Thirteen of our Year 8 students head away to Europe on Wednesday next week for their Renaissance Tour. They will be visiting Italy and England and connecting with some of the great historical monuments of the western world; Rome, Florence, Siena, Salisbury, Oxford and London.

The word Renaissance means rebirth and while the Florentine Renaissance left for posterity many great works of Art, the real renaissance lay in the discovery of ancient wisdom. Ancient Egyptian and Greek manuscripts were brought to Europe for the first time. Marsilio Ficino, after whom our School is named, was a leading light in translating the words of two philosophical giants: Plato and Plotinus. Although little known now, Marsilio Ficino had a huge influence on Art and Culture in Florence during the Renaissance period. He wrote extensively to popes, political leaders and even directly to some of the famous artists themselves.

Our Year 8 students have been well-prepared by Mr Hudson, and this trip provides a unique opportunity to connect with the wisdom that emerged in Europe at the time of the Italian Renaissance and afterwards in England.

Mr Peter Crompton
Principal