On Wednesday we left the beauty and wonder of Florence for a different kind of beauty and wonder in Rome. While Florence was originally an Etruscan settlement, most of what remains is Medieval and Renaissance; in Rome we focused on the ancient! After a short rest at the St. Stephen's School, we began our tour of the Forum. Crispin Corrado, one of Calder Classics' teachers based in Rome, gave a wonderful and in depth tour of the Forum and the Palatine Hill. The Forum and Rome's ancient remains gave the students a great opportunity to experience the physical manifestations of some of the stories and myths they have been studying in Latin.
After the Forum we dashed off to see a contemporary art installation by the South African artist, William Kentridge, on the banks of the Tiber. Kentridge created enormous cut-outs and cleaned around them to leave vast, reverse images behind. Ida Panicelli, a friend of Meg's and a well-known art critic, gave us a wonderful presentation of the work. Ida explained the ways in which Kentridge had entwined the ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and modern aspects of Rome and Roman culture into a complex commentary on present-day social and political issues.
Afterwards it was time to return to Florence: hot, tired and sated :)
Isaiah and Henry brave the early(ish) train to Rome
Margot and Emma take a quick break in the courtyard of St. Stephen's School
The whole group at the foot of the Palatine Hill
The Forum!!
Crispin and the students admire Nero's staircase
William Kentridge's 'Triumphs and Laments'
Ida contextualizing the installation
The students and the 'Triumphs and Laments'