Before I came to Italy, I had probably an average amount of interest in Art and Art History. I had heard of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo and the other big names of the Renaissance, but I didn't really know very much about the their stories and was hardly able to identify any of their works, besides the Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel, of course. So when I began my Storia dell'Arte course last November, I was prepared to learn a lot. We started out with ancient Greece and the "classical" architecture of that time. It was really fun then to go to Greece and see for myself the types of structures I had studied. I loved being able to look at an ancient Greek temple and be able to distinguish which period it was built in based on the decorations on the capitals of the columns.
But it wasn't until about two weeks ago, when we got to the Renaissance in my class, when my interest suddenly intensified. I was struck by the realization that I am living in the very city where that period was born, and so many of the paintings that we look at on the projector screen in class are in churches and museums merely a 15-minute bus ride away. On top of that, I started reading (and am still reading) a fantastic book about Michelangelo and the painting of the Sistine Chapel. Reading it has given me a view of what the artists of the Renaissance were really like. It must have been such a fascinating time in history to be living, because everything was changing.
So with this newfound thirst for knowledge, I have decided to make the most of being in Florence, and am on a church/museum rampage. I went inside the Duomo for the fourth or fifth time, but this time actually paid attention to the architectural details. I've been to the Uffizi to see all the paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, da Vinci, and Michelangelo, among others. I've been to the Bargello Museum to see the famous sculptures by Donatello, Michelangelo, and Giambologna. I've been inside the church of Santa Maria Novella to see the amazing crucifix of Giotto, the "Trinita" by Masaccio, and the Tournabuoni Chapel frescoed by Ghirlandaio (Michelangelo was one of his apprentices; he is a new favorite artist of mine!) I've been to the church of Ognissanti (which means "all saints") to see some other works by Ghirlandaio. I've seen Michelangelo's "David." I've been to the church of Santa Croce to see Galileo's tomb, designed by Vasari. I've seen the famous statues under the loggia in the Piazza della Signoria, including my favorite, "The Rape of the Sabines" by Giambologna. And these are just a few of the many places yet to see in the city. Everywhere you turn there is art, art, and more art.
So although I still have more places to see and more to learn in class, already I am thankful that I have been able to learn what I have. I believe being able to have knowledge of the past and appreciate it for what it was allows us to also appreciate the present. And that is another one of the many things that Florence has taught me.
P.S. I have put some photos of the pieces of art that I was talking about on my Picasso album for anyone who is also interested in Art History!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Spring Is In the Air
This seems like a strange title, considering that it is still February, but the last few days have really felt like spring is on its way. The mornings and evenings are still a bit brisk, but when the sun is out and the sky is blue and the birds are going crazy singing in the mornings, it's hard not to feel that it's almost time.
For this, I am thrilled. I heard an Italian say the other day: "If you think Italy is pretty now, wait till the springtime." I was excited to hear that at least this conception that we Americans have about Tuscany is true (many of my other beliefs about the region, and really all of Italy have been disproved since I've experienced it for myself!).
Yesterday was Sunday, one of those blissful days when there are no responsibilities. Most businesses are closed, so there's little temptation to go out and spend money. Instead, the girls and I put on our tank tops and put our hair in ponytails and went for a walk up the hill past the school where there are nice views of the city. It was such a beautiful day, probably the nicest we've had in months. We walked up the narrow road, past the pretty little houses, sometimes peeking through the back gates and the impossibly perfect gardens and backyards. A little old man was out tilling the ground in his olive grove and garden. We sat in the sun and looked out over the city, the Duomo seeming so small from so far away. We talked about the future and plans and wishes and hopes.
It was really an almost perfect day.
For this, I am thrilled. I heard an Italian say the other day: "If you think Italy is pretty now, wait till the springtime." I was excited to hear that at least this conception that we Americans have about Tuscany is true (many of my other beliefs about the region, and really all of Italy have been disproved since I've experienced it for myself!).
Yesterday was Sunday, one of those blissful days when there are no responsibilities. Most businesses are closed, so there's little temptation to go out and spend money. Instead, the girls and I put on our tank tops and put our hair in ponytails and went for a walk up the hill past the school where there are nice views of the city. It was such a beautiful day, probably the nicest we've had in months. We walked up the narrow road, past the pretty little houses, sometimes peeking through the back gates and the impossibly perfect gardens and backyards. A little old man was out tilling the ground in his olive grove and garden. We sat in the sun and looked out over the city, the Duomo seeming so small from so far away. We talked about the future and plans and wishes and hopes.
It was really an almost perfect day.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Trips Galore!
It's been a busy few weeks! I do go to classes, I swear, though it made not seem like it sometimes :-)
About two weeks ago, on January 31, we went to Venice with the whole school to participate in Carnevale, which is a huge citywide (countrywide in Italy, actually) party that is famous throughout the world. It was just a day trip, and it was a little bit before the actual festivities began, so it wasn't quite as crowded as I was expecting, especially after experiencing it at New Years! But it was a lot of fun to see the people roaming around in costumes. There were lots of masks, full-body costumes, and painted faces. My friends and I had our faces painted with pretty colors and lots of sparkles, so that we would blend in. We saw the Basilica, spent some time feeding those wild pigeons in Piazza San Marco, and just enjoyed some time walking around the city. It is so beautiful, and was no less so on my second trip there than the first.
The next big thing then was this past weekend when I took a trip to Barcelona, Spain with three of my girl friends from school. It was my second time visiting the city (I went there over the summer when I studied in Spain), and I loved it just as much this time. It is such a fun city, with the amazing architecture (Antonio Gaudi, a very unique modern architect who created a lot of interesting buildings in the city), like Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia and La Casa Mila, a really cool park where we watched the sunset, and a beautiful harbor. There were lots of people everywhere, especially on the main pedestrian street, Las Ramblas. The weather was beautiful, we got to see a few museums, and have some great Spanish food. It made me realize that I really really love Spain. It is definitely a place I want to go back to in the future, and I want to learn to speak Spanish better! One language at a time, though. So altogether, it was a successful weekend.
The last few days have just been a blur of classes. Today though, we had another fun trip: to these thermal baths in a tiny town called Rapolano. There were natural hot springs there. We spent an afternoon just relaxing in the warm water. It was nice to relax, because in a few days we have finals coming up! Real school: it's hard to focus on it when you're surrounded by so many things to see and places to go!
Wish me luck on the tests. I'll put up pictures from Venice and Barcelona on the Picasa Album. Oh, and one more thing: Happy Valentine's Day!
About two weeks ago, on January 31, we went to Venice with the whole school to participate in Carnevale, which is a huge citywide (countrywide in Italy, actually) party that is famous throughout the world. It was just a day trip, and it was a little bit before the actual festivities began, so it wasn't quite as crowded as I was expecting, especially after experiencing it at New Years! But it was a lot of fun to see the people roaming around in costumes. There were lots of masks, full-body costumes, and painted faces. My friends and I had our faces painted with pretty colors and lots of sparkles, so that we would blend in. We saw the Basilica, spent some time feeding those wild pigeons in Piazza San Marco, and just enjoyed some time walking around the city. It is so beautiful, and was no less so on my second trip there than the first.
The next big thing then was this past weekend when I took a trip to Barcelona, Spain with three of my girl friends from school. It was my second time visiting the city (I went there over the summer when I studied in Spain), and I loved it just as much this time. It is such a fun city, with the amazing architecture (Antonio Gaudi, a very unique modern architect who created a lot of interesting buildings in the city), like Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia and La Casa Mila, a really cool park where we watched the sunset, and a beautiful harbor. There were lots of people everywhere, especially on the main pedestrian street, Las Ramblas. The weather was beautiful, we got to see a few museums, and have some great Spanish food. It made me realize that I really really love Spain. It is definitely a place I want to go back to in the future, and I want to learn to speak Spanish better! One language at a time, though. So altogether, it was a successful weekend.
The last few days have just been a blur of classes. Today though, we had another fun trip: to these thermal baths in a tiny town called Rapolano. There were natural hot springs there. We spent an afternoon just relaxing in the warm water. It was nice to relax, because in a few days we have finals coming up! Real school: it's hard to focus on it when you're surrounded by so many things to see and places to go!
Wish me luck on the tests. I'll put up pictures from Venice and Barcelona on the Picasa Album. Oh, and one more thing: Happy Valentine's Day!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Christmas Break Part 3 - Venice
Just a quick synopsis of the last few days of 2006, which I spent in one of the most unique and beautiful cities I have yet to visit! This was my first time in Venice, as well as the first time for my mom and brother. When we arrived on December 30th, it was dark and freezing, and we had an interesting time finding our hotel. First thing to do after a bus ride to one of the main piazzas from the airport, was figure out how to use the waterbuses. This first experience in Venice let us know that it is a city unlike anywhere else! There are no cars on the island. The way that people get around is on the waterbuses, or more expensive water taxis. The canals are extensive, and the water buses basically just circle the island on the Grand Canal.
We found our hotel on a little back canal, not too far away from the center. It was a beautiful place. Our first evening there we found a delicious pizzeria for dinner. The next day we spent seeing all the sights of the city: St. Mark's Square and Basilica, the Palazzo Ducale, Rialto Bridge. Venice is just beautiful, that's the only word I can think of to describe it. It was a perfect sunny day when were there, so we saw it at its height of beauty, I think. St. Mark's Basilica is breathtaking, and we had an hour or so's worth of fun feeding the crazy pigeons in the square. They will not hesitate to climb all over you, even landing on our heads sometimes! It was very entertaining. The thing I found myself feeling while I was there was how it felt so far away from the "real" world, with roads and vehicles and all those types of things. All the buildings in the city are old, all lining the canals. There are places where stairs just go down into the water. There are little back canals, like back alleys, all crossed with little bridges everywhere. It could be called enchanting.
That evening was New Year's Eve, and we had no idea what were in for. Italians have a tradition on New Year's Eve: they eat a really big meal called Cenone (which literally means "big dinner." The word is reserved for new year's eve only, though). Almost all the restaurants have special menus that evening, many require reservations, and some cost as much as 1000 euros a person!! We had a slice of take-away pizza instead. We made our way, along with the rest of Venice, to the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square). There was a stage set up with musical entertainment and the place was packed with people. We strolled a bit, and waited until the midnight countdown. It was definitely a unique New Year's, especially afterwards, when we tried to get out of the piazza. Major traffic jam, not a good place to be if you are at all claustrophobic! It was an interesting experience, definitely!
The next day we walked around the city a bit in the morning, and had a delicious lunch before grabbing a train to Florence (home again for me!) So that's the story of how I fell in love with Venice. And fortunately for me, I get to go back in four days for Carnivale! I'm sure it will be an experience to remember as well.
We found our hotel on a little back canal, not too far away from the center. It was a beautiful place. Our first evening there we found a delicious pizzeria for dinner. The next day we spent seeing all the sights of the city: St. Mark's Square and Basilica, the Palazzo Ducale, Rialto Bridge. Venice is just beautiful, that's the only word I can think of to describe it. It was a perfect sunny day when were there, so we saw it at its height of beauty, I think. St. Mark's Basilica is breathtaking, and we had an hour or so's worth of fun feeding the crazy pigeons in the square. They will not hesitate to climb all over you, even landing on our heads sometimes! It was very entertaining. The thing I found myself feeling while I was there was how it felt so far away from the "real" world, with roads and vehicles and all those types of things. All the buildings in the city are old, all lining the canals. There are places where stairs just go down into the water. There are little back canals, like back alleys, all crossed with little bridges everywhere. It could be called enchanting.
That evening was New Year's Eve, and we had no idea what were in for. Italians have a tradition on New Year's Eve: they eat a really big meal called Cenone (which literally means "big dinner." The word is reserved for new year's eve only, though). Almost all the restaurants have special menus that evening, many require reservations, and some cost as much as 1000 euros a person!! We had a slice of take-away pizza instead. We made our way, along with the rest of Venice, to the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square). There was a stage set up with musical entertainment and the place was packed with people. We strolled a bit, and waited until the midnight countdown. It was definitely a unique New Year's, especially afterwards, when we tried to get out of the piazza. Major traffic jam, not a good place to be if you are at all claustrophobic! It was an interesting experience, definitely!
The next day we walked around the city a bit in the morning, and had a delicious lunch before grabbing a train to Florence (home again for me!) So that's the story of how I fell in love with Venice. And fortunately for me, I get to go back in four days for Carnivale! I'm sure it will be an experience to remember as well.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Simple Pleasures
Well, it's been a rather rough week. I remember when I first came here, I thought: "Nothing bad could happen here, I'm in Italy!!" But since then I have learned that it doesn't matter if you are in a beautiful place; you can feel lonely and despondent anywhere. There can be moments of sadness no matter how amazing the surroundings. I am still glad to be here, most definitely, but I have just seen in my life recently that sometimes it takes an enormous effort to make the most of your situation. I have five months left here, and I do want to make the absolute most of them.
So I have been indulging lately in simple pleasures that remind me that life is good, especially in Italy: going to town with my roommate, browsing through racks and racks of beautiful books, having a big cup of gelato (some of the best I've had yet!), reading my favorite book in bed, having a hot cup of tea in my friends' room, listening to a favorite song, taking a walk to the grocery store just because, writing a friend a postcard, little things like that. I like to remind myself often that I am experiencing an opportunity that not everyone has.
I felt the full force of that when I took a little trip to town today. I walked past the Duomo of Florence, huge, colorful, amazing to look at it. And it hit me how awesome this place is. And I remembered why I'm here. Also, sitting at dinner tonight and having a real conversation completely in Italian wasn't bad either! I feel like I can actually learn this language, that being here will produce not just great memories of great places, but also the knowledge of a new language and culture. And the memories of some awesome gelato, of course!
So I have been indulging lately in simple pleasures that remind me that life is good, especially in Italy: going to town with my roommate, browsing through racks and racks of beautiful books, having a big cup of gelato (some of the best I've had yet!), reading my favorite book in bed, having a hot cup of tea in my friends' room, listening to a favorite song, taking a walk to the grocery store just because, writing a friend a postcard, little things like that. I like to remind myself often that I am experiencing an opportunity that not everyone has.
I felt the full force of that when I took a little trip to town today. I walked past the Duomo of Florence, huge, colorful, amazing to look at it. And it hit me how awesome this place is. And I remembered why I'm here. Also, sitting at dinner tonight and having a real conversation completely in Italian wasn't bad either! I feel like I can actually learn this language, that being here will produce not just great memories of great places, but also the knowledge of a new language and culture. And the memories of some awesome gelato, of course!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Christmas Break Part 2 - Greece
This was the part of my break that I was really anticipating, because not only was I going to get to see some of the most ancient ruins and most famous buildings in the world (other history nerds know what I'm talking about!), but I was also getting to see my family, who I was missing a lot.
My friend Sarah and I flew from Florence to Athens and arrived in the middle of the day. We were delighted with the weather, especially after having just come from Amsterdam and the freezing temperatures there. It was sunny and beautiful, a little cool in the shade, but nice. We met my mom and brother Jeremy at the airport and spent the rest of the day walking around part of Athens. We found a main shopping strip with lots of restaurants and the Athens Street Market, which is pretty well-renowned in those parts. The food was interesting: from the very beginning I got the feeling that I would probably get tired of Greek food pretty soon: cheese and spinach pie, feta on everything (which is not a bad thing, just different!), weird meats prepared in even weirder ways, things of that nature. Our first full day we spent seeing Hadrian's Arch, which stands beside the Temple of Zeus. It was amazing to stand in front of this massive structure, partially knocked down, but still standing after thousands of years. We also climbed the hills of Athens, as I like to think of them: one that overlooked the Acropolis and Mars Hill, where Paul preached to the Athenians in 51 A.D. We watched the sunset from another hill, complete with little church on top. The next day my dad flew into Athens and we did the big guns: Acropolis, Ancient Agoras. Standing there felt so surreal, in front of the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Erectheon, with the famous Carytide statues in the shape of women. The Parthenon was a little disappointing, being covered with so much scaffolding, but still very cool.
The next morning was Christmas Eve day, and we had an early flight to Santorini, one of the Cyclades, the group of southernmost islands, right above Crete. It is the type of place that is considered "typical" of the Greek Isles: beautiful little villages with white-washed houses built into a cliff overlooking the sea, deep blue domes on little white churches and blue-painted doors, black sand beaches. And that is truly how it looked. The trip came with a little bit of surprise, however: in wintertime, the Greek Isles shut down. It was almost like a ghost town, especially during Christmas. Hardly any restaurants were open, few hotels, and we saw only a handful of other tourists. It was a little bit eerie to be walking through the narrow stone streets past all these boarded up shots, and empty, almost-run down cafes, bars, and restaurants. It was hard to imagine it being full of life and people, as it most definitely is during the summer months. But there were advantages to being there at this time: we had a lot of peace. Christmas day was spent riding little vespas all over the island to see the beaches and the views from the clifftops across the caldera. We also found a great restaurant where we found ourselves every day during our stay! It was definitely an unconventional holiday, but I found myself enjoying being in a unique place with my family, relaxing, and not worrying about anything. And I am now curious to see how Santorini, or another island like it, would be during the summer time. Another trip is probably in the future!
By the end of the week, I was starting to feel a little bit Greeced-out. But I still was able to appreciate the culture. One thing I noticed about the Greeks are how friendly and giving they are. They seem to enjoy you being there, and at the end of every meal we ate in Greece, we were given something free: a little bit of dessert, a little drink to make a toast, something like that. Every meal. They are very generous people, and usually willing to help. This was something I appreciated, because Italy, although there are many friendly and helpful people, as a general rule seems to be a little less that way.
We spent one more day in Athens, doing a little more hiking the hills, and a little more shopping, before hopping on a plane back to Italy for New Years. But that is another blog for another day!
My friend Sarah and I flew from Florence to Athens and arrived in the middle of the day. We were delighted with the weather, especially after having just come from Amsterdam and the freezing temperatures there. It was sunny and beautiful, a little cool in the shade, but nice. We met my mom and brother Jeremy at the airport and spent the rest of the day walking around part of Athens. We found a main shopping strip with lots of restaurants and the Athens Street Market, which is pretty well-renowned in those parts. The food was interesting: from the very beginning I got the feeling that I would probably get tired of Greek food pretty soon: cheese and spinach pie, feta on everything (which is not a bad thing, just different!), weird meats prepared in even weirder ways, things of that nature. Our first full day we spent seeing Hadrian's Arch, which stands beside the Temple of Zeus. It was amazing to stand in front of this massive structure, partially knocked down, but still standing after thousands of years. We also climbed the hills of Athens, as I like to think of them: one that overlooked the Acropolis and Mars Hill, where Paul preached to the Athenians in 51 A.D. We watched the sunset from another hill, complete with little church on top. The next day my dad flew into Athens and we did the big guns: Acropolis, Ancient Agoras. Standing there felt so surreal, in front of the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Erectheon, with the famous Carytide statues in the shape of women. The Parthenon was a little disappointing, being covered with so much scaffolding, but still very cool.
The next morning was Christmas Eve day, and we had an early flight to Santorini, one of the Cyclades, the group of southernmost islands, right above Crete. It is the type of place that is considered "typical" of the Greek Isles: beautiful little villages with white-washed houses built into a cliff overlooking the sea, deep blue domes on little white churches and blue-painted doors, black sand beaches. And that is truly how it looked. The trip came with a little bit of surprise, however: in wintertime, the Greek Isles shut down. It was almost like a ghost town, especially during Christmas. Hardly any restaurants were open, few hotels, and we saw only a handful of other tourists. It was a little bit eerie to be walking through the narrow stone streets past all these boarded up shots, and empty, almost-run down cafes, bars, and restaurants. It was hard to imagine it being full of life and people, as it most definitely is during the summer months. But there were advantages to being there at this time: we had a lot of peace. Christmas day was spent riding little vespas all over the island to see the beaches and the views from the clifftops across the caldera. We also found a great restaurant where we found ourselves every day during our stay! It was definitely an unconventional holiday, but I found myself enjoying being in a unique place with my family, relaxing, and not worrying about anything. And I am now curious to see how Santorini, or another island like it, would be during the summer time. Another trip is probably in the future!
By the end of the week, I was starting to feel a little bit Greeced-out. But I still was able to appreciate the culture. One thing I noticed about the Greeks are how friendly and giving they are. They seem to enjoy you being there, and at the end of every meal we ate in Greece, we were given something free: a little bit of dessert, a little drink to make a toast, something like that. Every meal. They are very generous people, and usually willing to help. This was something I appreciated, because Italy, although there are many friendly and helpful people, as a general rule seems to be a little less that way.
We spent one more day in Athens, doing a little more hiking the hills, and a little more shopping, before hopping on a plane back to Italy for New Years. But that is another blog for another day!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Christmas Break Part 1 - Amsterdam
Happy New Year! I can't believe it's another year, and I'm still in Europe. I've been back from break for about a week and am getting back into the swing of things in class.
Break was great. It was nice to not only have a break from classes, but to have a chance to really do some traveling. I started out by heading north to Belgium and the Netherlands. A small group of friends and I left early in the morning to fly to Brussels. It was absolutely freezing when we got there, but there was so much activity and so many people out in the city center. We only spent a few hours in Brussels, but had time to see the beautiful buildings in the main square, the huge Christmas tree, and Christmas market. We also had Belgian waffles and chocolate, of course. After a rather interesting experience at the train station, we finally made it to Centraal Station in Amsterdam. It was dark, so finding the hostel was interesting, but I was so excited to see the city. It is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. There are lots of quiet canals, lined with little boats, and little houses. The houses are all lined up side by side, no spaces in between, and they are all different colors and have different shaped roofs. It makes the streets look so pretty.
The only thing I did not enjoy about being there was the extreme cold. We layered up, but it was still almost unbearable at times. Amsterdam is the European city with the most museums per square footage. And it seemed like we went to almost all of them! Van Gogh, Rembrandt House, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House. There was a lot of interesting stuff to see. Also, we took a boat ride on the canals in the evening, and a three hour walking tour through the city center to learn a lot of the history (freezing, but fun!). It was a lot of fun, especially to be with friends. We spent about 3 1/2 days there, enough time to get a feel of the place. It is definitely a different culture than Italy and one I'm glad to have experienced.
After the days there, my friend Sarah and I flew back to Florence for a night before setting out on part 2 of vacation: GREECE!
Break was great. It was nice to not only have a break from classes, but to have a chance to really do some traveling. I started out by heading north to Belgium and the Netherlands. A small group of friends and I left early in the morning to fly to Brussels. It was absolutely freezing when we got there, but there was so much activity and so many people out in the city center. We only spent a few hours in Brussels, but had time to see the beautiful buildings in the main square, the huge Christmas tree, and Christmas market. We also had Belgian waffles and chocolate, of course. After a rather interesting experience at the train station, we finally made it to Centraal Station in Amsterdam. It was dark, so finding the hostel was interesting, but I was so excited to see the city. It is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. There are lots of quiet canals, lined with little boats, and little houses. The houses are all lined up side by side, no spaces in between, and they are all different colors and have different shaped roofs. It makes the streets look so pretty.
The only thing I did not enjoy about being there was the extreme cold. We layered up, but it was still almost unbearable at times. Amsterdam is the European city with the most museums per square footage. And it seemed like we went to almost all of them! Van Gogh, Rembrandt House, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House. There was a lot of interesting stuff to see. Also, we took a boat ride on the canals in the evening, and a three hour walking tour through the city center to learn a lot of the history (freezing, but fun!). It was a lot of fun, especially to be with friends. We spent about 3 1/2 days there, enough time to get a feel of the place. It is definitely a different culture than Italy and one I'm glad to have experienced.
After the days there, my friend Sarah and I flew back to Florence for a night before setting out on part 2 of vacation: GREECE!
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