Macerata, Ti Voglio Molto Bene

Tonight I had two authentic Italian experiences I will never forget. I went alone to Good Friday mass. It was a beautiful service. The older woman sitting next to me was extremely amiable. I asked her where I could get a bulletin, and she bothered the people in front of us to take their extra bulletin for me. With the bulletin, I was able to follow along and understand the liturgy because my ability to read Italian is better than my listening comprehension. The bishop and the priests carried out a kind of reenactment of the Passion of Christ. At one point, they took a large crucifix covered in red cloth and processed through the aisles of the church. When they reached the altar, they placed the crucifix there and uncovered Christ’s body. One by one, the priests knelt before it and kissed his body on the cross. When they called the congregation to do the same, I stood behind my pew so that the older woman next to me could get in line. When I motioned for her pass, she shook her head and vigorously encouraged me to join the others, so I nervously went up and kissed his feet. Almost everyone in the congregation took part in the adoration of the cross. It was a very powerful experience, and for the first time since I’ve been Italy, I felt an authentic connection with God.

After mass, I strolled around Macerata for awhile trying to savor every last moment in the Italian town that has become my home. I stopped by Jamie’s apartment and from there we walked to Piazza delle Libertá where the centuries-old procession (Processione del Cristo Morto) through the streets of Macerata was starting. The first thing we saw were four men dressed as Roman soldiers on horses. They led the procession, followed by hundreds of others—priests carrying large gold crosses, staves, and banners, women in head scarfs, children carrying the instruments of the passion (the crown of thorns, the dice used to cast lots, the sword that stabbed him), as well as wooden statues of Mary, and John the Baptist. An ornately decorated gold cart pulled by four men carried the body of Christ, which was covered in a shroud. A marching band played somber funeral procession music and a man chanted various hymns over loud speakers. Everyone in the town gathered to watch and take part in the procession. Many of the shuttered windows of the homes we passed hung red banners outside in memory of Christ’s death. I was moved to tears by the spectacle, partly because of my religious experience, partly because I was witnessing a cultural event practiced by Maceratesi since medieval times, and partly because I was overcome with the idea of leaving Macerata and Italy.

Macerata is what I will miss most about Italy. This past month, I started feeling truly accepted into the community. Italians are more kind and open to me than ever before. I think they appreciate my growing ability to speak Italian. I also think it’s less obvious that I’m a foreigner because I don’t wander around looking lost, begging people for directions in “inglese, per favore!” No, today I walk calmly through the streets of Macerata and I enjoy watching the people chat with each other and go about their daily routines.

I can’t explain how relieving it is to be able to walk into an establishment and express myself precisely in Italian with fewer “um”s and “ah”s. As English-speaking Americans, I think this is something we take for granted everyday. I have a newfound empathy for every foreigner living in the United States who struggles to learn English as a second language. An American guest speaker in my cross-cultural communications class who has lived in Macerata for half of her life explained to us that she even after many years, she is still struck with a huge feeling of relief as soon as she lands in an English-speaking American airport. I can’t wait to experience that feeling for myself, though it will be hard to break the habits of automatically saying “grazie” and “sí” after everything, and “ciao” to everyone when I walk into a business.

Even after traveling to the beautiful, culturally rich cities of Florence, Venice, and Rome, it isn’t long before I’m ready to come back to friendly, familiar Macerata, my home. I’m a sucker for small towns. Macerata will forever stay near my heart.

Nearing the End

I’m aware that this entry is long overdue. The second half of the semester passed before my eyes in what felt like a few minutes. I’ve grown a lot since I last wrote. I’m certainly not the same person I was three months ago but I can’t seem to pinpoint how. It occurs to me in subtle instances when I go about my daily routine, but when I try to recall those instances later, I can’t. So much has happened since I last wrote. Part of the reason I’ve put off this entry is because I wasn’t sure where to start. As more and more things happened to me, the task of writing seemed more daunting.

My classes have really picked up. I’ve been busy making plans for this spring, summer, and next fall. I’m presenting my independent study at the Phi Alpha Theta conference in Indiana when I get back. Immediately after, I’ll be on a plane to Boston, where I’ll spend almost two weeks researching in the JFK Presidential Library archives, and three weeks on campus writing the paper. I also applied for a summer internship at the Port Huron Historical Museum and a scholarship to help pay for it. I’m thrilled about all of these opportunities, mostly because it will give me a small taste of what its like being a historian. At the same time, I can’t help feel a little stressed about them, not knowing exactly what to expect.

I’ve also been making arrangements to start my annotated bibliography for my senior thesis this summer and next year. To say the least, all of these things have been piling up and hanging over my head for weeks. It doesn’t help that exams are next week and deadlines for final papers keep coming up. It’s also hard adjusting to the idea that I will back in the United States in a little over a week. I feel like I just adjusted to most of the cultural differences I used to find unnerving. It will be so difficult to leave. Macerata is such a warm community and I just started to feel like a true Maceratesa (person from Macerata). In general, I’ve had so many thoughts buzzing around my head lately that are difficult for me to articulate.

My spring break with my parents was extremely fulfilling and a breath of fresh air. It was exciting for me because it was their first major international trip. At certain points, I felt that the roles had reversed because I taught them a lot about how to communicate and navigate in this country. I think they really enjoyed themselves. I was impressed with the amount of Italian they learned during their time here (and the amount I knew!). We spent 2 nights in Venice, 3 nights in Florence, and 2 nights in Sorrento (where we stayed so we could visit Pompeii), and a day in Macerata. I was relieved when my parents said how much they enjoyed being in Macerata because I was afraid it wouldn’t compare to spectacle of the major cities of Florence and Venice.

Since last writing, I have:

1. Successfully made the 6 hour journey to Venice alone, and even made conversation with a few Italian strangers in my coach.

2. Showed my parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law around Italy

3. Gone to Florence on an excursion for class

4. Visited Perugia with Rai, where we saw an ancient Etruscan well, one of the oldest churches in Italy, and paintings by Perugino and Raphael in the National Museum of Umbria

5. Traveled to Loreto, a medieval town and major pilgrimage site for Catholics that, according legend, is the location of the Mary’s house.

6. Had an 3-day excursion in Rome, where we examined the Trevi fountain, theVestal Virgin Temple, the Roman Forum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican and the Vatican museums, the Coliseum, the Pantheon (the largest Roman temple that still stands), talked to two Swiss guards about the pope.

7. Attended various music concerts, including a jazz concert, a Pergolesi concert celebrating the 400th birthday of Matteo Ricci (a famous Jesuit missionary from Macerata who went to China), La Serva Padrona (a comic opera by Pergolesi), and finally Handel’s Messiah.

8. Attended Palm Sunday mass in Macerata’s cathedral

9. Climbed the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Cathedral of Florence

10. Successfully had my hair cut four inches shorter in a hair salon where no one spoke English

11. Danced the night away at Tartaruga, the only dance club in Macerata

12. Attended mass in Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

13. Spent hours in the Uffizi in Florence

14. Seen countless masterpieces by famous Italian artists Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, Perugino, Giotto, Duccio, Cimabue and many others.
This is all I have time to write at the moment, but I promise to write at least one more entry before I go home. In the meantime, I’m going to paste some of my journals about my excursions that I had to prepare for my Renaissance history and art history classes. They should give you a better idea about the historical sights I visited. Enjoy!

Roma!

Rome is like an onion, made up of layer upon layer of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance history. Because of its significantly rich history, Rome is one of the most unique cities in Europe. According to legend, the city was founded when Rhea Silvia, a vestal virgin, was raped by Mars and later gave birth to two sons, Romulus and Remus. After her punishment of death, the two baby boys were subsequently raised by a she-wolf. When they were grown, Remus became jealous of Romulus because Romulus was chosen to build the city Rome. As a result, Remus challenged Romulus in a battle, and Romulus killed his brother. During our excursion, we visited countless famous monuments from Roman, and Renaissance times. I will focus on the ones I found most interesting, which include the Colosseo, the Tempio di Vesta, la Torre Delle Milizie, and the Basilica di San Pietro.

The most widely recognized symbol of Rome is the Colosseo, the largest amphitheater that still stands today. Amphitheaters were civic buildings located in most Roman towns. The origin of the name Colosseo comes from the colossal statue that was erected by Emperor Nero next to the amphitheater. The Colosseo was completed in three years and has an elliptic shape. It could hold 50,000 to 70,000 spectators and was made up of three levels of eighty arches, under which statues of various Roman divinities stood. During the Barbarian Migrations, the Colosseo was gradually disassembled by people who harvested it for stone and marble.

The Colosseo is important to our understanding of early medieval history because during the time of Christian persecution, hundreds of early Christian martyrs were killed there.

These acts of martyrdom were used as a way to spread knowledge of Christianity. Constantine (r. 324-337) was the first Roman emperor to tolerate Christianity as a religion. Emperor Theodosius (r. 379-395) was the first to ban paganism and enforce the practice of Christianity during the Roman Empire. Christian martyrs who died in the amphitheaters like the Colosseo paved the way for the Christian church to gain power and play a central role in the lives of medieval people.

The Tempio di Vesta also existed during the Roman time period. The temple dates back to the seventh century BC. It was dedicated to the divinity Vesta. Inside the circular temple was an eternal flame that vestal virgins tended. Their important position in Roman society required them to maintain their virginity until they were forty years old, in addition to tending the flame If they lost their virginity in any way, voluntarily or involuntarily, they were to be buried alive as punishment. This was the fate of Rhea Silvia, the mother of Romulus and Remus. The temple was also used to store legal wills and documents for Roman senators. In 394 AD, Theodosius extinguished the flame that had been lit for hundreds or years in his campaign to wipe our paganism. The temple is said to have inspired Brunelleschi and Donatello, who studied its classical architecture.

One of the very few medieval buildings I found in Rome was the Torre delle Milizie, the tower of the guards. It was used as part of the medieval fortress and dates back to the thirteenth century. Cimabue, a Gothic artist known for teaching Giotto and using chiaroscuro, painted its interior.

The Basilica di San Pietro is visited by thousands of pilgrim Catholics every year. Under its main altar is the tomb of St. Peter, the apostle of Christ. It is the longest church in the world and can hold 60,000 people. It is also one of the four papal basilicas in Rome, which include Basilicas of St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Paul. The original church was built during the fourth century. After many years, however, the church was in disrepair, especially during the Avignon papacy (1309-1377). Pope Nicholas V (r.1447-1455), who began the Vatican library and worked to beautify Rome, was the first to consider repairing the church. Pope Julius II, who reigned from 1503 to 1513, rebuilt it in the fourteenth century. Among the famous architects who worked on it were Bramante, Michelangelo and Raphael. The Basilica di San Pietro also houses one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, the Pietá. The monolithic statue is part of a funeral monument that depicts a youthful Mary, holding the body of Christ across her lap. The church also houses the tombs of numerous important popes, including Pope Urban VIII, who was buried nearby Peter.

Analyzing these important monuments in Rome helped solidify much of the knowledge I gained from this course. Ultimately it taught me that there is more to an Italian city than meets the eye because civilizations were constantly building on one another. For example, while many Roman temples and monuments were destroyed during medieval times, some were saved because they were reutilized as churches. Renaissance artists and architects, like Brunelleschi and Donatello, studied ancient Roman structures and integrated many classical elements into their masterpieces. Without the reutilization of this knowledge and the preservation of monuments from Roman, medieval, and Renaissance times, Western civilization would not be what it is today.

Loreto and the House of the Virgin Mary

The small hill town of Loreto has been the famous pilgrimage site of thousands of Christians since 15 AD. Pilgrims journeyed from Rome, to Macereto, and finally to Loreto to see the original Santa Casa. According to legend, the house of Mary was carried by angels from Nazareth, to Trsat in Croatia, and then to a laurel wood across the Adriatic Sea, where Loreto was located. On December 10, 1294, Mary’s house appeared in the Piazza della Modonna. The piazza is enclosed by the Basilica Santuario della Santa Casa, a church that was built around the house during the Renaissance, and the Palazzo Apostolico, constructed by Bramante in 1510, but completed in 1750. The town is important to our study of the Renaissance because it demonstrates the role religion and the papacy played in the lives of people during that time. The art and architecture of the Basilica Santuario della Santa Casa and the Palazzo Apostolico also incorporate classical Roman elements.

Pope Julius II made Loreto an official Christian pilgrimage site during his rule between 1503 and 1513. The power of the Renaissance papacy is demonstrated by the statue of Pope Sixtus V outside the church, which has bas relief sculptures of allegorical representations of charity, justice, and faith. Pope Julius II and Pope Sixtus V were both popes during the Renaissance papacy. The papacy struggled to maintain its power in the midst of many obstacles, which included the schism after the Avignon papacy, the Turkish threat, the sack of Constantinople by Christians, the power struggle between the Holy Roman Empire and the pope, and the reformation. The reformation was sparked by several problems that existed in the Catholic Church, including simony, nepotism, pluralism, local corruption, ignorance, and the misuse of privilege.

Guilty of nepotism, Pope Julius II gained his position as pope with help from his family member Pope Sixtus IV. Pope Julius II’s is famous for gaining back territories for the papacy, such as Bologna, Perugia, and the Marche region. In 1506 he took part in the foundation of St. Peter’s Basilica and persuaded Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. In addition to being guilty of nepotism, he is also infamous for taking part in the selling of indulgences, particularly to cover the costs of St. Peter’s Basilica.

While the architecture of the Basilica Santuario della Santa Casa is gothic, Bramante, a Renaissance architect from Milan, was commissioned to build the chapel over the house. Bramante’s study of classical architecture, such as the Roman pantheon, is obvious when one observes his carved marble case over the Santa Casa. Classical elements such as Greco designs, pediments, dentals, railing, and columns with Corinthian capitals demonstrate the revival of the Greek and Roman times. Other carvings depict the transportation of the house by angels, as well as the birth of Mary, and the Adoration of the Magi. Carved into the marble structure at the base is a bench where pilgrims knelt to pray before entering Santa Casa.

Santa Casa itself is rectangular chamber made of brick walls. Pieces of Gothic frescoes still remain on the walls. On the bejeweled altar is a cedar wood image of the Madonna and Child.

Classical architecture is also integrated into the Palazzo Apostolico and the façade of the Basilica Santuario della Santa Casa. The Palazzo Apostolico, also designed by Bramante, is made up of two stories of porticos to house pilgrims. The façade of the Palazzo Apostolico has pilasters, or decorative columns, with Doric and ionic capitals. The bas relief carvings between the two levels depict more stories from the transportation of Santa Casa from Nazareth to Loreto. On the façade of the Basilica Santuario della Santa Casa are Latin inscriptions and Roman columns and pediments. All of these elements of the Palazzo Apostolico and Basilica Santuario della Santa Casa used to appear on Roman temples.

The pilgrimage site of Loreto demonstrates the power of the Renaissance papacy and the importance of the Vita Apostolica. By understanding the struggles of the Catholic Church at that time, we can better understand the incentives of the papacy to construct such important religious sites that exhibit Roman and Greek classical elements in Renaissance architecture.

Firenze!

Florence boasts a plethora of Renaissance architecture and art by some of the most famous artists in the world. The city has a deep history of Etruscan and Roman rule; it was the site of an Etruscan military camp hundreds of years ago and was later inhabited by Romans during the third century BC. Of the many sites we analyzed, I will focus on the famous paintings by Cimabue, Giotto, and Duccio in the Uffizi, the demise of Savonarola, the Sacrestia Vecchia di San Lorenzo, and the interior of Chiesa di Santa Croce.

Of the many famous paintings we examined in the Uffizi, we spent much time in the room dedicated to the Gothic artists Cimabue, Giotto and Duccio. These three artists are known for creating some of the very first paintings of the Renaissance. Although their anconas, or altar pieces, were originally created for various churches around Florence, they were later moved to the museum. Cimabue, Giotto’s teacher, tried to represent Mary and Jesus realistically for the first time. Like his successors Giotto and Duccio, Cimabue attempted the use of perspective and dimension in his works. Cimabue’s Maestá, or Madonna and child sitting on a throne, is surrounded by four static angels on either side, and the four prophets below. Duccio’s Maestá appears very similar to Cimabue’s Maestá because Mary is surrounded by angels again. This time, the angels look at her and have facial expression. In addition, the baby Jesus is more realistic with his arm outstretched, unlike the infant in Cimabue’s Maestá, who sits up straight on his mother’s lap. Giotto’s Maestá clearly surpasses the skill of Cimabue and Duccio because he paints the Madonna and child with detailed expressions. The angels surrounding them are located in the foreground, the middle ground and the background. Instead of facing us, their bodies are turned toward the Maestá. They look pensively at the Madonna and child and offer them gifts. Mary is shown for the first time with breasts and knees, demonstrating Giotto’s use of chiaroscuro and dimension.

As we passed through the Piazza della Signoria, we discovered the site of Savonarola’s execution marked by a plaque on the ground. Savonarola was a Dominican monk who lived during the fifteenth century and preached against materialism, trade, money, vanity, and homosexuality. When Savonarola came to power after the death of the Medici family in 1497, he ordered the “bonfires of vanities” in which hundreds of Renaissance paintings, books, and furniture were burned in the Piazza della Signoria. On May 13, 1497, he was excommunicated by Pope Alexander, tortured, and imprisoned. Almost a year later, he was burned at the stake in the same location he ordered the “bonfires of vanities.”

The Old Sacristy in San Lorenzo is important because Cosimo de’Medici placed the tombs of his parents there. Giovanni de’Medici, his father, was the first in the family to establish a banking house for trade and the exchange of foreign currency. By the time of his death, he already had operations in Rome, Venice, Geneva and Naples. His son, Cosimo “the Elder” inherited this wealth and sponsored many important operations in Florence, including the founding of the Platonic Academy, which provided a revival of the classical studies and the Greek language. He was a great patron of the arts. The Old Sacristy, designed by Donatello, demonstrates a good example of Renaissance architecture because it follows the module system. The floor of the Old Sacristy is divided into 9 modules. The room itself is a giant cube based on this model. The ceiling is a circular dome with ribs and a lantern on top. Painted on another dome above the chapel of the Old Sacristy is a view of the night sky with constellations. On the walls are medallions of the four evangelists and the saint protectors of the Medici family. Shells mark the corners of the chapel, symbolizing eternity, harmony, and the everlasting life.

The Chiesa di Santa Croce houses the tombs of some the most famous Italians in the world, including Galileo, Michelangelo, Niccoló Machiavelli, Leon Battista Alberti. Galileo is considered the father of modern science. As a professor at Pisa he studied mechanics and astronomy. He discovered gravity, five moons of Jupiter, and he invented the telescope. In addition, he was one of the first to support the theory that the sun was at the center of the universe. On his tomb is a sculpture of himself studying astronomy.

Michelangelo, a master in sculpture, painting, and architecture, died in Rome in 1564. Three mourning women sit on Michelangelo’s tomb representing the allegories of the three arts. Architecture sits in the center and appears to be the most distressed because of Michelangelo’s brilliance in architecture.

Niccoló Machiavelli is considered the father of political science. He is most famous for writing The Prince, a guidebook to ruling over people. We read his work The Circle of Governments, in which he discusses the three types of good government (monarchy, aristocracy and democracy) and the three types of bad government (tyranny, oligarchy, and anarchy). The statue of a woman, symbolizing diplomacy, sits atop his tomb holding a shield with the reflection of Machiavelli.

Leon Battista Alberti was an Italian humanist, art theorist, and architect. He discussed Italian painting, sculpture and architecture in his writing. We read his Self Portrait of a Universal Man which outlines all of the qualities of the perfect Renaissance man, using himself as an example. A statue of Alberti in a toga stands on his tomb looking upwards with allegories on either side of him, epitomizing all of the characteristics of a Renaissance man.

Florence is home to thousands of Renaissance paintings, sculptures, churches, and palaces. By examining the early Renaissance works of Cimabue, Giotto, and Duccio, the architectural masterpiece of Donatello’s Sacrestia Vecchia di San Lorenzo, and the multiple tombs of Renaissance greats in the Chiesa di Santa Croce, we can better understand the rebirth that took place in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Through studying these Florentine works, we can easily identify the rise of humanism, and the glorification of the ancient Romans and Greeks, which signify the Renaissance.

Macereto

The Renaissance distinguishes itself from the medieval times because it represents a rebirth after the disasters of the Plague and the Hundred Years’ War. A new thought process developed in the fifteenth century, when people began to see themselves as important, intelligent, and able to achieve lofty goals. In addition, paintings were no longer used solely for religious didactic purposes and began to celebrate the human form. During this new rise of humanism, Renaissance architects and artists strived to imitate the architecture and art from the prosperous Greek and Roman times. Our excursion to the Basilica Santuario di Macereto demonstrated this return to Greek and Roman roots, which characterize the Renaissance period. In addition, our visit to the Castello Pallotta portrayed the life of a noble family during medieval and Renaissance times.

The Basilica Santuario di Macereto was used during the Renaissance by pilgrims on their way to Loreto as a place to rest and restock their supplies. The portico surrounding the courtyard of the church was an ospedale, where farmers and shepherds sold merchandise, and where pilgrims took shelter. The Basilica Santuario di Macereto was built over the course of many years and designed by various architects, including Bramante, Michelangelo, and Cardinal Pallotta.

The main gate of the Basilica Santuario di Macereto resembles many architectural techniques and decorations used by the Greeks and the Romans. The gate is made up of a Romanesque semi-circular arch with a keystone, and double columns topped with Ionic and Corinthian style capitals and a pediment. These features demonstrate the desire for Renaissance architects like Bramante, Michelangelo, and Cardinal Pallotta to return to their classical Greek and Roman roots. Many famous architects of the Renaissance, including Brunelleschi and Ghiberti, studied Greek and Roman ruins in order to incorporate that style into the construction of new buildings, like Brunelleschi’s Ospedale in Florence.

The fresco of the crucifixion behind the altar was painted by Simone De Magistris. It was painted during the Renaissance because it exhibits the one point perspective. Examining the fresco, we can observe the X and Y axis from the shape of the cross. Jesus’ arm as he being pulled down from the cross cuts through the image diagonally, which demonstrates the third dimension.

The Castello Pallotta was influenced by the Franks because its church was named after St. Martin. It was first built around 871 but was redesigned as a military stronghold after the invention of firearms, and later made into a summer residence for the Pallotta family. The family hosted Pope Clement VIII and a Swiss queen, who stopped there during her pilgrimage (to Rome or Loreto?). The Pallotta family was originally from Normandy and dominated Sicily at one point. They were well-educated and completed their dissertations at the University of Macerata. Among the many books they owned, they had an early copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy and Vitruvius’ De architectura, two works made famous during the Renaissance.

The Basilica Santuario di Macereto is a prime example of Renaissance art and architecture during the rise of humanism, when people revered the Greeks and Romans for their achievements. This is demonstrated in the semi-circular arches, the pediment, and the ionic and Corinthian style columns on the outside of the Basilica Santuario di Macereto, as well as the fresco painted by Simone di Magistris which utilizes the one point perspective. The evolution of the Castello Pallotta from a military stronghold to a summer residence teaches us about the dramatic changes that occurred between medieval times and Renaissance times.

Half-way through!

After living here in Italy for over a month, I have to say that my confidence has spiked. I feel comfortable attending music events, ordering in restaurants and cafes, taking the bus to different parts of town, navigating through the city, and meeting up with Italian friends. That’s not to say that I don’t have moments where I feel very out of my comfort zone, but the frequency of those moments has significantly decreased. I’m proud to say that in Italian I can ask for things behind the counter at most stores and buy a train ticket at the station without any problem.

In addition to living in a foreign country, living in my own apartment has also been an adjustment. I’ve only lived in a dorm room with a meal plan at Alma. I’ve now mastered how to live on a budget and how to cook. In fact, cooking has become a new hobby of mine. With so much free time because of our low course-load (in comparison to classes at Alma), I try to cook almost every night. Usually meals are pasta dishes with chicken, lots of fresh veggies, Maceratesi wine, and fresh bread from the bakery across the street. I love having people over for dinner too. I’m going to really miss this kind of lifestyle when I go back to dorm life and a meal plan.

Classes are as fascinating as ever. I’m taking the History of Art and Architecture, Making Renaissance Italy, Modern Italy, Italian language, and Cross-Cultural Communications. Learning all of the Roman, medieval and renaissance history of Italy makes living here so much more meaningful. I’ve gotten better at determining the time period of the buildings, cathedrals, and the art that I encounter on a daily basis. I’m constantly asking questions in my classes and on our excursions to take in as much as I can.

I finished up midterm exams this week. It’s been a little difficult trying to figure out the vague expectations of my Italian professors because my only grades are my exams. It’s apparently very uncommon to have multiple choice exams in the Italy, therefore most of my exams were solely 3-6 essay questions. Hopefully I did well on them.

Today started the first day of spring break! I’m extremely excited because my parents are flying into Venice tomorrow. We’re going to spend the week together in Venice, Florence, and Pompeii. My sister Emily and brother-in-law Chris are meeting up with us in Naples and then everyone is going to stay in Macerata for a few nights! It will be so great to share everything I’ve learned with them. This will be their first overseas trip too and I can’t wait to experience it with them. Tomorrow I’m going to take the train to meet my parents in Venice. It should be an adventure because I haven’t made a trip that far by myself yet. Wish me luck!

Carnevale di Venezia

Since I last wrote, I took my first trip outside Le Marche (where Macerata is located). Two other American friends and I took an overnight university bus to Venice to see the Carnevale spectacle. Carnevale is celebrated across Italy for 10 days before the beginning of lent. Adults and children wear costumes similar to our Halloween costumes, throw paper confetti, and eat lots of deep-fried Carnevale cookies and pastries. Venice is famous for its century-old tradition of dressing in Renaissance costumes and masks.

The journey there was exhausting on many levels, however. The cramped charter bus ride was certainly a full immersion experience. The day trip was advertised for the University of Macerata students so Rai, Diana and I were the only Americans. We left Macerata at 4:00am so that we could arrive in Venice at 10:30am. Luckily, we knew about 5 other Italian girls on the trip who were a huge help in navigating the winding streets of Venice and communicating with other people. Sandwiched between a group of seven girls loudly gabbing away in Italian and a couple’s endless, passionate smooching behind my seat (a common sight in Italy), I hardly slept on the ride. It was a relief when we arrived at Mestre and took a train to the island of Venice.

The city was absolutely breath-taking. For the first time in weeks, the sun shone brightly, making the colors of the buildings and the water so vibrant. Understanding the history of Venice made it even more fulfilling. Venice was one of major trade ports in Italy for hundreds of years. It’s known for connecting eastern European trade with the western world because many merchants from Constantinople (the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire) stopped there. Therefore, the architecture of the cathedrals, the doge’s palace, and the clock tower in the main square of San Marco look very Byzantine. It’s renowned for being one of the most unique and peculiar places on earth because of its unique location, its history, and its eastern influences. The magnificence of the ancient city, the elaborate Renaissance costumes, and the glittering masks of Carnevale was like walking in a dream.

Unfortunately during our walk to San Marco (the main square) to see the Flight of the Angels performance, I started to see spots. Though I refused to admit it to myself at first, I was getting a migraine. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, I was lying down in the room of a random hotel in excruciating pain. Luckily with my medicine, I was only out for about an hour, and we still had adequate time to experience Venice. Rai (my roommate) was an incredible friend and stayed by my side the whole time.

Even though we missed the parade and a few performances in San Marco, we had a fantastic time exploring the city. Near the end of the day, we bought masks and took a boat ride through the Grand Canal. The view of the city from the water as the sun set was something I’ll never forget. We left Venice at 6:00pm and got home to Macerata around midnight despite class at 8:30 the next morning. It was so worth it!

Making it in Macerata

I apologize for the huge delay in writing this entry. Time has gone by extremely fast. I can hardly believe that I’ve been in Italy for over three weeks! Many of my initial perceptions have changed and I feel much more comfortable living and navigating in Macerata, and even conversing with Italians. It’s so nice to finally start seeing some familiar faces because Macerata is a small town. For example, we’ve made friends with the man in the vegetable shop across the street (where we buy at least thirty mandarin oranges a week--they are so addicting!), the two ladies in the shop where we buy fresh prosciutto and cheese, and some Italian university students who participate in the Tandem Program.

The Tandem Program started during our second week. Each of us was paired up with an Italian student that we meet with at least two hours a week. Because I just started learning Italian, my partner Andrea practices his English with me. We’ve met three times so far and we have a lot in common because he’s a philosophy major and I’m studying history. It’s so comforting to know that he’s happy to answer any questions I have about Italian culture. We usually meet from 7pm to 9pm in a café for aperetivo. During the hours of aperetivo you can order a drink at any bar and they provide free snacks like bruschetti and olives.

Since I last wrote, we’ve gone on two different excursions. The first was a walking tour of Macerata to see the historical sights. The tour lasted all day and we were absolutely freezing the whole time. But regardless of the cold, learning the medieval and Renaissance history of the Macerata region is so fascinating to me. We examine the architectural features of every building we see. I’ve learned that the Romanesque architecture is known for its semi-circular arches, thick walls, and small windows because people were still figuring out how to build windows and doorways without making the wall collapse.

In the Palazzo Comunale, we saw ancient tombstones and plaques of the Etruscans (the people who settled in Italy before the Romans) and the Romans.

We saw the old headquarter of the Universitá di Macerata that was established in 1290. On the wall of the Universitá, there were a variety of plaques that commemorated famous professors.

We examined the ornate interior of many churches, including Chiesa di Santa Maria Della Porta, the Cattedrale di San Giuliano, and the Basilica di Santa Maria Della Misericordia. We also walked to the Fonte Maggione, where Roman women would wash their clothes and collect clean water.

My favorite was the Cattedrale di San Giuliano (the main cathedral in Macerata dedicated to Saint Julian, the patron saint of town). It was built in 1313. At that time, clergy included stories of Christ in vast paintings and carvings to educate the illiterate peasants. Because of this, all of the ornate details in the cathedrals are full of symbolism. The paintings are breathtaking.

The following day we visited Civitanova, a town located on the Adriatic Sea known for its fish market. We went to the market and ate at a seafood restaurant for lunch. I’m not much of a seafood person, so I was less than thrilled to see deep-fried fish with their heads and tails still on and whole shrimp that still had their beady eyes. After awhile though we couldn’t help but play with them (something only stupid Americans would do), which seemed to amuse the Italians who were seated at nearby tables. After lunch we walked along the Adriatic Sea. It was beautiful even though the sky was gray. I can only imagine how pretty it is in the summer.

Last weekend during out excursion, we visited the nearby town of San Ginesio, the Abbazia di Chiaravalle di Fiastra (a Benedictine abbey) and the Castello della Rancia (my first castle!). Each location demonstrated material culture of a historical period we’ve discussed in class. For example, in San Ginesio, we examined many frescoes in the crypt of a church that were painted during Black Death. The expressive faces in the paintings emphasized the atrocity of the Black Death. We learned how the images were meant to give comfort to those who were mourning plague victims. In one fresco, Mary is sitting in a chair with Christ’s dead body across her lap that is covered in boils, implying that he too died of the plague.

We even saw Roman artifacts from the ruins of a nearby Roman town called Urbs Salvia that was destroyed by the Barbarian Migration that caused the fall of the Western Empire. There were Roman roof shingles that still bore the stamp of town, marble signs that marked the entrances to Roman temples, and artifacts that were buried with people in the Necopoli, the city of the dead.

Sorry for the history lesson. I could go on and on about this stuff. I can’t even explain how amazing it is to learn about these things in class and then go out and see the history during our excursions!

This Sunday we’re going to Venice for Carnevale, which is an annual 10 day festival that takes place across Italy before Lent. Carnevale in Venice is very similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It’s a big masquerade where people dress up in medieval costumes. It’s been a tradition for hundreds of years. I am so excited!

I inserted some pictures to my previous blog entries. Feel free to check them out. I’ll try to update more frequently. Also, thanks for everyone’s feedback. It’s very helpful because I’m new to blogging. Feel free to tell me what you think!

First Impressions of Italia

I’m finally starting to feel settled. The first few days here were a little rough because of some culture shock, homesickness, and exhaustion from being jetlagged. When we first moved into our apartment, some things just didn’t feel right. Everything in the apartment felt so foreign. It wasn’t easy learning how to operate the washing machine, dealing without heat for 14 hours a day, and realizing that we can’t run the stove, hair dryer, or washing machine at the same time without blowing a fuse. Even going across the street to buy a few things at the little shops was extremely difficult.

Actually, that night we first bought groceries without knowing any Italian was probably the most frustrating experience I’ve had here so far. Because the shops were so small, everything we needed was behind a counter and we had to order everything in Italian. We had a terrible time communicating with the owners. After we figured out how to order half a kilo of prosciutto and cheese, we were starving and decided to visit the pizzeria to pick up a couple of slices to eat at home. We thought it would be quick and easy, but it was impossible to understand anything the owners tried to tell us in Italian. Who knew ordering pizza off of a menu would be so difficult! We ended up ordering one thing and getting something completely different than what we thought. On the way home, I was in a terrible mood. I was exhausted from traveling, getting lost in Macerata, and being unable to express myself in Italian.

Most of my initial concerns—navigating, cooking, bad roommates, living in a rundown apartment, not fitting in with the other students, and no internet in the apartment—have vanished. It’s a relief to live in a nice apartment, with lots of space, and a great roommate. Besides being history majors, we have so much in common and I think we’ll become really close by the end of this semester. We’ve already been through so much together.

The first few days in our apartment was somewhat of an adjustment. The apartment is a big, bright yellow building with green shutters and elegant balconies. It’s at least a century old, with vaulted ceilings and huge windows. Filiberto and Angelica told us that it used to be for upper-middle class Italians living in the 1900s. At first, it seemed empty and eerily quiet, probably because I’m so accustomed to dorm-life and always having people around. Rai and I have to walk 10 or 15 minutes to get everywhere, but we enjoy it (though it will be much more pleasant when it starts to warm up). Only after I cooked my first few meals and did the laundry did it finally sink in that this will be my home for the next 3 months. My family will be pleased to know that in the past few days, I have cooked two pasta dishes that actually turned out really well, especially considering my challenges at being domestic. Everything we make is made of the freshest ingredients. A few nights ago we made a great pasta dish with tomato sauce, fresh zucchini, onions, garlic, asiago cheese, red peppers, herbs, and chicken.

Though there are times I really miss everyone at home, I’m happy to be here. Everything seems to be falling into place and I’m ready to start soaking up all of the Italian history I can before it’s time to return home.