Florence, Tuscany -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/03/2010 -- Rome is the only and true Eternal City with its 28 centuries of history still visible in the unique complex of masterpieces that have survived the passage of centuries.

A place where each new civilization overlapped the old one, a multilayered open air museum where visitors can see a medieval church next to imperial roman ruins and with Renaissance and Baroque art masterpieces decorating its inside.

A city whose urban richness has been shaped by emperors and popes but where art experiments are still alive as shown by the architects Renzo Piano and Richard Meier, the contemporary heirs of artists such as Giotto, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, Borromini and Caravaggio. To let students appreciate such complexity and beauty at its best while learning Italian language is the aim of the History of Art in Rome Course (http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/italian-cultural-courses/history-italian-art.html#rome).

The History of Art in Rome course (http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/italian-cultural-courses/history-italian-art.html#rome) consists of an introductory classroom session followed by three on-site guided tours. The syllabus is constructed as a series of interlocking journeys of discovery. During the first session a combination of texts, slides, illustrations and maps will introduce students to the art history of Rome and its development through time, from Republican Rome to the contemporary world. As for the on site visits, students can choose three tours among the following:

Rome from its beginnings to the Empire. The focus is on major monuments of classical antiquity with hints to both the political and cultural evolution of Rome from the period of the Republic to that of the Empire: the Roman Forum; the Palatine; the Imperial Forums; the Coliseum; the Capitol.

Early Christian and Medieval Rome (4th – 13th centuries). We explore the churches and convents which gave visual form to Christian spirituality in their architecture, mosaics, frescoes and altarpieces by such masters as Cavallini: Basilica di San Clemente; Basilica dei Santi Quattro Coronati; Santa Sabina; Santa Maria in Cosmedin and la “Bocca della verità”; Basilica Santa Cecilia; Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Renaissance Rome (15th-16th centuries). We experience the world-renowned masterpieces of Michelangelo, Raphael and Bramante in churches and palaces such as the Vatican basilica and Villa Farnesina, as well as innovative urban spaces like the Capitoline piazza and the Via Giulia.

Baroque Rome (17th-18th centuries). Here our topic is the triumph of fantasy which enriches the fountains, palaces and churches of Bernini and Borromini and their successors, with particular emphasis on the areas of Piazza Navona, Piazza Quirinale and the Spanish Steps. Not forgetting Caravaggio’s masterpiecews churches as San Luigi dei Francesi, Sant’Agostino and Santa Maria del Popolo.

Rome the Capital (1870) and Fascist Rome: We investigate the period in which Rome was transformed into a modern capital by the Savoy monarchy, which commissioned wide avenues and enclosed piazzas. Later, with Mussolini, Rome regained its central role as the symbol of classical culture, as seen in the EUR quarter and the Italico Forum.

Further information about the art history courses in Rome (http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/italian-cultural-courses/history-italian-art.html#rome) are available on the school’s website.