An Archaeological Study Tour
Classical Provence
May 16 - 28, 2012
13 Days
Led by Professor Ori Z. Soltes, Georgtown University

This unique itinerary will give the traveler a sound understanding of Roman art and architecture as well as its relationship to that of the Etruscans and Greeks. While traveling through the color-drenched countryside of Provence, a rich swathe of Roman Gaul, we will uncover many of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. We will stroll through Provencal towns where the grid of the original Roman city is not only visible, but still forms the nucleus of the town center, thus offering visual proof of the endurance of Roman city planning. We will also have the opportunity to observe how ancient Roman architectural elements evolved into medieval Romanesque and Gothic motifs and how in the Renaissance, European art, architecture and general culture came back to Roman style. Fields of spring flowers, purple mountains and tile-roofed villages that attracted late Impressionist painters like van Gogh and Gauguin, in whose footsteps we will follow, along with luxuriant wines and gourmet foods will enhance this wonderful experience.

Wednesday, Thursday, May 16 & 17: MARSEILLE: Independent departures from our home cities. Our tour will meet at the Hôtel Radisson Vieux Port in the Old Port of Marseille. Built by Greeks from Phocaea in 600 BCE, the city grew to be France’s second city. Touring of this fascinating city will begin in the late afternoon with a short walk in the historic district. This evening we will gather for an orientation lecture with Professor Soltes and dinner.
Meals: Dinner

Friday, May 18: MARSEILLE: The morning begins with a city tour of Marseille, including a visit to the Basilique-de-Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, which sits atop a hill overlooking the city and sea, Musée des Docks Romains, which displays massive storage jars and other artifacts from the Roman port and the Musée d’Histoire de Marseille. The highlight of the museum’s collection is a 3rd-century BCE Roman ship built from 15 different kinds of pine. The day ends at the Musée d’Archéologie, featuring a collection of ancient Mediterranean art, including France’s second-best Egyptian collection.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, May 19: ARLES: Today we will drive to Arles, our base for the next four nights. Situated at Rome’s crossroads between Italy and Spain, Arles was favored with splendid monuments and palaces. Our walking tour will examine the layout of the town, including the forum area and its Cryptoporticus (permission pending), subterranean barrel-vaulted passageways built as a foundation for the forum. We will visit Arles’s centerpiece, the amphitheater (Les Arènes), the theater and in the ruins of Constantine’s palace, the Baths of Constantine, ending with a walk along the ancient Roman walls.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, May 20: ARLES: Today we visit the remarkably preserved Pont du Gard. This three-tiered aqueduct brought water to Nîmes and was considered the crowning glory of the Roman aqueduct system. We will visit one of the last remaining Roman castellum. After a break for lunch in Nîmes, we will spend the afternoon visiting the Roman city, including the Maison Carrée, a perfect little temple built in 5 CE and dedicated to Augustus’s adopted sons, the Temple of Diane and Les Arènes, one of the largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheaters anywhere, the Archaeological Museum and, time permitting, the Tour Magna, part of the city’s early fortifications.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Monday, May 21: ARLES: Touring begins at the ancient city’s necropoli at Alyscamps and the Archaeological Museum, which houses a superb collection of Roman antiquities, mosaics and award-winning exhibits. This afternoon we will make an excursion to St-Gilles to visit the Abbey of St-Gilles, considered to be a masterpiece of the Provençal school of 12th-century sculptors. The town, a flourishing port in the time of the Phoenicians, was later owned by the popes and monks of Cluny and was a major stop on the pilgrims’ road to Santiago de Compostela.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, May 22: ARLES: En route to Glanum we will view the remains of Roman aqueducts and a Roman industrial water mill. Our first stop in Glanum is at the impressive Triumphal Arch and the memorial to Caesar and Augustus, built in the early 1st century CE. Well-preserved mythological scenes are carved into the base of this amazing monument. Excavations at Glanum in the 1920s revealed Greek and Roman temples, baths and a small forum. We will also visit the ancient quarries that supplied the stone for Glanum and St-Rémy. After lunch and a walking tour in St-Rémy, the quintessential Provençal village, we will visit the nearby Asylum of St. Paul, where Vincent van Gogh resided in the last months of his life and where he painted some of his most famous works. We then return to Arles.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Wednesday, May 23: AVIGNON: A short drive brings us to Avignon, where we will visit the Palace of the Popes, the Museum of the Petit Palais, explore the Place de l’Horloge, the Cathedral de Notre Dame, including the tomb of Pope John XXII, the Lapidary museum and the Quartier des Fusteries. We will see Avignon’s famous bridge and some of the fortifications and have some leisure time to explore this wonderful city on our own. Hôtel d’Europe.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Thursday, May 24: AVIGNON: Touring begins at the medieval Abbaye de Sénanque, the loveliest of the Cistercian abbeys. Although its famous lavender may not be in bloom, the abbey does have other charms, including its lovely cloister. We then continue to Carpentras, the papal headquarters in the 14th century and a refuge for Jews expelled from France. Here we will learn about the region’s Jewish history as we visit the ghetto and 17th century-Synagogue constructed on the 14th-century foundations of the oldest synagogue in France. We will view the fascinating reliefs on the exterior of the Cathedral. We continue to Orange, renowned for its two unsurpassed monuments, the Roman Theater and Arc de Triomphe, which celebrates the conquests of the second Gallic Legion with wonderful battle scenes. The theater, built in the early 1st century, had a temple-like façade with a massive awning of canvas and beams that could be raised to cover most of the 9,000 spectators. After visiting the small Archaeological Museum, we return to Avignon.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, May 25: LYON: We will follow the lush Route du Vin through the Rhône Valley to the foot of Mont Ventoux and the village of Vaison-la-Romaine where we will explore the remains of the Roman city around which Vaison-la-Romaine was built. As we stroll down the ancient streets we will see several villas, some with mosaic floors and private baths. Clearly this was one of the richest of the Roman settlements in Provence. After visiting the Archaeological Museum, we will drive into the countryside for a leisurely lunch at a Provençal farmhouse and vineyard. before driving on to Lyon. Hôtel Sofitel Lyon.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Saturday, May 26: LYON: This morning we will explore the Vieux Lyon Quarter, resplendent in Renaissance and medieval façades. The afternoon will be at leisure to visit some of the city’s fine museums on our own.
Meals: Breakfast

Sunday, May 27: Today’s touring takes us to the Roman city of Lugdunum and St-Romain-en-Gal. During its 300 years as capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis, Lugdunum was the most important city in northwestern Europe and was the birthplace of two emperors, Claudius and Caracella. This evening we will meet for our farewell dinner at one of Lyon’s fine restaurants.
Meal: Breakfast & dinner

Monday, May 28: There will be one transfer to Lyon airport for our flights home.
Meal: Breakfast

Please Note: This tour should be considered moderately strenuous. We will be required to do a lot of city walking. For the most satisfying experience, and in fairness to your fellow travelers, all participants are expected to be physically active and able to walk independently throughout our full touring days.