Last week, Providence students returned from a 3 week trip to Italy, highlighting stops in Florence, Rome, and Venice. The trip was part of Providence’s annual Avodah Immersion trip, designed for students to learn abroad.

The trip especially focused on ancient Rome, early church history, and Renaissance art. Stops in Florence included the Uffizi Gallery, the Academia Gallery, and the Il Duomo de Firenze.

In Rome, students spent ample time at the Vatican, the Colosseum, the ruins of the Roman Forum, the San Sebastian Catacombs, and the Capitoline Museum among numerous other stops. Providence collaborated with sister institution Geneva College during this May term trip. Geneva’s Jeff Cole, professor of history, brought years of on-site knowledge and expertise to guide students through Italy. Providence’s Ryan McIlhenny accompanied the students as well and provided much of the on-site instruction.

The trip was the culmination of one of McIlhenny’s classes, Western Humanities in Italy. The class provided a broad foundation in history, art, and literature. Required reading included Virgil’s The Aeneid and Dante’s Inferno. Perhaps most meaningful to the students was the docent assignment. Students, like junior Madison Vujnov with Rome’s Pantheon, spent much of the semester reading and researching a particular site or work of art. Once in Rome, the student docent then presented their research to the rest of the group. It was experiential learning at its finest!