Students Visit Ancient Ruins South of Rome

The Pantheon Institute believes students should take full advantage of the resources offered by the host country of Italy. In order to fulfill this mission, faculty members teach at various historic sites throughout the city and the staff members also lead informative tours. 

Last weekend, a group of students traveled south of Rome to the ancient cities of Pompeii and Paestum. Pompeii was completely buried in AD 79 after Mt. Vesuvius erupted, but was not excavated until 1748. Paestum was part of the Greek civilization near the current city of Naples which still boasts temple ruins and painted tombs from the 6th century BC. 

This optional weekend trip was one of the extracurricular activities offered to students. Each semester, the Pantheon Institute arranges for events and excursions in and around Rome for students to learn about the history and culture of their host country. 

Photos courtesy of Dr. Ann Devlin, professor of psychology at Connecticut College. Professor Devlin is leading a Study Away Teach Away (SATA) program at the Pantheon Institute this spring. 

Photo of the Month Winner

Congratulations to Aaron Fischer (University of Rochester) for his winning photo for the Pantheon Institute's January photo contest, "Vatican From The River." Aaron will enjoy a free pizza at the nearby Rossopomodoro pizzeria. Congrats!

Italy as a Classroom

This past Friday Pantheon Institute student Matthew Addison learned about Michelangelo. But Addison wasn’t in class, he was in Florence, part of the Pantheon Institute’s extended campus. Addison hopped a train at Rome’s Termini station and headed up through the Latium and then Tuscan countryside to Florence, capital of the region of Tuscany and Italy’s Renaissance capital. While Addison’s tourist itinerary wasn’t too packed (he was there to see a friend studying abroad), he did see Michelangelo’s David, the cathedral and the baptistery, the Ponte Vecchio, and the view of the city of Florence from the little town of Fiesole on the hill across the Arno River. Learning, inside and outside the classroom – that’s the Pantheon Institute.