Having conquered Greece, the intrepid travellers took on the big sites of Italy to close out their tour.

The Classics Tour decamped to Naples, Italy, after completing their trip around Greece. Naples is well known as a creative city and the home of the Pizza so the visit was greatly anticipated. The tour group was based in Sorrento, near Naples,  for a couple of nights from which they visited the archeological site and ruins of Pompei as well as the impressive Archeological Museum in Naples. The site of Pompei impressed the travellers, both in scale as well as features, particularly with a visit to the famed House of Faun. The house was once home to a wealthy and influential Pompeian family and is notable not only for its bronze statue of a faun, now house in the Archeological Museum, but also the sheer size of the property. The Archeological Mruseum contains many artifacts, frescoes and mosaics from Pompei, including the renowned mosaic of Alexander the Great in battle with Darius III, dating from 100BC. From Naples, the group went to Rome for a few days where pavements were pounded as the travellers explored the ancient sites such as the Colloseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill.  Of course, a visit to Rome wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Capitoline Museum. Other attractions included the Trevi fountain, Trajan's Column and the Pantheon. With The Vatican in Rome, naturally the tour group took in a visit to St. Peter's Square and the Vatican museum. The Vatican museum is home to the Sistine Chapel as well as other notable exhibits such as the intricate and impressive Laocoon sculpture. From Rome the group departed to Venice, the final stop of the tour.  A Venice highlight included a tour of the Doges Palace, the historical home for the once democratically elected Duke that previously governed  the city state. The trip to Venice put into perspective how influential the Venetians were in global trade and culture throughout the mediterranean region, both in classical and renaissance periods.  The tour was led  by Greta Hampton and Michael Clark of Ashburton College and Kylie Coulbeck from Hillmorton High School.