Month: February 2018

Our ancient history and archaeology students have been having just as busy and fulfilling a time as the art historians. Much of January for our students was spent settling in to their new accommodation and their new routine: most have been able to live with the friends they made while studying at Kent back in the Autumn Term, and it’s fantastic to see such strong personal relationships developing into effective working relationships too.

This has been so important and helpful for them over the last month. We begin each week with a lecture from Dr Higgins, an expert in material culture. Students then head out to see the sites first-hand. February began with the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine (of course), followed by the building programme of the emperor Trajan (marketplaces, temples, columns…).

Then there’s the Pantheon, mausolea of Augustus and Hadrian, the epic baths of the emperor Diocletian…the list goes on. Since students work together to prepare talks discussing their favourite aspects of the sites, the close bonds they’ve formed are really bearing fruit this month. As February draws to a close, we are gearing up for two trips beyond the ancient city to consider its surroundings in the imperial period. Shortly we will be taking a trip to Ostia, Rome’s principal sea-port and a major centre of trade in the 1^st century AD and beyond. We’re also preparing for a jaunt to the ruins of Herculaneum and Oplontis, two ancient Roman towns in the Campania region. One of the (few) fortunate things about the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD is that the quantities of volcanic ash and pumice preserved these fantastic sites for us see in a comparatively solid state of preservation today.

This doesn’t mean that it’s all work, of course: when in Rome! Kent students are evidently making the most of the Italian they learned in the Autumn term and rightly putting it into practice as they enjoy everything that the Eternal City has to offer.

We’re now four weeks into our term in Rome and everyone seems nicely settled into their studies, and living the dolce vita. As I write the bells are peeling just as the sun sets on another day of blue skies and sun (we have also had diluvial rain but this seems to bounce off our students as well as off the monuments of the city).

Everyone’s pattern here has been slightly different, so summing up the first four weeks is not easy, but here are some highlights from the Art History side of things.

Last week students were on the restoration scaffolds at the Vatican  where the restorers explained fresco technique and discussed particularly interesting and challenging issues that they are encountering as they work in the Sala di Costantino (started by Raphael and completed by Giulio Romano). We have also been up to several of the excellent lectures offered at the British School at Rome. Among our visits we have been in churches, villas, palazzi, museums, exhibitions, archives, libraries and lectures to say nothing of the cafes and piazzas. We had a film crew with us for a few days so watch this space for a short film of some of our activities.

Looking ahead we have a trip to Orvieto, Perugia and Spello this week; and Florence the following week where again we are going to be in restoration studios and the drawings collection of the Uffizi as well as in the normal run of museums and churches. We’re also looking forward to guest lecturers later in the term, and to our annual event (this year at the Villa Wolkonsky). And with each day more spring-like than the last, our students seem to be making the most of a wonderful experience.