Here at our second beautiful hilltop home in Orvieto, Italy, we have officially reached the mid-semester milestone. It is hard to imagine that our group of 21 Saint Anselm students arrived on Italian soil two full months ago and even harder to imagine our eventual departure is just one month away.
The Orvieto study abroad program, created and piloted only a year ago by Dr. David George and Linda Rulman of the Classics Department, is specially designed to not only educate students in the classroom about the historical and cultural significance of Italy, but to bring students to the very locations this Italian history and culture were born from. A little more than halfway through the program, and we have collectively visited more than ten significant Italian towns and sites and multiple European countries.
The Orvieto study abroad program offers a nice variety of courses which offer a variety of perspectives on Italy, and many even cover core Saint Anselm requirements. Students are given a choice of subjects which include study of the Italian language, War and Culture of the ancient world, Analysis of Artifacts, Italian Food Wine and Culture, Italian Cinema, and more. These courses have helped students feel more assimilated into the Italian culture, because they have given them a better understanding of what makes Italy so special.
Student Maria Benitz ’19 has found the study of Italian language particularly useful: “Italian is a great class. Learning the language has made me more immersed in the culture, and I love being able to talk to some of the locals! They’re such sweet people and have made my semester here so much more meaningful.”
One of the highlights of the courses offered here in Orvieto is a required course titled “Chiavi,” an Italian word meaning “keys.”This title is very appropriate for the course, because it unlocks for us a wealth of Italian culture and history. It involves a class meeting only once a week, and the other two days a week are travel days where we visit various locations that tie in what we learn and read about for the course. Chiavi is one of the favorites among students here, because it involves a lot of time spent visiting exciting places throughout Italy.
With two travel days a week and 13 weeks in the whole semester, the amazing experiences add up fast: we have visited Tarquinia, a beautiful winery on a hilltop near Orvieto, toured the Ancient Forum and Colosseum in Rome, Perugia, Assisi where the beloved Saint Francis lived, Subiaco where the very first Benedictine monastery was established, Siena, Monte Cassino, Tivoli, and Florence.
When asked, the students studying abroad here in Orvieto had a difficult time choosing just one favorite place visited, since the landscapes and towns are so beautiful and the historical significance of the sites and artifacts are so rich. But they definitely had no trouble talking about the places they loved or providing positive remarks about the locations Chiavi has allowed them to visit. Student Joe Geraghty’s ’18 personal favorite was the town of Tivoli and its fascinating Ancient Roman history: “At Tivoli we got to see Hadrian’s Villa and Villa D’Este. Hadrian was a Roman Emperor in the early second century. His private Villa was a grand estate that would have marveled any mansion today. The Villa d’Este is a garden and mansion that belonged to a cardinal from medieval times. The garden and fountains are perfectly preserved and I was amazed at the beauty and how it transcends time. It is the year 2017, and I am still moved by these very fountains and gardens.”
While some students particularly appreciate the rich Ancient Roman history at the heart of the Umbrian region, others marvel in the beauty of the Benedictine history here in Italy which is so near and dear to our Saint Anselm community.
Nicole DeRoche ’18 explains, “The trip that really sticks out to me is Monte Cassino. There, a Benedictine monastery sits atop a tall mountain, and the surrounding nature is breathtaking. Everything there is so green, quiet, and serene; there are white doves that fly around the monastery, and there is a gorgeous view of the city below as well as the snow-capped Apennine Mountains.”
All in all, the Saint Anselm students and I have assimilated well to the culture, and we have enjoyed all the beauty that Europe and particularly Italy has to offer. We have traveled to so many towns and countries, are learning basic Italian, studying its history and culture, and are thoroughly enjoying the spectacular Italian cuisine and beautiful spring weather.
We have much to look forward to in the coming month, including a tour of the Vatican, a weekend trip to Naples, independent travels, Val D’Orcia, Pompeii, and a farewell dinner.
We will all be sad to say goodbye to this wonderful place, but will embrace and appreciate the time we have left to the best of our ability.
As Nicole DeRoche ’18 reflects on this whole experience, she realizes, “My favorite part of living in the Italian culture is simply that; I have been able to be a part of something unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and it has made me realize a lot about myself that I never would have if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone and completely immerse myself in another country’s culture.”