May 2-7, 2024
For five days, I had the pleasure of leading 23 Roman history enthusiasts around Rome and Florence. After a drizzly first day, the weather was perfect – warm and sunny, with spring wildflowers among the ruins.
The trip started in Rome, where we braved the crowds at the Colosseum and Vatican Museums.
Perhaps the most memorable experience of the first full day was visiting the Pantheon in a drizzle, and watching raindrops plummet through the oculus to the marble floor.
On the second full day, I led the group on a detailed exploration of the Forum and Palatine Hill
After lunch, we went off the beaten track, circling the imperial forums before visiting a few of Rome’s hidden ruins.
In Florence, after a walking tour of the city center, I led the group into the crypt of the Duomo, to view the remains of a late Roman cathedral. Then, after visiting a museum and strolling through the sunny Boboli Gardens, we walked up to San Miniato al Monte, one of the oldest churches in Tuscany.
After listening to the Latin Vespers service, almost unchanged for 1,300 years, we emerged to a spectacular view of the sun setting over Florence.
We started the last full day of the trip on a farm in the Tuscan countryside, where we had lunch under the olive trees.
Back in Rome, I led the group on a final walk around some of the city’s “hidden” ruins, which ended at the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built into the Baths of Diocletian.
Then, all too soon, it was over. I can’t wait to go back.