Every End Is a New Beginning: Goodbye Volterra
It’s crazy how fast these 11 weeks have flown by, and we’re officially done with the semester. I think I can say this for everyone, but this trip has helped us grow so much as both students and designers. Here are some highlights from our final week in Volterra, along with photos that we didn’t get a chance to share in previous posts
Jumping back in time, on June 3rd, we all celebrated Finley’s twenty-second birthday here in Volterra!
On June 4th, we all visited the Pinacoteca Art Gallery in Volterra! We had the chance to see paintings by artists like Rosso Fiorentino, including his famous Deposition, along with other interesting works from the area.
On June 5th, we celebrated our last Urban Sketching class by drawing Volterra’s landscape. It was such a relaxing and peaceful way to end the course!
A few of us decided to head out to Cecina for one last beach day, where the girls decided to get matching (temporary) tattoos.
For our last Italian Language and Culture course, we visited the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Baptistery of San Giovanni. And of course, we had to get a group photo at Piazzetta dei Fornelli. After that, we headed to the Santa Maria Maddalena Exhibition Center to see some amazing art and sculpture work.
Right before our time in Volterra came to an end, the city hosted a huge festival called La Notte Bianca. This event is part of a tradition celebrated in many Italian towns, where museums, shops, galleries, and historical sites stay open late into the night, and the city transforms into a stage for art, music, food, and performances. To celebrate the occasion, our group dressed in all white and headed out into town!
We also celebrated the end of the semester with a final exhibition to showcase all of our work from the second half of the semester. The event was open to everyone; residents, tourists, and even the mayor came to visit! The goal for our studio project was to redesign an existing public space that reflected the needs and character of Volterra, while encouraging community engagement. Everyone’s projects turned out wonderfully. It was a well-deserved celebration. A big thank you goes out to our studio professor for the second half of the semester, Virginia, for her guidance, support, and constant encouragement throughout the project
And finally, we ended the night with a family-style dinner. We all shared our favourite parts of the trip, talked, laughed, and said our goodbyes. A big thank you to Giulia, our Italian professor and the driving force behind the school, and to Marco, who was always there taking care of everything behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. We couldn’t have done it without either of them!
Dr. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Volterra has taught us more than any classroom ever could: about culture, connection, and the importance of seeing the world with open eyes. As our final week here comes to an end, we find ourselves walking down the sandstone streets with a deeper understanding, not just of the city, but of ourselves and one another. Though we may leave this place, the memories and lessons we’ve gathered will continue to shape our journeys ahead, far beyond these medieval walls.
Officially signing off as your documenter of this trip. Take care, and remember to validate your bus tickets.
Daria Facchinato