I had the opportunity to travel to Arezzo, Italy this summer with the University of Oklahoma for an upper division course on Roman history. The city is so beautiful and contains such fascinating early history of the ancient and medieval worlds that clash and complement the modern infrastructure of the new Arezzo. There are gelato carts everywhere, and ancient ruins are open and exposed throughout the city, which further develops the feeling of living in history. The weather is always very fair and it was a place that felt at my happiest for a while. I think the notion of a being foreigner also added to the vibe of exploration and wonder I felt while there. I am very thankful for the university for having programs that allow students to travel and explore the world, and maybe even allow others to find their new favorite place!
The image is a picture of the Cathedral of Arezzo, one of the most identifiable landmarks in the city, in the center of the ancient portion of the city.
Beato te, Chase! Getting to spend time in Arezzo is a wonderful OU opportunity! I spent a lot of time in Siena when I was a grad student, and I made some trips to Arezzo too: it is so beautiful, and there is less of a tourist tidal wave than in Siena. Maybe you will want to do an Italy-inspired project for this class! The Italian storytelling tradition is amazing; here are some online books: Italian story collections ... all free to read online! ... But you have to supply your own gelato, ha ha :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, Chase!
ReplyDeleteIt's so cool reading about your experience studying abroad in Arezzo! I was planning on studying abroad there last summer, but unfortunately my program got cancelled. Reading about the gelato carts and amazing architecture has me a little jealous for sure!
Taking a class about Roman history in Italy definitely seems like the best way to study history! I'm not too interested in history, but I think it would be impossible not to be at least a little bit interested when you're studying it in such an amazing place like Arezzo.