HOLY CROSS SUMMER (MAYMESTER) PROGRAM 2024
ROME, ITALY
“Rome in History and Imagination”
FACULTY: Professors Daniel Libatique and Aaron Seider
DATES: Depart from U.S. on Sunday, May 19, 2024 and arrive in Rome on Monday, May 20, 2024; depart from Rome on Saturday, June 15, 2024.
PLEASE NOTE: Maymester activities, beginning as early as 8 am and ending as late as 11:30 pm, are scheduled for every day between Monday, May 20, 2024 and Saturday, June 15, 2024, with the exception of free days on Sunday, May 26, Friday, May 31; Saturday, June 1; Sunday, June 2; Friday, June 7; Saturday, June 8; and Sunday, June 9. Students are required to be present in Rome and participate fully in every Maymester activity unless in the case of a medical or personal emergency.
INFORMATION SESSION: Monday, October 2, 2023 at 5:30 PM in Smith 201
It is recommended that interested students attend the information session. If you are unable to do so and would like more information about the program before applying, please feel free to contact either Prof. Libatique or Seider.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Rome offers a richer and more captivating experience of ancient civilization and its afterlife than any other city in the world. During our time in The Eternal City, we will explore ancient Roman history, art, and archaeology with a particular focus on how the Romans interacted with the environment that surrounded them. Walking on the city’s seven hills and along the course of the Tiber River, we will engage in on-site study of Rome’s buildings, sculptures, mosaics, and topography. As we explore museums, archeological sites, and Renaissance palaces, we will see traces of history existing alongside modern buildings. Pagan temples become Catholic churches, ancient marble columns prop up new structures, and artists create masterpieces steeped in classical culture, all while the Romans engage with their city’s unique topographical challenges and advantages.
The Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and the city’s fountains and walls are just some of the locations that will offer us the chance to discuss artifacts in terms of their historical, environmental, and artistic contexts. We will also consider subsequent reactions to ancient Rome by studying the stratigraphy of sites such as the Basilica of San Clemente, where a medieval basilica stands on top of a fourth-century CE church and a late Republican house. We will make longer excursions outside the city to historical sites such as Tivoli and Ostia, where we can consider questions about how the Romans engaged with the natural environment outside of their metropolis. In addition to developing an appreciation for the history, environment, and art of ancient Rome, we will reflect on our understandings of our own cultures and identities so that we may return to Holy Cross with greater personal and intellectual independence, as well as a deeper awareness of how cultures and identities evolve over time.
CREDIT: Students receive the equivalent of one Holy Cross course credit that can be used to satisfy the common area requirement in ARTS or HISTORICAL STUDIES and to fulfill an academic deficiency. For Classics Majors, the course counts as a Classics course. For ENVS Majors and Minors, it counts as an ENVS humanities or social science course.
HOUSING: Students live in housing close to the historical center of Rome.
COSTS: The estimated cost of the 4-week program is approximately $6,000-$6,800. This includes tuition, housing, transportation in Rome, tickets to all museums, archeological sites, cultural events, breakfast daily and a welcome and farewell dinner. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE the cost of food and round-trip airfare. It also does not include passport expenses, personal expenses and Covid-19 testing fees (if necessary). Students should expect to spend a minimum of $750-$1,000 on their food. Very limited financial aid is available for this program.
APPLICATIONS: Open Monday, October 6, 2023 via the online application system at sa.holycross.edu and close at midnight on Sunday, November 26, 2023.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Prof. Libatique at dlibatique@fairfield.edu, Prof. Seider at aseider@holycross.edu, Tammi Valeri at tvaleri@holycross.edu, call Study Abroad at 508-793-3082, email studyabr@holycross.edu or visit the Office of Study Abroad in Smith Hall 216.
DATES AND PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
