Month: June 2018

Quidditch in Florence?

By Guneet Singh
All photos by author

Journalism student Guneet Singh explores her childhood in Florence.

When I chose Florence as my study abroad location, I knew it was a city that would give me a lot of experiences. But one experience I didn’t expect was being able to attend the opening ceremony of the Quidditch World Cup.

Yes, you read that right.

Quidditch, the fictional sport J.K. Rowling created in the Harry Potter series, is a real-life sport that was invented in 2005.

A Potterhead through and through, I couldn’t believe my luck when I found out the event was happening here! I’ve read all the Harry Potter books and as a child, Quidditch was the main sport I really understood.

The opening parade itself was a five minute walk from Corso Tintori, one of FUA’s main buildings. I got there early and saw dozens of people in red shirts with the words “International Quidditch Association” sprawled across the back.

This is real.

A couple hundred spectators circled the stadium. I didn’t have a ticket but was standing in the right place at the right time and got in to see the ceremony! I was at the front of a crowd spread out across the sides of the dirt field. Eager fans ranged from toddlers to frantic young adults to those a little older and just curious about what the commotion was about.

Music started and teams entered the stadium slowly. I saw teams from countries all over the world, like New Zealand, Australia and the United States of America. There was a myriad of female players, which only serves as a testament to the diversity and acceptance the Harry Potter series preaches.

It was incredible to see an event like this bring so many people together and it was the best way to kick off my first week in Florence!

The Quidditch World Cup will be happening in Florence until July 2nd.

See more of Florence and Italy at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.

Pitti Uomo: Keeping Florence a Top Fashion Capital

Photo by author

By Dara Hernandez

FUA Journalism student Dara Hernandez discovers the importance of internationally acclaimed event, Pitti Uomo, and shares her experience walking through the streets of Florence during this four-day fashion extravaganza.

Florence is known around the globe for its beautiful views, structures, art and historic buildings, but some people may not know that it’s also known as a fashion capital of the world.

One of the most important events in fashion is Pitti Uomo, an event that takes place in Florence every year for four days during the months of January and June. Pitti Uomo features men’s clothing and accessories and brings in every big name in menswear whether they are a designer, buyer or creative mind.

This event was founded by Pitti Immagine, a company that organizes international fairs and promotional events in all areas of fashion. Their goal is to select as well as present the highest quality products and the most innovative styles. The reason that Pitti Uomo is so important to Florence is because the company’s origins go back to the early 1950’s where they held their first fashion show in Florence’s very own Sala Bianca in Palazzo Pitti.

The company not only has brought amazing events to the city but has added new dimension to Florence and has distinguished it as a foundation for today’s style. People from all over the globe attend in their search for the newest trends and styles or even simple details that they can take to improve their collections.


Photo by author

Walking around the city of Florence during Pitti Uomo makes the experience more wonderful than it already is. The city overflows with creativity and hundreds of fashionable men are seen with interesting outfits or fancy suits. The first place I walked through was Piazza della Signoria, where they held the opening ceremony. The attendees could be spotted from a mile away as they walked out of the building in their sharp suits and fancy shoes.

I, then, decided to take a stroll to the Fortezza da Basso and simply walking toward the building was quite the sight to see because it felt as if I were front row in a street fashion show. The outfits in this area were a little more spontaneous. Once I got to the Fortezza, I discovered that this is where they hold most of their main events and it was almost as if I had entered menswear heaven. Of course, many sections were closed off to the public because the event is taken very seriously in the industry but I was able to walk in and see the different stands, clothing racks and large screens showing clips of male models.

Having a fashion event as big as this one is incredible because it is an outlet for people from all over the world to not only attend and gather new ideas but also for individuals to express themselves in a creative way. Fashion is not just about clothing, it’s also about the evolution of style, piecing different garments together and the influence of the culture surrounding it.

Pitti Uomo is the real deal. This month makes it the 92nd edition of the fashion event and the 46th year since it launched in Florence in 1972. The event has grown immensely throughout the years yet remains in the city, maintaining Florence’s fashion capital status worldwide.

See more of Florence and Italy at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.