The heart of the Centro curriculum is The Ancient City, a double-credit course required of all Centristi.  This interdisciplinary class tackles Rome’s art, history, archaeology, topography, social make-up, and much more.  The Professor-in-Charge heads up the course, and all Centro faculty lend their expertise to this joint endeavor.

Over the course of a typical week, Centristi dedicate two half-days and one full day to The Ancient City.  Almost all class meetings unfold on archaeological sites, in museums, and amid standing remains.  Daylong excursions to Rome’s neighboring cities and sites round out the picture of Rome’s growth from a clutch of huts on a hill to the head of a Mediterranean-spanning empire.

Additionally, throughout the term, the Centro hits the road for longer excursions: to the Bay of Naples and elsewhere throughout Roman lands, such as Sicily, stunning sites in Northern Italy, colonial cities in Southern France or other spots as chosen by the faculty. Thanks to these trips, The Ancient City touches on Etruscan, Greek, Roman, and native Italian (and even Gallic) populations, their interactions, and mutual influence. While the course focuses on Rome, a rich picture of the city’s broader context emerges as The Ancient City unfolds.

What can you expect from The Ancient City?  Stand where Cicero delivered speeches in the Forum Romanum.  Descend into subterranean shrines to the mystery cult of Mithras.  Learn about the self-identities of former enslaved peoples along the Via Appia.  Contrast the grand reception rooms of sprawling villas with the cramped kitchens and narrow hallways of urban apartments at Pompeii, Ostia, and Herculaneum.