The gorgeous beach on Giglio Island I visited on an SAI excursion
Living in Florence comes with the benefit that I am located relatively in the middle of Italy and right on a main train line. Because of this, I have had the great fortune of traveling to many cities over the weekends, or even just day trips on Thursdays or Fridays. I have planned almost every weekend with a trip to a new Italian city or nearby country. The fantasy of being so close to all these amazing monuments, historical sites, and gorgeous panoramic views is intoxicating.
The workshop of a renowned local metal jeweler in Florence
The view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset
The Italian language and culture is incredibly different in each region that you visit. In fact, I was told that Italy as a whole has some serious unification issues due to the fact that the people have more pride in the city they come from rather than their country. Traveling and talking with locals in each destination has allowed me to witness this first-hand. This past month, I have been able to visit over ten different cities in Italy and have raced around each location to learn about its unique history and culture in a short time. Although I am having the time of my life visiting all of these cities, I realized that I haven’t put enough time into exploring Florence, the city that has adopted me for the semester and the one for which I should have the most pride.
One of the many gorgeous churches in Ravenna known for its intricate mosaic decorations
This realization only arose a couple days ago when I found out that one of Michelangelo’s sculptural and architectural masterpieces, of which I learned about in my art history class back home, is less than a minute walk from where I am living right now. He designed the New Sacristy in the Basilica of San Lorenzo and I had no idea that it was even in Florence, let alone so close to my front door. I used to be curious only when traveling, but now I also hope to stay curious when I am home in Florence, instead of drowning myself in my homework or too much sleep. Now, my calendar includes allotted time for after school museum visits and reading at a local gardens in addition to my weekend travel plans. I can’t wait to become a Florentine.
The small but breathtaking mountain town, Brisighella
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Jessica is a student at Colorado State University studying at Florence University of the Arts during the Fall 2013 term.
