Believe it or not, registration for Spring 2015 will be here before you know it. And now is a great time to start thinking about taking advantage of and planning for a great Spring Break Away course!
Professor: Dr. Julia Sienkewicz
604A College Hall
sienkewiczj@duq.edu
Pre-requisites: None
Course: ARHY 326W – The Grand Tour
Satisfies CORE Theme Area: Creative Arts AND one of your Writing Intensive courses
Class time: Tuesdays/Thursdays 3:05 – 4:20pm
Cost: $2900
From the seventeenth through the nineteenth century, travelers headed to Italy (and other European destinations) in search of authentic experiences of art, cities, and culture. Considered a final step in the education of intellectuals, artists, architects, and noblemen, these “grand tour” experiences could be brief or could sometimes extend to a lifetime of ex-patriot learning. No matter the duration, the grand tour left an indelible experience on its participants. Encounters with Ancient and Renaissance Art, other cultured travelers, foreign customs and unfamiliar environments, transformed these travelers’ understanding of history, aesthetics, and, ultimately, of themselves.
In Spring 2015, Duquesne University students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of the Grand Tour from an art historical perspective. Across the course of the semester, students will learn about the history of these journeys, the fascinating stories of different travelers, and will also study works of art created through artists’ grand tour experiences and encounters. Through a cast of colorful characters, timeless sites, and significant works of art, students will learn about a significant period of art history and also gain a deep understanding of western European civilization across these centuries.
The highlight of this class will be our spring breakaway tour to the Italian cities of Florence and Rome. Three nights in Florence and four nights in Rome will allow the students to have their own grand tours in miniature. We will follow in the footsteps of history’s great travelers, enjoying such enduring destinations as the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s David—and we’ll learn to see these sites through the eyes of period viewers.
Students will also discover the more hidden gems of these cities, along with expert faculty and local guides. These will include a visit to a nineteenth-century sculptor’s studio in Florence, where they will experience the vibrant ex-patriot artist community still working there. We’ll also tour the so-called English Cemetery in Florence, the final resting place of many less-fortunate grand tourists, and an enduring monument to the cultures and communities of these travelers. Highlights of the tour will also include visits to noble estates (now turned museums), at which we will remember the elite families that influenced grand tourist’s experiences, as well as homes and estates created to house and support the studies and collections of such travelers. These destinations will likely include the Pitti Palace of the Medici, the Villa Torlonia, and the Museo Stibbert.
