This morning, two teachers and 12 students from St Augustine’s College in Brookvale met at Sydney International Airport to start their educational trip abroad. The boys will travel through Milan, Lake Garda, Venice, Florence and Rome before spending a week in the beautiful town of Perugia, the capital of the Umbria region.
This educational trip is not only a great opportunity for students to travel overseas, but also to improve their language and social skills. Whilst in Perugia, the students will live with Italian families, which allows them to first-hand discover cultural differences between Italy and Australia. Living in an Italian speaking family and interaction with locals helps students to utilise the knowledge previously gained in the classroom. Whilst the Italian language is the prime educational focus, St Augustine’s College’s educational trip abroad is linked to many other curriculum areas, including Ancient History, Art & Design, Geography and Religious Studies.
The 12 boys and their teachers will land in Milan, where they will have free time to explore the city before continuing on to Manerba Del Garda. Milan’s museums and galleries are home to many great works of art, while more simple pleasures include climbing up to the roof of the Duomo, and enjoying the tranquillity and view over the city to the mountains. Duomo Cathedral is a stunning sight, stretching up high above the piazza del Duomo, and it is the third largest church in Christendom. It features no less than 3,500 statues, 135 spires, and five bronze doors carved by different artists.
The second stop on the educational trip is Venice, where the group will spend two nights. Activities include visits to the Basilica of St Mark, Doges Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the prison. Another highlight is an excursion to the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is famous for its glass making. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a workshop, make their own glass ornament and take it home with them. Burano is known as the ‘lace island’, where travellers can view the ladies making lace and purchase items. On the way from Venice to Florence, the group will stop in Maranello to visit the Ferrari Museum and then continue to Sant’Agata Bolognese where the boys will visit the Lamborghini Museum.
Highlights in Florence include visits to the Galleria dell’Accademia and the Uffizi Gallery. A very unique part of the group’s stay in Florence is an Italian cooking lesson. The students will learn how to cook traditional Florentine meals and feast on their own creations. Another day, they will take a full day trip to the medieval towns of Siena and San Gimignano.
The group will spend four nights in Rome, where they will see the the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Forums and the Pantheon on a walking tour. On one day, the group will be taken to the Vatican to do a tour of the Sistine Chapel, the museums and St Peters Basilica. Another highlight for the 12 boys from St Augustine’s College will be the Soccer game Roma versus Atalanta at the Stadio Olympico. After Easter Sunday Church Service in Rome, the group will continue on to Perugia.
One of the educational highlights is the home stay. Whilst in Perugia, the students will live with Italian families, which will allow them to first-hand experience the culture and get immersed in the language. Perugia is Umbria’s petite and immediately likeable capital. Its centro storico (historic centre) rises in a helter-skelter of cobbled alleys, arched stairways and piazzas framed by magnificent palazzi (mansions).
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