This February break, Old Rochester Regional High School went international! Eighteen high school students and six adult chaperones spent the week in sunny Italy, led by Latin teacher Judy Pretat and Spanish teacher Steven Bernardo.
“This is my sixth [Italy] trip,” Pretat said. “It’s something that I’ve done a lot, and the opportunity is great because I teach Latin and this is hands-on in terms of getting a real feel for ancient Italy. This was the best trip in terms of viewing ancient Roman life and modern Italy. I was really proud of everybody and how polite they were; I think they presented ORR well.”
The adventure began with a seven-hour flight from Boston to Frankfurt, Germany, a five-hour layover, and then a second flight to Naples, Italy.
On the drive to the southwestern city of Sorrento, where they would stay for several days, the group stopped at the Villa San Marco, which is part of an ancient Roman town named Stabiae.
The next day included visits to the towns of Positano and Amalfi, where students were able to view the Paestum, which includes three temples built by the Greeks who settled in and colonized the Southern Italy area. They also saw the 9th Century Cathedral of St. Andrew. While originally built in a Roman style mirroring Arab and Norman architecture, it has been remodeled a few times and had various Byzantine, Gothic, and Baroque elements added.
“Personally, my favorite aspect of the trip was the fuse of both ancient history and modern day culture,” said senior Reese Donaldson. “When we were in the South, we got to see how people really lived since they’re a much smaller town than Rome. We saw people in love, we saw families walking around the shops, people taking long lunches to catch up with family and friends, and we even saw the remnants of some sort of celebration in Sorrento one night: all the children were dressed up as characters and there was confetti everywhere. It was amazing to see how different European life is from life here; it’s at a much slower pace, they enjoy the little things.”
From their main base of Sorrento, the group took a ferry to the island of Capri, where they hiked to view the ruins of Emperor Tiberius’ villa. Rome’s third emperor, Tiberius, ruled from 14 to 37 AD and improved the Roman economy despite his unpopularity.
“The most memorable experience from the trip was hiking to Tiberius’ castle at the top of Capri,” said junior Chris Savino. “It was exhausting and everyone was gross and sweaty, but that was when most of us bonded. The hike was dreadful and it was so hot, but everyone was talking and joking.” And, he added, “Not to mention, it was probably the prettiest hike most of us have ever done.”
This trip was followed by a drive to the city of Pompei, where the ruins of the infamous ruins of ancient Pompeii are located, and a tour of the Naples National Archaeological Museum, which houses a large collection of Roman and Egyptian artifacts. A “spontaneous night tour” occurred after the students arrived in Rome, with visits to the Colosseum, Roman forum, and several intricate fountains. They expanded on this the next morning with an official tour of the monuments, this time including the Pantheon, the Trevi fountain, and a final stop at the Tiber River.
The following day brought an excursion 30 minutes outside of the main city to attend “gladiator school.”
“We went into a brick hut and two men dressed in gladiator armor taught us about the techniques and armor the gladiators would use. Then we trained with wooden and metal swords, attacked practice potato sack targets with javelins, and then used bow and arrows to hit targets from a distance,” said junior Alice Bednarczyk. “One person was chosen at the end to be our ‘hero’ and tried to throw nets at two others in an arena who tried to avoid being captured with shields.”
Rome also offered opportunities for the group to visit the catacombs and the Vatican, where they toured the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement adorns the ceiling, surrounded by many colorful frescos.
At St. Peter’s Basilica, some of the more curious students were even able to view the area where popes are buried. Along with a short trip to the nearby town of Trivoli to see Emperor Hadrian’s Villa, which dates back to the 2nd Century AD, these outings marked the end of their Italian journey.
However, the best result of the vacation returned along with the students: newfound friendships.
“When I went on the trip, I made friends who I never thought I would ever even talk to,” Savino said.
“I’m pretty sure that by the five-hour layover in Frankfurt airport, myself and others were already saying ‘where’s the family?’” Donaldson added in good humor of the bond the group formed. “Like all good families, we definitely had our ups and downs (mostly due to sleep deprivation), but in the end we all cared for each other and certainly looked out for one another. No one was ever isolated or left to wander on their own, and I think we all feel a connection after experiencing Italy together.”
By Jo Caynon