News and Blog

1. Big backpack or duffel bag

A backpack or duffel bag means much easier traveling. It’s hard to drag skimpy little suitcase wheels over cobblestone, and they can easily get destroyed as a result, so bring a backpack! You’d be surprised how much you can fit in one.

 

2. Beach towel

Maybe you decide to go to Lake Trasimeno one day, or maybe you’re lounging by sea in Barcelona. Either way, you’re going to want something to lounge on.

 

3. Ibuprofen

Whether you got burned at the beach or have a headache, you may need to use ibuprofen at some point in your time here. It’s super expensive here, and they don’t have jumbo-size bottles like they do in the US.

 

4. Euros

It’s always a good idea to have some euros on you when you arrive in Italy, as Italy is more cash-based than credit-card-based. Many US banks can exchange dollars for euros, and they can do so at much better rates than what you’ll find in the Rome airport.

 

5. Portable charger

Lots of walking equals lots of time not near an outlet. You can easily keep a small charger in a pocket or purse.

 

6. Attire appropriate for churches

I made the mistake of wearing shorts to the St. Francis Basilica in Assisi, and the monks then made me use a makeshift cover before I could enter. You’ll definitely want to look inside the beautiful churches while you’re here, but know that the dress codes are strictly enforced. To avoid my fate, throw in a long-sleeved shirt or cardigan and a pair of jeans.

 

7. Bonus tip for girls: pack wedges, not stiletto heels. Perugia is hilly, and the cobblestones will do damage to stilettos. Many sites will tell you not to pack heels at all, but wedges or thick heels are a good compromise, as they won’t hurt your feet as much and or get destroyed.

 

This past semester as one of her courses at the Umbra Institute, St. Mary’s College of Maryland student Sam Berenschot-Bucciero has been taking jazz singing lessons at a local music school. Having studied classical singing, jazz was fun for her because “it was very different, with less structure,” she said. Perugia is a huge jazz center in Italy, which hosts performances year-round and the Umbria Jazz Festival in mid-July.

Last Wednesday at the Bottega del Vino, Sam got to show off what she had been learning throughout the semester, singing five classic jazz songs including “My Baby Just Cares for Me”, “Summertime”, and “Why Don’t You Do Right”.

“I was nervous, but I was so overwhelmed by how lovely and supportive everyone was,” she said. “It was really nice to see the whole Umbra community there—it was such a good experience to have everyone there.”

To learn more about studying music at the Umbra Institute, click here.

Throughout the semester, 12 Umbra students have been making Pigotta dolls at Perugia’s UNICEF headquarters, from putting the cotton in the cloth to designing and making the dolls’ clothes. Students committed two hours every Tuesday for five weeks to create their dolls and practice their Italian with the local Italian women heading the project.

At the last meeting, students put the finishing touches on their dolls and had a small party with the local volunteers. They also received certificates acknowledging their participation.

“When I was there [at the UNICEF office], I actually saw the videos and understood the capacity it has to make change in the world, and it was really rewarding,” said Clark University student Valerie Alexander. “To do that through making a doll and doing something that can make a difference in someone else’s life was really amazing.”

The Pigotta dolls will be on display on the second floor of the Umbra Institute through Wednesday, April 24. Students and faculty have the opportunity to adopt a doll for 20€, which provides a vaccination kit for a mother and child in need in developing countries.

The Pigotta Project was started in Milan in 1988 and continues to support UNICEF’s immunization program.

To learn more about Umbra’s volunteering opportunities, click here.

Last Thursday evening, Umbra students gathered around a table full of different Italian cheeses to learn more about their history and production for their HSIT 350: The History and Culture of Food in Italy class. Here’s what they learned:

1. The Italian word for cheese comes from the Latin word “forma”, meaning form…
2. … but the Italian word for cheese factory (caseificio) comes from the Latin word “caseus,” meaning cheese.
3. Caciotta is a typical Umbria cheese.
4. Some cheeses are labeled DOP, which means they can only be produced in certain areas of Italy.
5. Some cheeses (like gorgonzola) are meant to have mold in them that you eat.

As the workshop went on, Umbra professor Marco Bagli explained more about the cheeses as he passed them out for students to try. Starting with the Umbrian caciotta, the students then sampled mozzarella di bufala from Italy’s southern regions, ricotta, goat cheese, and different types of pecorino, cheese made from sheep’s milk. As the different cheese plates made their way around for seconds and thirds, Umbra students continued to eat and discuss which ones were their favorites.

To learn more about Umbra’s Food and Sustainability Studies Program, click here.

With the bust of Dante gazing at them, Umbra’s study abroad students put their right hand over their heart and their left in the air as they promised to speak only in Italian for two days, starting from the morning of Tuesday, March 20, to the evening of Wednesday, March 21.

This initiative, first introduced in March 2015, helps students immerse themselves even further in their language learning in Perugia. Students promise to speak Italian at home, at Umbra, and around Perugia, applying what they have learned in the classroom to settings outside the classroom.

“What I liked about the challenge was that I got to actually use my Italian because I live with three guys who are in 310, 210, and 101 Italian, so we don’t really speak Italian at home,” said Jonathan Cassidy of Arcadia University. “But  I had to converse with them in Italian, which made me have to really think in the language.”

The first night of the challenge, around fifteen students came to Umbra to watch the Italian comedy Benvenuti al Sud (Welcome to the South). SoloItaliano concluded with the fifth tandem of the semester on Wednesday, at which students cast their vote for who spoke the most Italian during the SoloItaliano Challenge. First place went to Jonathan Cassidy, second place to Gabriel Wiersma of Ithaca University, and third place to Sabrina Kelly of George Washington University, each receiving a prize from Umbra.

“It was nice because if I didn’t know a word, I would just have to think of a different way to describe it,” Kelly said. “My roommate and I would work together when one of us didn’t know something colloquial. It helped after talking a lot.”

Click here to learn more about the Umbra Institute’s Italian Language and Culture Initiatives.

The Umbra Institute is collaborating with local hotels for the summer 2018 Food Conference Perugia to provide ideal pricing for conference participants within close proximity to the Institute. 
Please contact [email protected] with any questions. 

Current discounts include: 

Hotel	Address	Discounts	Breakfast	Contact Information
Hotel Rosalba	Piazza del Circo, 7	Standard Double Room 64€ Economy Double Room 58€ Independent Apartment 58€	Included	+39 075.572.82.85 +39 370.333.3991 www.hotelrosalbaperugia.com [email protected] Skype: Hotel_Rosalba
Hotel Locanda della Posta	Corso Vannucci, 97	Standard Single Room 130€ Standard Double Room 160€ Junior Suite Single Room 145€ Junior Suite Double Room 195€	Included	+39 075.572.8925 www.locandadellaposta.it [email protected]
Hotel Morlacchi	Via L. Tiberi, 2	Single Room 42€ Superior Single Room 60€ Double Room 70€ Triple Room 90€ Quadruple Room 105€ Apartment (1 person 80€, 2 people 100€)	Included	+39 075.572.0319  [email protected]
Hotel La Rosetta	Via del Sette, 2	Single Room 80€ Superior Single Room 99€ Double Room 90€ Superior Double Room 109€	Included	+39 075.572.0841  [email protected]
Hotel Priori	Via Vermiglioli, 3	Single Room 39€ Superior Single Room 45€ Double Room 55€	Included	+39 075.572.5155 +39 075.572.3378 [email protected]
Albergo Anna	Via dei Priori, 48	Single Room 40€ Double Room 60€ Triple Room 70€	Included	+39 075.573.6304  [email protected]
Hotel Fortuna	Via Bonazzi, 19	Single Room 74€ Double Room 97€	Included	+39 075.572.2845 [email protected]
Hotel Signa	Via del Grillo, 9 (Corso Cavour)	Single Room ECONOMY 37€ Single Room STANDARD 42€ Single Room SUPERIOR 57€ Double Room STANDARD 57€ Double Room SUPERIOR 64€ Triple Room 69€ Quadruple Room STANDARD 79€ Quadruple SUPERIOR 98€	Not Included. Costs: 6.50€	+39 075.572.4180 [email protected]
Hotel Ilgo Perugia	Via Agostino di Duccio, 1	Double Room for One 48€ Double Room at 32€ per person Triple Room at 26€ per person	Included	+39 075.573.6641 www.hotelilgo.com [email protected]

At a presentation in Perugia earlier this week, Mayor Romizi announced that 2018 would be the year that fast trains (frecciarossa) make their way to Perugia! Starting in February, the trains will depart from Perugia every morning and stop in Florence, Bologna, Turin, and Milan; they will return each evening making day trips to the listed cities easier and faster than ever! Click here for more information about travel times. 

Incoming students should also know that Perugia’s airport has added new flights to places like Bucarest, Romania (WizzAir); Frankfurt, Germany (RyanAir); and Tirana, Albania (Alba Wings)! 

While life in Perugia has always allowed for easy trips to places like Spoleto, Assisi, Rome, and Florence (or flights to London and Brussels), the city is becoming ever-more international with its constant influx of students from around the globe. Spring 2018 students should mark their calendars for Umbra’s travel workshop on January 10 to learn more about how to get around Europe. 

 

An article by Dalton Provost

As the intent of the programs go, the study abroad experience presents students with a chance to immerse themselves in diverse cultures without forfeiting their academics. It is a time for personal growth and internationalization, but as many students may share, the scholastic elements tend to become less emphasized once overseas as they pursue travel and other opportunities. I, Dalton Provost, as a student at Umbra in the Fall of 2015 found myself considering how to manage school around travel and not the other way around. It was one course, however, that unexpectedly gave way to connections and experiences I had left unconsidered. The course, Community Based Research in Psychology, now known as The Science of Behavioral Change: A Community-Based Approach, led by Dr. John L. Dennis, provided myself and other students with opportunities to engage in local research projects designed to benefit the Perugian community. Engrained into the course was experiential learning – known as the flipped classroom – where lectures became collaborative meetings with student led discussions. Students formed data collection methods, used scientific readings to create materials, and in the end, those that performed highly were invited to continue the work, with the opportunity to become co-authors on the published product. I quickly became thoroughly engaged with the class, and eventually continued working with Dr. Dennis after my time abroad. Two years later, I returned to Perugia, this time dedicating my experience to my academic and career goals.

Upon returning, I published articles in peer-reviewed journals, attained a position as a freelance scientific manuscript editor, and was invited to speak at TEDxPerugia. I feel that without the connections I made at the Umbra Institute, an element of Study Abroad often overlooked, my academic, professional, and personal life would likely not be as promising as they have become.

It is easy to reduce the size of the world when you only see your future in your home country. We fail to consider how many opportunities and experiences are out there, found only when we embrace that they could be ours and forget that the world is only as large as norms suggest.

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Dalton Provost, a graduate student at George Washington University, studies Industrial Psychology and engages in research on a variety of topics, including team dynamics, character traits, and personality. In addition to this academic work, he is a freelance editor and reviewer for Melioravit, a Perugia-based company helping international scientists get funded, published, and discovered. He attended the Umbra Institute in the Fall of 2015, coming to us from Santa Clara University. 

There is an exciting opportunity to intern with Civitella Ranieri, a foundation founded in 1995 that hosts over 800 international artists, writers, and composers during the summer months in their 15th century castle in the Umbrian countryside. The magical backdrop and peaceful setting help to inspire the artistic Fellows and Director’s Guests to create and share new works.

They are looking for interns for a minimum of six weeks between May and mid-November. Please see their Call for Interns for more information about responsibilities, requirements, and compensation.
 
Past Umbra students have had rewarding, life-changing internship experiences with the Civitella Ranieri Foundation. One former Umbra intern went on to work at their New York office and another applied for a Fulbright Scholarship based on her time helping the foundation. For questions or to send in applications, please contact Diego Mencaroni, Program Coordinator, at [email protected]. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2017.