Green Walks of Florence Transforms the Sidewalk into the Classroom

The Florence University of the Arts Green Walks Class makes the Historical Gardens of Florence the ultimate learning environment.

written by Tyler Kirwan for SPEL: Journalism

Catia Ballerini greets her students cheerily on the stone steps of a Piazza during a crisp, but sunny morning. A little groggy, but all the while intrigued, her students listen along to her recap of yesterday’s walk. Ballerini is prepared to teach her Green Walks of Florence class and neither the early time nor cool air can dim her joy.

The Green Walks of Florence Class offered by Florence University of the Arts (FUA), takes students on a journey through the many historical gardens and green spaces located within Florence, Italy. Ballerini is just one of the teachers who offers this type of walking course; some feature other subjects like architecture or sculptures.

Ballerini has been teaching this class for three years, where the only classroom is the open air of Italy. She tells the class that today’s lesson is going to focus on examining the many historical parks of the Roman City, specifically botanical gardens.

“It’s not a lecture, it is a journey. I want students to feel the different vibes and energy of the gardens, not just the city center… it’s about experiencing the people of Florence,” explains Ballerini.

Ballerini announces the walk today will be easier than yesterday's. The previous day, the students traversed three kilometers, traveling across the river and up a hill that overlooked Florence. These outdoor courses, offered by the university, allow for personal connections to the locations being studied.

After walking through Via degli Speziali, the students start with the first garden of the morning, located at the historic Universitá di Firenze — the oldest University in Florence. The group starts their tour, making their way from the morning’s meeting point at the piazza. Once there, Ballerini begins her lesson. The campus grounds contain a botanical garden built by the Medici family. The location’s proper name is Giardino dei Semplici and was designed with a focus on medicinal plants. 

After huddling students around the garden’s gates and giving a brief historical account of its origins and purposes, Ballerini guides them to the next leg of their journey. 

The stroll continues, making stops at Giardino della Fortezza and Piazza della Libertà. Beautiful locations in Florence with cultural relevance, Ballerini is sure to cite her facts. She asks students questions about the spots, relating the conversation to past walks. The ultimate goal of this type of tour is to learn as much as possible while actively experiencing the history - and the class is quite engaged. Some students answer her questions while others quickly jot down notes and vocabulary in their phones.  

The tour takes time to weave between the old streets of Florence, and each garden is some distance from the previous. About two hours deep, before the final stop, Ballerini brings the students to a boulevard with a couple cafes. She announces to the class that there will be a short cappuccino and snack break as well as time for anyone to use the restroom, instructing everyone to meet her back at the entrance in twenty minutes, stepping inside with some students to order.

While enjoying a snack, one of Ballerini’s students, Kevin Zielinski, shares what he has gained from the class. “We go outside the city center and explore the city for what it is and get to see the native Florentines,” he says.

Other students at the table with various baked sweets share the same sentiment, adding that they enjoy the broadened view of Florence they now know. Zielinski adds, “I’ve been able to see, and notice more greenery.”

Although Ballerini has taught this specific format of the class for three years, she and the other teachers have instructed various types of green walk classes for FUA. In the past, some variations have been taught in a hybrid fashion, with both in-classroom and outdoor time. However the course is taught, Ballerini finds any amount of outdoor experience to be of benefit to her students. She believes that learning outside allows for better connection than just knowledge in a classroom, by affixing memory to physical spaces. 

After the break, the class heads to the final location, climbing the northern hills of Florence up to Orti del Parnaso. Through this climb, a magnificently intricate glass tepidarium comes into view and Ballerini points out some of its details. 

Crossing a bridge over some train tracks and up a rocky path, the tour ends at a park overlooking the city. Ballerini sits the class down to work on Italian language skills and has them practice terms they have learned on prior tours. She has a smile on her face, and although the group walked quite the distance, the students don’t seem to mind. Taking in the view after finishing up their studies, everyone seems inspired, and ready to tackle a new walking adventure tomorrow.