MONMOUTH, Ill. — Seven Monmouth College students and two faculty members traveled to Naples, Italy, during the recent spring break to visit archaeological sites and museums in order to learn about the civilization of ancient Rome. Tom Sienkewicz, MC’s Minnie Billings Capron Professor of Classics, served as tour leader.

Students participating in the trip were Richard Harrod of Annapolis, Md., Brian Walgren of Batavia, Carrie Casper of Tinley Park, Jason Rittenhouse of Geneseo, Blair Glowacki of Crystal Lake and English Mack of Peoria. Associate professor of art Cheryl Meeker also made the journey.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to the ancient city of Pompei, destroyed in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. At Pompei, the group visited a number of Roman houses as well as such public buildings as like the basilica, baths, temples and the amphitheatre. They thrilled at the opportunity to see a snow-covered Mt. Vesuvius looming behind the landscape of the city. At the end of the day, they also toured the modern city of Pompei, with a stop at the modern Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary of Sta. Maria del Pompei, founded by Blessed Bartolo Longo in the late 19th century.

The group also visited the site of Herculaneum, another city destroyed in the eruption, where they were able to see better-preserved homes and baths and the site of Oplontis, the villa of the empress Poppaea, killed by her husband Nero in 65 A.D. In this villa, not often visited by tourists, are preserved a number of remarkable wall frescoes from the 1st century A.D.

The group also traveled east of Naples, first to the exciting geological site of Sulfatera, the crater of an extinct volcano with burning sulfur beds and pools of very hot mud. Near Sulfatera is Cumae, the home of the Sibyl, a prophetess whom the Roman poet Vergil chose as the guide of his hero Aeneas into the Underworld. In addition to the Sibyl’s cave, with its many openings, the group visited the ruins of the temples of Apollo and Jupiter on the acropolis of the ancient city.

No trip to ancient sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum would be complete without a visit to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. This museum contains many of the objects found in the ancient cities, including mosaics, frescoes, bronzes and pottery.

During their afternoon in Naples, the group also visited a number of spectacular churches in Naples, including Gesu Nuovo (New Jesus), where they saw the tomb of St. Joseph Moscati (1880-1927), canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987. Moscati, a physician and a professor at the University of Naples, dedicated his life to serving and curing the poor of Naples. Another stop was the Church of Sta. Chiara (St. Claire). Founded in 1310 by Queen Sancia of Majorca, wife of Robert d’Anjou, the church was severely damaged by bombs in 1943 and has only recently been restored to its original Gothic form. In the church of St. Dominic the group saw the 13th-century crucifix which is said to have spoken to St. Thomas Aquinas. The church tour concluded with a visit to the duomo, the cathedral of Naples, known especially for the treasury and reliquary of Naples’ patron saint, Gennaro.

The group also visited Sienkewicz’s cousins and were treated to a traditional multi-course Neapolitan meal. On their last afternoon in Italy, the group traveled to the city of Caserta, about 20 miles north of Naples, where they visited the reggia, the 18th-century palace created by the Bourbon King Charles III to rival Versailles.