Reading Greek or Latin, 'Journeys to the Underworld,' in Tuscany
July 19 - August 2, 2025
A unique summer experience in a Tuscan villa for advanced students of Greek and/or Latin. Designed for high school and college scholars to heighten their expertise in reading classical texts in-depth. Here, in a place where Greek and Roman culture fuse, we make the Classics come alive through an interplay of comparative literature, art, archaeology and travel.
Journeys to the Underworld: Aeneid 6 and Odyssey 11
This course is designed for dedicated intermediate to advanced students in either Greek or Latin (rising high school juniors and seniors, recent grads/gap year students). Housed in a stunning villa in Tuscany and surrounded by the Etruscan countryside where Greek and Roman remnants abound, we read ancient texts that explore underworld narratives and prophecies: Latin students read Aeneid 6 — Aeneas’ famous meeting with the Sybil of Cumae and his journey to the underworld; Greek students read Odyssey 11, Odysseus’ νέκυια to hear the prophecy of Tiresias. Additional related texts are read in each group. The primary goal of this course is to advance students’ reading speed and comprehension of Latin or Greek vocabulary and syntax as well as to engage in discussions of the parallel texts. We will investigate how Vergil appropriates Homer’s underworld, and how we understand Homer’s underworld, mediated through Vergil’s text. To facilitate further discussion and understanding of the ancient world, students of Latin read Odyssey 11 in English and students of Greek read Aeneid 6 in English.
Dive into “The Tuscan Classroom”
Our study of prophecies and the underworld are beautifully visualized in the “canvas” of Tuscany where we have the opportunity to see local treasures such as the Duomo at Siena with its carvings of the Sibylline prophets, along with Etruscan sites in Arezzo, Cortona and Chiusi that exhibit art featuring the stories and characters that appear in the underworld narratives we are reading. Through our visits to ancient archaeological sites as well as the magnificent artwork of local Renaissance masters, students enjoy the opportunity to fuse their readings with visual representations.
Sample Daily Schedule
While the schedule will be flexible, the general plan is as follows:
9-10AM Group Breakfast
10-1PM Reading Texts/Site Visits
1-2:30PM Lunch and Break
2:30-5:30PM Reading Texts/Site Visits
5:30-10PM Dinner and Evening Activities
Accommodations:
We reside in a spectacular hilltop villa in the heart of the Tuscan countryside south of Siena, overlooking Montalcino. Our residence has Roman origins and has been refurbished by keeping its beautiful “pietra serena” façades untouched. Bordered by lavender and rosemary, the villa accommodates up to 19 people and offers a professional kitchen, large seating areas, plenty of room for private study, an outdoor swimming pool, wifi, and air conditioning.
Accommodations
Dates and Fees: July 19 – August 2, 2025
The $7,300 tuition includes accommodations, transportation with the group within Italy, museum entries, instruction and course materials. Breakfast, plus either lunch or dinner, are also included. Depending on our daily schedules, students will be on their own for either a midday lunch break or an evening dinner break. Students are responsible for the cost of their own activities outside of the group. Airfare is not included.
Application Deadline
Students are accepted on a rolling admissions basis while space is available. Please submit your application by the deadline of April 1 to receive priority consideration for this program. Applications received before April 1 will be reviewed as they are received, and acceptances will be granted upon evaluation by our staff. Applications received after April 1 will be accepted if spots are still available.
Your application will be processed, and you will receive a reply regarding your acceptance status within one to two weeks of your submission date provided that we have received your teacher reference.
Transportation
Students may choose to travel on the same flight as our staff on either or both legs of the journey between New York City and Florence. Calder Classics will arrange transportation between the Florence airport and the residence ONLY for those students who choose to travel on a flight with our staff, or who coordinate with our flight at arrival or departure. The details of the flight will be specified in advance. Students traveling by themselves must arrange their own transportation to the residence.
Our Scholars
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Cindy Calder
Cindy Calder
Cindy Calder founded Calder Classics in 2012 while studying Greek and Latin at Columbia University. She earned her B.A. from Dartmouth College and her M.A. in Classics from Columbia University. She also spent several summers in the hallowed halls of CUNY’s Latin/Greek Institute, where the extremely intense but very rewarding course of study inspired her to share her passion for the Classics through her own high school and adult programs. Cindy founded Calder Classics on the belief that the study of the Classics, when complemented with a first-hand experience of art, history, literature, and modern culture, enriches younger students’ academic experience and encourages adults to re-engage in the joys of learning. At Calder Classics, mixing students of all ages in a shared learning environment has proven intellectually stimulating in wonderfully unexpected ways. Cindy taught Latin at Trinity School, the Brearley School, and Saint Joseph High School in New York City, and she has taught many courses for Calder Classics in-person and online. She has extensive tutoring experience in Latin and Greek. Cindy lives with her husband in Massachusetts and is the mother of four grown children.
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Ilaria Bichi
Ilaria Bichi
Ilaria Bichi Ruspoli was born and raised in Val d’Orcia, a World Heritage site located in Southern Tuscany, Italy. She descends from an ancient noble Sienese family related to pope Pius II Piccolomini, that has lived in the same castle since 1465. Her family runs a historic farm. She studied Humanities in Montepulciano and graduated in Art History at the University of Studies in Siena (2002). She holds a PhD in Sienese sculpture of the XVIth century (2008). Her background is Medieval and Renaissance culture. She has been working as a cultural guide since 2002. She also teaches Italian as a foreign language and gives tours and lectures mainly focused on history and art, with a particular interest for ancient families, historic private houses, and gardens. She is vice-president for Tuscany of the “Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane” (Italian Historic Houses Association). She has published several articles and guidebooks about the Sienese art, like “The floor of the Siena Cathedral”, “The hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. A visitor’s guide”, “Underground Siena”, and a childrens’ book “Theo, Sophia, and the adventure in the Duomo of Siena”.
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Clare Kearns
Clare Kearns
Clare Kearns is a Ph.D. candidate in Classics at Brown University. Her research primarily focuses on gender and sexuality in the Roman Empire, but she also often works on instances of Classical reception in feminist and anti-colonial contexts. Prior to Brown, she received a B.A. in Classics and Comparative Literature from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of Classics, she enjoys hiking, reading contemporary fiction, and taking care of her dog, Olive.
