My First Month and a Half = Long Blog Post

I don’t exactly know how to explain that I haven’t written on this blog for the first month of my year studying abroad in Rome, Italy, so I’m just going to completely avoid the subject. The only excuse I can offer is that it has been the most whirlwind, life-changing month in my life and I’m excited to tell you all about it.

Honestly, I’ve been dying to write in this blog for the entire month. It just seems that every day I end up doing the touristy stuff, the architecture stuff, the fun stuff, the amazing sight-seeing stuff, the traveling stuff, and, yes, even the housekeeping stuff (doing my laundry was interesting). I just couldn’t find the time to sit down and make it happen. So with the disclaimer that I will probably NEVER write this much in a blog post again (I prefer showing pictures with short paragraphs describing the best parts), please enjoy this post along with me as I re-live my first month and a half here in the eternal city and around Italy.

So the month has been jam-packed as you could imagine and in order to explain it all in a coherent way I am going to organize the month’s experiences into the different experiences/trips I’ve had so far.

First Weeks in Rome- September 10-25^th

On September 10^th, the entire class of 46 architecture students (arkies) and I embarked on our year-long study abroad program in Rome, Italy. We took the 8 hour overnight flight out of Chicago with Iberia Airlines and it connected in Madrid, Spain before we got to Rome. The flight was pretty straightforward until we got to Madrid. The group was just the entire group of arkies (there was no administration) and the connecting flight in Madrid turned out to be a crazy experience. It turned out that the flight from Chicago was about half an hour late getting into Madrid and we only had 1 hour to get to the next flight. So in a half hour we had to get from one gate in the Madrid airport to another, which sounds pretty easy right? Well the Madrid airport was set up in such a fashion that the big boards with the flight times and gate numbers were only located AFTER security check points and each group of gates (the A’s, B’s, etc) had it own SEPARATE security check point. Essentially our group of 47 just chose the gate letter that was on our tickets and started going through security. As the group started going through the security check point, the guards started making each and every person pour out their water bottles. This proved to take some time. Then as the first few people got past the checkpoint and looked at one of the big boards, we soon found out that the gate had changed from the one that was on our tickets and we had to go to another gate and security check point to do this process all over again. I ended up being one of the first people out of security and I rushed to the gate (already 15 minutes late) to try to stall the plane. As me and a few other people got there the attendant was a little confused and a little angry that 47 people were missing/late. So I tried to explain the situation, the late flight, the security, etc, to the attendant, she continued to yell at me to “Get on the plane”, “Hurry, hurry” And (my favorite) “plane will leave”. So I refused to get on the plane until all the arkies made it, and once we all got on the plane there was an entire cabin full of angry Europeans wondering why the flight was delayed a half hour for a bunch of young American students. Welcome to Europe!

The first weekend was amazing because it all happened so fast and Rome is probably the best city to get completely lost in. We immediately checked into the hotel, Albergo del Sole, got our room assignments and went to throw our luggage down. The hotel is the best because we live in your basic hotel room with 3 people and a bathroom AND they treat us the same as every guest by changing our sheets and towels and cleaning up every day. It’s pretty nice. The hotel also has the best location because it is in the oldest district of Rome and we are literally 50 yards from Campo de’ Fiori and a 5 minute walk from the Pantheon.

Then the studio we basically live and work in is just 5 minutes away from the hotel, right by the Pantheon, and it is a renovated 16^th century palazzo that has been converted into a studio, lounge, administration area, computer lab, lecture hall, library, seminar room, kitchen, etc. All the basic stuff we need to do actual schoolwork while in Rome.

So we got into Rome on Thursday and the next day we had meetings and introductions and things, but Saturday we jumped out of bed and did Rome in a day basically. Some of the arkies and I walked all over Rome taking pictures and getting to know the city. On our way toward the Colosseum, we stopped at the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II in downtown Rome. Victor Emmanuel was the first king of unified Italy, and inside the building is the museum of the reunification of Italy. The museum was really fascinating because it had all the paintings, objects, busts, statues, etc from the reunification of Italy in the 19^th century. The building itself was probably the best part because it was built into the Capitoline Hill, made of pure marble, and it had amazing stairways, large Corinthian columns, and a some amazing sculptures on top. The views from the top of the building were also great because you could see the old district of Rome which included all the Forums, the Colosseum, etc. The picture at the top of the blog was taken from the top of the Monument that first day.

Then as we continued walking toward the Colosseum past all the Forums, in true Roman fashion, we kind of stumbled upon the Piazza del Campidoglio (that's me walking up the stairs on the left) which is the Piazza designed by Michelangelo for the Roman city hall. I actually did a project on the windows of the Palazzi around the Campidoglio freshman year at Notre Dame so getting to see the Palazzi in person was pretty great. To get up to the Piazza you have to walk up a series of elongated, slightly sloped steps called “Concordata” and at the top of the steps the three buildings designed by Michelangelo form a trapezoidal shaped piazza.

Finally, our group got to the Colosseum and on the walk there we honestly saw AT LEAST 8 wedding parties taking pictures at the various monuments, forums, triumphal arch, etc. I guess getting married in Rome goes hand in hand with dragging your entire wedding party around the city to take pictures in front of everything. Anyway, we finally got to the Colosseum and it was great to be one of the thousands of tourists checking out the amazing structure that has been a part of Rome for centuries.

The next day was Sunday and we had a sort of mass and Notre Dame dinner/dessert kind of party and the administration got us this amazing Roman pizza and drinks.

Faculty

So to best explain my experience with classes this semester, I would like to show you some pictures of (from left to right) the head administrator of the program, Aida della Longa, the History of Architecture professor, Ingrid Rowland, my studio and Urbanism in Rome professor, Ettore Maria Mazzola, and another studio professor, Lucien Steil.

Now you know how great it is to be around these amazing people. While being some of the most knowledgable, successful, and interesting people I have ever met, they are truly the most down to earth faculty imaginable. I am very lucky to be spending a year with them. On the left, Aida della Longa is the head administrator of the program, and, besides being a Roman and helping us with our Italian and school needs, she is one of the most patient, nice woman I have ever met. She really runs the program with a loose grip and treats us like adults in Italy, but can be stern when needed. Then second from left is Ingrid Rowland. Make sure to read about her amazing background below and read about the Lampradotto story in the Florence section (she is the best!). Then third from the left is Ettore Mazzola who you will soon read all about because is possible my favorite professor of all time, I have him for three classes, and his already given me some great memories from Rome. Then on the right is Lucien Steil. He is one of the three studio professors (Ettore is another and Fabio Pauloetti is the third), he is from Luxembourg, and he is one of the most cultured, fun, and interesting professors I have ever met. He really brings a different charm and personality to the program, and I don't know what it would be like without having him around. Probably, way less interesting.

Classes

Monday was the first day of classes and I immediately found out how much I LOVE taking classes in Rome. The first class on have on Monday mornings is History of Roman Architecture with Ingrid Rowland. Ingrid Rowland is basically a walking, talking encyclopedia of Mediterranean art and architecture. She is an amazing professor and person who knows everything there is to know on the topics of Italian (especially Etruscan) art and architecture history. She is the daughter of a noble prize winner, and she has written a ton of books on different subjects related to classical art and architecture.

In the afternoon, on Monday and Thursday, we have studio class which is a 5 hour class that basically is where we do all our designing, drafting, and architectural work. My professor is Ettore Mazzola (that is a picture of him goofing around with my friend Sam) who is a renowned architect in Rome, owns and operates his own firm, and is a prominent writer on Urbanism in Rome (I'm actally reading one of his books right now). He studied and lives in Rome and basically knows everything about the Urbanism in Rome and the typical construction methods in Roman Architecture. Ettore is probably my favorite professor because he is the most knowledgeable, personable, and overall great professor in the program here. His passion and excellence in architecture has helped me learn from him, and he has helped me learn and appreciate all the architecture and urbanism of Roman Architecture. Here’s a short anecdote that describes how amazing Ettore is: During the first class, he started the class by talking all about the syllabus and the curriculum and just reading off the information about studio. Then, after realizing that we were all sitting there wondering if our new professor for 10 hours a week was going to be a boring, tough professor, he looked up and smiled saying, “Anyway, we will have fun this semester too. And don’t call me Professor Mazzola, my name is Ettore and I want you to call me Ettore.” We all started laughing, and Ettore immediately changed his disposition and presented the thesis that he did when he was studying architecture all about the urbanism of Rome.

Wednesday morning I have Drawing class with Richard Piccolo. This third year in Rome is centered on the architecture and design aspects of Rome and its architecture, so to fully appreciate the architecture of the city (and to increase our drawing skills) we have this drawing class. The class consists of drawing different buildings throughout Rome in perspective, analytique, and analysis drawings. Each week we have an in-class drawing and an out-of-class drawing, and so far we have drawn some amazing buildings around Rome, including the Pantheon and the Tempietto.

Wednesday afternoon I have Theology class with Monsignor Wells. The Theology class in Rome is pretty special because we are in the Catholic capital of the world and are able to actually visit, tour, and learn about religious buildings that we learn about. It is a really special class.

Thursday morning I have Urbanism with Ettore Mazzola again. It is great to have Ettore for a second class because I feel like I can learn so much from him during the course of the year. He tends to walk us around the city during this class, but instead of walking, in order to save time, he does a combination of speed walking and sprinting that forces the entire class to try to keep up. He is truly an Italian as he cuts across streets, walks through crowds, and halts traffic so we can cross.

Tuesday, Fridays, and the Weekends are pretty amazing. I don’t have class on any of these days, so Monday, Thursday-Saturday nights my roommate and I tend to check out Rome after dark. To the right is a picture of Saint Peters afterdark, which conincidentaly has the BEST gelato place anywhere. The gelateria is called Old Bridge, and they give you gelato the size of your head for 3 euros. It's Amazing! The nightlife here is also amazing because no matter what day it is the entire city is alive. Even on Sunday nights the bars and clubs are all packed, people are hanging out in the piazzas, Italian eat their late dinners, and the streets are just crowded with people. It is something special to live in such a cultural, active city.

Roma Soccer Game

The first Tuesday we were in Rome there was a Roma vs. CLR Cluj (Romania) match in the UEFA Champions League soccer. We found a ticket booth that sold 15 euro tickets, so my friends and I immediately jumped on the opportunity to see a game. The match was in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, which is an 81,000 person stadium that hosted the 1960 Olympics. Let’s just say that the experience was definitely worth staying up late on a Tuesday night. The passion for the Roma team was AMAZING. The entire crowd of around 50,000 Romans was yelling, singing, clapping, cheering, and booing every little part of the game. We were just grateful to be a part of all the action and amazing activities that were going on around us. The players themselves were amazing, but it turned out that Roma lost to this Romanian team 2-1 and it was one of the biggest upsets in the recent Champions League history. Even Totti, one of Roma most beloved players, made a dramatic entrance into the game during the second half to try to spark the team, but they still fell to the Romanians. On a side note, this was also our first experience with riding the bus in Rome. We asked the hotel front desk guy the best way to get to the stadium and he told us to take the bus from the station near our hotel. Once on the bus we punched our 1 euro ticket and basically followed all the Roma jerseys to the game. However, after a few minutes on the bus we realized that absolutely NO OTHER ITALIAN punched their bus ticket. It seems that the bus system in Italy is somewhat flawed in that they expect you to punch your 1 euro bus ticket, but they never actually check so no Italians use the tickets. So while all the Italians were riding the bus for free, we actually punched the ticket on the way to the game but on the way back we decided to act Italian and simply take the free ride.

Friday Day Trip 1

Since the entire school has no Friday classes, the administration plans Friday day trips that happen on most of the Fridays. The first Friday trip was to Viterbo, Italy where we were to see the town, sketch the piazzas, and just get out and see small town Italy. The trip would’ve been completely laid back and fun except for the fact that it was raining the ENTIRE day and we still got a tour of the city and decided to sketch under a loggia so we wouldn’t get our drawings soaked. The town was really quaint and interesting, but the best part of the day was on the bus ride home we stopped in another small Italian town to see the Duomo, large basilica, that was strategically placed on the pilgrimage route to Rome. Once inside the basilica we toured the building and then the groundskeeper talked to our professors and decided to take us into the Sacristy of the Basilica. Inside the Sacristy were a bunch of amazing frescoes and artwork from the 6^th century, and THEN the groundskeeper went into a cabinet inside the Sacristy and pulled out a parchment with the Pope seal from the 3^rd century! He even handled it with his hands like it was no big deal. It was pretty amazing.

Umbria/ Tuscany, Week Trip 1

From September 26^th - October 3^rd the entire class went on a weeklong trip to Umbria and Tuscany, the two regions in the northern part of Italy. The trip lasted 8 days, including the weekends, and we went to Orvieto, Citta di Castello, Perugia, Montepulciano, Arezzo, Siena, and Florence.

Orvieto

So the first day was kind of crazy, as we woke up at 6am, packed, and all piled on a huge tour bus that would be our home for the next 8 days. We arrived in Orvieto, Italy and, realizing that this was a small town in northern Italy, wondered what exactly we would be touring. As we took the inclined railway up the steep slope of the hill, similar to the one in Pittsburgh, we started wondering to the main piazza of the town and we ran right into the ENORMOUS Duomo. It turned out that the Duomo in Orvieto was an amazing basilica built out of travertine and housing an amazing collection of frescoes and murals that were great to see. The Duomo sat overlooking the town, which turned out to have some amazing urban spaces and a very religious setting. The other great aspect of Orvieto was the amazing views that were available from the city walls. The view of the Tuscan countryside was fantastic. Seeing all the vineyards, coutry villas, and everything Tuscan really makes you just want to stay. Even the underground of the city was pretty spectacular because the Etruscans foundations of the city were about 10 meters below the surface, so the restaurant we ate for lunch was carved into the caverns below. What a great lunch!

Citta di Castello

That same night we boarded the bus and took the 1.5 hour ride to Citta di Castello where we stayed in a very nice 4 star hotel. It didn’t take much to realize that since we were traveling around the country with our professors and some of the administration that we would be staying in very nice hotels with all the amenities, including free continental breakfast every morning. However, Citta di Castello was like a ghost town. On a FRIDAY NIGHT, we may have seen about 50 people walking around the entire town. For entertainment, we walked from one side of the city to the other side of the city, touching the city walls as we went. Pretty boring, and we stayed here for the next two nights. We actually met a really nice girl from the town on the first night, and we immediately asked her why the town was so quiet on a Friday night. Her response was priceless: “Have you seen 28 Days Later? Monday nights, it’s like that.” And we immediately understood that she was trying to say that the town is even quieter on Monday nights, much like the 28 Days Later where zombies take over a small town and kill all the townspeople.

Perugia

After leaving Citta di Castello in the morning, we drove to Perugia which is the capital of Umbria, a northern region in Italy. The town is pretty amazing because it has had Umbrian, Etruscan, and Italian settlements since 3^rd century BC. We got to tour with Ingrid Rowland, which made it extra special because she is probably the most notable Etruscan scholar in the world; she is probably one of only a handful of people in the world who can speak and read Etruscan. So we learned all about the Umbrian and Etruscan roots of the city, and even got to do a drawing assignment of the Piazza Maggiore in the heart of the city (There is the picture of me drawing up top, and the Piazza Maggiore that I was drawing is below) A HUGE side note, and an ongoing joke with Ingrid, is the hairstyles of the teenagers in Perugia. As we walked around the city the hairstyles of some of the young students was HILARIOUS. They had more Mohawk, hair styled, shaved writing, long locks, ponytail, spiked hair, etc combinations than you could possibly imagine. It was great. Another amazing side note was that I got to try Perugia Chocolate while in the capital city. Perugian chocolate is famous for how rich and creamy it is, so our Professor Rowland decided to make sure to have us stop in a café and get a famous Perugian Hot Chocolate. Oh, it was unbelievable.

Gubbio

Another early Etruscan settlement from early BC centuries, Gubbio was a town situated on the side of mountain. The town itself was a marvel of urban design while taking into account the topography and drastic change in height. We did a detailed section of the town cutting through the mountain and the major piazza and palazzi. There was also a massive Palazzo dei Consoli that had a museum and was a marvel of construction on the hillside. Also, we got some great pictures from on top the mountain.

Montepulciano

Next up we went to Montepulciano, another hillside town, and the fortifications and outer walls of the city were immediately noticeable as we pulled up. Montepulciano was more a climb than a walk during the tour, but we soon found out that besides the number of small, beautiful churches in Montepulciano (one pictured to the right) that Montepulciano wine is famous around northern Italy and we immediately decided that we had to find “Vino Nobile” or the nobel wine that was made famous in Montepulciano. So after the tours ended around lunch time, the professors and students alike heading out to the various enoteca, or wine bars, in the city to taste test and possibly purchase bottles of the Vino Nobile. While some students chose to buy high priced quantities of Vino Nobile to send home, I simply taste tested the wine until I had tried every taste and type of wine available. I have to say that so far Vino Nobile, 2002 (Aged 6 years), Red wine, Blue Label was by far the best (I feel like such a wine connoisseur).

Siena

So for the next two days the group headed over to Siena, which is one of my favorite cities when I had visited Italy with the family 6 years ago. The city planning and urban design that Siena implemented is astounding. All the professors made sure to remind us that the Piazza Grande, with the tall Campanile, tower, and Palazzo Comunale, was probably the best example of urban space in all of Italy. So to make sure I fully soaked in the amazing design of the piazza, I actually took a short nap on the Piazza Grande during our lunch break.

As we toured the maze of Siena and took in the sights of one of the greatest cities from Italian history, Siena was second to Florence as a major banking city, we got to see some of the Palazzi and the Duomo that are particularly amazing. The Duomo in Siena is possibly one of the most amazing collections of Renaissance art, design, furniture design, frescoes, and sculptures that I have ever seen. Almost the entire basilica was a maze of roped off exhibits featuring amazing art and design from the Renaissance period.

Florence

Then for the next two days we were in Florence, which was basically the couple days EVERYONE was waiting for on the trip. After being to Florence the first time, the second time is even more special as you get to appreciate the art and architecture that much more. We got to see the Duomo, the Baptistry, and the Palazzo della Signoria with the clock tower. Each and every basilica and palazzo that we toured had just an overwhelming collection of Renaissance art. I can’t even begin to explain the beautiful piece of artwork, sculpture, and interior design that the most famous Renaissance paintings and architects worked on. Florence was just such a special city. We even met some architecture students from Gonzaga and they had nothing but amazing stories and advice for us on what to do and see around the city.

A GREAT story from the trip to Florence was while we were touring the Palazzo della Signoria and Professor Ingrid Rowland had mentioned during the walk through the building that Lampradotto was a delicacy in Florence and they didn't eat it anywhere else in the world. Immediately my roommates and I were intrigued. So we asked Ingrid exactly what Lampradotto was and she immediately answered that Lampradotto was the excess meat of the cow, basically the meat that is not eaten when the cow is butchered because it is part of the fourth stomach of the cow. The entire class was pretty disgusted, but the three of us thought, "When in Florence...". So after the tour we went up to Ingrid and asked her if she could show us a Lampradotto place where we could get the Florence specialty. She immediately said, "I know a great Lampradotto stand, follow me. So we followed her through the backstreets of Florence to this little stand sitting in the middle of street, and sure enough the first thing on the menu was Lampradotto. We thanked her for directing us to the stand until she interrupted by saying, "I'm really glad you guys mentioned getting Lampradotto. I don't think I've had it in years, so I think I'll join you." What a surprise! Anyway, Lampradotto really wasn't that bad. They actually smother the meat in hot sauce, salt, pepper, all types of seasonings, onions, etc to mask the taste a bit, so it was pretty flavorful. So while I had Lampradotto for the first and possibly the last time in my life, I got to enjoy it with my two friends and one of the greatest professors Italian history has ever seen.

The only sad part of the city of Florence was that our itinerary did not include time to go up in Brunelleschi’s dome, part of the Duomo, or to get into the Academia dell’Arte, the museum that houses the real David sculpture, so it looks like we just might have to make a weekend trip back.

Pienza

The trip ended at the same town of Pienza in northern Italy, which is the site of our final, month-long project for this semester. The city was originally built up by Pope Pius II who was a member of the Piccolomini family. He was born in the same town of Corsignano which was located here, and then when he decided to rebuilt the city he renamed it Pienza after himself and the Piccolomini family. So obviously we visited the Palazzo Piccolomini and the Duomo, which were situated on the hillside in amazing piazza that the town was centered around. Then we spent the entire afternoon sketching, measuring, and analyzing the town and the urban spaces of the city so that we could prepare for our project that would come toward the end of the semester.

Finally, getting back to Rome in the late hours of Friday night, we immediately tossed our luggage down and made ourselves our staple dinner of spaghetti with sausage and mashed potatoes- it felt good to be home.

Rome for Two Weeks in October

After returning to Rome from the weeklong trip, it was back to the normal grind as we immediately started work on our new architecture project, designing an urban revitalization master plan and a casa a schiera for a small part of Rome. The project centered on the Piazza dei Coronari which was a historical piazza along the Via dei Coronari, which was a pilgrimage route to St. Peters, but was drastically changed during the Fascist reign of Italy. The project turned out to be an amazing process of designing and incorporating our architecture designs into the larger urban space of Rome. Getting to know the typical urban architecture of Rome, and using metric, was especially challenging but once the project got underway it was an amazing experience.

One of the best memories from the span of two weeks during the project was that Ettore, my professor, had previously allowed our studio group to use AutoCAD, the typical computer drafting software, to draft our master plan and even our individual work and we needed to print off the designs onto the watercolor paper that we would eventually render for the final design. So to print off the designs on watercolor paper, my group member Taylor and I went to Ettore’s house to print the sheets. On the way over to Ettore’s, a past student of the Rome Studies Program, Andy, met us and walked with us to meet Ettore across the river. While we heard amazing stories from the year Andy was in Rome, we also discussed our appreciation and excitement to visit Ettore in his home. We both had known that Ettore had designed his own home, and we were lucky to be able to visit and use his equipment. But the visit turned out to be even better than expected. Immediately after meeting Ettore, he drove us to his house and walked us into his home. Right away he was showing us the finer details of his design and the overall layout of his home, and I was awestruck by the beauty and detail that he put into every nook and cranny of the home. The design was amazing and we continued to compliment him as we toured the home and then sat down to print our designs. Next thing we know his gracious wife is making us Italian coffee and later brought us cookies and limoncello, which is a sort of lemon flavored liquor that is typical in Rome. So great! Then after printing the sheets and thanking him profusely, we rode the bus back to studio and heard even more stories from Andy about how Ettore played soccer with the students among other things. So I decided then and there that Ettore definitely needs to play soccer with us in the near future, and my studio professor needs to stay the same for the entire year.

Ostia

Another great get-away from the two-week studio project was when one of our typical Friday day trips was canceled. Once we heard that the trip was canceled, a group of friends and I immediately looked at the weather and transportation to the beach town of Ostia. Now, I have never lived less than an hour away from a beach in my life, so to pay a 1 euro Metro ride to Ostia, with the ride taking 30 minutes, it was an amazing day. The beach was so picturesque, and since it was a 80 degree Friday in mid-October the beach was practically ours. We laid out, went swimming, ate lunch at the beach, and just frolicked in the open air for the entire day. It was perfect. Honestly, since it has "dropped" to the mid-60s in November we have already made plans to make the Friday Ostia trips a staple of the Spring Semester.

Friday Day Trip 2

The second Friday day trip consisted of visiting the small towns of Bagnaia and Caprarola in the province of Viterbo in northern Italy. The two towns were both fascinating in their separate ways. Bagnaia had one of the most beautiful gardens and villa settings that I’ve seen. The garden had signs everywhere that stated it was up for “Most beautiful garden in Rome 2009” and the beauty of the hedges, fountains, waterfalls, colonnades, and artwork definitely proved its worth. We toured the grounds and then sat to watercolor and sketch the picturesque landscape. Next we went to Caprarola, which is a smaller town that is more or less bare except for the MASSIVE Villa Farnese which was built by a Cardinal Farnese to be his country villa. The villa was amazing with grand spiral staircases, murals, and frescoes that filled the home. The villa was in the shape of a pentagon, so the architectural design took advantage of the poche spaces and odd shape of the villa to form a brilliant piece of architecture. Even the casino, essentially a storehouse and garden in the backyard, was amazing. When you can include beautiful statues, a flowing waterfall, hedge mazes, and funny fountain tricks in your small, little casino, then you know you have a place in Italian history.

Emilio Romagna/Veneto, Week Trip 2

So after working straight through October 20^th to 23^rd making sure that the urban revitalization and casa a schiera project turned out well, the next weeklong trip left on October 24^th. The trip was especially exciting for everyone because we would have plenty of free time and no homework to worry about since we had just finished our last project. The trip lasted for 8 days and the itinerary had Bologna, Mantova, Verona, Vicenza, and Venice all on the list.

Bologna

The first couple days were spent in Bologna, which is the capital of Emilio-Romagna region of Italy and the region is known for its food. That first morning we took a quick tour of the Piazza Maggiore, the main piazza which included the spectacular Sant’ Andrea and Duomo, and the colonnades of the city. The main architectural feature of Bologna was the massive expanses of colonnades that covered all the walkways of the city. The basic reason behind the expanses of colonnades is that Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world. So the residents of the city realized that with all the university students living in the city that they could easily build out their home, sitting on colonnades, and put apartments above that they could rent out to students. Then after touring these parts of the city, we were told that Bologna is famous for its tortellini pasta dish, so we immediately headed for the closest and most recommended tortellini restaurant. Let me tell you that in Bologna tortellini is the way to go. It was delicious! For the rest of the day we spent our spare time checking out the city’s urban design and sketching the various colonnades. That night however was a fun night in Bologna because we got to have a Pizza party with the students from the University of Bologna studying architectural engineering. The University of Bologna students are collaborating with us on the Pienza project, and one of our professors Fabio has a close relationship with the school so we got to meet all the students and enjoy a great pizza and wine filled dinner. The next day we toured more of the city, but on the third day we headed off to Mantova.

Mantova

We had a quick stop in Mantova on Sunday afternoon so we could see some of the work of Giulio Romano, a famous architect who studied under Raphael. Giulio Romano is famous for his work throughout Italy, but some of his most notable designs he did for himself in the form of his country villa, Palazzo del Te. The Palazzo del Te was a really exciting trip because we have learned all about the Palazzo in various history classes, and to see the changed he made to the orders really was a sight. Also, Giulio Romano had a number of frescoes and art displayed throughout the Palazzo, not to mention the secret garden in the backyard that gave the Palazzo an even greater quality. Oh and there was a park outside the Palazzo, so once our tour group was finished and we were waiting for the other group we decided to attempt to play soccer and ride tricycles with the kids playing in the park. However, we soon found out that speaking with children about playing on soccer teams and riding their tricycles just resulted in them yelling at us to go away. So we watched soccer instead.

Verona

That Sunday night we went to Verona, the city made famous by Romeo and Juliet, and instead of the quiet, small town I expected we happily came upon a bustling, amazing city that was full of life and Italian charm.

That night we wondered around the heart of the city in the Piazza Bra which happened to have this amazing festival going on. The festival basically consisted of my friends and me trying all different types of salami, watching the locals interact and bargain for stuff, and then purchasing the cheap, but well-known, white wine of Verona. Such a great find. The next day we formally toured the city, including the Piazza Bra, Piazza Erbe, and the Roman Arena. Each site had its own amazing story, including the fact that the Roman Arena was smaller, but more intact that the Colosseum. So Verona was an amazing surprise, even though some of the tourism comes from a fictional play. Seriously, the town has houses, balconies, and stories to try and keep Romeo and Juliet fans visiting the city.

Vicenza

Vicenza was the next city on the list, and the main reason we came to visit Vicenza was to see the work of Andrea Palladio, one of the most influential Italian architects. Vicenza was made famous by Palladio because he designed a number of buildings and Villas for the rich patrons of Venice. First, we saw the Teatro Olimpico, one of Palladio’s last designs before he died, and it was a marvel of theatre design. Palladio designed the entire theater to be acoustically and visually sound, down to the last angle. The stage was set up so that the views of the town were in an amazing perspective view that made you feel like you had the best seat in the house no matter where you were sitting. The theatre really was an architectural marvel. Next, we went to the Villa Barbaro where we had to put on booties over our shoes so that we wouldn’t mess up the marble floors of the Villa. The villa is actually still owned by a family, but we got to tour the centrally planned Villa that had an amazing setting on top of a hill in the countryside. Then, we hopped back on the bus and drove to the Villa Cornaro. The Villa Cornaro was one of my favorite buildings on the trip, and we got a personal tour from the owner of the household. She knew the entire history of the Cornaro family and all the small details of the house like the back of her hand. It really was great to get the special tour and hear all about the house and the family history. Finally, we reached the pinnacle of the Palladio tour as we drove to the Villa Rotonda. This Villa, designed by Palladio, is one of his most famous designs because of not only the architectural significance of the Villa but also the artistic and theatrical significance (the Villa has been depicted in Italian movies and historical plays). So we got to enjoy the Wednesday afternoon touring and sketching the Villa Rotonda.

Venice

Finally, after 6 days of traveling around northern Italy, the entire group was ready to get to Venice. We had to take the train from Vicenza because the only way to get to Venice is by boat or train, and we made it to the city by dinner time on Wednesday night. Getting to eat dinner and have free time in

Venice for the first night was PERFECT. It was great to finally relax and settle down, especially in such an amazing city. We wandered around the city checking out the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto bridge at night, and then by late Wednesday night we headed back to the hotel only to find that a party had broken out. Apparently, the hotel manager, Andy, decided to throw a small party for the 47 students who were taking over the entire hotel. He supplied the drinks, snacks, and music and the entire group of students ended up staying up late in the hotel enjoying our small get-together hosted by Andy. Then the next day we woke up early to tour the Piazza San Marco, including San Marco, the Campanile, and Palazzo Ducale, and then we toured the city including the Rialto Bridge and later the churches designed by Palladio, San Giorgio Maggiore and Il Redentore. The couple days spent in Venice was almost indescribable. We crossed countless bridges, got lost a bunch of times, got caught in a flood of Piazza San Marco, rode the Vaporetti, or boats, made friends with the locals, and even got a sampling of the local red wine. The city is truly spectacular not only for its scenic value, but the architectural and structural elements that make the city possible are truly one of a kind.

Back in Rome and Halloween

Now that I’ve been back in Rome for a couple days it has been great to settle back into the routine. We’ve already gotten back into cooking in the kitchen, going to class, and we’ve even started our Pienza project which will be due at the end of the semester. Halloween over the weekend was amazing. I dressed up like a lifeguard because it really was the best I could do in a few short hours after returning from the trip. Even more fun was Saturday night when our whole class decided to repeat Halloween and dress up like another person in architecture. So we each drew names out of a hat, dressed up like that person, and basically gave them a hard time the entire night. It really made for a night of fun and hilarious pictures, as we acted and posed like the other person. I have my midterms coming up this week, so I should probably head off to study. I will continue to write on the blog as much as possible as this amazing year continues, but I will never write much and will include a lot of pictures.

I’ll be back soon!

Ciao!