For over thirty years the BSR has run undergraduate (Summer School) and postgraduate (City of Rome) courses on the ancient history, archaeology, and topography of Rome. In this new blog series we catch up with some of our former students, their memories of the course and where they are now.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Caitlin and I studied Classics for my BA and MA. Since attending the City of Rome Course in 2023, I have graduated and been teaching in a secondary school context in the private sector for two years. I teach Latin, Greek, and Classical Civilisation up to A-Level.
Do you have a particular memory of the British School at Rome?
The hours I spent in the BSR library, wandering around the stacks, sitting at my desk below the window listening to April storms hammer away outside, or basking in a ray of sunshine but keeping pleasantly cool, while I buried myself in my research will always be an enduring memory for me. I visited the library every morning before the site visit, and every evening afterwards. It was a special time of peace and reflection for me and I environment I really treasured.
Was there a site visit that really sticks in your mind?
Hadrian’s Villa and the afternoon trip to the nearby town of Tivoli was particularly magical for its combination of grandeur and beauty; after spending two months in the city, it was wonderful to experience some of the famous Italian campagna as well. But your course leaders intimate knowledge with some of the lesser known sites is definitely what makes the trip special; the walk along the Via Latina to the Park of the Aqueducts contained so many hidden treasures I never would have known to visit.
Also, Ed Bispham gave us a lecture on the experiential context of living in Rome during the Republic, helping us to imagine the sights, smells, and sounds of the city, and how this may have affected the ordinary people living there. It was great to learn some history from a subaltern perspective, in amongst all the imperial sites we had been visiting.
What did you enjoy most about the course overall?
The course allowed me to enter into an expansive imaginative space that really broadened my understanding of what study of the ancient world could be. The food was also outstanding!
What impact did attending the course have on your rest of your studies, degree, and beyond?
The essay I wrote at the BSR was by far the strongest of my degree for its combination of depth, ambitious scholarship (introduced to me through the course), and ambition (thanks to my experiences of living in Rome for two months). I really improved my Italian and continue to learn today; I recently read a novel in Italian, and I am determined to put the immersion I had back in 2023 to good use. I also use the site plans and memories I have from the course in my teaching; I have the pleasure of teaching the next generations all about Trajan’s column, the Roman army, and origins of Rome!
The course continued to fuel my passion for the ancient world and now that I teach, it’s wonderful to refer to my own experiences in the classroom. Next year, my school is planning a trip to Rome, and I will certainly be leading on the itinerary, which I am extremely excited for. I also love being able to help my family and friends plan their trips to Rome!
Please get in touch with us at the BSR if you would also like to share your memories of the courses!
