News and Blog

Over sixty Umbra Institute students, both those taking the Italy of the Imagination creative writing class and their friends, were on hand last night for the ninth reading of the Umbra Institute’s Literary Anthology. The theme this semester was “Che sorpresa!” — “What a surprise!”, which was well-conveyed by the cover’s whimsical cat. Students read their works about culture clashes and a reluctance to go “back home,” and by the time everyone had had a chance to read, the reality that the end of the semester is fast approaching seemed to have set in for everyone present.

The annual creative writing reading is the first in a week of Special Academic Events at the Umbra Institute before finals begin. Umbra’s art students are currently busy arranging their works for tonight’s art show — pictures tomorrow!

Many Umbra students come from Italian heritage and few take advantage of this during their time in Italy by calling up long lost relatives for a reunion. Many times, Umbra students have never even met them before. Chris Barrella from Penn State University had one such experience when he called his family had not seen since World War II.

Over a weekend in late February, I made the 4.5 hour train ride from Perugia to Pescara, a big fishing town on the Adriatic Coast east of Rome. I certainly was not going to lie out on the great beaches there and catch some sun, but rather to make contact with some distant relatives that had not spoken with the American side of the family since World War II.

The exact relation between myself and my family living in Pescara is a little distant but family nonetheless. My cousin picked my up at the train station in Pescara on a Friday evening, and when I say cousin, I mean my dad’s mother’s cousin. My great uncle had visited the family when he was stationed in Italy during World War II but I was the first to go back since then. I spoke some Italian, enough to hold a basic conversation, and my cousin spoke a little English but when more cousins and sisters and brothers started arriving, I retired to the couch and just listened.

On Saturday, we had a feast only rivaled by the Food Cultures trip to Dario Cecchini’s restaurant with endless plates of salad, bruschetta and meats. After a short walk around town and down to the beach, we returned home for another superbly prepeared dinner just a few hours after the banquet for lunch. When it was finally time to leave on Sunday, I had met approximately 12 family members, 1 dog and had eaten more food that I see in an average week. Needless to say, I can’t wait to go back.

This past Tuesday, April 14^th, a group of Umbra students, professors, and staff came together to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday. We made a special exception to the no-food-in-the-library rule, and everyone brought a dish to share for the potluck-style meal. Even here in Perugia, Professors Judy and Michael Chiariello were able to find several foods for the traditional Seder plate, pictured here. 
Participants each read or sang a part of the traditional Seder service, both in English and Hebrew, and shared the four questions asking why the Passover night is different from all other nights. Thanks to all who joined us for this special meal!

The Telegraph (UK News Company) in their weekly travel article “One-minute wonder” this week featured Italy’s Piano Grande. The Piano Grande is located about 80 miles from Perugia. This small and highly unknown corner on the eastern edge of Umbria is rarely explored by tourists. The Piano Grande is a vast, upland plain, situated above 4,000ft, ringed by the Sibillini Mountains. Perched in the middle of this ‘Great Plane’ is the quaint village of Castelluccio. In late May and early June it is renowned for its extraordinary floral displays: swathes of wild crocuses one week, narcissi the next, grape hyacinth, wild tulips, poppies, thousands of orchids and rarities such as snakes’ head fritillaries, among many others.

Also located within The National Park of the Sibylline Mountains and not far from the Piano Grande are; Monte Vettore with an altitude of over 7,400ft, marking it the highest peak in the region, and the hiker’s dream destination, the laghi di Pilato (Pilate’s lakes). The entire area is riddled with ancient myth and legend, among them, that in the park’s highest peaks, dwelt the prophesying Sibyll, and also where the biblical Pontius Pilate was cast into the lake along the slopes of Mt. Vettore to his final resting place. The lakes are also home to a small red crustacean (Chirocephalus Marchesonii), endemic only to these bodies of water giving the lake’s shallows an orange hue. Reaching the national park may take some careful planning because most public means of transportation simply don’t go there, however, with such a high concentration of natural wonders this trip definitely merits the effort.

Sunday night’s earthquake in central Italy was big news in the United States. Scenes of churches without their ceilings and people being dragged out from under the rubble likely scared relatives of Umbra students. Though there were deaths near the quake’s epicenter, more were prevented by Italy’s highly organized Protezione Civile, a kind of non-military civil guard. 

The Protezione Civile is a shining example of good planning in an otherwise somewhat chaotic country. The PC by nightfall of the day after the tremors had already set up forty thousand beds in enormous tents and provided meals for as many people in portable mess halls. The corps, made up of paid volunteers, numbers almost a million people, and all are extraordinarily well-trained. We salute these volunteers!

This weekend Perugia hosted the Internation Journalism Festival. Among many of the guests was the American team of Vanguard Journalists from Current US. The “Super-hero team” as they were called by one of the audience members during question time, included Kaj Larsen, Christof Putzel, Mariana Van Zeller and Adam Yamaguchi.

Along with the four members, Laura Ling, colleague journalist and Vice President of Current TV’s Vanguard Journalism unit was scheduled to appear at the conference; however, while filming near the North Korea-China border Ling was arrested and remains captive in a North Korean prison. Negotiations with the North Korean government are under way to secure her release. The journalist, together with a cameraman and a guide, were headed to the town of Yanji where they planned to interview women forced into prostitution, according to sources.

Vanguard is the groundbreaking original journalism series of Current US. The network’s journalism division is dedicated to covering global issues that are relevant to young adult audiences. Unlike traditional news outlets, Vanguard is specifically aimed at younger viewers who seek a more in-depth, personal experience investigating the key issues of our times. For information on Vanguard Journalism check out the link!

Tandem met last night at Birraio making it the third to last tandem for the spring semester. The students have passed the halfway mark and in most of them it’s easy to see the maturity they’ve acquired being here in Italy. Whereas before Tandem coordinators Rachel Bethany and Paul Schiller had to provide a theme for the American and Italian students to talk about, now the conversation just “happens”… which is exactly what the program is supposed to do. Conversation is of course easier with some stuzzichini (finger foods and snacks often eaten with an aperitivo) and some sangria to loosen up the tongue muscles for italiano. Tandem will be back next week, same time, same place!

Congrats to Chase Doelling from the University of Colorado-Boulder for his winning photo taken in Brugges, Belgium. Chase will enjoy a free meal from Quattro Passi Pizzeria!

Auguri Chase!

Last weekend a group of Umbra students went on an overnight field trip to Florence for their Survey of Italian Renaissance and Mannerist Art class. Professor Adrian Hoch led students on an extensive tour highlighting the city’s main museums and churches. Florence is known as the Renaissance Art capital of the world and this time Umbra students spared no stops. The trip included Santa Maria Novella, the Ufizzi Gallery, Santissima Annunziata, the Brancacci Chapel, Santo Spirito, the Bargello Museum, the Galleria del Accademia, San Marco, the Loggia del Lanzi, and Santa Croce. Of course everyone also had time for a sampling of Florence’s “edible art,” gelato – what’s your favorite flavor?

Yesterday was the second edition of the Umbra Institute’s Pizza Workshop. Staff member Zach Nowak led fourteen students through Perugia’s back alleys to the little neighborhood pizzeria, Pizza e Musica. The first part of the night was what Nowak himself defined as the “nerdy part”: he described the history of pizza, especially how it took off in the States after returning soldiers brought back the hunger for a Margherita. Then master pizzaiolo Felice showed the students how to actually make pizza, extending the doughball on the marble counter and pulling it out to a nice flat disc before popping it in the oven. And after the lesson to eat! All the participants had a Neapolitan pizza, dessert, and…caffè!