Linda, PhD, is a specialist of 16th-17th century Italian art and architecture, history of archaeology since the Renaissance, and the history of art collecting and museums. Her main research interests are the critical reception of well-known Renaissance monuments, vernacular devotion, xenophobia and nationalism, and the politics of art display. In addition to doing walks for Context, Linda teaches for university programs in Rome.

Carol received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and holds M.A. degrees in Italian literature from the University of Toronto, where she has taught, and in art history from Boston University. Carol has been teaching for five years as adjunct faculty for several Rome study abroad programs and has been a guest lecturer in art history and restoration for numerous visiting American university summer programs. She has been a Visiting Fellow twice at the Massachusetts Center for Renaissance Studies in Amherst, Mass, where she has given numerous lectures and participated in conferences. Through her affiliation with various art institutes, Carol has participated in a variety of laboratory and fieldwork restoration projects throughout Tuscany and Lazio over the past eight years. She has treated numerous paintings, frescos, and gilded objects, and has worked on-site at locations such as Villa il Farneto in Vicchio, and Santa Maria Castagnolo. She is currently completing her Italian laurea in restoration. Carol also completed the graduate certificate program in Museum Studies from Tufts University with a specialization in conservation. With over five years of professional curatorial experience in the U.S. encompassing the care and treatment of art objects, she has authored numerous conservation grants and was a successful applicant to the Smithsonian Institution’s Collections Care program.

Chris is an ancient historian with a PhD in Classics. He has a particular interest in the archaeology of ancient Rome and is currently on a Research Fellowship at the British School of Rome. Prior to this, Chris was a lecturer in ancient history and culture at the University of Exeter (UK) and the School of Architecture at the University of Lincoln (UK), where he taught a variety of subjects connected to the ancient world. Having spent extended periods in Italy, including on archaeological excavations (including at Pompeii) and living for two years in Rome, has given him an intimate knowledge of the city. Chris has published on classical architecture, ancient architects, and Rome itself. His current research revolves trying to understand how the ancient inhabitants perceived and understood the buildings they lived in and the city around them.