endicott spring 2015

SPRING 2015 Florence Italy

CULTURAL CULTURAL INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION TO ITALYTO ITALY Travel Travel diariesdiaries

F U A F l o r e n c e U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e A r t s & E n d i c o t t C o l l e g e

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A note from the staf f : A note from the staf f: Olimpia BozzaOlimpia Bozza

Each year it is a wonderful opportunity to travel with

the students and discover my own country through

their curious eyes. Each time, when we reach Tuscany

and I recognize its familiar landscapes, the hills, the

olive and cypress trees, I can not help but to feel at

home. Students stare at those unfamilar shapes for

the fi rst time with surprise, but for me it is a magic

moment to know that -in a matter of a few months-

they will too recognise those, once foreign, places

and forever call them their home.

Spring 2015 Spring 2015 Cultural Intro Cultural Intro Pre-Semester Pre-Semester

Field LearningField Learning

January 21January 21st st - January 28- January 28thth

SPRINGSPRING20152015

Betsy Albiani H o s p i t a l i t y M a n a g e m e n t

CAPRAROLA, VILLA LANTE AND BOMARZO.

ARCHITECTURE COMBINED WITH NATURE.

Traveling to Caprarola and Bagnaia after Rome really

showed me two different sides of Italy ranging from

a large crowded city to these gorgeous gardens and

villas. The shrubs and fl owers in the gardens were

all trimmed perfectly. After touring the gardens,

we walked inside and I was speechless. Every inch

of the walls and ceilings in each room were covered

with beautiful paintings. I couldn’t believe the

history behind all of it.

PERUGINA. THE BEDROCK OF ITALIAN

ECONOMY: FAMILY RUN BUSINESS.

I soon realized that Perugia was known for chocolate

after checking into our chocolate hotel. One of my

favorite stops during the week was defi nitely having

a tour at the chocolate factory. Being a chocolate

lover and someone who loves to cook, I enjoyed

learning about the different types of chocolate and

the process in making all of it.

A PERSONAL GROWTH EXPERIENCE THAT

I WILL FOREVER REMEMBER WAS...

Trying many new foods. I am defi nitely more willing

to try new things after this week.

SOMETHING THAT AFFIRMED MY

PERSPECTIVE ABOUT ITALY WAS...

How fresh all the fruits and vegetables are.

V I L L A F A R N E S E - C A P R A R O L A

G A R D E N S O F B O M A R Z O

endicottendicottCOLLEGECOLLEGE

Stacy CastelliH o t e l M a n a g e m e n t

ROME, 3000 YEARS OF ART AND HISTORY.

REFLECTIONS OF AN AMERICAN IN ROME.

I found myself continuously amazed by all of the

history and architecture throughout Rome.

When we fi rst arrived and took the train to get to

the hotel, I was a little nervous, as the city seemed

quite intimidating. Fortunately, once we started

our fi rst walking tour and arrived at the Colosseum,

I found myself indulged with excitement. From the

Colosseum to the Vatican, I fell in love with everything

we saw and learned.

MUVIT: THE MEANING OF WINE AND

FOOD IN ITALIAN CULTURE.

I loved learning about the food and wine culture of

Italy. I fi nd it very interesting how much it can differ

from region to region. Also, I gained a much greater

appreciation of wine after seeing how much time and

effort go into making even just one bottle. It is nice

to know how much people in Italy take pride in their

food and have many guidelines and rules when it

comes to the Italian cuisine.

MY NEW HOME FOR THE SEMESTER.

THE PREPARATORY TRAVEL WEEK HELPED

ME FEEL LIKE A FLORENTINE LOCAL BECAUSE…

I felt that the pre-semester fi eld learning week

helped me learn important tools and information

about Italy in general. By the time I arrived in

Florence I had already felt comfortable saying ciao,

grazie, buongiorno, and more!



I will defi nitely always remember the trying of new

foods. In Orvieto I had tried chicken liver, which I

would never think of doing in a million years. I have

always been picky when it comes to food, so this

opened up a whole new world of foods for me!

I T A L I A N A P P E T I Z E R S

V I L L A L A N T E - B A G N A I A


Gabrielle ChinigoH o s p i t a l i t y M a n a g e m e n t

PERUGIA AND ORVIETO. SIGNS OF ANCIENT

DOMINATIONS IN CENTRAL ITALY

Orvieto proved to be one of my personal favorites

during the preparatory travel week. It was an

incredibly charming town that also had a sense of

liveliness and excitement. I fell in love with small

winding cobblestone streets and breathtaking hilltop

views. The façade of the Orvieto Cathedral can best

be described as stumbling upon a tapestry hanging

from the sky –it never looked real.

MUVIT: THE MEANING OF WINE

AND FOOD IN ITALIAN CULTURE.

Learning about Italian wine and food as a cultural

experience was one of the most rewarding

occurrences. Food in the United States differs greatly

from Italy as, there is a cultural and historical piece.

Each ingredient coincides to geographical and

historical context. The production process of wine

is one of great expertise and passion and because

of this I have gained a new level of respect and

appreciation for a glass of wine.



Having to get from the Vatican City back to the city

center of Rome using Italian public transportation.

ONE SENTENCE/PHRASE THAT IN

MY OPINION ILLUSTRATES ITALY

AND ITALIAN CULTURE IS...

A place of rich history, breathtaking artwork, and

unmatched culture.

O R V I E T O C A T H E D R A L

T H E V A T I C A N


Aine Cole M a r k e t i n g C o m m u n i c a t i o n s

PERUGIA AND ORVIETO. SIGNS PERUGIA AND ORVIETO. SIGNS

OF ANCIENT DOMINATIONS IN CENTRAL ITALY OF ANCIENT DOMINATIONS IN CENTRAL ITALY

Perugia and Orvieto are both from Etruscan origins.

Although both were beautiful in their own way, I

must say Orvieto was my favorite; a quaint town on

the top of the hill with beautiful hidden side streets

and friendly locals. It was a little fortress; looking up

at it from the road I never would have guessed. The

Duomo was absolutely breathtaking, so immense

and intricate. I still think today it’s the most beautiful

Duomo I’ve seen.

PERUGINA. THE BEDROCK OF ITALIAN PERUGINA. THE BEDROCK OF ITALIAN

ECONOMY: FAMILY RUN BUSINESS. ECONOMY: FAMILY RUN BUSINESS.

Perugina chocolate! Much like when we learned

about how wine was made, I didn’t realize how

many steps were involved in making chocolate.

Touring the factory was so interesting. Majoring in

Marketing, I think my favorite part was watching the

old advertisements and the story behind the Baci kiss.

I enjoyed learning about the transformation of their

image and their brand. Of course, I didn’t mind the

chocolate tasting either!

MY NEW HOME FOR THE SEMESTER. MY NEW HOME FOR THE SEMESTER.

THE PREPARATORY TRAVEL WEEK HELPED THE PREPARATORY TRAVEL WEEK HELPED

ME FEEL LIKE A FLORENTINE LOCAL BECAUSE…ME FEEL LIKE A FLORENTINE LOCAL BECAUSE…

It prepared me for my four month stay here in

so many ways. I felt completely immersed in the

culture. Everything from walking the streets, seeing

the beautiful cathedrals and duomos, visiting the

Roman remains, eating the food, drinking the wine,

and hearing the beautiful language prepared me.

I loved delving into this foreign culture head fi rst. I

think something I realized during the travel week that

changed my perspective on life was how Italians live:

they seem to enjoy life and they seem to live deeper;

they take time to enjoy all aspects of living and they

love themselves as we all should.

A V I E W O F R O M E F R O M T H E T O P O F S T P E T E R ’ S B A S I L I C A I N T H E VAT I C A N

AT T H E C O L O S S E U M


Samantha DiStefanoM a r k e t i n g C o m m u n i c a t i o n s



Rome, Italy was the fi rst place I stepped foot outside

of North America. I have lived in a very small town

in Massachusetts all my life, where there isn’t art,

culture, or hardly anything to even look twice at.

Going to Rome and seeing how much Italians love

to admire and preserve art was refreshing and

extraordinary. Everything exceeded my wildest

imagination and for once looking down at my

feet was impossible.

MUVIT: THE MEANING OF WINE AND FOOD IN

ITALIAN CULTURE.

Italians hold very strict rules to their food and wine.

Much like their art, every plate must be presented

with the utmost delicacy and with the most integrity.

Cooks and restaurants are very proud of the food and

wine they serve. Everything is made to last. Nothing is

hastily thrown together like in America, food is made

to taste of the best quality and wine is supposed to

be smooth and deep. This element of Italian culture

reminds me of how passionate Italians are.

MY NEW HOME FOR THE SEMESTER. THE

PREPARATORY TRAVEL WEEK HELPED ME

FEEL LIKE A FLORENTINE LOCAL BECAUSE…

It helped adjust to the culture early and allowed us

to start practicing our communication skills as well

as our navigating skills.

ONE SENTENCE/PHRASE THAT IN MY

OPINION ILLUSTRATES ITALY AND

ITALIAN CULTURE IS...

“Andiamo!” Italians know there is so much to see

and reminds us all that life is precious and the world

is ours to explore, therefore, “Let’s Go!”

T H E T I B E R R I V E R I N R O M E

A T T H E C O L O S S E U M


Meghan Foley M a r k e t i n g C o m m u n i c a t i o n s

ROME, 3000 YEARS OF ART

AND HISTORY. REFLECTIONS OF AN

AMERICAN IN ROME.

Looking back, when I was fl ying into Rome, I was

underestimating the amount of history, culture, and

art I was about to see. Being from Boston, we do have

a lot of history but nothing that compares to what

I saw in Rome. I have read about the colosseum in

numerous history books, but seeing it and walking

through it for the fi rst time was mesmerizing. Putting

everything I have previously learned about ancient

Rome together with what I was seeing was amazing.

CAPRAROLA, VILLA LANTE AND

BOMARZO. ARCHITECTURE COMBINED

WITH NATURE.

The change from Rome to Caprarola was drastic.

Being in Rome and seeing enormous historic

monuments and then going to Caprarola and seeing

the architecture and nature together was interesting.

I found the Villa Lante to be breathtaking. The

detail that went into each room of the house to the

beautiful fountains and gardens behind the house

were spectacular. It was amazing to see what time

has or hasn’t done to the Bomarzo gardens. They

looked more modern than anything else we saw.




“Live in the moment”, I believe that Italians appreciate

everyday and every experience in their lives.

SOMETHING THAT CHANGED OR AFFIRMED MY

PERSPECTIVE ABOUT ITALY WAS...

That many Italians don’t speak any English. I got lost

one day and a woman who barely spoke any English

got out a piece of paper and drew directions for me.

C A P R A R O L A

AT T H E C O L O S S E U M


Alexandra GodlewskiB u s i n e s s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n

PERUGINA. THE BEDROCK OF ITALIAN

ECONOMY: FAMILY RUN BUSINESS.

Perugina was such a great stop along the way. As

a business major, I found it interesting to hear the

stories behind Perugina’s family business. The tour

of the factory was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

for me as well. With the smell of chocolate in the air,

it was nice to not only hear the history behind such

a successful business, but to also see the creation of

their chocolate in the process.

ASSISI. SPIRITUALITY IN ITALY.

Around every corner, Assisi was fi lled with

unbelievable beauty. Although I was initially stunned

by the view after arriving, the churches throughout

Assisi just seemed to amaze me more. It was really

neat to walk the quaint streets, explore its churches,

and hear the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi.

A PERSONAL GROWTH EXPERIENCE THAT I

WILL FOREVER REMEMBER WAS…

The countless amounts of times that my friends

and I had wandered a new city only to get lost

and have to navigate our way home. With no

Wi-Fi access or Google Maps to guide us back, we

quickly acquainted ourselves with paper maps and

public transportation. After getting home, we were

always fi lled with feelings of independence and

accomplishment.

SOMETHING THAT CHANGED OR AFFIRMED

MY PERSPECTIVE ABOUT ITALY WAS…

The importance placed on spending quality time to

chat with friends or enjoy a meal. While Americans

are always in a rush or taking food to go, it was

refreshing to take the time to really appreciate

where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing.

A S S I S I

R O M E


Lindsey Sneider H o s p i t a l i t y a n d E v e n t M a n a g e m e n t



After visiting Rome, the saying “Rome wasn’t built

in a day” understates anything I have ever compared

that sentence to. The detail of the architecture is not

only breathtaking, but also almost unimaginable of

how it was completed during a time period without

the resources that we have today. I fully enjoyed

thinking that I was in a more modern part of the city,

to then turn the corner and see a beautiful historical

monument.

CAPRAROLA, VILLA LANTE AND BOMARZO.

ARCHITECTURE COMBINED WITH NATURE.

Villa Lante and Bosco di Bomarzo perfectly captured

the combination of architecture and nature. To me,

Villa Lante’s most impressive element was the use of

detailed architecture to support the use of water for

fountains. The monster park expended the element

of surprise by building the monuments into

the existing land.

MY NEW HOME FOR THE SEMESTER.

THE PREPARATORY TRAVEL WEEK HELPED

ME FEEL LIKE A FLORENTINE LOCAL BECAUSE…

We were able fi gure out the barriers between

American and Italian culture that we would face

throughout the semester.




“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

– Leonardo Da Vinci

M O N S T E R G A R D E N S - B O M A R Z O

I TA L I A N G A R D E N


Emily WadmanH o s p i t a l i t y M a n a g e m e n t

MUVIT: THE MEANING OF WINE AND FOOD IN

ITALIAN CULTURE.

Coming to Italy, myself, and the others on the trip,

had some misconceptions about the meaning of

food and wine in Italy. Italians look at food and wine

as an art and pair the two carefully, making sure the

details of the food are prepared to perfection.

Even the ways in which the ingredients are harvested

or made are taken very seriously to ensure the best

experience possible.

ASSISI. SPIRITUALITY IN ITALY.

The city of Assisi was beautiful! It was incredible to

see something so full of spirituality and religion.

The town was quiet, but in the streets you could spot

various fi gures of the church, and practicing brothers

and sisters. I don’t think there are enough words to

describe the beauty of the churches, scenery, and

people.

MY NEW HOME FOR THE SEMESTER. THE

PREPARATORY TRAVEL WEEK HELPED ME

FEEL LIKE A FLORENTINE LOCAL BECAUSE…

Before exploring the city, I already had some

knowledge of the culture, expectations, and I was

aware of the independence needed to live in a

foreign country.

SOMETHING THAT CHANGED

MY PERSPECTIVE ABOUT ITALY WAS…

Italian-American traditions are very different from

Italian traditions.

S T . F R A N C I S B A S I L I C A - A S S I S I

V A T I C A N C I T Y

Spring 2015 Spring 2015 Cultural Intro Cultural Intro Pre-Semester Pre-Semester

Field LearningField Learning

January 21January 21st st - January 28- January 28thth

CREDITSPhoto Credit: Endicott Students Spring 2015Photo Credit: Endicott Students Spring 2015

Group picture: Spencer Sisselman Group picture: Spencer Sisselman (2(2ndnd year Photography career student)year Photography career student)

Production Coordinator: M. Olimpia BozzaProduction Coordinator: M. Olimpia Bozza

Endicott Spring 2015 Class:Endicott Spring 2015 Class:

Betsy AlbianiBetsy Albiani

Stacy CastelliStacy Castelli

Gabrielle ChinigoGabrielle Chinigo

Aine ColeAine Cole

Samantha DiStefanoSamantha DiStefano

Meghan FoleyMeghan Foley

Alexandra GodlewskiAlexandra Godlewski

Lindsey SneiderLindsey Sneider

Emily WadmanEmily Wadman

endicott spring 2015

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