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Academic travel articles, written by our expert tour leaders.
The Academy Journal
Written by our specialist tour leaders, these articles explore hidden gems, historical events and artistic masterpieces, enriching your upcoming travels with their unique perspectives.
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Later Byzantine Art
High on the interior western wall of a church building deep in the fir-clad heartland of old Serbia, Christ looks down upon the faithful at the centre of a throng of angels and apostles mourning the death or “falling asleep” (the koimēsis or dormition) of his mother. Robed in a knee-length porphyry cloak, Mary herself is stretched out on a couch draped in red and green silks,
Portugal’s Hidden Foundations
Portugal is a small nation, but geologically, historically and artistically complex. It is often introduced through its medieval kingdoms and Atlantic expansion, yet these chapters represent only a late moment in a far longer human and geological story. Long before Lisbon became a capital or Porto a mercantile hub, the landscapes of western Iberia were shaped by deep time
‘Mood Work’: Genevieve Carroll, Hill End Artist
You arrive in the township of Hill End, New South Wales, from either Bathurst, Sofala or Mudgee. Each road is different, but all are dramatic, winding, and mountainous. Cliffs of yellowish, primeval rock appear as you wind up the hills, the type of moonscape that must have surprised the artist-visitors who came here from Sydney in the 1940s in search of peace and inspiration.
Carthage must be Destroyed
Of the many peoples who emerge from our accounts of ancient history, including the Babylonians, Hittites, and Etruscans, few have captured our imagination as much as the Carthaginians. Central to the narratives we recount about these enigmatic Phoenicians who arrived in modern Tunisia in the 9th century BCE is the story of the elephants crossing the Alps
Hilltop Towns of Northern & Central Italy
Across northern and central Italy, a chain of fortified hilltop towns rises above plains, valleys and river crossings – small urban worlds shaped by rivalries, pilgrim routes and the need for protection. Their walls, towers and compact residential quarters offer some of the clearest surviving evidence of Italy’s medieval past. For travellers following the historic routes from Aosta and Ivrea through Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany
Forged by Fire & Ice
Few places on Earth demonstrate the power of natural forces as vividly as Iceland. Here, on a windswept island at the edge of the Arctic Circle, fire and ice coexist in a delicate yet dramatic balance. Volcanoes rise from beneath glaciers, rivers carve through ancient lava fields, and steam from the planet’s interior curls into the cold northern air. For scientists, Iceland offers a rare glimpse into the Earth’s inner workings.
The Via Francigena: The Story of a Medieval Superhighway
As the famous saying goes, ‘All roads lead to Rome’. One of the oldest and most remarkable of these is the Via Francigena, a route that stitched together the great landscapes of Europe long before the age of rail or motorways. Stretching some 2,000 kilometres from Canterbury to Rome, the Via Francigena crosses five countries, 16 regions and more than six hundred towns and villages.
Sezincote House
The Cotswolds have been much in the news lately. Not only do the King (at Highgrove), the Beckhams, the Camerons, Kate Moss, Hugh Grant, various minor royalty and most recently Beyoncé, and of course Jeremy Clarkson at Diddly Squat have homes there, but now it’s wealthy Americans who have made the Cotswolds their summer holiday destination of choice.
Delphi: Navel of the World
Legend has it that Zeus was determined to discover where the centre of the world lay. And so he sent out two eagles from each end of the cosmos. They met at Delphi which Zeus then declared was the omphalos (navel) of the world and which, over centuries, transformed itself into the leading oracular sanctuary of the Classical world.
Between the Crescent & the Lion
While separated by the Adriatic and Aegean seas, Istanbul and Venice were deeply entwined through a shared and turbulent history, particularly during the medieval and early modern periods, when the Ottoman Empire reached the height of its power and Venice strove to maintain its maritime hegemony.