Tutti e molta bene qui a Firenze! Our third week of classes is winding down as is our fourth week, that makes a month! My goal coming here was to tell myself to drink in everything that Florence has to offer. During the summer, I studied Renaissance art history so I would better appreciate what I saw here. Those moments of recognition have been incredible. But what was not written in those books was the richness that completely surrounds you. It strikes me every day (even we got immensely lost our first two weeks here!) in what history we live. For example, we learned through our art history reading this week that Brunelleschi designed the Piazza Annuziata that lies 1000ft outside our door! And our street is named after Gino Capponni, whose memorial alter I saw in the Santa Croce.
Florence is saturated. What a gift to be able to come through a wonderful art program to study in the densest area, quite possibly, in the entire world. My favorite moments here (besides speaking Italian with Florentines) are when we venture out at night to the Piazzas to sketch. What captures me these past weeks were the textures of the city and, of course, the human form through sculpture.
We are protected from the wind by Arnolfo di Cambio, sitting next to Giambologna's thoughts carved in stone, attending lezioni in a pallazzo designed by Alberti in the 15th century. Our teachers provide us with feet-propelled classes guiding us to living history and revolution. Looking below and above, I think of whose historic shoes also touched these streets that our Nikes are touching now. I haven't yearned for home, but what does leave me sad is the thought that I will not be able to comprehend all that lies before us. Even now, I find myself caught up in this thought. But I firmly believe our teachers are providing a prolific depth of knowledge to us; we then can adeptly venture on our own. Our life here is completely consuming. To have such depth of passion gushing from every crevice of cobblestone and curve of sculpture wakes you with such vigor in the morning living goes beyond living.
What more can you ask for in life?
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