Arcadia Public Library

Explore famous artists' haunts of Paris, beginning with the neighborhood of Montmartre, where the quality of light and bohemian culture were a magnet for painters and writers during the Belle Epoque. Visit the cemeteries of Montmartre and Pere Lachaise, the resting places of many famous Parisians and expats. Learn about the literary culture of Montparnasse and enjoy two of its most famous cafes.

Travel the Borgo Ognissanti, an important historic entry into Florence. Admire elegant palaces on the way to the church and monastery of Ognissanti, with their splendid frescoed Vespucci Chapel, Sacristy, and refectory. Enjoy the lush beauties of the Cascine Park and the Bardini Gardens, and visit the Jewel Villa, where Galileo lived.

Here, visit one of Italy's most beautiful Romanesque churches, San Miniato al Monte, highlighting the collective artistic genius of the Chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal. Then travel to the hillside town of Fiesole, with its beautiful Villa Medici, Romanesque cathedral, and spectacular views over the city of Florence below.

Walk down the famous Via Veneto to Bernini's Fontana Tritone fountain, continuing to the massive Palazzo Barberini, now a superlative art museum. Explore the picturesque Spanish Steps area, highlighting the Villa Medici, the elegant Via Condotti, and the great Palazzo Borghese, one of Rome's most lavish princely dwellings.

From the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485 to the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, Britain experienced severe political upheavals. Among other events, Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church to found the Church of England. Witness how the era's architecture - including Hampton Court Palace, Hardwick Hall, and Sulgrave Manor - reflected the political turmoil.

Step away from teeming London into the famous university towns of Oxford and Cambridge. Both house venerable academic institutions, each with its own distinct mood and atmosphere. Learn about some of the famous graduates from each university, and tour a sampling of their beautiful chapels, libraries, rivers, and gardens.

Continuing with highlights of the Forum, grasp the economic and civic functions of the Basilica Aemilia and the Basilica Julia. Take in important pagan shrines, the Curia or Senate House, and the Arch of Septimius Severus, and learn the remarkable stories of the Church of Saints Mark and Martina and the Mamertine Prison.

Examine the social, intellectual, and political background of the French Revolution of 1789. Visit key locations in Paris where the events unfolded, from a legendary coffee house to the site of the Bastille prison and the Place de la Concorde. Then map the turbulent epoch of Napoleon, and witness the lasting impact of his rule on both the look of Paris and the features of French society.

Begin your tour of this famous region with the fabulous Chartres Cathedral and its masterpieces of stained glass. Trace the history of the Loire's plethora of extraordinary chateaux, explore two of the most celebrated, and learn about some of the region's notable citizens. Finally, visit the historic maritime city of Nantes, home to a remarkable 19th-century science fiction theme park.

Continue your study of the political shifts during Renaissance Britain, a period when kings were gradually forced to share power with Parliament. This tension broke bounds in the 17th century, when Charles I, defeated in a civil war, was beheaded at the Banqueting House in London. After Oliver Cromwell's quasi-military dictatorship, the crown was restored to Charles II.