Discover the Majesty and Mystery of Peru July 31- August 13, 2006

Dr. Humberto Rodriguez-Camilloni, Director, Henry H. Wiss Center for Theory and History of Art and Architecture will lead a study tour of his native Peru this summer. Alumni, students, faculty, and friends of Virginia Tech are invited to participate in this Virginia Tech College of Architecture + Urban Studies Alumni Study-Travel Abroad program.

A renowned expert in Peruvian culture and architecture, Dr. Rodriguez says the tour will focus on the heritage of Peruvian architecture, art, and cultural history. Participants can earn up to 60 continuing education credits. Many exciting study-travel adventures await you. Here are but a few of the highlights.

The fifteen-day journey begins in Lima, the "City of Kings" and once the center of Spain's colonial empire, to examine its incomparable colonial architecture and Peru's finest archaeological museum containing pre-Columbian textiles, gold, pottery, and magnificently adorned mummies. Continuing north along the Pan-American Highway on the coast of Peru, we encounter Caral, the oldest major settlement of the Americas dating from 2624 B.C. , as well as the ancient site of Chavin de Huantar. On the northern coast of Peru we visit the colonial cities of Trujillo and Chiclayo and nearby archaeological sites associated with the pre-Inca Moche and Chimu cultures.

Connecting in Lima, we fly to the colonial city of Cusco, once the legendary capital of the Inca Empire. From Cusco's airport, we descend into the sacred Urubamba Valley, en route to the village of Yucay, exploring the outstanding Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, where the ancient cancha enclosures and irrigation system continue to serve the community.

Next, a train takes the tour to the incomparable Machu Picchu , one of the world's most extraordinary archaeological sites. Returning to Cusco for three nights, we visit the city's spectacular colonial center, the impressive Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, and other archaeological treasures.

Register now to join Professor Rodriguez on this thrilling journey. An experienced guide to his homeland, he recounts the night a previous study-tour group stayed in a hotel near the famous Machu Picchu . “No words can describe that kind of beauty,” Rodriguez says. “Nothing compares to being there.”

Be there, this summer, for a trip of a lifetime, for memories you'll never forget.

Register early! Space is limited for this exciting and educational trip.

Complete tour information, including costs, itinerary, hotel and transportation details follow this link: PDF