Pre-session Summer 2018
(May 16-May 30) 
Poppi is a small town with little to no tourists. But in saying that it was largely connected to Dante. Especially Castello di Romena and Castello di Poppi. Castello di Romena used to have two different walls. An internal and an external. The external wall contained the warning tower. Which was used in order to warn the castles nearby that they were under attack or to communicate with each other. The people contained within the external wall were allowed to come into the internal circle for protection. In order for those people to get into the internal wall they had to pass through essentially the protection tower. As you walk through this tower and look upwards you can see murder hole. These were used to throw oil and spears down at the enemy in hopes to kill them. Once inside of the internal wall, we have the castle and the prison tower. Dante was actually imprisoned here. He was invited to Castello di Romena to counterfeit Florentine coins. Dante refused to counterfeit the coins and he was imprisoned in this tower. While there he was forced to counterfeit the coins. The prison tower was arranged by levels of crime. The worst being at the bottom. Here, he was inspired to write the inferno with the worst of sins at the bottom. Castello di Poppi is close to where he fought in battle with the Guelfs against the Ghebellines.
...Category: Homepage
When visiting Italy, it is very easy to simply visit the big staple cities such as Rome, Florence, and Venice, with lots of people and big arrows basically saying “tourists go here,” but through limiting oneself to big cities, people often lose the full experience and identity of Italy as a whole. Having traveled outside the big cities recently, I highly recommend a beautiful small town tucked up into the mountains called Poppi. This small town has an amazing charm that instantly greets you as you walk into the quaint community and is surrounded by amazing scenery that overlooks the vast countryside. Take it in, but do not let the small appearance fool you, as there is many amazing sites to see. Among the places I saw there, the most amazing sites were the remains of tall castles that once held many people and participated in movie-like battles over territory and social or political issues. Located about 20 minutes outside of town, lies one of the less preserved castles called Castello Di Romena, that sits on top of a hill and has a well preserved drawbridge that tourists are able to walk over. This castle also contains a prison tower where the prisoners with the most severe crimes would sit in the lower portions. Interestingly, it is also suggested that Dante Alighieri got inspiration from this specific castle. Located within the town of Poppi lies another castle that is referred to as Castello dei Conti Guidi, which is one of the most well preserved castles that was built in the 12th century. Amongst the amazing frescoes and other details, by far one of the most fascinating places within the castle is the library. The library in Castello dei Conti Guidi contains a collection of 25,000 books that date all the way back to the 12th century. Adding to the appeal, the library often features book exhibitions focused on a specific themes or people. I was lucky enough to experience the Dante exhibition featuring editions of the Divine Comedies, dating all the way back to the 14th century. Although small, Poppi is not a town that should not be glazed over and it is truly amazing to take in. My advice to those considering this charming destination is to be prepared to go back a few decades and experience what it truly means to live in a castle.
...
I’m so glad I took of advantage of the opportunity to go to Venice on my free day. It was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful, and amazing. The second I saw the grand canal I instantly was in love. I never wanted to leave. The clear water, the gondola, the feeling of welcomeness, the calm, the buildings, everything. I did get lost there, while trying to find St. Mark’s Basilica and wound up going in circles for a good 3 hours. The place where I got lost though was nice because it was a town for the locals. I went on a gondola ride even though my mom said it wasn’t entirely worth it, but I wanted to. I’m so happy I did because that was amazing. The views from the black boat, the handsome gondolier, him singing Somebody to Love by Freddy Mercury. His humor, and his kindness really made my day. I could ride on a gondola all day, it was so calming and so beautiful. At night, I stopped at the Rialto Bridge and was opened to this grand view that nothing could ever top. When morning came and it was time to leave, I was sad. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay, I wanted to stay there for at least a week or maybe even the rest of my life. I hope to return there someday to get a better feel for the city, to soak it all in. You can’t really do that in a day. If the chance, I don’t return at least I’ll have a Murano glass gondola to remember my day, I got my pictures. I am returning there one day, there’s no doubt about that. Thank you Venice for making me feel welcome and at home.
...Challenging the stigma of eating alone, I decided to grab an outdoor table at Mister Pizza, located beside the beautiful Duomo. For many, eating alone seems awkward or uncomfortable, especially worrying if others think you are lonely or not. My experience couldn’t have been further from that preconception. For me, it was the first time I have ever had a sit down meal by myself. I ordered a margherita pizza and glass of Prosecco, and oddly didn’t feel strange being alone in any way. Soon after I sat down, an older gentleman sat down at the table right beside me, also alone. See, I wasn’t the only one who wanted to enjoy something by myself, and frequently here I have saw individuals dining in just the presence of themselves. Maybe the stigma didn’t exist here. I ate my meal in peace, enjoying the view of the duomo and Florence in general, as well as all the natives and tourists walking around. While sitting there in my own head, I learned that someone who can eat alone is someone who can be alone, especially when doing so by choice. Even though we’ve been raised to believe that dining is a social experience, it doesn’t need to be enjoyed in the presence of others to be appreciated wholly and completely. By enjoying a meal alone, I was able to experience a restaurant without the distractions and expectations that come from eating with other people. Also, I was able to devote all of my attention to the food and environment, giving me a heightened awareness of the Italian culture (which is why I came to Italy in the first place). I will gladly continue enjoying meals alone, not only for the remainder of my time here in Italy, but even once I return to the states!
...
I was so excited to travel to Venice for the free day available to us during our week in Florence. I had seen so many pictures of the city and was fascinated with the concept of the entire city being built upon the water. When we stepped off the train and outside right along the canal, everyone in the group was speechless. The entire vibe of the city is so entirely different than any of the other cities we have visited so far. There were no cars in Venice, rightly so, which added to the city’s sense of quaintness and the streets, besides the one by the main canal, were small and tightly packed. There were an abundance of dogs running around, usually without a leash, and one could always hear the water as busses, taxies, and gondolas moved throughout it. All of the buildings were either pink, yellow, or tan, which made for great pictures. I couldn’t get enough of the city. I also couldn’t believe we only had one day there. The first thing a few of my friends and I did in Venice was go to a tattoo shop to see if they would be able to take walk-in appointments. I had already gotten my own tattoo in Florence, but my other friends wanted one too. Fortunately the shop took all three of them, and we spent about two hours there. Mandy got the word tre on her wrist, Kaleb got a square inside of a circle, and Chase got a compass on his back. All of their tattoos were connected with the course and with Italy itself, so we were all really happy with the entire experience. After that, we all decided to go meet with the group for gondola rides because it would be stupid to miss out on an opportunity like that when you are only in Venice for a single day. The experience was amazing. As soon as the gondolier takes the gondola outside of the main canal, everything becomes quiet. All you can hear is the sound of the water, a few voices talking within the narrow streets, and the birds or seagulls flying in the air. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the gondola ride, for the lack of a better phrase, was the icing on the cake. I wish we would have been able to stay in Venice for more than a day, but I’m happy with the day that I got that only made me want to come back more.
...“I will never forget experiencing Venice for the first time. It feels like you are transported to another time – the art, music, food and pure romance in the air is like no other place” (Elizabeth Barkley). Several months back, I was thrift shopping for some decorations to hang in my house. I stumbled across a relatively cheap, very colorful print of some gondolas passing by some clearly European buildings. Without really knowing what it was a picture of, I bought it and put it on display in my living room. As I hung it, I remember absentmindedly looking back at my roommate behind me and telling her, “Yeah, I think it’s Venice. I’m pretty sure that’s the city with the boats.” Having returned yesterday from the beautiful city that is Venice, I can confirm that yes, my print is in fact of this city. For having been found randomly in a bin of prints in a thrift store, it captures the essence of the city remarkably well. Now, when I return to my house in Slippery Rock, I will inevitably see that painting and be brought back to the peaceful gondola ride I took through the Grand Canal in Venice. By the way, I think it’s important to mention that I came incredibly close to not going on the gondola ride at all. To be honest, I didn’t know how much I’d get out of it, but it made my entire day. Prior to this ride, though, I was able to spend a few hours walking around this new city alone. I admired everything from the sound of the water softly sloshing against the sides of the canal to the heavenly scent of cooking food wafting from the water-side restaurants. Because I was alone I was able to take it all in at my very own pace. I recommend this to anyone, especially on trips during which you’re consistently with the same group of people. There’s a certain beauty in discovering a new city while at the same time rediscovering yourself.
...One who truly comes to travel and lose a part of themselves, just to reconstruct a more refined version, is one who truly understands what it means to grow. Although it is safe to say Italy is a beautiful country as a whole, one of the most amazing cities I have visited so far is Venice. When one arrives at the train station in the city, they are instantly greeted by beautifully swaying, blue, sparkling, water, that performs a melody, so if one listens close enough they can hear the history and magic that flows up from the sea to the very ground people walk on. Where cars should be lies people, with boats serving as the main way of transportation, and many restaurants overlooking the canal. My suggestion to those who are visiting this miraculously floating city is to go on the gondala rides. The gondala rides not only offer a fun way to explore the city, but also allow you to feel the power of the water in which you are floating on. In a way, the rider is learning to rise with the tides. These rides may seem extremely expensive and one may truly question whether or not they are worth the expense, but in all honestly every penny is worth the experience. Also, if visiting, I highly recommend seeing the city at night. When I walked through the city during the evening it had a whole new personality with music and lights everywhere. My favorite place to visit was the Rialto bridge, which overlooked the city. If I were to give just one piece of advice to someone who is traveling to Venice, I would tell them to be prepared to rise with the tide, go with the flow, and truly experience the strength of the sea.
...Beauty is a word that is not nearly enough to describe the amazing world that is Firenze. .This amazing city that is full of music, art and flowing over with culture has forever changed my life. Prior to coming on this trip to Italy, my life experience in the world was very secluded to the small confines of the United States east coast and now I find it hard to imagine ever going back. Florence is a place where there is a street vendor on every corner and a musician in every park. In my experience Art is welcome here in every form even Graffiti, but the one in which gains the most attention from me is the miraculous food here in Florence. Although food may not be considered an art form in many countries here in Italy it most certainly is this is one fact that became very clear when spending a day with Chef Marcello. On Wednesday, May 22 I was given the amazing opportunity to go shopping with him in the market and learn the skills that are needed to make a few mouth-watering cuisines. One of the most amazing experiences with him was getting to watch him at the local market and understand why we chose specific flavors for these dishes. Despite the fact that these dishes did have specific recipes it was interesting to see him work locally fresh vegetables, meats, and cheeses and learning quite a bit about various rare mushrooms was a plus. The day then just continued to get better through a few hours of cooking lessons and then getting to eat our captivating creations, even if there was a little bit of wine spilled along the way.
...Written Tuesday May 21, 2019 at 4 p.m: I loved the essay “Lightness” by Italian Calvino. I could write for days about it and never say enough—but was given a firsthand lesson in Firenze. The weight, the inertia, and the opacity of my experiences in just this past year have come at me harder than the rest of life combined and I needed to learn how to just start letting things be what they will be with grace. I came to Italy with much less than I thought I needed but much more than I did. I realized that today when the only electronic device I brought (with all my social crutches on it) got stolen when I sat on some stairs to check the map. I took a deep breath and was okay. I had been WAY more upset about being late to the Uffizi in the morning. Having to find the next museum alone with no resources was the thing that made it more okay. I have probably talked to 2 dozen people today in the little bit of broken Italian I struggled to learn but didn’t need to use yet. Everyone I talked to was nice and wanted to help. When I got to the museum, I asked around to see if anyone knew where to get a cheap replacement but if I was going to do the whole “no phone” thing, I should have left the tablet home too. That tablet was heavy. I avoid keeping paper journals because line by line, I edit obsessively. There is no freewriting. Messy handwriting, scratched out words, even a pen smudge demands a rewrite. Not being able to finish anything that can’t be absolutely perfectly how I want it to turn out is also heavy. It’s held me back my whole life. The mismatched harmony, beautiful defacement, and juxtaposition of unlikely architectural elements is what makes Firenze beautiful. Old buildings never get torn down to build new things. Beautiful new things simply get added. I should not be editing my journal. It should be my piece of Firenze to take with me. Right now I am sitting next to this man at the pizza place in the Piazza. He is standing with his arms thrown out, looking between the sun and the Duomo shouting about what a beautiful day it is and how wonderful it is to be alive, and here. Yet, he lives here. He has embraced everyone who’s passed him and spoke. I am watching him leave. He has nothing in his hands a and a smile on his face. He knows lightness. He is comfortable just being himself somewhere. So instead of getting a new tablet or a phone, I got 3 sketchbooks, bearing the images of my favorite pieces of art now that I know what they mean: the divine spark, David’s courage, and new hope every spring. I feel lighter already. For the rest...
The last few days in Florence have been absolutely magical, and this is definitely my favorite city in Italy so far. From the beautiful views, the delicious gelato and the incredible history, visiting Florence has been a very enriching and life-changing experience. On Sunday we took a train from Rome to Florence; it was about an hour and a half. We then made our way to our apartment near the Pitti Palace, which was absolutely beautiful. It had a vintage feel to it and was very comfortable. It also had an incredible view of the Duomo in the distance, which we were able to enjoy from our apartment’s balcony. On our first full day in Florence, we made a visit to the Tuscan countryside, where we enjoyed wine tasting. We also had class where we began learning about the rich history of Dante Alighieri in Florence, particularly as it pertained to his composing of the Divine Comedy and, specifically, the Inferno. On Tuesday, we got to see some of the most influential pieces of art at the Uffizi and Accademia museums; at the first we saw the works of Brunelleschi and Botticelli. Most moving of these was Botticelli’s painting, The Birth of Venus. We then made our way to the Accademia, where I was absolutely speechless and blown away at the sight of Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. Before this, I had of course seen images online of the sculpture, but I had no knowledge of the story behind the art (David and Goliath) nor did I fully understand the magnitude of this piece–it stood an astonishing 17 feet tall and was the centerpiece of the Accademia. The intense detail Michelangelo clearly put into this piece was mind-boggling and nearly moved me to tears. Finally, on Wednesday, we had the incredible opportunity to welcome Chef Marcello from Bologna to teach us about the art of Italian cuisine. I learned so much about food from region to region in Italy, and was happy to have the chance to help prepare fresh, homemade tortellini. Overall, my experience in Florence so far has been incredible beyond belief, and I am very excited to see what else Florence has to offer in my last few days here.
...