This is the student zone – here they write about their experiences during the program in Volterra – and their travels, while at the program
This semester, we have truly been eating better than ever before. Tuscany is known for its hearty plates, rich flavors, and simple ingredients prepared with care, and we have been lucky enough to experience that every single day. Our meal plan is hosted at Le Cantine del Palazzo Viti, owned and operated by Chef Massimo and Chief Karla, along with...
Alabaster is a long-standing traditional art form native to the Tuscan region, and it is especially rooted in Volterra. Each year, we as students get the opportunity to work with this medium and contribute to the continuation of this historic craft. Although alabaster carving is considered a dying art form, it is still celebrated for its sheer-like quality and versatility....
On another day trip to Florence, the group decided to take a break on endless walking and lean further into the culture by enrolling in an authentic Tuscan cooking class. A chance to rejuvenate our energy to explore the city even more! The class was hosted by De’Bardi Ristorante, located on the south side of the Arno River, just to...
Now that the initial chaos has settled, our group is officially starting to feel at home in Volterra with classes officially underway. The schedule is well balanced, leaving us time to explore the city while also learning about its history, culture, and architecture. It’s a kind of structure that makes every walk feel like part of the lesson. Our very...
And so it begins: the first winter study abroad group officially landing in Volterra. After arriving on January 10th, we settled into the building after running only on fumes, craving sleep, and slowly realizing that we actually made it. Matt and Abbey arrived in Florence on the afternoon of January 9th after a long journey from Toronto to Frankfurt to...
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...
We’ve been working really hard all semester on completing our alabaster sculptures. We learned how to use various tools to sculpt our creations, and as promised in a previous post, here are our final sculptures. First, we want to showcase some work-in-progress photos. And now, our final masterpieces. A big thank you to our Alabaster teachers, Jacopo and Cristiano, for...
It’s vacation time! As part of the study abroad experience, we can’t JUST study, we need some time to enjoy being abroad too! We all had a few days off from classes to go and explore. I’m here to share about everyone’s trip and where they went. Finley and Julia headed off to France (Nice) and Monaco. Daria and Karla...
They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this trip proved that saying true in every way. Day three started with the Roman Forum, which turned out to be one of the trip highlights. Wladek guided us through the ruins, telling stories that brought everything to life. The Forum was the center of ancient Roman public life, basically their...
After weeks of lectures, slideshows, and readings, we finally made it to Rome, and it was nothing like what we imagined. Everything we had learned in class suddenly felt real the moment we stepped off the bus and walked into our first church. On June 13, our first stop was Chiesa del Gesù, followed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, and...