Arlington Public Schools -

A small group of Arlington High School students toured parts of France and Italy for eight days this summer as part of an art trip to Europe.

“The trip was completely art focused,” said Arlington High School Art Teacher Audrey Rose. “We were able to visit many of the world’s greatest museums from the Louvre in Paris, France, to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, and the Vatican Museums in Vatican City. Students were able to experience some of the greatest pieces of art ever created such as Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ and Michelangelo’s painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.”

Arlington High School senior Stevie Costello said, “The France & Italy 2025 trip was an amazing experience for me! I got to see iconic art, beautiful architecture, and historic cities. Although I was already super interested in art prior to the trip, I also learned a lot of new things from all the tours through cities and museums. It was so incredible to see all my favorite pieces of art. I will never forget looking at the Winged Victory Statue or standing in the Sistine Chapel. My group from Arlington was small in numbers, but that allowed me to get to know them better. I especially bonded with my friend Shaye and teacher Ms. Rose. Fortunately, the large group from Virginia that joined us was also a great bunch of people. I made a handful of new friends, some of whom I still talk to today. Overall, the France & Italy trip was fantastic, and I would highly recommend going if you ever get the opportunity!"

Rose credits the tour company Explorica for such a positive experience.

“Explorica did an amazing job of filling each day not only with these experiences, but also with workshops where students learned about the trades of different artisans from many of the regions we visited. This was such an amazing experience, and I hope more students are able to accompany me on trips abroad in the future!”