Habemus cursum!*
[i.e. We have new courses!]
*[I know… but you didn’t really expect us to be able to resist, did you…?]
We do live in interesting times, non?
And in this instance, I don’t mean in the usual ironic (albeit apocryphal) sense.
This image: Dylan Martinez/Reuters, May 8, 2025, via https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/08/white-smoke-signals-election-of-new-roman-catholic-pope
Many of you have, we know, been following events in the Vatican avidly.
I hope, of course, that those of you who have been doing so for faith-based reasons are happy with Thursday’s outcome.
Conclave (still), dir. Edward Berger, 2024
For some of you, the interest is primarily cultural. But interest of all sorts has understandably been both heightened and informed by a certain widely-acclaimed (and indeed perfectly-timed) film.
It’s certainly no coincidence that there have been more papacy-/conclave-related MSM think-pieces, ‘A history of…’ surveys, social media traffic, and memes than those generated by previous papal elections. Personally, I’m especially tickled by the riffs on the notion that Conclave will be the papal equivalent of Christmas films, à la It’s A Wonderful Life/The Muppet Christmas Carol/Die Hard/Love Actually/insert your essential Christmas film here are, to be watched during every papal interregnum from now on.
Not even those at the very heart of ‘the first clickbait conclave’ are immune to the allure of its cinematic counterpart, apparently. See, for example, Cardinal Mykola Bychok’s post-conclave comments , which light-heartedly garnish intel that cardinals were watching the film as prep, including, allegedly - and rather wonderfully - Pope Leo himself!
AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, March 13, 2013, via: https://www.trentonian.com/2013/03/13/catholic-church-has-new-pope-white-smoke-rises/
Raphael, The Meeting of Leo the Great and Attila, 1513-14
Vatican City, Apostolic Palace, Stanza di Raffaello
This image via: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raphael_-_The_Meeting_of_Leo_the_Great_and_Attila.jpg
These are especially delightful examples of the universal, symbiotic, and perennially powerful relationship between life and art - each not only influencing but also being influenced by the other - which has a long and venerable tradition in so many contexts, and provides the backbone for most of our courses.
It will therefore come as no surprise to anyone who knows us that part of our 2025 ‘Summer Spectacular’ programme will luxuriate in the artistic and cultural life of the Vatican.
… So yes - here we are contributing, in our own very small way, to the clickbait conclave trend!!
Given our theme, we’re giving our traditional drumming hound and fanfare phalanx a brief holiday, and choosing instead a papal-inflected announcement.
So without further ado…
"Habemus Papam" after the election of Pope Martinus at the Council of Constance (1414-1418), Ulrich von Richenthal, Chronicle of the Council of Constance, this edition ca 1465
Konstanz, Germany, Rosgartenmuseum, Hs.1
Image here via: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=657864
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum!
[i.e. I announce to you a great joy]*
*[Yup. I went there. Sorry-not-sorry]
First up, we present unto you the chance to luxuriate in a wonderful (and in this instance, I use the term advisedly rather than hyperbolically) chapter of Rome’s fabulous cultural and artistic splendour, namely…
For those of you who know even a little of Bernini’s genius, ‘nuff said. To those of you who are less familiar with his work, all I can say is “Buckle in… This’ll be a real treat”!
And speaking of treats… we turn to the main focus of our summer programme this year.
The Heart of the Eternal City:
Because of course we had to do it!
But as those of you who have been with us over the last few years may remember, this has been gently simmering on our to-do list for some time.
NB This course has a very different focus to last term’s The Papacy. There will inevitably be a small degree of common ground in some of the historical context, but this is very much a course in its own right. So it matters not whether you did The Papacy. The Heart of the Eternal City is firmly in the now-traditional model of our Summer Spectacular courses: an opportunity to explore the artistic gems of a glorious site from the comfort of your own home.* No passport, packing, or jabs required!
*[&/or during your travels. We’re always flattered when you take time out of your holiday adventures to join us ‘live’ for a course – and it’s especially exciting when you’re in the very place we’re exploring (you know who you are…!!) – but rest assured. All sessions will, as ever, be recorded, so you can watch the edited versions on catch-up at your convenience]
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Some of you may have noticed a theme here…
…and yes: our cunning plan, for some time now, was to have a theme which would take us from the end of this term into summer.
Building on the Roman focus of two already-announced courses - The Colosseum and Commodus and the Severans: Rome 177-235 - we shall revel in key moments of the Eternal City’s artistic and cultural life.
We’ve been thinking of this as our very own Roman Holiday!*
*[…in the sense, that is, of travelling throughout Rome, rather than the barbaric/sadistic Byronic sense!]
Incidentally… We do know, of course: Vatican City is not Roman per se. But (a) it’s the home of the Bishop of Rome, and (b) as The Vatican and St Peter’s Square starred in Mr Peck and Ms Hepburn’s Roman Holiday, they can certainly do so in ours too!
We hope that you’re as excited about our Roman Holiday as we are!
To see all of our currently-available courses in calendar order, click here.