NEW Wonders of Medieval Rome, c.300 – 1300
Study Tours
Dr George Bartlett
Thursday 9 – Saturday 11 April 2026
£495
Tour Description
Long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, Rome remained a beating heart of power, politics, and devotion. During the course of the medieval period popes, emperors, kings, and cardinals transformed the city into a showcase of spiritual grandeur and artistic innovation. Over three days, we’ll explore how medieval Rome reinvented its classical heritage while forging powerful connections with the Byzantine and Holy Roman Empires, through dazzling mosaics, intricate sculptures and vibrant wall paintings.
From the frescoed walls by Pietro Cavallini at Santa Cecilia to the radiant mosaics of Santa Maria in Trastevere and the fascinating repurposed marble reliefs on the Arch of Constantine, every stop tells a story of resilience and renewal. Far from an age of decline, medieval Rome emerges as a city of brilliance where old stones inspired new visions, and art became a testament to faith, power, and creativity.
Lecturer's Biography
Dr George Bartlett is currently a Teaching Fellow in Byzantine Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, where he was Associate Lecturer (BA and MA programmes) in 2024-2025. He completed his PhD in art history at the University of Sussex in 2020, with a thesis on Christ’s naming inscriptions in Byzantine art and taught there on the BA and MA programmes. Since 2019 George has contributed to the Courtauld’s Summer School, with courses on medieval mosaics and on the transition from pagan to Christian art in late antiquity and has recently also worked at the Institute of Classical Studies, University of London.