Religious Studies School Trip to Rome

The home of the Catholic church, Rome is the perfect destination for GCSE and A level Religious Studies students to discover more about the history of Christianity and the intricacies of the Roman Catholic faith. 

Through trips to the Vatican, as well as the many Catholic churches dotted around this highly religious city, students can make the most out of their religious studies school trip to Rome.

Itinerary

Tour Day 1

Morning
Daytime flight and transfer to your accommodation
Afternoon
Visit the Great Synagogue, the Jewish Museum and take a walk around the Jewish Ghetto.
Evening
Meal in the Jewish Ghetto.

Tour Day 2

Morning
Visit to the Vatican City to include an audio guide of St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel
Evening
Meal at Hard Rock Café followed by a stroll to the Spanish Steps

Tour Day 3

Morning
Excursion exploring Ancient Rome, includes a guided tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
Evening
Meal at a traditional Italian restaurant then free time around the Trevi Fountain

Tour Day 4

Morning
Transfer to the airport for your return flight back to the UK

Curricular Links

A WST tour to Rome will support the study of elements of the following exam board specifications:

AQA

GCSE

Paper A

Section 3.1 - Component 1: The study of religions: beliefs, teachings, and practices
3.2 - Component 2: Thematic studies

Paper B
Section 3.1 - Component 1: Catholic Christianity

A level

Section 3.1 - Component 1: Philosophy of religion and ethics

EDEXCEL

GCSE
Paper A

Study 3 Catholic Christianity

Paper B

Study 3 Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice

A level

Paper 1: Philosophy of Religion

Paper 2: Religion & Ethics

Paper 3: New Testament Studies         

OCR

GCSE

2c  Content of religious beliefs and teachings & practices
     Content of Religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a                religious perspective

 

A level

2c   Content of Developments in Christian Though
      Content of Philosophy of religion
      Content of Religion and ethics

 

WJEC

GCSE

Unit 1    Christianity – core beliefs, teachings and practices

                Catholics – core beliefs, teachings and practices

A Level

Unit 3    A Study of Christianity

Unit 4    Religion and Ethics

Unit 5    Philosophy of Religion   

 

Study Visits

St Peter’s Basilica

World famous church and the burial site of St Peter. This is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites.  

Vatican Museums And Sistine Chapel

The Vatican Museums occupy part of the palaces built by the Pope and is home to one of the most extensive art collections in the world. The world’s most famous chapel, the Sistine Chapel is housed within the Vatican Museums, where you will see the infamous frescoes by Michaelangelo. 

The Colosseum

This is considered to be one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and is the largest amphitheatre built in the Roman Empire. 

Roman Forum

This was once the heart of Ancient Rome and the centre of public life. It is the site of public speeches, trials and commercial transactions.

Palatine Hill

According to Roman mythology this is where Rome was founded. Ideally located looking down on to the Roman Forum, this became the home of several Roman Emperors

The Pantheon

A magnificent ancient temple that was later converted to a church. Dating from AD125 it is the most superb architectural monument to have survived intact from Ancient Rome. Raphael is buried here. 

The Great Synagogue

The Jewish community of Rome goes back to the 2nd century B.C. The present Synagogue was constructed shortly after the unification of Italy in 1870. In  1986, Pope John Paul II made an unexpected visit to the Great Synagogue. This event marked the first known visit by a pope to a synagogue since the early history of the Roman Catholic Church. He prayed with Rabbi Elio Toaff, the former Chief Rabbi of Rome of Rome. This was seen by many as an attempt to improve relations between Catholicism and Judaism and a part of Pope John Paul II's programme to improve relations with Jews.  

The Jewish Museum of Rome

For students on an RE school trip, a visit here includes a virtual tour of the Old Jewish Ghetto where you’ll ‘walk’ down the streets of the ancient Ghetto as they were centuries ago. A visit can be combined with a guided tour of the Great Synagogue of Rome and the Spanish Synagogue. 

Church of San Clemente

A visit to this church is ideal for Christianity studies, to give your students the opportunity to discover the famous Tree of Life Mosaic. Your students can discover the meanings of the symbols in the mosaic. This visit supports the Eduqas specification. 

Cultural Visits

Spanish Steps

The famous steps where locals and tourists alike congregate to people watch and soak up the atmosphere. The Spanish Steps are close to Via del Corso, one of the well-known high end shopping streets of Rome, so window shopping in the many designer shops is a popular pastime.

Trevi Fountain

A must see for students on a school trip to Rome, this is one of the most famous fountains in the world. The Trevi Fountain is located close to the Pantheon so many people choose to visit both together.

Keats-Shelley Memorial House

Located on the Spanish Steps, this is the final home of John Keats. It contains an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and manuscripts which celebrate the lives of Keats, Shelley and Byron.  

Guided Tours Of Rome

We can arrange guided walking tours for half or full days around the city, which can be tailor made to your preferred visits. Popular themes include:

  • Ancient Rome
  • Modern Rome’s Squares
  • Vatican City

Rome By Night – Illuminated Tour

This night time tour will last approx. 2 hours on board a coach and will take in key sites:  Piazza Venezia, Capitoline Hill, Jewish Quarter , Castel Sant‘Angelo, St Peter’s Basilica, Ancient Aurelian Walls framing Villa Borghese Park.  

Time Elevator – 5D Experience

You will experience a simulated ride where you will travel through the rich history of Rome. Starting with its foundation, through the glorious days of the ancient Roman empire, the Renaissance with its masterpieces of architecture and art, the events of the 20th century, culminating in an aerial flight over the Rome of today. 

Art Galleries of Rome:

  • Galleria Borghese - contains many masterpieces of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and paintings by Raphael.
  • Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna - neo-classical and romantic paintings and sculptures.
  • Capitoline Museum  -  Home to important ancient bronzes, ancient Roman statues, a collection of medieval and renaissance art, as well as jewels, coins and other artefacts.
  • Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica -  examples of frescos and art Rome’s great families.
  • Galleria Spada -  Rubens, Durer and Caravaggio

Free Time

Most people choose to spend their free time in Rome either visiting the shops or relaxing in one of the many squares where you can pick up a coffee or an ice-cream and soak up the culture of the city. Here are some of the most popular areas.

Shopping:

  • Via Del Corso
  • Via Frattina
  • Via Nazionale
  • Termini

Squares:

  • Piazza Navona
  • Piazza Venezia
  • Campo dei Fiore
  • Piazza di Spagna

Restaurants

Most hotels in Rome operate on a B&B basis only. We can arrange evening meals in restaurants in the city with options to suit all tastes. The most popular choices are Hard Rock Café, traditional Italian Trattoria or self service style buffet restaurants if you are in a hurry.  Ask us for more details.