Month: June 2014

The sun was shining this Friday on the picturesque village of Panzano-in-Chianti, as four Umbra classes, SOIT 361: Not Just a Meal, FSIT 340 Mangiamo, HLNT 321: Italy and the Mediterranean Diet, and STFS 330: Sustainability, led by Professors Elisa Ascione and Zach Nowak, enjoyed a stroll through the countryside, a visit to Dario Cecchini’s butcher shop, and an astonishing seven-course meal!

The day began with a hike through Chianti’s world-famous vineyards, throughout which Professors Ascione and Nowak expounded on the region’s history and its people.

After working up quite the appetite, the class returned to the smell of red wine, and tastes of appetizers with  olive oil and fresh bread of Macelleria Cecchini where they were met by the inimitable Dario Cecchini himself. An eighth-generation butcher, Dario’s family has had its shop in the same building for over 200 years.

Recently, Dario has taken it upon himself to bring more sustainable practices to his butcher shop, such as raising his cows in their natural habitat in Spain and serving his customers all cuts of meat – not just the “choice” ones.

The whole group experienced this practice in action as they dug into a meal Cecchini calls “La Vacca Interna” – “The Whole Cow” a seven-course carnivorous extravaganza featuring 7 cuts of meat prepared in different ways and finished with cake, coffee and a question from Dario: “to beef or not to beef?” or “to study abroad or not to study abroad?”

Dolls have provided comfort and companionship to generations of children the world over. And now, with the help of Il Progetto Pigotta, or “Rag Doll Project,” they can even save lives.

Founded in Lombardy, Italy, in 1988 by Boston native and UNICEF volunteer Jo Garceau, Progetto Pigotta volunteers sew and then put up for “adoption” hand-made rag dolls, the profit from which provides a full range of vaccinations for mothers and children in developing countries.

The Umbra Institute has collaborated with the local UNICEF chapter for several years, but this summer’s UNICEF Pigotta Workshop was little different: a group of students from ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan had the chance to make their own pigotte, or Raggedy Ann dolls. The students spent five weeks at the Umbra Institute to learn Italian language and culture; participating in Progetto Pigotta let the students work closely with the Italian UNICEF volunteers, many of whom are retired school teachers.

Each doll is sold for 20 euros, which provides a vaccine pack to both a mother and child in a developing country. The array of dolls students produced was astounding, from a bride to the Terminator to a princess and one wearing traditional Azerbaijani dress.

But the students dedicated even more than their time: each purchased his or her own doll, which they will then donate to an orphanage in Azerbaijan. All in all, the efforts of the students and UNICEF coordinators raised 300 euro towards medical care for those unable to afford it.

Umbra would like to extend a huge grazie to our Azerbaijani contingent, as well as the lovely volunteers at our local UNICEF chapter.