The course provides an exciting opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the rich culture of Florence, using the WWAC method: Walks Without a Classroom.
FUA’s Travel Week Course: A Modern Trip Through Italy’s History
written by Margaret Hann for Special Project: Experiential Learning in Public Relations
Florence University of the Arts offers students the unique experience to travel throughout Italy prior to the beginning of the semester. The course is named "Cultural Introduction to Italy" and allows students to participate in a trip from Rome to Florence, while visiting and learning about historical landmarks along the way.
Pre-Departure
Students prep for the course by reading the book, Italian Ways: On and off the Rails from Milan to Palermo. A virtual meeting is also held before arriving in Rome, where the details of the course are outlined for students. The virtual call consists of meeting the professor, discussing details of the class, a quiz on the pre-departure reading, and the opportunity for students to ask questions about anything regarding the trip.
Overview of the Course
Each day is intertwined with the assigned reading, covering historical facts or myths connecting to the sites that are visited. It is also heavily encouraged for students to explore the different cities and locations visited during the allotted free time. Throughout the Cultural Introduction to Italy course, we traveled from Rome through Tuscany and ended in Florence, visiting sites such as The Colosseum, Vatican City, and Cinque Terre. Every day we were provided with at least one meal that was often specific to the region we were in, which allowed us to embrace the unique cultures found throughout Italy. Students would join together at the end of every day for a cultural recap with their professors. We would discuss every place we had visited and all that we had learned that day.
Daily Breakdown: Day One
The first day is meant for introductions. We landed in Rome at the International Fiumicino airport and were met with guides from FUA. We were instructed on how to use the public transportation system and were given directions to our hotel in Rome. Once all of the students arrived, we met as a group for dinner, and afterwards, reviewed the pre-departure book reading assignment. Throughout the dinner, we were given time to connect as a group and form friendships while preparing for the week of travel.
Day Two
The following day focused mainly on historical sites throughout Rome. In the morning, we visited the famous Spanish Steps that lead up to the Church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti. Following this, we traversed towards Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Later in the afternoon, we were taken to the Colosseum for a guided tour for the class. The instructor led us through the Colosseum and displayed the history and drawings that depicted the original statues. Here, we learned about Nero’s Lake, which was the original structure occupying the land the Colosseum was eventually built on. The man-made lake was eventually drained and replaced by the Colosseum.
The class continued with our tour through ancient Rome, by climbing stairs to the top of Palatine Hill, and walking through the Imperial Forum. As a group, we discussed the different Roman myths connected to some of the buildings and sculptures, which were also discussed in the daily readings, such as the Legend of Romulus and Remus. At the end of the day, we were given free time to find restaurants, shop, and relax after our busy day of immersing ourselves in the history of ancient Rome.
Day Three
We traveled as a class using the subways to visit Vatican City. Many of us learned that Vatican City is actually its own city-state. It is an important cultural site for both Christians and non-Christians alike. Students engaged in a guided tour of Saint Peter’s Basilica, where we learned about the tomb of Saint Peter, Michelangelo’s La Pietà, and experienced the rich history of Vatican City.
After our guided tour, we had free time to explore Rome before returning to the bus for a trip to Villa Farnese, the first of the Italian Renaissance gardens we would visit. We traveled north to Caprarola where the villa is located. Villa Farnese is an Italian villa shaped as a pentagon atop a hill overlooking the rest of the town. The day ended in Viterbo, slightly further north than Caprarola, for our cultural recap and group dinner for the day.
Day Four
We continued our journey of visiting the different Renaissance gardens found throughout three different cities in the central region of Italy: Bomarzo, Bagnaia, and Capalbio. In the morning, we visited the mythical garden of Sacro Bosco (Sacred Wood). Sacro Bosco is also known as the "park of monsters" due to the mysterious statues found throughout with incomplete captions. The meanings behind the statues and sculptures in the garden are unknown, but many have theories of them being connected to mythology, including Hercules killing Cacus.
We continued on to our next Renaissance garden: Villa Lante, located in Bagnaia. This garden displayed some of the peak values at the time: controlling nature, order, and geometry. However, the final garden was the most unique of the gardens we visited.
Although we were guided through the other gardens by the professors, for Niki de Saint Phalle’s Tarot Garden, we were given no guidance. Students were free to explore and interact with the park. Decorated with psychedelic sculptures, the garden was inspired by both Tarot cards and Niki de Saint Phalle’s personal life experiences.
Day Five
On the morning of the fifth day, the group ventured to a vineyard in Tuscany for a wine tour and participated in a wine tasting. Students sampled three of the vineyard’s local wines, their olive oil, and paired it all with breads, cured meats, and cheeses, while learning from the owner about the best wine and food pairings.
After the wine tasting, we gathered back on the bus to head to one of the most ancient areas of Tuscany: The Etruscan Necropolis. Existing between the 9th and 3rd Century BC, the Etruscans were metalworkers who lived in a mineral rich area, specifically of iron and copper. The iron can still be seen today as sparkles in the dirt of the tomb site of the Etruscans as well as the surrounding beaches. Students were able to enter two of the tombs, view the interior, and walk around the gravesite while discussing the history and the importance of the Etruscans to Italy.
Finally, we ended the day by visiting the Cittadella del Carnevale, which is a museum for Carnevale. We ventured through the museum learning how the floats are constructed, viewing different award-winning floats from past years, and interacting with small sculptures that demonstrated the movement of past floats.
Day Six
The main focus of day six was marble. We visited Pietrasanta, home of famous sculptor, Giorgio Angeli’s marble workshop. The town, also referred to as "Sacred Stone," is renowned for its artistry and marble sculptures. Over centuries, Pietrasanta has become renowned worldwide for its marble carving workshops, and is even the world capital of marble carving.
Throughout the town, marble can be spotted lining the streets, being sold in stores, making up countless statues, and is even incorporated in many buildings and piazzas. Students were given the chance to explore the town for a scavenger hunt to find and research some of the different marble statues featured throughout.
We then traveled further up the west coast of central Italy where the day ended with a trip to Viareggio, the town where Carnevale is typically hosted. Here, we were allotted 4 hours of free time in the beach town to enjoy the ocean, find local food, and shop.
Day Seven
The last travel day of the week consisted of a trip to Cinque Terre. We arrived on the coast in La Spezia where each student was given a ticket for the trains. Students were instructed to dress in athletic attire as we would be hiking between two of the towns. We started in the town of Vernazza and hiked along a path in the mountain following the coastline leading to the city of Monterosso. The hike took around an hour.
After reaching the bottom of the hill, students were allowed to spend four hours in Monterosso exploring the city. Students lounged at the beach, sampled local cuisine, shopped for souvenirs, and of course, ordered gelato. After we took the train back to La Spezia, we drove back to our hotel for our final night in the beach town of Tirrenia before heading to our final destination, Florence.
Concluding Statements
As a whole, the Cultural Introduction to Italy course offers an enriching pre-semester journey that combines educational content with immersive travel experiences throughout Italy. The course facilitates deeper understanding through guided tours of iconic landmarks, daily readings, and cultural recaps, while also allowing students ample free time for personal exploration. This unique blend of structured learning and experiential travel not only broadens students' knowledge of Italian history and culture, but also fosters long-lasting connections.
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