Eighteen Oundle School pupils travelled to the south of France over the October half term holiday to spend five days looking at the amazingly well-preserved Roman remains in the area.
Classics teacher and trip leader, Rachel Hodgson commented, “Few people are aware of the extent of the remains in France and this was a great opportunity for the pupils to understand that, although Rome and Athens are full of ancient remains, these can also be found all around the Mediterranean.”
The group visited the amphitheatres of Nimes and Arles, which are still used for bull-fighting today, and also the famous Roman theatre in Orange. They also saw the Musee Caree, an ancient Roman temple in the centre of Nimes, and visited the Mougins Museum of Classical Art. This incredible museum is a privately-owned collection, which places the ancient art and sculpture next to the modern art it inspired.
Pupil, George Cobb (18) commented, “This year’s classics trip was fascinating in that it revealed a vast amount of Roman material which I previously didn’t know existed. The south of France has a remarkably preserved selection of classical sites (including the best preserved theatre and temple in all of Europe), alongside museums that are eye-opening and unique. It has changed my view of the region completely!”
George Brettle (16) added, “We saw incredible sites including the theatre at Orange and the incredible Pont Du Gard and I learnt a lot about the role of Gaul in the Roman Empire as a result of seeing these.”