SHELBY

My time in Florence has been an experience that I will never forget. Having the opportunity to visit the Etruscan ruins, the places where the heart of the Renaissance first began, the artwork from the Renaissance, and the city of Florence that stands today was truly a life changing experience. For this final project I'm going to reflect on the different aspects that have made the biggest impact on me and memories that I know will last a lifetime.

ETRUSCAN RUINS

All of these images were objects that once belonged to the Etruscan people. The Etruscan people were known to be some of Italys very first inhabitants, more specifically the region of Tuscany. The only thing we know about Etruscans is from the objects that they left behind. Also, what makes these people even more interesting is they wrote little to nothing, and if they did they did not care to preserve it. So now, 3000 years later the only things we have left of these people are these artifacts. Everything they did was a work of art and very complex especially for their time. What I found most astounding was their bronze work and paintings both on tombs and pottery.
The iron casted figure in the top left corner, known as the “Chimera di Arezzo” , depicts three different animals, a lion, a snake, and a goat. The process of creating this huge, detailed, and intricate piece of art would be extremely challenging even today.
The paintings and engravings that the Etruscans did tells us the most about these people. This is because they most likely consisted of real events and activities they took part in. The Etruscan people painted/sculpted many things. Their range of art consisted of things as big as battles to daily activities such as cooking, farming, athletic games, dancing, and much more. More specifically, what they chose to decorate the tombs or sarcophagi with give us an insight to that specific person. The Etruscans chose to decorate these things with what would best describe that person. We are able to see what they valued in life from these pieces.
The Etruscans are people who some people will never hear about in their lives. These people truly are one of Italys biggest mysteries. Although we have very little evidence of who exactly they were what they leave behind speaks volumes. I am so thankful I have been given the opportunity to see and experience some of the stuff people will never have the chance to.

ALL STUFF RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance birthed the most beautiful buildings, art, and statues that still stand today. I really fell in love with all Duomos we have seen here in Italy. The fact that these people were able to not only build massive buildings but beautiful ones as well is astonishing to me. Also, they are just as beautiful on the inside as the outside. Most Duomos are filled with amazing stain glass and frescos that cover the walls.
These two paintings, the Birth of Venus and the Primavera, were by far my favorite. They were paintings I have learned about and only seen in text books my whole life, but being able to experience them first hand was such a once in a lifetime experience. The details, meaning, and story behind them is what make these paintings so interesting to me. The statue of David was another thing that I thought I would never be able to see in real life. No picture will ever do this statues justice. How Michelangelo was able to accomplish what was supposed to be an impossible task makes his work even more admirable.
The ceilings are definitely one thing I wish never went out of style. Almost all ceilings of Renaissance buildings were so incredibly detailed, beautiful, and colorful. What amazes me the most about the ceilings were the fact that some of these buildings had probably fifty plus rooms and every single ceiling was just as beautiful as the last. The people of the Renaissance truly valued detail and beauty like no other.

DAY TRIPS

The day trips on this study abroad program were essential not only for the curriculum but the overall experience as well. The towns we traveled to were Sienna, Chiusi, San Gimignano, Orvieto, and Fiesole. All of these cities were memorable and special in their own ways. Not only were we able to visit Etruscan museums and tombs that was definitely a once in a lifetime experience we were also able to see a different part of Tuscany we would have never been able to see in the city of Florence. These towns were a step back from the city life as most of them were very quite and a lot smaller then Florence. As you can see from the pictures, these cities held the most beautiful views.
In Chiusi and Orvieto we were able to go inside the tombs of some of the Etruscan people. In Chiusi the tombs were filled with sarcophagi and they were beautifully painted, which was a sign of wealth during this time. The paintings in these tombs are some of the only evidence we have of what the Etruscan people could have been like or the activities they took part in. In Orvieto, we visited the Etruscan necropolis. This was especially interesting to me because these tombs covered so much land and it's hard for me to imagine how many people were exactly once buried here. Also, on some of the tombs you can faintly see words engraved above them that were once most likely the names of the family the tombs once belonged to. This trip would have definitely not been the same if it wasn't for these day trips!

EVERYDAY LIFE IN FLORENCE

Being able to completely experience a different culture and a different way of life from what I am used to was probably one of my favorite aspects of this trip. I truly fell in love with the city of Florence and everything it has to offer. Outside of the classroom and other travels their are many small everyday things that I know I am going to miss.
In the top left corner you can see the street we have lived on the past six weeks, just a few streets down from the Santa Croche and in the heart of the city. Something very different from my San Diego suburban life or my college dorm room.
The thing I am probably going to miss the most is simply exploring a new and unfamilliar place. In a city like Florence each street holds something new waiting to be discovered. My roomates and I spent a alot of time roaming the city and always on the look out for new and exciting things to do and see. Wether that may be a cute cafe, the Gucci Gardens, or a music festival. I truly believe the possibilities are endless in a city like this.
On our not so busy days, we chose to spend our time simply relaxing. Wether that may be finding the best aperitivo, sitting along the river wall, or my favorite a picnic at the park with a deck of cards. Sharing these moments with my best friends are probably going to be the ones that leave an everlasting impression on me.

WEEKEND GETAWAYS

Throughout this past six weeks I used this opportunity to travel and explore various places outside of the city of Florence. These weekend getaways were a vacation within a vacation. All of these weekend trips were usually very spontaneous and hardly planned which I enjoyed. We never knew where the weekend was going to take us but they were filled with my favorite adventures.
The first place we went to was only a short train ride away to Cinque Terre. We visited three out of the five small towns that make up of Cinque Terre. Most of our time here was spent relaxing in the sun on the beach and swimming in the ocean. The hillsides were filled with colorful buildings, the beaches were filled with the cutest umbrellas, and the water was crystal clear.
My roommates and I also spent a weekend in Paris. It was our mission to see all of the famous breathtaking places you just have to see when your in Paris as well as eat the best food we could find, and I think we accomplished both. From having a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe the Luxembourg gardens, Versailles, eating world famous macaroons, escargot, and the best omelette i've ever had, I truly believe we made the best of our three days in Paris.
Our third and last trip was definitely my favorite. We went to a small island called Elba. This island is not one of the tradition things to do when your'e in Italy but I would highly recommend it. We found this cute little bed and breakfast right on the water, and spent our days relaxing at the beach. That night, we had no idea that this small beach town was having a huge street fair. This street fair consisted of at least five different stages for various DJs and performances, food and shopping vendors that lined the streets, and at the end of the night they finished it off with a beautiful laser show unlike anything I have ever seen before. I would have stayed there forever if I could, this last weekend trip was the best way to spend my last weekend here in Italy.

FOOD

It is no surprise that Italy is known for its amazing food. This past six weeks I have had the best of all of my favorite foods - pizza, pasta, and gelato. I am surely going to miss my daily morning croissant and cappuccino, soft gnocchi with tomato cream sauce, thin crust pizza with fresh mozzarella, and hunting for the best gelato places.

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