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Elisa Ascione, Coordinator of the Food Studies Program, has co-authored the chapter “Eurochocolate: an instrument of valorization for Perugia and its territory,” published by Routledge in 2014 in the book Food and Wine events in Europe: a Stakeholder Approach. The chapter contributes to the study of events through an analysis of Eurochocolate, a ten day international chocolate exhibition that has been held annually in October in Perugia since 1994. In this paper the authors use stakeholder theory and network approach to examine the relationships among different actors at the event, and to explore how the event has revitalized the city as the European Capital of Chocolate. The model presented is based on the role of the degree of engagement of the participants and the relationships among stakeholders within and outside the event. This paper shows that this successful chocolate event is defined by an ongoing process of negotiation among different groups with similar and divergent interests.
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What do you think of when you hear the word ‘research’?
Slogging through countless yellowing textbooks, skimming article after article through online databases, tossing cup after empty cup of coffee into the library trash can? For the students in PYIR 450: Community-Based Research in Psychology , research is an entirely different matter: it involves immersing themselves in Perugia’s bustling social sphere to interact with local Italians. For the past two class periods, small groups of brave students and their intrepid leader, Professor John Dennis, have been surveying an assortment of Perugians they happen upon while out in the city. The surveys conducted are meant to prepare them for their own research projects, which they will work on in the last weeks of the semester.
The students were equipped with an iPad and iPhone loaded with software used to record and analyze survey responses; they will use the same tech devices and software to conduct their own research. The class is focused on the theme of “Self vs. Other,” and four groups of students will be researching concepts of ownership, culture, morality, and goals. The class will present their findings during the Umbra Special Academic Events: Community Engagement Presentations on December 10th.
Rome, la città eterna, or The Eternal City is home to a vast collection of some of the most significant artifacts in the history of humankind. On November 1st, ten students in the ARAA 220 Archaeological Discoveries: A Passion for Classical Antiquity class had the chance to experience first-hand the ancient treasures that give Rome its world-renown reputation.
Led by Professor Giampiero Bevagna, this course focuses on analyzing and interpreting ancient artifacts from Greek and Roman civilizations, in conjunction with studying the discipline of archaeology. The students participated in an overnight excursion to Rome, visiting the Capitoline and Villa Giulia museums on Friday and the Vatican Museums on Saturday. Rome and its countless treasures are only a short train ride from Perugia, which offers students an unprecedented glimpse into the past.
“This is why coming to Italy is different from studying in the United States,” Prof. Bevagna elaborates. “You can see history, art, and culture in person and having that experience creates a much more powerful connection to what is studied in class.”
One of the trip’s highlights was the Etruscan section of the famous Vatican Museums, which holds some of the finest known examples of Roman art.
Prof. Bevagna challenged the students to not only look at the artifacts in the museums, but to also critique their display: to question whether or not they are showcased effectively; compare how all three museums present their collections; and study the history of why they were built. After two days of museum-hopping, the students were free to explore Rome on their own for the rest of Saturday afternoon before heading back to Perugia.
This week the Umbra Institute will be celebrating International Education Week. Started in 2000 as a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchanges worldwide. This annual event aims to promote international understanding, increase support and awareness of programs designed to prepare individuals to live and work in a global community.
For us, this means celebrating 14 years of providing university students the opportunity to live and learn in Perugia. Since opening our doors in 1999, we have welcomed over 5,500 students, from over 100 universities throughout the United States. These students have completed rigorous academics, all while taking part in events that tied them to the local community and Italian culture. Bridging communications barriers, building lasting relationships, personal growth and learning; all qualities that characterize the Umbra experience and make international education worth celebrating.
Today, International Education Week is celebrated in over 100 countries worldwide. This year Umbra will be offering various activities to bring the university community together to celebrate.
Tuesday, November 12th – 7:30pm – La Botte
Pizza Night
Wednesday, November 13th – 7pm – Umbra I, Aula 1
Italian film showing of Notte Prima degli Esami, followed by discussion of the Italian Education system, led by Umbra’s UniPG students.
Thursday, November 14th – 3:15pm – Umbra I, Library
Milk and Cookie Snack Break
Fall break: a time for Umbra students to take a much needed breather from the rigors of academia. While many students set off to various corners of Europe to explore the unknown, see the sites and meet friends, Santa Clara University student, Anthony Balistreri, headed south. South to Sicily to explore the island of his ancestors.
His heritage was one of the main factors in his decision to study abroad in Italy. “I always dreamed of coming here and seeing what this part of the world is like,” he commented. “As a second generation Italian-American, I wanted to see how I fit into the culture, how much of it I already was familiar with and how much was completely different.”
Anthony’s aunt, who relocated to Sicily in the late 80’s to start her family, graciously opened her home in the fishing town of Aspra, allowing for a taste of Sicilian life. He found life there to be slow paced and enjoyed meeting numerous extended family members, fishing for poupu (Sicilian for octopus), and sampling a wealth of Sicilian culinary delights.
A fairly new language learner, Anthony surprised himself by his understanding of the Italian language. “I had full conversations with friends and family in Italian, which until a year and a half ago, was only a dream I could say I wanted to accomplish. Now, that dream is becoming a reality.”
One of his trip highlights was an impromptu trip to Mazara, the city where his great grandparents were born. The night before his daytrip, Anthony spoke with his grandmother to tell her about his plan. “I was thousands of miles away from her and yet I could see her smiling through the telephone. She told me that she had never seen photos of the city and asked if it was possible if I could find the church where her parents were married.”
“I would have paid 50 Euro for that train ride. The morning was clear and beautiful, the southern part of the island filled with rolling hills of farms and quaint coastal towns. I arrived in Mazara and headed in the direction of the duomo, the tallest thing I could see. Thus began my four hours of walking the streets, camera in hand, taking a photo of everything I could, especially every church I could see.”
“Now I can say I have been where I come from. I can say I have walked in the footsteps of my ancestors. It’s an awesome feeling,” said Anthony.
To read more about Anthony’s Fall Break experience with his family, you can visit his blog here.
Randal Sartor, a rising senior at Northeastern University in Boston, has returned after his Spring 2013 semester at Umbra to complete a four-month Co-Op (Cooperative Education Opportunity) with La Nazione, a national Italian online and print newspaper. As part of the Co-Op program, Randal studied at the University for Foreigners this summer, brushing up on his Italian language skills in preparation for the Italian workplace. Now, Monday through Friday, he can be found at La Nazione’s local office in the heart of Perugia’s city center.
Randal already has a variety of exciting projects underway. He has begun translating articles from Italian into English, building their online article collection, to reach more international readers. Other projects include conducting interviews with locals and visitors about the happenings in and around Perugia and promoting the newspaper to communities of Umbrians abroad, including in the United States.
When asked why he chose a Co-Op at La Nazione and what he hopes to gain from the experience, Randal responded “This is my first work experience in a professional setting with deadlines and a real sense of responsibility to the city and the nation. I’m learning more and more about the newspaper’s relationship with the people and how best to communicate happenings to the public since we’re usually the first to hear about them.”
Students choose the Co-Op opportunity for a variety of reasons, some to explore career options, others to try out new skills. As a philosophy major, journalism and communications were fields he never studied but was always curious about. Less than a month in, Randal has already captured the essence of a true journalist in the making, “It’s about the creative process. This Co-Op has a lot of interaction with the people of Italy. I want to speak with as many [people] and listen to as many stories and perspectives as I can.”
For more information about Co-Op opportunities, check out the Umbra page: https://www.umbra.org/community-engagement-abroad/co-ops/
The Umbra Institute has seen many firsts this semester in terms of volunteer opportunities; a new partnership with Go Global: American School of English is no exception. This week three students started volunteering as classroom helpers, and will continue until the end of fall semester.
Go Global is an English language school located near Perugia. It was started last year by Marc Di Martino, a Boston native and long-time resident of Italy. Go Global offers a cultural approach to linguistic education, for anyone from kids to adults. The students will be volunteering as teaching assistants and classroom helpers in English classes for adults and children. Class sizes are small, ranging from 3-7 people. The Umbra Institute is excited at this new opportunity that gives the students a chance to interact with the local community, meet new Italians, and share the experience of learning a language.
Last week, students enrolled in Umbra’s Food Studies Program stepped into the shoes of a pizzaiolo as they tried their hand at pizza making at local pizzeria, Pizza e Musica.
To provide a backdrop to their experience, Prof. Elisa Ascione treated students to a brief history of pizza and its cultural significance. Many were surprised to learn that while pizza is known as an Italian delicacy, it is not actually Italian in origins. What started as a form of flatbread to provide sustenance to our Neolithic ancestors has since evolved to the leavened delight we enjoy today. Pizza’s rise to fame within Italy came in 1889 when Raffaele Esposito, a pizzaiolo in Naples, was invited to make pizzas for the Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. According to legend, the queen so loved his creation of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil – coincidentally the colors of the Italian flag – that he named the pizza Margherita in her honor. Whether fact or fiction used to unify the newly unified nation-state, pizza has become an integral part of Italy’s national identity.
Watching the skilled hands of Pizza e Musica’s pizzaiolo, Gerry, students were shown how to spread the dough, spiral the perfect amount of sauce, and top it off with fresh toppings and a drizzle of olive oil. Using the pala, or pizza shovel, Gerry seamlessly lifted the pizza from the marble countertop and placed it in the waiting wood-fired oven.
While Gerry’s skills are quite refined, Umbra’s students gave him a run for his money, each donning an apron and taking a turn at his craft. Final results varied from the classic margherita to prosciutto, mushrooms and fresh arugula, but all were delicious and served as a wonderful, well-earned meal!
Umbra’s Food Studies Program’s goal is to encourage students to think about food and ask basic questions about what we eat; where it comes from; is it important if it is local or organic; and the significance of labels, fundamental questions to life in a globalized world.
In the heart of Città di Castello, a small city located in northern Umbria, a variety of vendors gathered for Altrocioccolato to celebrate a culinary favorite: chocolate!
Amidst this diverse crowd of educators, patrons, and organizations, a group of four Umbra students got their hands deliciously dirty by volunteering at the festival.
Altrocioccolato is an annual festival that brings together Italian-based and international fair trade organizations, specializing in the education, promotion, and sale of fair trade chocolate. This year the festival ran from October 18th-October 20th. However, Altrocioccolato goes beyond just chocolate; vendors of various fair-trade products set up booths and informational sessions, entertainers staged live music and performances, and local vendors sold hand-crafted goods.
The students spent Friday assisting staff of the fair-trade store Altromercato at their stall. They kept stock, helped customers, handed out samples, and talked to the other vendors about their fair trade products and efforts. The students volunteered as part of the
INIT 350: Fair Trade Academic Internship & Seminar- Fair Trade, headed by Professor Giordana Pulcini. They prepared for volunteering by assisting with store operations and customer service in the fair trade store Monimbò. Afterward, they helped the festival coordinator prepare Altrocioccolato marketing materials in English in order to expand the outreach of the festival.
The internship with Monimbò and Altrocioccolato is designed to give students hands on experience in the world of fair trade. Prof. Pulcini explained that “It’s not really possible to understand what fair trade is without having a first-hand experience and without meeting people who are involved in fair trade projects and activities.” After a long, rewarding day, the students returned to Perugia with a better understanding of fair trade and the faces behind it, leaving a sweet taste in their mouths.
Earlier this month, students from Umbra’s HSIT350: History and Culture of Food in Italy found themselves picking their way carefully over uneven, muddy ground in the search of an Italian delicacy, il tartufo, the truffle!
This truffle hunting experience was led by Matteo Bartolini and his dog, Sole, at Agriturismo Ca’ Solare in nearby Cittὰ di Castello. Bartolini, a truffle hunter, farmer and president of the European Council of Young Farmers, provides students at his award– winning truffle school, with a basic understanding of how, when and why truffles grow.
“We think of truffles as an elite food item,” said Bartolini, “but it was the hungry farmer who first tried the food on his pasta centuries ago.”
Bartolini explained that truffles are actually an underground mushroom composed of two parts: the fruiting body and the invisible root system. There are multiple varieties, each emitting its own unique odor upon maturation. This odor attracts animals to the food source, ensuring release of their spores upon consumption. While traditionally small pigs were used for hunting truffles, dogs are now used as they are less destructive to the ground and are less likely to eat the mushroom. On his twelve acres of land, truffle hunters can find five varieties, Trifula (white), Nero Dolce (the prized black truffle), black summer, March white and black winter truffles, allowing for hunting almost every month of the year.
Following this lesson, students went truffle hunting alongside Bartolini and his dog, Sole. With man and dog leading the way, students were treated to more insights of the truffle business as they waited patiently for Sole to catch the scent of ripe truffles buried underground. Their patience was rewarded multiple times, as he dashed ahead of the group, sniffing fanatically to identify its exact location. Matteo used a medieval looking instrument then to complete Sole’s digging, unearthing the textured, distinct smelling mushrooms.
This field trip reinforces themes from class and encourages students to consider foods’ origin, in conjunction with sustainable and traditional food practices.
“In class we have learned a lot about the pride Italians have in their food,” commented University of Wisconsin-Madison student Joe Orner. “Since Italy is a large producer of truffles, due to climate and environment, it is not hard to see why, especially after truffle hunting and getting to experience it first-hand.”
At the end of this long day of learning and hunting, students sat down to enjoy the fruits of their labor with a delicious multi-course meal, starring none other than the truffle.
This course fulfills the Umbra Food Studies Program’s goal of encouraging students to think about food and ask basic questions about what we eat; where it comes from; is it important if it is local or organic; and the significance of labels, fundamental questions to life in a globalized world.