An Archaeological Study Tour
Sicily & Southern Italy
May 25 – June 8, 2008
Led by Professor Blaise Nagy
October 12– 26, 2008
Led by Professor Barbara Barletta


The sites and museums of Sicily and Southern Italy contain some of the best-preserved monuments ever created by the ancient Greeks. Historically and aesthetically, they are important and beautiful homages to the art of their era. The Doric temples at Agrigento and Paestum are the most admirable examples of their kind anywhere in the Mediterranean world. The endless suites of perfect mosaics decorating the floors at the Villa Imperiale at Casale are unique, and the famous bronze Warriors of Riace are unparalleled in their execution and breathtaking in their impact. The wall paintings at Pompeii, and the sculptures in the National Museum of Naples, provide an unsurpassed collection of classical art. This archaeological study tour presents these monuments in their cultural context against the historical background of great men such as Pliny and Archimedes, who lived, worked and died in this spectacular region.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Day 1, 2 & 3: PALERMO: Independant arrivals into Palermo on Sunday. The tour begins with an opening lecturer and dinner Sunday eveninng. Our touring during the next two days includes the Norman-Arab mansion housing the Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum, the magnificent Byzantine mosaics in the Cappella Palatina, a newly excavated Phoenician Necropolis and the Cefalu Cathedral. A short drive takes us to Monreale to visit the single most important Norman monument on the island, the Cathedral and its cloisters. Centrale Palace Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast daily, 2 lunches & 1 dinner

Wednesday, Day 4: MARSALA: Our touring continues at the pretty Doric temple and Greek theater at Segesta, the island of San Pantaleo to tour the Phoenician site of Motya and its museum and the reconstructed Phoenician ship at the Marsala Museum. Ruggero II Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, Friday, Day 5 & 6: AGRIGENTO: Our touring begins in Cusa, site of stone quarries used in the construction of the temples of Selinunte. We next visit both the Eastern and Western Acropolis of Selinunte and continue to Agrigento. Friday’s touring includes the National Museum, the Oratory of Phalaris, the Hellenistic and Roman Quarters, as well as the temples of Hera, Concord and Hercules dramatically set on the heights. Baglio Della Luna Hotel or Colleverde Park Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner daily

Saturday, Sunday, Day 7 & 8: SIRACUSA: Touring on Saturday begins at Morgantina, a Greek colony excavated by Princeton University, and continues with the exceptional rooms of mosaics at the Roman Villa Imperiale at Casale. Touring in Siracusa include the Euryalus Castle, the largest military construction in the Greek world, and in the Archaeological Park, a Roman amphitheater, the Altar of Hieron II, the Greek theater and the “Ear of Dionysius” quarry. We will have a walking tour in the Old City of Siracusa, visiting the temple of Athena, now incorporated into the Cathedral, the Fountain of Arethusa and the fine collection of Greek marbles at the Regional Museum. Villa Politi/Grand Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch daily

Monday, Tuesday, Day 9 & 10: TAORMINA: We drive along the coast to the picturesque medieval town of Taormina, arriving at the elegant Timeo Hotel for lunch and a visit to the Greek theater. Tuesday will be completely at leisure to take an excursion to Mt. Etna, relax at the beach or explore this beautiful resort town.
Meals: Breakfast daily & 1 lunch

Wednesday, Thursday, Day 11 & 12: PAESTUM: We ferry from Messina to Reggio Calabria. A high point of the tour will be our visit to the National Museum to view the spectacular “Warriors of Riace,” found in the Ionian Sea and considered the finest bronze statues from the Greek world. We then drive through the Sila Massif, covered with Italy’s most extensive forest of pine, evergreen, oak and beech, to the Savoy Beach Hotel. Thursday we visit ancient Paestum’s temples of Ceres and Neptune and the excellent site museum, which displays an important group of tomb paintings from the "Tomb of the Diver".
Meals: Breakfast & dinner daily & 1 lunch

Friday, Day 13: NAPLES: A wonderful day touring Pompeii, whose remarkably preserved villas and wall paintings are the most renowned to have survived from the Roman period. We will have lunch within the ancient city, giving us ample time to see the site in depth. We will then make the short drive to Naples and the Santa Lucia Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, Sunday, Day 14 & 15: NAPLES: This morning we will visit Herculaneum, sister city to Pompeii, also buried by the eruption of Vesuvius. The tour ends with a visit to the National Museum, where wall paintings and mosaics from Pompeii are well displayed. The remainder of the day will be at leisure. This evening we will gather for our farewell dinner. Sunday we will transfer to the airport for our departure flights.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner