The day began bright and early as we left Lanciano for Rome. We arrived in the Eternal City just past 10:00 and began our student-led tours.
Our first stop was Piazza Spagna. There, the Grade 10 English class explained the history of the Spanish Steps and told us all about the English poet John Keats, whose home overlooked this beautiful area in Rome.
From there, we walked to the Pantheon. Nearly 2000 years old, it is one of the best-preserved examples of ancient Roman architecture. It's dome is the largest free standing concrete dome in the world, and was an inspiration for Brunelleschi before he was commissioned to finish the Duomo in Florence. Before entering to see its magnificent oculus, the Italian Studies class taught us about its significance, while members of the Calculus class explained how the work of Archimedes can be used to calculate the volume of the building.
From there we walked to Piazza Navona. Before splitting up for lunch we had time for a quick photo op.
Refreshed, we regrouped after lunch and began our tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. The Grade 11 Biology class did a presentation on - not only the history of the building - but the anatomy of gladiators and the tactics they would use in combat.
We carried on to the forum where it was the teachers' turn to lead the tour.
I would like to thank the Photography class who supplied me with many of the pictures for the blog. This talented group did a wonderful job.
