The following are summaries written by students during the Upper School's Classics trip to Sicily taken during spring break (March 2024). Classics teachers Evan Waters, Sarah Miller, and Erin Haney, along with Head Football Coach Scott Van Zile chaperoned the 12 students.

Day 5 by Francis Beam ’25 and Ethan Reames ’25

“After an exciting excursion in Syracuse, our team headed off to Agrigento. Day five began with a hearty breakfast at the Hotel della Valle, before our drive to the Agrigento Vallei dei Templi (Valley of the Temples), where we were given a tour of the grounds. Our group was treated to exciting presentations from Olive and Chris. Olive informed us about the incredibly well-preserved Temple Concordia. While Chris followed up with a presentation concerning the unfinished Temple of Olympian Zeus. After our tour we were given the opportunity to walk through the scenic citrus orchards before rain pushed us back to the bus. Fortunately, we were able to explore the on-site museum where Nedum gave a presentation on the great Greek philosopher Empedocles. As we traveled to our next destination, we stopped for sandwiches at a Prosciutteria. Soon after, we arrived at the Selinunte Archeological Park, where we were able to walk through archeological remains of a long-abandoned ancient city. Unfortunately our time was cut short here due to traffic, however it would quickly be made up by an incredible dinner at the pizzeria Divino Rosso. Our team remains in good spirits, and is excited for our upcoming adventures.

Day 6 by Jamie Howard ’24, Nedum Ebo ’24, and Simon Qian ’24

“Following a relaxing evening in Marsala, we headed off to the small Carthaginian island of Mozia, where we explored the beautiful beaches and completed an in-depth scavenger hunt. While in Mozia, Leon gave a remarkably thoughtful and well-researched presentation on the role of Mozia in the First Punic War. After a lovely ferry ride back to mainland Sicily, we set out via bus to the mountaintop town of Erice. We listened to Kalli’s in-depth presentation on Aeneas’ journeys in Sicily, appreciated the life-changing views from the edge of the mountain, and even honed our Latin skills during an impromptu lesson with Ms. Miller. We were then set free to explore Erice for four hours, with some going shopping and others exploring the town's various hidden gems. Finally, we had a fabulous dinner at La Pento Laccia before settling in at the hotel. We are very excited to see what tomorrow holds!

Day 8 by Finn Tondro ’24 and Leon Zhang ’24

“Today was our last day, but we certainly ended the trip with a bang! After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the Palazzo dei Normani (Norman Palace). There, we saw the incredible Capella Palatina with its melange of Byzantine, Islamic, and Christian artistic styles and viewed the Spanish quarters added in the 18th century (Isabel gave her presentation here). Then, we learned about the Palermese veneration of St. Rosalia while we marveled at the austere neoclassical design of the Palermo Cathedral. We momentarily paused our intense cultural absorption to lunch on Sicilian arancine (fried rice balls) at Sfrigola. After lunch, we stopped at the local market to try various fruit juices and fruits, as well as to purchase culinary souvenirs to bring home. We then returned to our rigorous cultural itinerary to visit the Chiesa di Santa Catarina di Alexandria with its Renaissance facade and its rococo interior (Jamie gave his presentation here). To culminate our study of Ancient Greek and Latin history in Sicily, we visited the Palermo Archeological Museum, which houses much of the archeological finds from Seliununte (Finn and Ethan gave presentations on the history of Norman and Arab Sicily, respectively). Much of the late afternoon before us, we went to the Primo Canto Gelateria to eat some gelato, and we broke into groups to enjoy some free time in the shopping district around the Quattro Canti. Finally, we capped off the trip with a wonderful dinner at La Trattoria Ferro di Cavello.”

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