February 2011 – DEV – The Umbra Institute – Study Abroad in Italy

One of the comments that almost every Umbra student makes about Perugia regards how easy it is to feel at home: “When I travel on the weekend, I can’t wait to get home to Perugia on Sunday – it’s such a livable city, and I already feel like I’m part of the culture.” From learning the tricks of the city – like which random doorways, gated and closed during the day, turn into late-night bakeries selling fresh pastries – to developing a relationship with the barista in the café under your house, it’s almost effortless to integrate yourself in Perugia.

Some, like full-immersion student Taylor Campbell, even join local sports teams like the Università per Stranieri rugby team as a way to work on their Italian and get some exercise while doing it. Beyond rugby, there is also a lacrosse team, a flag football team, and a huge variety of groups like the Perugian outdoors club, which organizes camping and hiking trips both in Umbria and beyond!

It’s that time of year again already–beloved Spring Break–and students have headed off to all corners of Europe. This semester’s most popular destinations?

Barcelona, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Marrakesh, Frankfurt, Brussels, Luxembourg and even the Canary Islands!

Safe travels to all Umbra Students, we can’t wait to hear how your adventures unfold!

As we near the end of another semester, the events of the special academic week are in full swing here at the Umbra Institute. Last night, we opened up the Umbra building down on Via dei Priori to the public to show off the excellent work that our students have done over the semester in Fresco Art and Digital Photography. There was a great turnout – partly due, we’re sure, to the refreshments offered – and there was great discussion surrounding the works presented.

Another Umbra landmark last night: it was the twelfth bi-annual literary anthology reading. The Birraio, Umbra’s go-to pub for important events, hosted the reading in their Buddha room. Professor Cynthia Clough, the instructor of the “Italy of the Imagination” course, conjured up the class’ work over the semester and then passed the baton to anthology editor Emily Swaine, who lead off the evening.

One by one all of the students in the course sat in front of the giant tin Buddha and read their best essay. Art awakening memories, what the barista gives you every morning, and the many meaning of niente — these were among the wide range of themes that came out last night.

It’s that time of the semester, once again, when students wash their feet and stomp on buckets of grapes. It may not be the most desirable thought to consume wine made by your own feet, but the process has been used for generations in Italy. Staff member Zach Nowak led the group in the process of making wine and each student who participated in the wine making course will have a bottle of wine to take back to the United States.

In photo: Chelsea Allworden (University of Minnesota) and Meredith Taylor (Elon University) take part in stomping grapes into wine.

Last Friday, Umbra students accompanied by Art History Professor Dr. Adrian Hoch took a tour of the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. Palazzo Farnese was once the home of the Farnese family and has housed the French Embassy since 1874. Professor Hoch described the wealth and vision of the noble Italian family and their architects, which included Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and Michelangelo.

The imposing building has virtually never been opened to the public, so Umbra students were able to be part of a very special moment in “art history”. The exhibition includes 150 masterpieces from Naples and France on display in the beautiful halls of the upper floor, but the highlight of the visit was a chance to view the breathtaking “Loves of the Gods” fresco cycle by Annibale Caracci in the West Wing of the palace. The exhibit runs through April 27th.

Using a bit of wit, a dash of humor, and their mastery of the Italian language, the Italian 310 students solved their very own game of Clue. Barbara, Umbra Institute’s Italian 310 professoressa, cleverly created roles, scripts, and a ‘theft’ to be acted out over a birthday dinner for two of her students.

As the captain of the imaginary cruise ship, Barbara laid out the plot for the interactive game to begin. All her students collaborated to disentangle the web of clues leading to culprit who ‘stole’ the missing gold ring. Even the food that was prepared for the potluck was skillfully incorporated into the plot! Luckily, the ring was recovered in a slice of birthday cake. Case closed.

Well, not quite, but it sure feels like it! With about a week of nearly 60 degree weather behind us and more to come, spring is in the air at the Umbra Institute! The students are beginning to get a taste of what the outdoors life is like in Italy: the main point of congregation is Piazza IV Novembre (Google Maps link) and its scalette (steps), which dominate the city in the summer.

Since they are bathed in Mediterranean sun for the vast majority of the day, the new midday pastime is getting an olive oil-drizzled panino (with prosciutto, salame, or other local treats), taking a seat, and chatting with your neighbors – be they American or Italian. Every year, students list the steps as one of their favorite aspects of Perugia, and for good reason. The concept of a main piazza as a central meeting point is a huge part of the Italian lifestyle, so Umbra students are truly beginning to experience la bella vita.

Last Thursday, during a wine tasting in a local Perugian enoteca, Umbra students transformed into knowledgeable wine connoisseurs. The art of vino came alive thanks to the expert, Sylvia, and the helpful enoteca owner and staff. They explained everything from reading labels, to pairing foods with a wine’s acidity, to using the senses to examine and, of course, enjoy a quality bottle of wine.

Students sampled three types of wine to judge for themselves whether they found hints of green apple and almond here or honey and blackberry there. Students also learned how weather, use of machinery, and location, location, location impact what goes into the bottles we find at the store. The evening’s lesson will serve Umbra students well when sharing the Italian experience with family and friends.