2 weeks in 2 paragraphs.

Turns out that I suck at blogging... or maybe it's just that I haven't really done anything too exciting or crazy in the past 2 weeks.

The most exciting thing I can think of was the announcement of Machiavelli's arrest on February 19th, exactly 500 years after the original announcement! My Understanding Modern Italy class took a short field trip to a piazza near Palazzo Vecchio, where there were men in costume complete with drums and trumpets. Around 3:30 a man riding a horse read the warrant for Machiavelli's arrest from a parchment roll! The whole group of 14th-century-clad men marched over across the Ponte Vechhio and over to the Piazza della Signoria, concluding in front of the Biada Monastery. It was a really fun experience, especially seeing the reactions of people, both tourists and Italians, who had no idea what was happening!

Another exciting thing that happened was when Alex Bailor (and 2 friends) came to visit! They attend the CAPA London Program, but visited Florence for a few days during their tour of Italy. It was really nice to see a Pitt friend and even more fun to feel like a tour guide! It was amazing to realize how much I've learned about the city in the short time I've been here; I was able to recommend restaurants and, most importantly, gelaterie... but I was also able to give short history lessons on buildings and the city!

So... that's about it. Stay tuned for the beginning of spring break: Rome edition.

Local Italians and Fortezza da Basso

One of my main goals for studying abroad was to immerse myself in the Italian community, but it is somewhat difficult because the Florentine community is exceptionally private and very closed. Thankfully, with a little bit of exploration, two friends found a coffee shop run by a mom, and her 20 year old son, Massimo. Friday night, Lorenzo and I met up with Massimo and his friends for a little bit. Although there wasn't TOO much integration between the groups, hopefully it will lead to more nights together. After hanging out at the coffee shop, I went home because I had to wake up early (6am!) to catch a train to Ravenna for a fun-filled weekend. On my walk home, I ran into Professor Looney and his wife. As per usual, they recommended places to go in Ravenna- they are both so knowledgeable about everything, it's fantastic.

Saturday morning came along and I was unable to get out of bed. I texted Kelsey and Tylar telling them that I wouldn't be able to go to Ravenna- I was nauseous, dizzy, and had a killer headache. I felt so awful about not being able to go to Ravenna because I was excited to see the mosaics it is famous for, and most importantly, Dante's tomb, but there was no way I was going to be able to make it... and in the end, I'm incredibly happy I was so sick that morning.

When I finally felt like an actual human being again, I texted Lorenzo (one of the only CAPA kids who was left in Florence this weekend- Catie/Julia were enjoying a weekend in the French Riviera, Ty/Kels were on their way to Ravenna) and we got lunch, got coffee (and planned to meet with Massimo later that night), and then decided to walk around Florence. The day was GORGEOUS... only one cloud in a beautiful blue sky, sun shining, breeze blowing... we couldn't pass up the opportunity to explore!

Walking along the Arno River.

I had heard about a HUGE antiques market at Fortezza da Basso held every 3rd Saturday and Sunday, and even though I only had a SLIGHT idea of where it was, we decided to head over anyway. It was really nice just walking through the city, especially because it was a part I had never even seen before! I discovered a few more gelaterias that I want to try, a store that seemed to have really nice, inexpensive shoes, and another vintage shop. After a bit, I decided to ask someone where the Fortezza was... turns out we were heading in the wrong direction... but we finally got to the market after a bit of backtracking. The market surrounds a fountain (which must be beautiful in the summer, considering how pretty it was in February...) and is made up of a bunch of tents where locals go to sell their antiques, books, clothes, etc etc. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for my wallet), I had no cash on me, but I hope I'm in Florence next time it comes around.

We kept walking, and even tried to do homework, but the day was too nice and it wasn't working out... and after all that walking, I needed a nap! We walked farther on Saturday than I had ever walked in Florence, but it was such a lovely day and I couldn't waste it being inside.

wut.

That night, Lorenzo, Evan, and I went across the river to the Piazza of Santo Spirito where we met up with his flatmate, his girlfriend, and some of their friends... students from all around the world: Mexico, Palestine, El Salvador. We drank at a bar, went to a club, danced for a few hours and then tried to find a secret bakery. Yes... a secret bakery. These are the locations where bakers who supply local pastry shops make all their goods, and to be able to supply the shops so early in the morning, they begin baking around 3 or 4 in the morning... and if you find a shop, you can buy a delicious, warm pastry right out of the oven. I'd found one about a week ago, but to the group's dismay, it was closed last night! We ended up going to Mr.Pizza where I met 2 of the coolest Italian girls (and their Spanish friend) after joining in on their rendition of Volare. (Don't read the following, parents!) Now, with a few beers in me, my Italian was on fire! I was speaking as if I were fluent- it was amazing, and they were loving it! I showed them how to sassy snap, we discussed a possible nickname (K.Lo), and they said that after their exams, they'd invite me to parties and shopping. I was absolutely ecstatic about the opportunity because I love practicing my Italian but hanging out with only CAPA kids (most of whom don't speak any Italian) is detrimental to my language improvement! We exchanged numbers and when I got home, I already had a friend request from one of the girls. It was honestly just the cherry on top of a fantastic Saturday! Even though I wasn't  able to go to Ravenna/Rimini/San Marino, I can confidently say that integrating myself into the community and making friends was just as amazing, if not more so.

Another week gone...

This past week was pretty quiet... Class took up a bit of time, but I still had fun nonetheless!

After talking to my dad about my weekend plans to go to Ravenna, Rimini, and San Marino, he asked when I was going to Paris. Most of my weekend travel plans are to cities in Italy- I figured I should see as much Italy as possible while I'm here because I can always do the larger cities later in life. And with only 2 months left, all my weekends are full... or so I thought! I realized that my plans to travel around central Italy during spring break fell through, so I had almost an entire week free. I jumped at the chance, and immediately messaged Tylar. Within 30 minutes we had plane tickets for Paris... amazing! I hope during the 4 days I'm there, I'm able to travel to Luxembourg or something!

Here are some random pictures because I've been slacking on my posts lately...

Most households in Italy don't have dryers because they are ridiculously expensive, so all the clothes dry outside... 

OH, just hanging out 6 stories above the ground.

I tried to do some homework at the Biblioteca delle Oblate, which was once a convent and a hospital. There is a cafe on the top floor with a great view of the Duomo. I know when it gets even nicer out, I'll be spending more time here.

Ayooo, there's the Duomo!

 Here's hoping I have more exciting stuff from this weekend!

"Maybe you'll get a tattoo saying 'Florence roofied me!'"

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, Professor Looney is the greatest help and resource here in Florence! Not only is he approachable about any subject, not only does he spend hours touring us around the town, he also feeds us! After the Pitt student party at his house, he mentioned that he wanted to have all the Pitt advanced students over for dinner at his apartment to discuss our adjustment and any suggestions for improving the program.

After almost 8 hours of class on Tuesday, all the advanced kids headed over to Professor Looney's apartment for dinner. It was a great night; we talked about our experiences at CCF and CAPA, integrating into the Florentine community, and also Professor Looney/his wife's family. Professor Looney even joked about possible tattoos we could get to remind us about our study abroad experience... hence the title of this blog post. They talked about their kids and how they met; it was truly amazing! Both of them are the sweetest people and are always open for conversation; they're like our Florence parents!

That night was Fat Tuesday, so I just HAD to go out! I met up with a few kids from CAPA and we partied like it was 1999. It was a really fun night that was only a taste of what was to follow the rest of the weekend.

This is a short post, so I'm going to comment on something that really bothers me about Florence, and that is the fact that people don't pick up their dog's shit. Now, I understand that there isn't a lot of green space in Florence- everything is cobblestone, cement, etc etc so the dogs have no choice but to use sidewalks as their bathrooms, but what really makes me upset is the fact that MANY people just leave it on the sidewalk. WHAT?!? Can someone please help me understand this? The entire month-ish that I've been here, I've seen a grand total of 4 people pick up dog shit... it just truly amazes me because this is a WALKING city... why make it harder for everyone by leaving smelly poop all over the damn place?? Rant over.

Carnevale in Viareggio

Even though I was unable to go to Venezia, I DID make a day trip out to Viareggio for their carnival! Viareggio is a city in the Tuscan riviera probably most famous for the carnevale held a couple of weekends in January and February, but also for the beautiful yacht-building business. I woke up Saturday morning and along with a bunch of other CAPA kids and took the almost 2-hour train ride to the Tuscan coast.

Immediately after stepping off the train, I knew it was going to be a great day: people were all dressed up, huge smiles on everyone's faces! Julia and I bought our tickets to carnival and then walked into the craziest experience since being in Italy! Apart from people in THE most ridiculous costumes throwing confetti at every chance, and the wild, uninhibited dance parties, there were gigantic floats lining the 2 main streets that were out of this world. The amount of detail that goes into the construction of the floats is astonishing, and clearly visible. As my homestay family told me, many of the floats are some sort of satirical political or social commentary, which was definitely interesting to see.

Literally the first thing we saw as we hopped off the regional train!

Later on, this opened up and there were dancers inside.

The masks and wings all moved... very cool!

I have no idea what kind of satirical commentary this is... but it looked cool!

After finding Catie and Katie, buying some confetti and a mask, and dancing around the streets of Viareggio for a while, we decided to get some lunch at a small cafe... probably the best hot dog sandwich I'll ever have. Guys, even hot dogs are better in Italy! With a perfectly content belly, we made the trek out to the beach to find Catie's family... yes, the beach. It was absolutely amazing especially the snow-capped alps behind the town. It kind of reminded me of the beaches in El Salvador, which are actually much prettier in my opinion... but it was still an unforgettable view that made me question if my life in Italy is even real!!

Even though I thought nothing would be able to top Bologna as a day trip, Viareggio definitely tied! It was amazing to just traipse around the streets throwing confetti at people, dancing to whatever music each float was playing, admiring the elaborate costumes, and just appreciating life! It was a perfect day that ended with watching the sun set while sitting on the beach with two good friends... and my face painted as a dog.

Saturday's Looney tour around Oltrarno

After a night of shenanigans on Friday, I woke up early and went across the river for a tour by Professor Looney. The first stop was one of the oldest churches in Florence, called Santa Felicita. Although the original was established in the 4th or 5th century by Syrian merchants who were considered "lesser Romans," the current church is probably from the 18th century. The Vasari corridor is located right above the church; Vasari built this corridor under orders from Cosimo de' Medici I after the Medici family moved residence to Palazzo Pitti. The corridor connects Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti through the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, and Santa Felicita and allowed the Medici family a safe passageway, but also allowed them to attend church without being seen. (Shoutout to Tylar for that nugget of information!)

Vasari Corridor in front of the church's facade.

Inside the church, Professor Looney mainly spoke about Pontormo's The Deposition from the Cross; although painted during the High Renaissance period, it's style is incredibly different from that of earlier paintings, often cited as an example of mannerism. Pontormo focused on color rather than mass and also omitted including the cross, but did include a self-portrait in the background!

We walked to Palazzo Pitti and Professor Looney pointed out the apartment where he stayed the first time he studied in Italy... right across from Palazzo Pitti! It was really fantastic to hear about his experiences studying abroad and even more interesting to hear that a famous Italian writer, named  Umberto Saba, lived in his room before him!

Because people are only allowed to enter Santo Spirito church until 12:30 on Saturdays, we hurried over to the church which is seemingly simple from the outside, but very beautiful inside, and is one of the greatest examples of Renaissance architecture. Brunelleschi designed the outlay of the church and its 38 chapels, but not the baldachin over the high altar which was added in 1601. Each chapel of the Basilica was paid for by an important family of Florence, and many of the paintings include portraits of the patrons.

Our final stop on the Oltrarno tour was the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, mainly to look at the Branacci chapel which was the only thing left untouched by a fire that burned down most of the original church in 1771 and which holds important frescoes by Masolino, Masaccio, and Lippi. Although the rebuilt church is built in a rococo style (late Baroque), the chapel's frescoes are of the Renaissance and most particularly mark the transition into Renaissance. Masolino was a Gothic  painter who worked with Masaccio as his assistant and their contrasting styles can very clearly be identified; while Masolino's figures were still flat, somewhat lifeless, Masaccio's figures had volume. Their painting styles differed in that Masolino focused on line, while Masaccio focused on mass.

Masaccio's The Tribute Money on top, Lippi's
Raising of the Son of Theophilus and St Peter Enthroned
on bottom

Pitt's very own Professor Looney

Palazzo Vecchio and climing the Duomo

This week started out slowly with classes and not much else! Luckily, I've been enjoying my classes a lot, especially the ones I'm taking at CAPA because they are taught by two of the most interesting professors I've ever had. I can definitely say I'm learning so much about Italian history, language, and culture both in and outside the classroom, but unfortunately, it's not all positive. There are many delusions that were quickly shattered after a month of being in Florence, and this caused major culture-shock and homesickness. Thankfully, after 3 weeks, I no longer feel like a complete stranger/tourist and I feel like this can definitely be a temporary home!

Although I'm starting to feel like a resident, there are still a million touristy things to do in Firenze and one of those is walking through Palazzo Vecchio. Gather 'round kids, it's history lesson time!
Located in Piazza dell Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio is the fortress town-hall that was built in the 14th century (with further additions and changes in the 15th), in order to further protect the magistrates and important representatives of Florence's government. The most important family that resided in the Palazzo was probably the Medici family, a family of influential, wealthy bankers who rose to power in politics. They are known for their vast collections of art, statues, etc which were donated to the Tuscan state by Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, the last of the Medici line. While Duke Cosimo I lived in the Palazzo, it was called the Palazzo Ducale, but after he moved residence to Palazzo Pitti which is across the river, it was renamed the "Old Palace."

 The fortress was absolutely amazing; and to think that it had been used for centuries by the most powerful residents of Florence was even more astonishing. After checking out the courtyard decorated by Michelozzo, Tylar and I walked upstairs to the Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of Five Hundred), a massive room that was used for meetings held by Florence's rulers; the walls and ceiling are decorated with HUGE paintings by Vasari (and his assistants) all showing Florence's military triumphs over Pisa and Siena done in the mannerism style. It was probably the most impressive hall I'll ever see in my life!

The museum portion of Palazzo Vecchio includes many of the apartments of the Medici family and other beautifully decorated rooms. My favorite room was probably the Hall of Lillies, a room covered in the gold Florentine fleur-de-lys on a rich blue background... Maybe it was my favorite because it reminded me of Pitt! The decoration of this room, attached to the Chapel of the Signoria, signified the brief but good relations between the French crown and Florence. Another of my favorite rooms was the Stanza del Guardaroba, also called the Hall of Geographical Maps, because of the 53 amazing maps, all drawn in the 16th century, that surround a large bronze globe. It is certainly mind-blowing to think about how much cartographers knew about the world in the 16th century!

Even though we were exhausted after the walk through Palazzo Vecchio, we decided that because the day was so picturesque, we should take advantage and walk up the Duomo. And so, after about a month of being in Florence, I finally stepped into the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore... It is a very beautiful church decorated in the bare style of the Renaissance, which was somewhat underwhelming after seeing some of the more heavily decorated churches in Bologna. After a quick look around the church, we decided to make the climb in the Duomo... 463 steps for a fantastic view of Florence, the surrounding countryside, and snow capped mountains in the distance!