The Lyceum is very proud to present a new initiative that we believe is truly Aristotelian in the richness and diversity of its cultural interest.

Since its inception 8 years ago, the Lyceum has provided a wide range of opportunities to students, parents, and friends for the discovery, understanding, and appreciation of the classical world. We very much value our privileged location in the heart of ancient Rome, and we have taken full advantage of this in school classes, field trips for students and parents, lectures, and extra-curricular activities.

Now, we are excited to be offering the chance to discover the Roman world outside Rome and outside Italy - an 8-day trip to explore the art, architecture, history, and politics of Rome in Africa, specifically in northern Algeria.

I first visited the Roman cities of Algeria in 1978 with an archaeologist friend who had written his doctoral dissertation on the region. It was my first experience of an ancient Roman world outside Italy and my first experience of the Arab world. It was a truly mind-blowing experience, which opened up so many new and fascinating worlds to me.

I have been back to Algeria many times since then, the last time in October 2023, and I wanted to share that marvelous experience with our SSS community. Several of the most impressive Roman cities in the world, such as Timgad and Djemila, are located in Algeria and have been given UNESCO World Heritage status.

For those suffering from tourist-crowd fatigue, Algeria offers breathtaking sites in peace and tranquility. In Algeria, one can see things that are both familiar and unfamiliar, and we will show you both!

There will be two trips. The Ghardaia extension will be available for both.

Algeria is the largest country in Africa (and the 10th largest in the world) with tremendous variety in landscape, culture, and people, so we are also offering the possibility of an extension to Ghardaia (one of five UNESCO-protected Saharan towns that occupy the M'Zab valley) for three nights at an oasis just outside Beni Isguen. Here, in this unique environment, you can discover a different landscape, a different culture, a different religion, a different people.