For twenty-five Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisations students, the first half of the May half term was spent in Naples, absorbing information about Roman life, exploring amphitheatres and temples and, of course, eating plenty of ice cream.
The trip started with a day spent in Pompeii, where we saw how well the eruption of Vesuvius had preserved the houses and bakeries and temples in the city, and the harrowing sight of the victims’ casts. One highlight of the visit was seeing the Villa of Mysteries, which was once home to a Greco-Roman cult of Dionysus. A walk around Herculaneum the next day provided further insight into Roman life, while other notable archaeological sites included exploring the cave associated with the Cumaean Sibyl (where Miss Davis tested her fortune telling abilities!) and Poppaea’s grand villa.
Visiting the Naples Archaeological museum was a further highlight, as we were able to fill two hours admiring large statues, intricate mosaics and a range of frescoes. It was impressive to see how intricate the mosaics were, and you can only imagine how long they must have taken to create.
Our final full day in Naples started bright and early, and was spent looking at the Doric temples in the Greek city of Paestum, and the boat trip back to Sorrento provided a welcome break from the otherwise relentless heat, as well as an opportunity to take in the beautiful sight of the Amalfi coast.
The trip finished with an underground tour of Naples, where we got to look at an underground aqueduct and amphitheatre, and it was fascinating to realise how much of Naples is built over the ruins of ancient civilisations.
Thank you to the teachers for organising the trip and taking us around the sites. We all had an enjoyable time and learned a lot.
Isla, Year 10
