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...
Our time in Volterra has been filled with hands-on learning, local traditions, and creative challenges that have pushed us as students and designers. Through our studio work, alabaster sculpting, and Italian language and culture classes, we’ve had the chance to connect deeply with the historical city of Volterra, its materials, its people, and its rhythms of everyday life. Here’s a...
On Thursday, May 29th, the SACD study abroad group took a trip to Florence. Our first stop of the day was the Hospital of Innocence, which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. This was one of the first buildings of the Italian Renaissance to incorporate classical architectural principles such as symmetry, proportion, and the use of columns and rounded arches. However,...
It’s hard to believe how quickly the weeks are flying by here in Volterra. Between class projects and day trips, we’ve been soaking in as much as we can. Siena was an amazing experience, and seeing these historic spaces in person reminded us why we’re passionate about architecture in the first place. I have to say, Siena’s Cathedral of Santa...
Hey, Mr. Pisano! I think your tower is leaning! On May 16, our first class field trip of the program took us to Pisa, and it turned out to be a day full of surprises. For this trip, we didn’t just admire the tower from a textbook; we actually got to explore the entire architectural complex up close. This was...
On May 3rd, 2025, after a long journey, all of us SACD students finally arrived in Volterra! Located in the Tuscany region of Italy, Volterra (originally known as Velathri to the Etruscans) is a small walled hilltop town that dates back to before the 8th century BC. Staying in Volterra while learning about how it evolved over time has already...
As part of the curriculum of the Volterra-Detroit Study abroad program, students spent every Thursday sketching throughout the city. This class gave students the opportunity to explore the city and pay attention to the architectural details of Volterra. Each class focused on a different aspect of the city and a different detail in architecture. After each class, students were given...