A group of 16 Providence College students and two faculty members recently took part in the first Theology Study Trip, where they studied the ancient Greco-Roman and early Christian historical, cultural, and religious heritage of Italy.

Led by Dr. Arthur P. Urbano and Dr. Despina D. Prassas, assistant professors of theology, the group traveled through Rome, Naples, and Sicily. The list of historical attractions visited by the contingent during the 10-day trip included the Vatican, where they took in St. Peter's Basilica, the necropolis beneath St. Peter's, and the site of St. Peter's tomb. The tour group also visited the Sistine Chapel and Vatican museums.

Other highlights were tours of the Roman Forum and Colosseum, the Abbey of Monte Cassino, Pompeii, the Christian catacombs of San Gennaro in Naples, the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, and Siracusa--home to one of the oldest Greek settlements in Sicily.

"There is nothing in the world like standing face-to-face with history," Urbano said. "It's one thing to read about the Colosseum or St. Peter's Basilica in a textbook, but another to able to stand dwarfed by their magnificence and take it all in with your own eyes. One inevitable outcome of a study trip like this is that history becomes alive and real before your eyes."

Urbano said the students were implored to think about the sites from various perspectives--architectural, art historical, iconographical, liturgical, theological, and cultural.

"We encouraged them to make connections among them, both to observe important continuities and to detect significant developments over time," he said. "This trip deepened our students' awareness of the ancient Greco-Roman and early Christian historical, cultural, and religious heritage of Italy."

Student overwhelmed by experience
Francesca Genova '11 of Honeoye Falls, N.Y., undertook an independent study prior to going on the trip. Even after partaking in the study, which focused on the political, social, and religious climate of ancient Rome and early Christianity, Genova said she "didn't understand how much my appreciation would grow once we got to Italy."

"In class, I could almost imagine the people who had created the art," she explained. "Once we actually saw the works, however, I grasped the genius and the beauty of ancient Rome and early Christianity."

She added, "No matter how well the Sistine Chapel is described in class, you can't fully imagine how revolutionary it is until you see it."

Genova said one of her greatest experiences on the trip was seeing the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome--one of the historic places she studied prior to going on the trip--because it made her independent study "more real."

In the end, that's how she would describe her entire trip. "I honestly wish I could have done a research project on every site we saw. This was an amazing experience."