Scholar-led Walks of the World's Greatest Cities

Context is a network of architects, historians, and art historians who organize walking seminars for intellectually curious travelers. Their walks provide an in-depth alternative to traditional tours, and are led by Ph.D.-level scholars and historians. Their seminars are like going back to college, and they are not a tour company (no umbrellas). Anthony will be joined by Paul Bennett of Context.

Episode Segments:

Context Travel Anthony welcomes Paul Bennett of Context Travel, who tells us about their walking tours of Italy. Learn more about how these tours evolved to become something completely unique, as well as some of the things you will see and learn about on their walks.
Embed Code
Caravaggio Anthony discusses the artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, including his background, the history surrounding his artwork, his patrons, as well as where you can see his work around the world.
Embed Code
Technology and Toursim Chris Carriero tells a little bit about the political and cultural happenings in Italy, as well as ikangaroo, where he combines tourism and technology.
Embed Code

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Paul Bennett Context was founded by Paul Bennett and Lani Bevacqua. Before arriving in Rome in the fall of 2001, Lani and Paul spent a year and a half voyaging aboard Lucy, a 38-foot sailing ketch, making their way from New York City to Rome via Central America, the Atlantic Islands, and North Africa. Paul is an award-winning writer for National Geographic and National Geographic Adventure. He holds a Master’s from St. John’s College’s “Great Books” program and has written four books for Princeton Architectural Press about architecture and landscape. In Rome, when he’s not helping run Context, he lectures on architecture, and serves as a European correspondent for Architectural Record. His article about underground Rome appeared in the July 2006 issue of National Geographic magazine and was selected for the Best American Science and Nature Writing 2006 (Houghton Mifflin, October 2007). His February 2005 NG Adventure article about sailing across the Atlantic was selected for the Best American Travel Writing 2005 (Houghton Mifflin, October 2006), while his article on global warming in Greenland for the same magazine recently won a Thomas Lowell Award (October 2007). Click Here to visit his website