By Dorothy Wigon
Photo by Sebastian B.
What are the digital ways study abroad students are utilizing to research their destinations pre-departure and upon arrival? Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are not only ways to show your friends and family what you are doing but also tools for exploring new environments.
Music courtesy of FUA Music Production Course students
By Shelby Olson
Visiting local music venues throughout Florence is a great way to experience a new form of art as well as the city nightlife. I had the chance to check out three venues in Florence that accommodate to many different styles.
If you are looking to experience a different form of art in the city, Florence has many live music venues that can accommodate to your style whether that be upbeat, laid back, or a classic feel. I took a look at a few different live music venues throughout the city and had the chance to experience a different side of the nightlife in Florence.
Jazz Club is a great place if you are looking for an upbeat bar full of live music and dancing. They are open late and offer a food menu along with a large selection of drinks. Jazz Club hosts Italian artists and occasionally international artists, and concerts don’t start until later in the evening. The music genre is typically jazz but depends on the band playing and the shows have a very intimate feel. To get into the club, you can purchase a member card at the door for 6 euros (includes a beverage), and you’ll use the card for subsequent visits.
Libreria La Cité is a small cafe and library that hosts live music at night and they occasionally have events on various nights of the week. This is a neat place to check out if you are looking for a relaxing night filled with drinks, books, and music. I had the chance to visit La Cité during the evening and came across a lot of people sitting down with a book and coffee before the music started. The building is not too big but it is packed with bookshelves and even has an upstairs area with comfortable seating. I would definitely go back to this place whether it be for a coffee and book or to listen to music.
The Virgin Rock Pub is well-known for friendly service, rock music, and a great selection of food and drinks. It hosts events on the weekends with live music and aperitivo. The Virgin Rock Pub also has outdoor seating if you want to enjoy the music while still experiencing Florence’s beautiful weather during the summer. I had the opportunity to attend the Virgin Rock Pub during one of their events and it was a neat experience. The space is small but is decorated with old rock memorabilia, drum symbols turned into lights, posters, and paintings. After 10 o’clock, a band played classic rock music while everyone crowded in to listen.
There are many wonderful places in the city that can accommodate to your style. I recommend visiting these music venues during your time in Florence because it gives you a different taste of Florence at night. Try starting out with these spots and definitely venture out to explore the many music venues to check out while living in Florence.
How to Visit:
Jazz Club: Via Nuova de’ Caccini, 3, 50100 Firenze
Closed Monday, Friday-Saturday 11PM-4AM, other days 11PM-3AM
Libreria La Cite: Borgo S. Frediano, 20/r, 50124 Firenze
Virgin Rock Pub: Via dell’Agnolo, 76, 50122 Firenze
Open everyday 3PM-3AM
See more of Florence at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.
by Jessica Rowe
As you walk through Florence, you’ll see that street names usually start with via or borgo. What do these words means? What are the differences between the streets? It’s quite simple, really.
If you’ve been walking around the streets of Florence, you might have realized that different street names have different words in front of them – usually via or borgo. If you don’t know Italian, then telling the difference between these two types of streets is nearly impossible.
To start, we can define the words “via” and “borgo.” Via (pl. vie) typically means “street.” Borgo (pl. borghi), on the other hand, translates to “village.” From this we would assume that borghi would be bigger streets, perhaps with more apartment buildings or houses, and that they would more closely resemble little towns of their own rather than streets. However, these assumptions would be wrong.
While trying to figure this out, I walked down Via Pietrapiana which later turns into Borgo la Croce. I thought that the difference between these two types of streets would hit me when I crossed from one to the other. In truth, I didn’t even notice the street had switched names until I was a full block down Borgo la Croce. I then started to pay more attention. The contents of the streets were similar – shops, apartments, restaurants, etc. – and the number of each was nearly the same. However, Borgo la Croce is a narrower street with much less traffic. People walk right down the street and barely ever have to move out of the way for cars or motorcycles. Via Pietrapiana, on the other hand, had much more traffic on it.
From this, I concluded that borghi were streets with less traffic that were more accommodating for pedestrians. This, unfortunately, did not hold true for every borgo I passed. Some of them had heavy traffic and even parking on the street. The only difference that seemed fairly uniform was that borghi were almost always narrower than vie.
To figure this out, I contacted Catia Ballerini who works at FUA’s Squola. She said that in normal usage the two words are just different ways to say “street,” like avenue or road in English. However, she also found out that borgo was used to name medieval streets of varying size. The use of borgo indicated that the neighbourhood was located outside of the city’s defensive walls but as the city expanded, these streets became included in the historic centre. Via, on the other hand, was used to name any city space used for traffic.
In conclusion, we see that nowadays via and borgo can be used interchangeably but, in the past, these two words indicated the locations of roads in reference to the city walls.
By Jessica Rowe
Via Sant’Egidio is a small street in Florence with a long history. On this street, you’ll find the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova and, inside, the church that gave the street its name.
Via Sant’Egidio is a small, quaint street nestled between Via Bufalini and Piazza Gaetano Salvemini. Along this street you will find a mixture of shops and apartment buildings, often with bars on the windows or green shutters.
What you might not know when walking down this street is that it’s named after the Sant’Egidio church which currently resides inside the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. The church was rebuilt from its ancient foundation and consecrated by Pope Martin V in 1419. During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the church was restored and changes were made to it.
Sant’Egidio is the Italian name for St. Giles, a Christian saint and the patron saint of many things, including beggars, epilepsy, forests, and fertility.
This street is almost perfectly centered in the nexus of FUA’s buildings. You may even walk down it without realizing it as you go from Ganzo to Squola. But even if you miss most of the street, you cannot miss the hospital. The building takes up much of the street and the exterior is laced with beautiful details. There is a plaque by one of the doors that tells you about the church and its history.
You can visit the church for free from 8-12 a.m. or from 4-6 p.m. While the original art from the church has been lost, the art currently inside is well worth a look.
See more of Florence at FUA’s FB, Instagram, and Twitter.
As temperatures start to heat up and Italians head toward the beaches, the month of June proves to be busy in and around Florence. From music festivals to historical soccer matches and medieval dinners, tourists and Florentines alike are sure not to get bored with these upcoming events. Here are some suggestions that FUA students put together.
By Jessica Kruebbe
Piazza della Repubblica will host another one of its Mercatale events for the public. The market is normally held the first weekend of each month welcoming residents and tourists alike. The next market will be held on June 3rd and 4th from 8:30 to 19:30. There will be 84 producers at the event, 46 of which are from the province of Florence. Others are from the surrounding provinces such as Prato, Siena, and Arezzo. Visitors can browse long booths full of wine, oil, vegetables, fruit, truffles, and other freshly grown produce. In addition, there will be some typical products from the area including salami, cheese, and honey. The variety of vendors allows passersby to try many authentic foods such as “necci” biscuits of the Tuscan Appennino. For the rest of the spring and summer seasons, the market will rotate between Piazza Repubblica, Piazza del Carmine, and Piazza Santa Maria Novella.
By Whitney Byrd
Hear ye, hear ye!
Come experience a night in Medieval times sponsored by the Municipality of Certaldo on June 10th and June 17th. Join us in the beautiful castle in Certaldo Alto, the small medieval town, for the 17th annual feast!
The night will consist of a typical dinner from Medieval times served with authentic wooden cutlery. The menu for both evenings will be the same, catered by Party Giò-Certaldo. The meal will be served by 80 boys and girls in medieval costumes.
No feast would be complete without entertainment! Between courses, don’t miss the sword duels, fire eaters, and a performance by Compagnia del Drago Nero. To celebrate the end of the evening, stick around for a magnificent fireworks display over Palazzo Petrorio!
“A Cena da Messer Giovanni” will begin at 20:00 and end at 23:00.
Don’t forget to book in advance! Cost is € 39 / person
For reservations:
Grazia Palmieri, Via 2 Giugno – Certaldo (FI)
Tel. 0571 663128 – Cell. 335 6988480
info@elitropia.org
By Paige Petronio
Florence Italy- From June 23rd until the 25th at the Visarno Arena big names like Aerosmith, The Cranberries, and Placebo will be sharing their talent to the people of Florence. They are expecting big crowds for this event and the Mayer of Florence has already stated that for those three days Florence is going to be the “capital of rock”.
This festival is bringing in talent from all over the world. This includes English chart topping bands making their first Italian Debut along with some lesser known acts including Prophets of Rage and Glen Hansard. Accompanying these amazing artists, will be a variety of food trucks and stands to cater to the concert goers cravings.
The festival has even created its own app available that you can download so that you can stay in touch with all of the exclusive content throughout the entire festival. This gives guests the ability to take pictures with exclusive filters. Most importantly it will have a lay out of each of the acts so you can be sure to not miss your favorite singers.
What: Firenze Rocks!
Who: Big names including Aerosmith, Eddie Vedder and System of a Down
Where: Visarno Arena
When: June 23, 24, 25, 2017
The summer Firenze Rocks tickets are on sale online: www.ticketone.it
By Lauren Fulton
The summer months of Florence showcase beautiful blue skies and sparkling water as the temperatures increase in the lovely summer months of Italy. June 24 brings lots of excitement and cheer to the city as Florence celebrates their patron saint, Saint John the Baptist. Throughout the day festivities can be discovered around the city. The main event of the day, is the final game of Calcio Storico, a soccer game mixed with some rugby and wrestling played in historic Renaissance attire, followed by fireworks at the end of the night. Calcio Storico includes four teams, representing the four historical neighborhoods of Firenze. The semifinals begin the weekend of June 11, times to be announced.
By Madison Starkey
Florence is home to a rich live music scene waiting to be discovered. Madison checked out NoF, a locals’ favorite in the artsy San Frediano neighborhood in the Oltrarno, where the vocals and beat made for an unforgettable experience to be remembered.
NoF is where good vibes are plenty and musicians from “all corners and crossroads of the globe” are hosted weekly. My friends and I have the good fortune of living just a block away from this cool and confident live jazz club in the Oltrarno neighborhood. We recently caught a performance that I know will be one of my favorite memories of Florence. A young woman with dark hair, black boots, and the strongest, most vibrant voice I’ve ever heard provided the vocals for this unforgettable evening. The night was unforgettable, due to her captivating talent and due to the fact that we stumbled across it by pure chance. We had originally intended to walk past NoF, but the voice of the singer, the rhythm the drummer was banging out, and the smooth, deep sounds emanating from the guitarist’s strings captured us before we could do so. Instead, we wandered, dreamlike, into NoF, and weaved our way through the small crowd to the front of the stage.
And that is where we stayed.
I so vividly remember that night, that music, and stealing glances at my friends faces and enjoying their facial expressions: they were as entranced as I was. The woman’s voice was deep, smooth, and seductive even with the most upbeat songs. The band played mostly jazz music and re-vamped versions of classic hits. I failed to find out what the artist or band’s name was, unfortunately, but I know I’ll be revisiting that night in years to come. In my reveries, one moment I’m taking notes at University, the next, I’m back in that dark wood-panelled room, unable to stop myself from swaying to my imagined, but once real music.
NoF
Borgo S. Frediano 17red
By Jordyn Asakowicz
Sound Postcards from Florence – How does the city sound throughout the day? Jordan reports from different Florentine locations – including a parade, a soccer game, and the city at sunset – to give listeners an audio postcard of city moments.
By Christina Trupia
It is Italian tradition for family and friends to kiss each other on each cheek as a greeting when saying hello or goodbye. If you look around the streets of Florence, you will see this salutation everywhere. Have you adopted this Italian custom or any others yet?
It is the simple gestures that hold a plethora of meanings between those who share them. You can see it between friends passing each other on the street while taking an afternoon stroll, in a restaurant amongst two friends meeting for a meal, or even those departing after a day spent with someone who was once a stranger. Un doppio bacio, or a double kiss, customarily on the cheek, is a common gesture between those local to the region of the world that I now call home.
Mostly used among those who know each other such as family or close friends, I view this effortless, social gesture as a beautiful and welcoming practice. It is a sign of love and caring for those who have had an impact on your life at some point in time.
Imagine friends from university coming together after years of living distant lives, greeting each other with a double kiss on each cheek as a sign of the relationship they once shared. Perhaps you may see it shared within a family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews meeting for a celebration of a new life born into the family. It may even serve as a farewell gesture between a classroom of a small group of students after the completion of a course, or a guide ending their journey with the travelers they have come to know after a full day of touring and adventure in a new place.
It is an engaging tradition that means so much more than a simple handshake or an exchange of words. A small gesture with a heartfelt meaning, the double kiss symbolizes the genuine respect and sentiment we all have for one another.
By Madison Landau
Walking down the streets in an unknown city in a foreign country can seem very overwhelming, especially in Florence’s winding neighborhoods. A great rule of thumb is to let yourself get lost and put your phone away…in trying to find your way back home you might just discover something new.
When arriving in a new country, my first instinct is to take my phone out to see if I have cell service or Wi-Fi. Arriving in Florence for my study abroad semester at FUA was no different, and I held my phone in a death like grip for the first week of living here.
Even though I was provided with great maps of the city by FUA, I still felt as if my phone was my lifeline here in Florence and that without it I would get lost forever among the streets of the city center. Little did I know how much nicer and productive my first week being here would have been if I had just allowed myself to actually get lost.
I had my face buried in my phone, looking at my maps instead of actually taking in my surroundings and understanding the streets of Florence. I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable in this city, yet I was so new to my surroundings that I refused to listen to everyone around me encouraging me to get lost.
My presence here in Florence was artificial in a sense that I really didn’t focus and appreciate where I was until I put my phone away and learned the streets of Florence.
Don’t get me wrong, I was still capturing and recording my moments here in Florence as much as I could. But instead of having my maps app constantly open, I had my camera open, or the TripAdvisor app open.
The difference between being too consumed within your electronics and being just consumed enough is a very delicate and thin line. While you want to photograph and remember every moment you can while you’re here in Florence, it’s so important to make sure you’re actually appreciating where you are and not just focusing on surviving.
Trust me, put the phone away when possible. Don’t just survive day to day while you’re abroad; thrive as much as you can here. Grow as much as you can. Put yourself in a world that you’re not familiar with, and learn to be okay with it.
By Abby Moran
Embrace the uncomfortable, enjoy the bewilderment of studying abroad.
Studying abroad may have been the most difficult thing i have ever done. 21 years of figuring life out, myself out and now a new culture is an incredible adventure. To step away from all that is familiar, to acknowledge that you will get lost mentally, emotionally, and physically but all of this will make you grow in ways you could never imagine is daunting. After a couple weeks in Florence, I am less afraid and regaining pieces of myself I thought would be lost back home forever.
Being in a situation where in order to save time, effort, and my roommate’s energy involves being outgoing, assertive, and confident in new situations has turned out to be the absolute best scenario. I love it. I love walking in the rain here. I love the puzzle of streets that could lead anywhere but often times lead me to the Duomo, that I’ve come to see as a safe haven. I love the different languages filling my ears. The uncertainty of who and what can be encountered around the next corner. Gucci, Prada, Valentino, your shop windows bring a spark of life to my longest walks. Even in the most unfamiliar places we find objects to cling to, people to relate to, and places to become accustomed to.
Home is truly where the heart is and when we open our hearts to the culture and lifestyle of others we are given a priceless gift. Be scared, intimidated, and get completely lost because it is there, in this state of initial uncertainty where we find our strength. Find your home away from home is what study abroad offers, despite the voice in your head that says “but it will be hard.” It’s often said that nothing good comes to those who wait, so let’s proactively reach for that which seems the most intimidating. Find your landmark, in my case the Duomo, and learn something about it instead of just passing through the piazza.
Don’t shoot for the stars, shoot for the Duomo.