Culture
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Verona and Vicenza, Italy, May 2024
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Of all the experiences we gained on our trip to Italy, I felt that Verona and Vicenza were the most insightful as far as culture. As they were the two smaller cities we visited, it was easier to feel like we were getting a local experience, and that was true from the architecture to the food, and everything in between. I noticed that in these cities in particular, I did not feel as much like a tourist as I did in Milan and Venice. For starters, many of the sites we saw in these cities were so rich in history they could almost be considered "hidden gems", with not many people flocking to them or trying to check them off the itinerary. Castelvecchio was a particularly influential site that I felt fell underneath that category. The museum itself told the story of Verona through art and architecture, and the ways they interacted with one another. I thought this site would be a huge attraction, but as I walked through, it seemed like everyone there was truly invested in the story being told, some even seemed like they had visited before. Of course it could have just been the day, but I'd like to think it was because of the culture in Verona that our experience at Castelvecchio was so pure and honest. Another instance I noticed this was when we walked around Vicenza, stopping every now and then to sketch. Unlike other places, no one seemed to question what we were doing. Rather, several people came up to us and started conversations with us about what we were drawing, oftentimes already knowing a lot about the subject, to our surprise. One man that talked to us had literally studied under Carlo Scarpa, and just casually came up to us like it was nothing. This gave me the sense that in Vicenza, everyone had a great appreciation for the arts and that it was deeply immersed into the local culture there.
It was in these cities where I also noticed the most hospitality during our meals and frequent gelato stops. Some of the most hospitable people we met on the entire trip, in my opinion, were the chefs at the cooking class we took. Our table's chef, Laura, fit right into our groups antics and loving competitive nature. The class took almost four hours, and we were all so hungry the whole time, but that didn't stop me from having the best time. We learned how to make several local dishes which were all worth the lengthy wait. You could tell the chefs really cared about the craft and quality of all the food, and truly were passionate about teaching us and making us feel welcome.
These experiences, among many others in Verona and Vicenza, easily stuck with me as lovely examples of the culture around art, architecture, history, people and food in Italy. It was in these cities that, though I was a long way from home, I felt like I was really able to settle into my surroundings and immerse myself in a culture I was unfamiliar with. Additionally, it was surprising to see how knowledgeable most locals were about the architecture in their city, in comparison to how many people care about architecture back home. I think that may have to do with the way history has been so well preserved in Italy, which is certainly something I feel will affect my design ideals henceforth. I will always remember the ways in which art, architecture, and food brought strangers together during my time in these cities.
It was in these cities where I also noticed the most hospitality during our meals and frequent gelato stops. Some of the most hospitable people we met on the entire trip, in my opinion, were the chefs at the cooking class we took. Our table's chef, Laura, fit right into our groups antics and loving competitive nature. The class took almost four hours, and we were all so hungry the whole time, but that didn't stop me from having the best time. We learned how to make several local dishes which were all worth the lengthy wait. You could tell the chefs really cared about the craft and quality of all the food, and truly were passionate about teaching us and making us feel welcome.
These experiences, among many others in Verona and Vicenza, easily stuck with me as lovely examples of the culture around art, architecture, history, people and food in Italy. It was in these cities that, though I was a long way from home, I felt like I was really able to settle into my surroundings and immerse myself in a culture I was unfamiliar with. Additionally, it was surprising to see how knowledgeable most locals were about the architecture in their city, in comparison to how many people care about architecture back home. I think that may have to do with the way history has been so well preserved in Italy, which is certainly something I feel will affect my design ideals henceforth. I will always remember the ways in which art, architecture, and food brought strangers together during my time in these cities.