire was planned, achieved, and
governed. Walking the cobbled streets is like walking through time – you can still see the ruts made by chariot wheels.
Even the funeral of Caesar took place in this space. These few acres hold more history than most cities. Many buildings
can be dated precisely due to names or dates on their pediments. The main points of interest in the Forum are:
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Temple of Saturn – the oldest survivor, built around 500 BC
Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine – dates from 308 AD; the
largest building in the Forum
Temple of Venus and Roma – built in 135 AD.
Temple of Julius Caesar – dates from 42 BC
Temple of Vesta – built in 3rd century BC
House of the Vestal Virgins – built 6th century BC
Curia Julia (Roman Senate) – built in 44 BC
Temple of Antonius and Faustina – built 141 AD
Arch of Septimius Severus – dedicated in 203 AD
Umbilicus Urbis – from which the distance to all points in the
Empire were measured; after all, all roads led to Rome.
The Curia Julia, which is where the Senate met, remains largely intact. Built
in 44 BC, you can go up to the door and look at the marble mosaic floor
and know that Roman Senators walked on those intricate designs 2,000
years ago. Unfortunately, the jumble of rocks and half-columns can be
confusing; the following images give an idea of what the Forum was like.
Digital reconstructions of the Temple of Caesar, the of Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, and the Curia Julia
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A Visit to the Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums have something that no other great museum can offer: the great frescos of
Michelangelo and Raphael that are part of the history of the buildings and the papacy itself. Few visitors to
the Vatican Museums come away unmoved by what they see - especially in the Sistine Chapel. The sheer
scale of Michelangelo's ambition and achievement (he painted more than 600 figures in all), the coherence of
the compositions and the consistency of the artistic quality is heart-stopping. And just as interesting, several
of the works from classical antiquity - the Belvedere Apollo and Torso, for example - are the originals that
inspired the Renaissance artists. In addition to Michelangelo’s fresoes in the Sistine Chapel, there are other
works of art from ancient antiquity and the Renaissance that make the Vatican Museums unique.
Aldo-Brandini Wedding Fresco
This is an exceptionally rare and beautiful example of an original Roman fresco, found in the 1800s.
Apollo Belvedere and Torso Belvedere
Here are two very important statues from ancient antiquity. The statue of Apollo is a Roman copy of a
Greek bronze. It is one of the most influential antiquities among Renaissance artists, and considered a
supreme example of classical sculpture. For centuries it was the most admired sculpture in existence. The
Belvedere Torso is a battered fragment of a twisting, muscular male torso (probably Hercules, because of
the lion skin he sits on). It dates from the first century BC and was hugely influential during the Renaissance,
especially for Michelangelo - note the similar pose of Christ in the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel.
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Perseus
Opposite Apollo is Canova’s depiction of a triumphant Perseus
with the head of Medusa. Sculpted in 1800, it shows the
tremendous and enduring influence of the statues of antiquity.
Laocoön
This extraordinary statue dates from ancient antiquity and is at
least 2,000 years old. It depicts the agonizing death of the Trojan
priest Laocoön and his sons who were killed by serpents sent by
Athena. Displayed in the Imperial palace of Emperor Titus in the
1st century AD, it was rediscovered in 1506 and identified by
Michelangelo, who restored a missing arm. The original arm was
found in 1905 and reattached in 1957. It is thought to be the very
statue displayed in the Palace of Emperor Titus praised in the
highest terms by the main Roman writer on art, Pliny the Elder.
The group is ‘the prototypical icon of human agony’ in Western
art, and unlike the agony often depicted in Christian art, this
suffering has no redemptive power or reward. The suffering is
shown through the contorted expressions of the faces which are
matched by the struggling bodies, especially that of Laocoön
himself, with every part of his body straining.
Raphael Rooms
These are a suite of four rooms decorated by Raphael. The
project to cover the ceilings and walls of four of the Pope's private
apartments took him twice as long as Michelangelo's work on the
Sistine ceiling (they started at the same time) and Raphael had
help from assistants. Perhaps the greatest is the Room of the
Segnatura, which includes The School of Athens, a homage to the
scientific achievements of classical Greece in which Raphael gives
Plato the face of Leonardo da Vinci.
Bronze Pine Cone
Almost four metres high, this bronze stood near the Pantheon
next to the Temple of Isis. It was moved to the courtyard of the
Old St. Peter's Basilica during the Middle Ages and then moved
again, in 1608, to its present location.
The Double Helix Staircase
Designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932 this impressive double
helix, staircase allows people to ascend without meeting people
descending; the main purpose being to allow uninterrupted traffic
in each direction. It encircles the outer wall of a stairwell of
approximately fifteen meters wide and with a clear space at the
centre. The balustrade around the ramp is of ornately worked
metal. The staircase is located at the end of the museum visit and
we will leave by this route.
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The Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is one of mankind’s greatest
achievements. It is here that the Conclave of Cardinals
secretly elect a new Pope. The Chapel is a high
rectangular building. Its measurements are those of the
Temple of Solomon, as given in the Old Testament, about
25m long and 15m wide. The ceiling is painted by the
master of all masters: Michelangelo. In the middle of the
ceiling is The Creation of Adam where God is touching the
finger of Man. The frescoes on the ceiling were painted
when Michelangelo was just 33 years old. Michelangelo
came back in his sixties and painted The Last Judgment on
the wall behind the altar.
While in his 30s, Michelangelo was commanded by Pope
Julius II to stop work on the Pope's own tomb and to
devote his considerable talents to painting the ceiling.
Michelangelo laboured for 4 years (1508-12) over this epic
project. It was so physically taxing that it permanently
damaged his eyesight. All during the task, he had to
contend with the Pope's incessant urgings to hurry up. It
is ironic that a project undertaken against the artist's
wishes would form his most enduring legend. Glorifying
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the human body as only a sculptor could, Michelangelo painted nine panels, taken from the pages of Genesis,
and surrounded them with prophets and sibyls. The most notable panels detail the expulsion of Adam and
Eve from the Garden of Eden and the creation of man. Thirty years later, Michelangelo returned from
Florence and began the masterly The Last Judgment. Here, Michelangelo presents a more jaundiced view of
people and their fate; Christ sits in judgment and sinners are plunged into the mouth of hell. On the side
walls are frescoes by other Renaissance masters, such as Botticelli.
The Ceiling has four components. These are the central spine depicting nine scenes from the Book of
Genesis. On the sides are the prophets and sibyls. In between are the lunettes and spandrels with the
ancestors of Jesus. In the four corners are the pendentives with scenes of the people of Israel.
The centre has stories from the Old Testament. The first group of three shows God creating the Heavens
and the Earth. The second group of three shows God creating Adam and Eve and their disobedience of God
and expulsion from Eden. The third group of three pictures shows the plight of Humanity, and in particular
the family of Noah.
God creates the Sun
The Prophets and the Sibyls at the side represent the coming of Christ. Seven of these are Israeli
Prophets, and the remaining five are the female Sibyls of the Classical World. The alternating male and female
figures are seated on thrones and are depicted reading manuscripts, books or scrolls.
The Lunettes and Spandrels illustrate the ancestors of Christ. Michelangelo decided to illustrate four
Biblical passages related to the salvation of Israel in the triangular areas at the corners of the ceiling known
as the Pendentives. The stories include David and Goliath.
The Last Judgement behind the altar is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and
eternal judgment by God of all humanity. The souls of humans rise and descend to their fates, as judged by
Christ surrounded by prominent saints including Saints Peter, Paul, Sebastian and John the Baptist.
While traditional medieval last judgments showed figures dressed according to their social positions,
Michelangelo created a new standard. His groundbreaking concept of the event shows figures equalized in
their nudity, stripped bare of rank. The artist portrayed the separation of the blessed and the damned by
showing the saved ascending on the left and the damned descending on the right.
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The Delphic Sibyl, one of Michelangelo’s most iconic creations
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The Roman Forum and Palatine
Full of temples, basilicas, and arches, the Forum was the centre of
political, commercial and judicial life. You will want to see the Arch
of Titus, the Temple of Romulus, the House of the Vestal Virgins,
and the huge Basilica of Constantine and Maxentius. Nearby is the
Palatine, the vast site of the Emperor’s palace.
The Trevi Fountain
Built in 1762, the Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s greatest sites.
Neptune is flanked by two Tritons, and a virgin points to the source of
the fountain’s waters. Throw two coins in – one for a wish, and one so
you return to Rome.
The Piazza Di Spagna
The Spanish Square, which dates from the 17th century, is the most
famous in Rome. The Spanish ambassador residenced here.
The Colosseum
Rome’s greatest amphitheatre was commissioned by Emperor
Vespasian in AD 72. Deadly gladiatorial combats and wild animal
fights were staged free of charge by the emperor. The 80 arched
entrances allowed easy access to the 55,000 spectators. Huge
awnings (the velarium) shaded spectators from the sun. Ramps,
trap doors and winches enabled spectacular, but bloody shows to
be held. A badly wounded gladiator would surrender to the crowd
and wait for a ‘thumbs up’, or ‘thumbs down’ from the Emperor. It
has survived earthquakes, and constantly being plundered by
popes for other equally vain projects. Other uamphitheatres are
more complete – Verona and Nimes remain largely in tact – but
nothing conjures up the grander and barbarity of the Roman
Empire like it. Nearby is the Arch of Constantine, built by the great
Christian Emperor just before he moved the capital from here to
Nuova Roma (New Rome) to Constantinople, which sealed the final
The Piazza Navona
decline of the imperial city.
The world’s most beautiful piazza follows the plan of Emperor
Domitan’s hippodrome. St Agnese Church which dominates the
piazza dates from 1652, a period of history where each Pope would
seek to out-do his predecessor. Bernini’s magnificent fountains date
from the same period.
St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican
Site of the martyrdom of St Peter, the Vatican is home to the popes
who succeeded him. Decisions taken here have shaped the history of
Christendom. Dominating the Vatican – a state within a state - is the
Basilica of St Peter’s. The Piazza San Pietro was built by Bernini
between 1656 and 1667. The great church draws pilgrims from all over
the world. This is the second great church on this site. Completed by
Emperor Constantine in AD 349, the first was pulled down by Pope
Julius II in 1506. It took a century to complete; many architects were
involved, but its great dome is by architect, painter and sculptor
Michelangelo who also painted the ceiling of the nearby Sistine
Chapel. His stunning sculpture of Mary and Jesus, Pieta, completedThe Pantheon
This Roman Temple to ‘all the gods ‘is truly awe-inspiring. No other
when he was 25 is near the entrance to St Peter’s.
building from ancient antiquity is in such good condition. An immense
portico with granite columns quarried in Egypt screens the vast perfect
dome. From the front, look carefully and you will see a slightly larger
triangular pediment behind the main one; this is a rare example of the
Romans getting their measurements wrong. The height of the dome
is 143 ft. A perfect hemisphere; if mirrored it would just touch the
marble floor. Built by Emperor Hadrian in AD 125, it was the largest
dome in the world until 1436. The concrete ceiling is ‘coiffered’,
meaning a pattern with lots of concrete cut out; this looks beautiful,
but also reduces the weight. Light floods in through the ‘oculus.
Italian kings are buried here, as is Michelangelo’s rival, Raphael.
ROME – The Eternal City
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The Four Papal Basilicas of Rome
Basilica of St Peter’s, Rome
The centre of the Roman Catholic faith, St Peter's draws pilgrims from all over the world. Few are
disappointed when they enter. It is thanks to Peter, the first Apostle and the first pope and leader of the
Church, that the most important basilica in all Christendom, the St Peter's Basilica, was built in Rome.
Peter was given his name by Jesus because he was destined to be the foundation ‘stone’ (in Italian ‘Pietra’) on
which the church would be built. He was imprisoned, and then released, following which he left Jerusalem
and headed for Rome. Here he became bishop and then reigned as the first pope for 25 years. During the
fierce persecution of Christians by Emperor Nero, he was imprisoned and died by crucifixion sometime
between AD 64 and 67 on the Vatican Hills in the Neronian circle. Rumour has it that he wanted to be put
on the cross head-down as he did not feel he was worthy of being crucified in the same manner as Jesus.
The Basilica is built on the site of St Peter’s execution and burial. In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine
built the first basilica in honour of the saint. At the dawn of the Renaissance, Constantine’s Basilica was
falling down. Many artists were involved in the rebuild, but it was Bramante and Michelangelo who were
most important. Bramante built the immense central body in the form of a Greek cross. Michelangelo was
the designer of the enormous dome. He was also responsible for the majestic exterior with its gigantic
columns. In 1626 Urban VIII commissioned Bernini to continue the work. After falling from favour under
Innocent X, he was brought back by Alexander VII (1655-67) to design a vast square in front of the basilica.
Bernini's solution was to design a piazza in the form of an ellipse, bordered by a quadruple colonnade forming
a portico wide enough to let a carriage pass. The foci of these are indicated by marble disks on each side of
the two fountains; standing on either of these disks you can see only one row of columns, instead of four.
From the portico, you enter the Basilica through five heavy bronze doors. Inside, the effect is truly impressive.
With its vast size, it is difficult to work out the true scale of the objects inside. At St Peter's, nothing exists
unless it is ten times as big as what it appears to be from a distance. The engraving on p.22 shows the
enormous relative size of St Peter’s to other great buildings; the Basilica dwarfs every other church. St Peter's
is also an extraordinary museum. Don’t miss Bernini’s baldachinno (made with bronze looted from the roof
of the Pantheon) or the incredible marble of Mary and Jesus by Michelangelo. It is called Pieta, which in Italian
means 'Compassion'. And then there is the exterior, where all around the church, you will see the magnificent
marble columns of Bernini that enfold the surrounding square in a spectacular and metaphorical embrace.
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Archbasilica of St John in the Lateran
St John Lateran Archbasilica is the oldest of Rome’s four papal basilicas, and is used by the Pope in his role
as Bishop of Rome. Constantine founded the first basilica. Following a fire in 1308, the Pope moved to St
Peter’s. However, St John Lateran remains the main seat of the Holy See. The present church was
constructed in the 1700s. The bronze entrance doors came from the Roman Senate that originally stood in
the Roman Forum. The twelve images of the apostles and disciples are by Bernini and Michelangelo.
Santa Maria Maggiore
Santa Maria Maggiore is the only one of the four papal basilicas to have kept its original structure. However,
it has been embellished with baroque details so looks very different to its initial design. Special details within
the church render it unique including the 5th century mosaics of the central nave, the triumphal arch dating
back to the pontificate of Pope Sixtus III (432-440) and the 13th century apsidal mosaic.
St Paul Outside the Wall
Saint Paul the Apostle was beheaded by Nero in 65 AD. This basilica is built on top of his grave outside
Rome’s Aurelian Walls. Consecrated in 324, it was the largest church in Rome until the consecration of the
new Basilica of St Peter in 1626. However, on the night of July 15, 1823 it was destroyed by a fire. The new
Basilica was reconstructed as close as possible to the original. It is in this Basilica that every year on the feast
of the Conversion of Saint Paul, January 25, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity solemnly opens.
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Sorrento
Sorrento is one of Italy’s most beautiful towns and overlooks the Bay of Naples. The Roman name for
Sorrento was Surrentum. The position of Surrentum was very secure, protected by deep gorges. The only
exception to its natural protection was 300 metres (984 feet) on the south-west where it was defended by
walls, the line of which is necessarily followed by those of the modern town. The arrangement of the modern
streets preserves that of the ancient town. However, little from Roman times remains visible.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, Sorrento was ruled by the Ostrogoths, before a return
to Roman rule under the Easter Roman Empire. By the ninth century, Sorrento was an independent city
state though came under control of the Duchy of Naples. It later came under Norman influence when it
was conquered by Roger II of Sicily. In 1558 it was sacked by elements of the Ottoman navy as part of the
struggle between the Turks and Spain, which controlled the southern half of Italy at that time. The attack led
to the construction of a new line of walls. In 1656 a plague struck the city. However, Sorrento remained one
of the most important towns of southern Campania.
In the 19th century the economy of the town improved markedly, favoured by the development of agriculture,
tourism and trade. In 1861 Sorrento was officially annexed to the new Kingdom of Italy. In the following
years it confirmed and increased its status of one of the most renowned tourist destinations of Italy, a trend
which continued into the 20th Century following archaeological developments at Pompeii. Today, Sorrento
is a beautiful, bustling, stylish town with lots of, shops and piazzas to sit, eat and drink.
Mount Vesuvius
As the photograph overleaf shows, Mount Vesuvius is a truly immense volcano and dominates the Bay of
Naples. It has erupted many times. The famous eruption in 79 AD was preceded by numerous others in
prehistory, including at least three significantly larger ones. Since 79 AD, the volcano has erupted on at least
34 occasions, the most recent being 1944. There has been no eruption since 1944, and none of the post-79
eruptions were as large or destructive as the Pompeian one.
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The eruptions vary greatly in severity. On occasion, eruptions from Vesuvius have been so large that the
whole of southern Europe has been blanketed by ash; in 472 and 1631, Vesuvian ash fell on Constantinople,
750 miles away. A few times since 1944, landslides in the crater have raised clouds of ash dust, raising false
alarms of an eruption.
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD was one of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in European
history. Mount Vesuvius spewed a deadly cloud of volcanic gas, stones, and ash to a height of 21 miles,
ejecting molten rock and pulverized pumice at the rate of 1.5 million tons per second, ultimately releasing a
hundred thousand times the thermal energy of the Hiroshima bombing. Several Roman settlements were
obliterated and buried underneath massive pyroclastic surges and ashfall deposits, the most well-known being
Pompeii and Herculaneum. The remains of about 1,500 people have been found at Pompeii and
Herculaneum, but the overall death toll is still unknown.
The only surviving eyewitness account of the event consists of two letters by Pliny the Younger, who was
17 at the time of the eruption, to the historian, Tacitus. He was observing from across the Bay of Naples:
Broad sheets of flame were lighting up many parts of Vesuvius; their light and brightness were the more vivid for the
darkness of the night... it was daylight now elsewhere in the world, but there the darkness was darker and thicker
than any night.
I cannot give you a more exact description of its appearance than by comparing to a pine tree; for it shot up to a
great height in the form of a tall trunk, which spread out at the top as though into branches. Occasionally it was
brighter, occasionally darker and spotted, as it was either more or less filled with earth and cinders.
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Pompeii
The ghostly ruins of ancient Pompeii make for one of the world's most engrossing archaeological experiences.
Much of the site's value lies in the fact that the town wasn't simply blown away by Vesuvius in AD 79 but
buried under a layer of pumice stone. The result is a remarkably well-preserved slice of ancient life, where
visitors can walk Roman streets and snoop around millennia-old houses, shops, cafes and amphitheatres.
Pompeii was founded in the 7th century BC by the Campanian Oscans. It became a Roman colony in 80 BC.
After its catastrophic demise, Pompeii receded from the public eye until 1594, when the architect Domenico
Fontana stumbled across the ruins while digging a canal. Exploration proper, however, didn't begin until 1748.
Of Pompeii's original 66 hectares, 44 have now been excavated.
Pompeii is unforgettable. Without having to use much imagination, it is easy to travel back 2,000 years –
walking along the high pavements, hopping across the road on the stepping stones, peering at the ruts made
by generations of Roman carts, or at the election slogans painted on the walls by hopeful candidates.
Much of the population, perhaps more than
17,000 out of an original 20,000, had
evacuated after a series of earthquakes
prior to the eventual eruption. The old,
the ill and the hopelessly optimistic seem
to have sat it out – and died. The skeletons
of one family have been found, crouched
together in a back room of a large house.
One of the group was in her late teens and
almost nine months pregnant. That
presumably explains why they stayed put.
Others may simply have decided to get on
with their jobs and ignore the warnings.
More likely they have ended up as some of the dead ‘bodies’ you can still see on the site, crouching in
corners, head in hands, or clinging to each other as the debris fell – the shape of their clothing, even their
facial expressions as they died, preserved. These are now some of the biggest attractions of the ancient
town: vivid, if ghoulish, reminders of the real people who lost their lives in the disastrous eruption. They are
not literally ‘bodies’ at all, of course. One ingenious 19th-century excavator had the bright idea of pouring
plaster of Paris into the cavities left in the lava around skeletons.
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On our tour, we will look out for:





The House of the Tragic Poet - this is among the best-preserved private houses and features the
famous ‘Beware of the Dog’ mosaic at its entrance.
The Temple of Isis – this temple is one of the most vividly preserved in the whole town.
The brothel – this is now the most-visited building on the site (more visited than in antiquity, no
doubt) – and you may well have to queue to get in.
The Stabian Baths – these give you the best idea of what Roman bathing was like. There are richly
decorated vaulted rooms for a good steam and a swimming pool and exercise yard.
The amphitheatre - 150 years older than the Colosseum, it's the earliest amphitheatre to survive
anywhere in the world.
Royal Palace of Caserta
The Royal Palace of Caserta was constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples and is now a UNESCO World
Heritage site. With 1,200 rooms, it is by far the largest royal residence in the world. Construction of the
palace was begun in 1752 for Charles VII of Naples, who worked closely with his architect, Luigi Vanvitelli.
However, Charles never slept a night at Caserta as he abdicated in 1759 to become King of Spain, and the
project was carried to only partial completion for his third son and successor, Ferdinand IV of Naples.
As at Versailles, a large aqueduct was
required to bring water for the
prodigious water displays. Like its French
predecessor, the palace was intended to
display the power and grandeur of an
absolute Bourbon monarchy. The royal
palace has more than 40 monumental
rooms completely decorated with
frescoes when, in comparison, Versailles
counts only 22 monumental rooms.
From 1923 to 1943 and during World
War II the palace was the location of the
Italian Air Force Academy. From 1943,
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during the allied invasion the royal palace served as the seat of the Supreme Allied Commander; Sir Henry
Maitland Wilson and later Sir Harold Alexander. In April 1945 the palace was the site of the signing of terms
of the unconditional German surrender of forces in Italy.
The enormous gardens are also inspired by the park of Versailles and are full of fountains, cascades and
statues from classical Antiquity.
Monte Cassino
This beautiful medieval abbey was the site of one of the most devastating and bloody battles during the
Second World War. During the Battle of Monte Cassino the Abbey made up one section of the 100 mile
Gustav Line, a German defensive line designed to hold the Allied troops from advancing any further into
Italy. The Gustav Line stretched from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic coast. The British mistakenly thought
that the monastery was a key German stronghold and that capturing the monastery would open up Highway
6 and lead to Rome.
On 15 February 1944 the abbey was almost completely destroyed in a series of heavy American-led air raids.
The Commander-in-Chief Allied Armies in Italy, General Sir Harold Alexander of the British army ordered
the bombing. The bombing was conducted because many reports from the British commanders of the Indian
troops on the ground suggested that Germans were occupying the monastery, and it was considered a key
observational post by all those who were fighting in the field. However, during the bombing no Germans
were present in the abbey. Only after the bombing were the ruins of the monastery occupied by German
paratroopers of the 1st Parachute Division, because the ruins provided excellent defensive cover, aiding
them in their defence.
Between 17 January and 18 May, Monte Cassino and the Gustav defences were assaulted four times by Allied
troops, the last involving twenty divisions attacking along a twenty-mile front. The German defenders were
finally driven from their positions, but at a high cost. The capture of Monte Cassino resulted in 55,000 Allied
casualties, with German losses being far fewer, estimated at around 20,000 killed and wounded.
There are now 4,271 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated at
Cassino War Cemetery. 289 of the burials are unidentified. Within the cemetery stands the Cassino
Memorial which commemorates over 4,000 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the Italian
campaign whose graves are not known.
A British soldier fights in the ruins of the abbey
The British cemetery at the foot of Monte Cassino
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Handy Phrases to use in Italy
Parla Inglese?
Grazie
Prego
Per favore / per piacere
Buon giorno
Buonasera
Buona notte
Come sta? (singular)
Come state? (plural)
Mi scusi / scusi
Arrivederci
Dov'è ... ?
Gabinetto / bagno
Mangiare
Stazione
Ristorante
Dove posso trovare un.../
Vorrei qualcosa da mangiare
Come posso andare a...
Qual è la strada per...
Quanto costa? / Quanto costa questo?
Polizia / Carabinieri
Aeroporto
Stazione
Farmacia
Medico
Albergo / Hotel
Supermercato
Negozio
Museo
Posso fare fotografie?
No grazie
Sì grazie
Vai via!
Do you speak English?
Thank You
You are welcome
Please
Good Morning - Good Afternoon
Good Evening
Good Night
How are you?
How are you?
Excuse me
Goodbye
Where is ...?
Lavatory/Toilet
To eat (verb)
Train station
restaurant
Where can I find a...
I would like something to eat
How can I go to....
Which way for...
How much does it/this cost?
Police
Airport
Train station
Pharmacy
Doctor
Hotel
Food store
Shop
Museum
May I take photos?
No thanks
Yes thanks
Go away!
Rome from the top of the dome of St Peter’s
Italy has hosted three Olympic Games
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Italy: An Introduction
Young nation in an old land, known to the ancients as Italia
centuries before the country bore the name, Italy stands as a
cornerstone of western history. 'All roads lead to Rome', is
still true. Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, and Napoleon ruled
here; Constantine the Great found divine inspiration in Rome
and spread Christianity throughout his empire. In Italy Giotto
pioneered, Michelangelo and Raphael created, Leonardo
asked, Bernini sculpted, Machiavelli schemed, Verdi and
Puccini composed, and St Francis of Assisi prayed.
Rich in natural beauty, gilded
with sunshine, and epitome of la
dolce vita - the sweet life - as
seen in Caravaggio's portrait of
Bacchus, Italy attracted pillagers
and princes from beyond the
Alps; for centuries they carved
up the peninsular like booty.
Unified since 1870, and once
again prosperous, Italy still
cherishes the sweet life, while
revelling in the past so storied
that 18th century Edmund Burke
called it the ‘native land to us all’.
Etruscan Civilization, 700 to 200 BC
Before the Romans, central Italy belonged to the Etruscans – a mysterious people who left only fragments
of their written language. Farmers, miners, and engineers, they built sewers and drained the swampy valley
that would later become the centre of Rome. They had an intuitive side too, divining the future by gauging
the direction of thunderbolts or contemplating the livers of sacrificed animals. Wary of the Greeks of
southern Italy, their main trading partners, the Etruscans ignored until too late the upstart Romans, who
attacked their city states for 130 years before subduing the last, Velzna, in 265 BC.
Rome and the Empire, 509 BC to AD 476
Lauded by the poet Virgil in 29 BC for its supply of grain, wine, olives and prosperous
herds, Rome also boasted an ample supply of generals, engineers, and
lawyers. Romans won their independence from Etruscan rule in 509 BC, claiming
power for the 'Senate and People of Rome'. The letters SPQR are still seen all over
the capital city. Their government was a republic, administered by two consuls
nominated by the Senate and elected by the assembly of male citizens. Six hundred
years and countless wars later, the Republic had been replaced by a mighty empire
counting at least 50 million subjects from Britain to Armenia with the city itself a
stew of one million or more people from all corners of the emperor's reach.
Roman generals were forbidden from entering Rome with their armies. When Julius Caesar crossed the
River Rubicon, the die was cast, and he replaced the Republic with a dictatorship. When he was murdered
his young nephew Augustus became the first emperor. The epitome of power, he is the model that would31
be dictators ever since have tried and usually failed to copy; the sunniest month of the year is named after
him, not the other way round. None of his successors had his guile. As Euripides wrote, ‘Those whom the
Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.’ Many Roman Emperors like Nero went mad, and many more
were murdered. AD 69 is known as the ‘Year of the Four Emperors’; Galba was murdered by the Praetorian
Guard, Otho committed suicide, and Vitellius was killed on the orders of the year’s fourth emperor,
Vespasian. In AD 260 Emperor Valerian was captured and became the Persian king’s personal footstool.
When he eventually died, he was stuffed and mounted. Historians still debate why the empire collapsed –
the city of Rome was sacked twice in the fifth century AD before Odoacer finally took control in AD 476 –
but there is no disputing Rome's legacy in architecture, politics, law, urban planning, literature and languages
still spoken all over the world. Rome’s legacy is everywhere.
Barbarian Invasions and the Byzantine Empire, AD 200-600
Emperor Diocletian split the Roman Empire into eastern and
western halves in AD 286, in part to defend Italy from northern
tribes. A master administrator, Diocletian also split his
provinces into smaller units, each one known as a
'diocese'. Diocletian is the only emperor to voluntarily give up
office; he retired to his vast palace in Split to grow cabbages.
The eastern empire soon flourished ruled from
Constantinople, Emperor Constantine's new capital on the
Bosphorus, but by 476 Germanic armies had triumphed in the
west. The final western emperor, the preposterously named
Romulus Augustulus was forced to abdicate at Ravenna and was
exiled. The imperial vestments were sent to Constantinople
(today known as Istanbul). Under the reforming Emperor
Justinian, the eastern empire, known to us as Byzantium (but
not to them; they simply regarded themselves as ‘Romans’) did recover Rome. But recovery was shortlived. A century later the Lombards from Germany divided Italy into three dozen duchies. Italy's political
fragmentation would last for over a thousand years. City states like Florence, Siena and Venice would rule
their citizens. But even in defeat the Romans were conquerors: The Lombards adopted Christianity, Latin
and Roman Law. Together these would become the bedrock of Western Civilization.
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Papal States, 756 to 1870 and the Fall of Constantinople in 1453
After Emperor Constantine recognized Christianity in 313, church landholdings grew quickly, thanks to
donations from the faithful. The eighth century Pope Stephen II used a document bearing Constantine's
forged signature to claim a swathe of land from Rome to Ravenna. Called the Patrimony of St Peter, it would
be ruled by popes for most of the next 11 centuries. On Christmas Day 800 AD, the pope crowned
Charlemagne as the new Holy Roman Emperor. This cemented papal power over Italy and also
demonstrated that the eastern emperor no longer had any authority in the west. The immense power and
wealth of the church can be seen all over Italy as successive popes tried to out-do their predecessor in their
artistic legacy. However, the split between the Christian Catholic church under the Pope in Rome, and the
Christian Orthodox church under the Patriarch in Constantinople has been a constant and remains with us
today. The Eastern Roman (or Byzantine) Empire continued to exist for many centuries. Its artistic
masterpieces can be seen throughout the eastern Mediterranean. When the west collapsed into anarchy
and the Dark Ages, it was from Constantinople that Christian civilization clung on. The Byzantine Empire
survived until 1453 when the Walls of Constantinople, completed by Emperor Theodosius II in 413 were
finally breached by the gunpowder and cannons of the Turks. Rome’s 2,000-year history came to an end.
The Plague 1347 to 1743
Bang in the middle of the Mediterranean (the sea at the middle of the world), the Romans, then the Venetians
were great merchants. But Italy's search for wealth became its curse when Genoese sailors, plying the
lucrative east-west trade routes, brought the plague to the Sicilian port of Messina from the Crimea in
1347. Soon la peste was slashing across the peninsular, often carried on wittingly by people fleeing diseasewracked cities. The deadly mix of bubonic plague, transmitted by fleas; pneumonic plague, spread by humans;
and insect borne septicemic plague would recur in cycles over the next 400 years but the first epidemic was
by far the worst – killing at least a third of Italy's 10 million people between 1347 and 1351.
The Renaissance, 1400 to 1527
The 1454 Treaty of Lodi brought peace to Italy's sparring city states. But social
tensions grew as a new merchant class emerged. Moneychangers and shopkeepers
challenged feudal lords for power while the newly invented printing press meant that
bishops no longer controlled the spread of knowledge. Entranced by classical themes
and influenced by Greeks fleeing to Italy after the final collapse of the Eastern Roman
Empire in 1453, wealthy families such as the Medici commissioned works from artists
experimenting with new techniques. The result was an outpouring of masterpieces
as city state tried to out-do city state. In Renaissance Italy local rivalry was expressed
in art, not football. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael, are merely the
best known of many hundreds of artists inspired during this 'rebirth' of classical ideas.
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The Counter Reformation 1527 to 1700
Stung by the mutinies of Germany's Martin Luther and England's King Henry
VIII - and by the sack of Rome in 1527 to 28 by rampaging troops many of
them German Protestants – the Roman Catholic Church retreated into
orthodoxy. It banned books, confined Jews to a ghetto, and burned heretics
at the stake. The church's partner in the Inquisition, Spain, controlled
southern Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia, while most of the north belonged to the
Holy Roman Empire – based in Germany and, as Voltaire would note,
neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.
Galileo (right), who confirmed Copernicus' theory that the earth orbits the
sun, thus disproving biblical teaching about the earth being the centre of the
universe, was put on trial by the Inquisition and imprisoned. The tentacles
of the ultra conservative Catholic church reached every part of Italy and
Spain. This partly explains why the most important scientific discoveries
and industrial inventions came from Northern Europe. Isaac Newton's
theories would not be published in Italy until the late nineteenth century.
The Enlightenment, 1700 to 1800
As intellectuals in France and Britain sang the praises of reason and basic human rights, backward and divided
Italy – her glories presumed to be long past – became a playground for tourists. Rome's crumbling ruins, as
well as excavations at the newly discovered towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, exuded a romantic
fascination best demonstrated by every educated man who went on his 'Grand Tour' of Italy.
Napoleon in Italy, 1796 to 1815
Young and ambitious, the French general Napoleon
insisted he wanted only to transport liberty equality
and fraternity across the Alps. He drove out the
Austrians annexed the Bourbon-ruled south, made
his brother Joseph the King of Naples, and declared
himself King of Italy. During Napoleon's brief reign
he plundered dozens of art treasures - including the
Mona Lisa - sending them to the Louvre in Paris. But
Napoleon also planted an important seed: for the
first time the political state had used the name ‘Italy’.
Italian Unification, 1815 1929
Influenced by democratic uprisings across Europe in
1848, Italians stepped up their campaign to unify
Italy. Diplomat Camillo Cavour and firebrand
Giuseppe Mazzini fanned the flames of Il Risorgimento
- the resurgence. Giuseppe Garibaldi stitched
together an army that swept south. With defeat of
the Papal States in 1870 modern Italy was born
although the Vatican would not recognize secular
Italy until 1929. Today virtually every city in Italy has
a road named Via Cavour, Via Mazzini and Via
Garibaldi.
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Italy since 1929
After a costly First World War, extreme left and right wing influences
soon took over. Benito Mussolini (right) began his dictatorship of Italy
in 1929. He did more than make the trains run on time. There was
much industrialization, but with his brutality Italy paid a terrible price.
He made a disastrous alliance with Hitler, and launched a war for which
Italy was not prepared. Uniquely, Italy fought both world wars on both
sides. The Second World War was a disaster. Apparently, a German
officer ran into Hitler's bedroom, and woke the Fuhrer with important
news. 'Mein Fuhrer, Mein Fuhrer, the Italians have entered the war!'
Hitler, unconcerned, replied, 'Send two divisions. That should be more
than enough to crush them.'
The aide responded, 'No, Mein Fuhrer, you do not understand. The
Italians have joined the war on our side!'
At this, Hitler panicked. 'Send ten divisions immediately!'
The fighting in Italy was amongst the fiercest of the war. The many Commonwealth War Grave cemeteries
show the sacrifices made. There was heavy fighting at Anzio and up much of ‘the leg’ of Italy as the Germans
dug in. There were very heavy losses around the historic monastery at Monte Cassino. However, two days
before D-Day on 4 June 1944, Rome was liberated. Upon seeing the ruins of the Colosseum, a poorlyeducated American general apparently said, 'Gee, did our boys do that?'. Thankfully, little of Rome was
destroyed by the war; President F D Roosevelt overruled Winston Churchill and forbade the aerial bombing
of Rome or Florence. However, Florence fared less well than Rome when the Germans blew up every
bridge across the River Arno bar one – the glorious Ponte Vecchio (literally ‘the old bridge’).
After the disastrous fascist dictatorship of Mussolini, Italy moved to democracy. Italy adopted a system of
proportional representation. Whilst very democratic, this has led to political fragmentation and instability. It
is rare for any political party to have overall parliamentary control. Consequently, since 1945 Italy has leapt
from one political and economic crisis to another and has had over 50 different governments and an endless
list of forgettable prime ministers. Somehow, however, la dolce vita carries on.
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