ItaliaNoles – Issue 6

ITALIANOLES

ISSUE 6

“Dedicated to Our Spring 2020 Students”

S P R IN G 2 0 2 0

FSU FLORENCE #WeAreFSUFlorence

Cover designed by FSU Florence Program Professor Alan Pascuzzi

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.�

Nelson Mandela

Picture by FSU Spring 2020 Student Madison Hopkins

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY FLORENCE PROGRAM MAGAZINE ISSUE 06 | SPRING 2020

FSU INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS - FLORENCE DIRECTOR Frank Nero

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Lucia Cossari

ITALIANOLES SUPERVISOR Patrick Merle

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Costanza Menchi

EDITORS

Maria Michela Mattei Rahoul Masrani Gaia Pianigiani

GRAPHICS

Laura Monaco

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE PROFESSORS AND STAFF Laura Buonanno Lucas Lanci Tamara Pfeil Eduardo Sanini Giacomo Sproccati Emiliano Wass

STAFF WRITERS

Fsu Florence Students Spring 2020 Special Thanks to professor Alan Pascuzzi who designed original cover. We thank Spring 2020 Student Madison Hopkins for the back cover.

We would like to thank our Director Frank Nero and Associate Director Lucia Cossari for their continuous and tireless support, vision, sense of community, and efforts facing the challenges and difficulties with hope and faith for the future.

All photos by FSU students or Royalty Free.

ISSUE 6 CONTENTS SPRING 2020 Welcome Letter 5

Community Engagement

We Are FSU Florence

Planting Seeds: How the Hard Work of Today Shapes the World of Tomorrow

by Eduardo Sanin, Community Engagement Coordinator

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News and Updates From Florence

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Cecilia Del Re, Municipality of Florence Councilwoman Exclusive Interview by Professor Costanza Menchi

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Cheek Kisses 12

by Dr Rahoul Masrani, Professor of Media and Communications

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Getting out of Unprecedented Times Successfully 37

by Giacomo Sproccati, Student Life and Health Services Coordinator

Art & Culture

The Italian Fashion System is Taking Action

by Professor Costanza Menchi

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The Trials of Our Day: Historic Reflections on the Past, Present and Future

by Professor Alan Pascuzzi

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The Small Things

by Laura Buonanno, Program Coordinator

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Open Educational Resources for Faculty and Students

by Professor Emiliano Wass

41

Gratitude and Resilience

by Tamara Pfeil, Financial Coordinator

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Transition into Online Learning

By Student Erinn Lyden

42

Spring Rebirth and Hope

by Chiara Basile, Istituto de’ Bardi Director

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43

Montedomini Senior Citizen Center

by Tarcisia Barazzuti, Director of Elderly Daily Care Coop Airone

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Personal Transformation:

How the Comparative and International Media Course Affected My FSU Florence Experience

by Student Iza Leslie

Student Perspectives Crossing Bridges. A Solo Diary 21

by Student Allison Earley Through my Eyes Pictures 22

by Student Madison Hopkins

Transitions through Twitter: 44 How Our World is Changing - One Tweet at a Time

by Student Sydney Diecks

Fashion Focus Materic Poetry: When Nature Meets Recycling

By Silvia Logi, Florentine Artist

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The Beauty in the Things Around us that are Unfiltered and Untouched

by Student Gillian Lurie

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Tradition over Technology 50

by Students Samantha Bloom and James Lattanzi

The “Environmental Portraiture” Photographic Method

by Student Michaela Meyer

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The Head, the Heart, and the Base Fragrance and Craftsmanship Made in Florence

by Students Alex Frantsvog and Sophie Vargas

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Bringing Italy Home 28

by Student Abigail Bedard

Bookbinding Generations 52

by Students Rylie Cibelli and Grace Cobb

Cooking in Italy 29

by Student Mia Bonet

Stefano Bemer: the Florentine Shoemaker

by Students Lindsay O’Laughlin and Carly Polacek

More Than Just Ramen 29

by Student Jordyn John

The Legacy of Leather 54

by Students Peyton Guiry and Kaitlin Landolfa

The Greatest Pizza on the Planet

by Students Ian Schafler, Brian Manno, Ilan Mussaffi

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Weaving into the Modern World

by Students Shannon Mellish and Chloe Burchard

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Paella Connections 31

by Students Jake Steel, Mackenzie Smith, Carly Polacek

It's all about Feathers 56

by Student Emma Filderman

Chianti Connections 32

by Student Juliana Mileto

Inside Milan Fashion Week 57

by Student Samantha Bloom

Lockdown by Choice 33

By Student Nicholas Giammarino

Pitti Filati 86 - Fashion Re-Immagined

by Student Sydney Dieckers

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Pitti Filati Fair 59

by Student Alex Frantsvog

A Preview of What’s to Come for Future Students 4

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WELCOME LETTER

- quicquid erit, superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est Virgil These are the times when we must strongly stand our ground. As Virgil’s quote from 1st Century BC Rome suggests, “come what may, all bad fortune is conquered by endurance.” The foundations of the Florida State University Florence Program are deep and constructed in stone across five decades.

We will not only endure, but with vires, artes, mores, (strength, skill, and character), embodied by our university’s torches and motto, we will conquer bad fortune, we will persevere with intelligence and patience to outlast Covid-19.

As the cover of this edition of ItaliaNoles makes clear, we will stand with vigor and determination like Michelangelo’s David until the virus is extinguished.

The pages of this issue, written by students, faculty, and community partners, are a testimony to our and Florence’s resiliency.

On Tuesday, February 25, two days before our 2020 Spring Break, we called an emergency Covid-19 briefing in the Medici Classroom at the FSU Florence Study Center in Borgo degli Albizi. Little did any of us know that this would be the last time our staff and 91 students would be all together; little did we know that two days later would be the last time our study center in the Alessandri Palace, which has housed the program since 1981, would see a Seminole pass through its corridors, learn in its classrooms, and study in its library. On February 29th, while most of our students were traveling across Europe and the Mediterranean for their wellearned break, the Spring 2020 semester was suspended and all students were mandated to return home immediately.

Even coming back to Florence to pack their things was out of the question. Later, we would be informed that our Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters would have to be canceled as well. When we welcome students back to Florence it will be within the walls of our new study center, the grand and historic Bagnesi Palace in Via dei Neri. The renaissance Bagnesi Palace, owned and meticulously restored and renovated by the Florence Program, is the culmination of a two-year intensive labor of love. It is also the result of 64 years of Florida State’s and its students’ commitment to the city of Florence.

Since 1966 our program as leased various premises; the new study center will be illustrative of the program’s rebirth, and the rebirths of Florence and Florida State, reinforcing the University’s commitment to providing our students a first-class experiential education abroad.

The FSU Florence Program was born out of diversity during the Great Flood of 1966.

We have persevered through the tensions of the Cold War; Italy’s Years of Lead, the internal political terrorism of the 1970s and 80s; the mafia turmoil and the bombing of the Uffizi in the 1990s; September 11th and the aftermath of international terrorism throughout the 2000s; and now we are prepared to face down with intelligence and fortitude--armed with our masks and sanitary gel--this devastating virus.

I know this to be true. I know this to be true because we directed and witnessed firsthand the dedication of our international family of Seminoles. We experienced the late nights and early mornings of managing the suspension of the program, advising and guiding our students back home when and where we could.

No one panicked; no one broke down; everyone made it home safely. Our staff immediately went to work in the residences, collecting inventories, packing, and preparing the shipping of the students’ belongings, but on March 9th we went into our national lockdown and did not come out of it until two months later.

Our students were most understanding and eventually they received their belongings at the beginning of June.

We also had to make the transition to remotely-taught courses, our staff and faculty getting crash courses in canvas, zoom, and the digitizing of material and resources.

Encouraging messages and calls of support from students, former students (many from 1966), parents, and International Programs in Tallahassee kept us strong and resilient. We hope the pages of this edition of Italianoles can return the favor in a small way. We have all made sacrifices since February, and we must make them still. Florence is quiet and empty now, the economy has sputtered, but as it always has done in the past, it endures.

And out of this endurance a new era and good fortune await Florence and our community of Seminoles.

Yours, F. Nero Director, FSU Florence Program FSU Florence Alum, 1994 Lucia Cossari Associate Director, FSU Florence Program

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WE ARE FSU FLORENCE Professor Costanza Menchi

COM MU NITY

Professor Rahoul Masrani

Program Coordinator Laura Bonanno

CUL TURE Professor Alan Pascuzzi

Professor Amy Gulick

Professor Aoife Keogh

EDU CAT ION Professor Pia Farracin

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Professor Nicole Cuddeback

Professor Natalia Piombino

RESI LIEN CY

Professor Chearles Panarella

Professor Giacomo Sproccati

GRA TITU DE

Professor Maria Michela Mattei

Faculty Services & Program Coordinator Vanessa Kummer

COM MITM ENT

Professor Eduardo Sanin

Professor Emiliano Wass

Professor Luca Bufano

Professor Michelle Eccles

HO PE Professor Rachel Baron

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Picture by Professor Costanza Menchi

Happy Drawing by Elia Pascuzzi 7 year old

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News and Updates From Florence

This section includes experiences, feelings and memories about the unexpected experience the FSU community in Florence has been through, due to the COVID-19 emergency.

We share it with you in order to remember those days to be ready to face a new future based on resilience and faith in a new beginning together.

During Italy’s two-month lockdown, Italy was united as one community.

Children across the nation drew rainbows with the phrase “Andrà Tutto Bene” (Everyting will be all right), lifthing the spirits of all Italians.

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Cecilia Del Re Municipality of Florence Councilwoman Exclusive Interview

by Professor Costanza Menchi

Cecilia Del Re Municipality of Florence Councilwoman for Urban Planning, Environment, Urban Agriculture, Tourism, Fairs and Congresses, Technological Innovation, and Information Systems Exclusive Interview By Professor Costanza Menchi Questions & Answers CM: How the Municipality of Florence has been facing the COVID-19 emergency?

CDR: Right from the beginning Florence took a hard hit from the lockdown decreed by the prime minister on March 9th making all of Italy a red zone. Generally, from the beginning of the crisis the mission of the municipal government has been to put into action urgent measures in order to help our citizens and those sectors of the local economy experiencing the most difficulty. First and foremost, our principle duty was to safeguard the health of our residents and healthcare workers to whom we owe an enormous debt of gratitude for their work on the frontlines saving human lives. With great internal organization and collaboration, in only a short period of time our hospitals and healthcare infrastructure adapted to meet the Covid19 emergency, and this permitted us to contain as much as possible the number of infections in the city.

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CM: Which are the most significant initiatives the city council have put in place in order to stay close to the citizens, and especially those who are more fragile, such as elderly, people with disabilities, homeless?

CDR: Since the onset of the crisis, the City of Florence has enacted many initiates in support of all our citizens, especially for those who find themselves in fragile circumstances.

In particular, we instituted the following: - Volunteer groups for the home delivery of groceries and prescription medicine - Trash removal assistance for those physically unable to leave their residences - Activation of a city hotline for residents with disabilities - Activation of a psychological and mental health hotline via the professional organization of Tuscan psychologists

- Activation of a domestic abuse hotline operated in collaboration with various anti-violence associations - Activation of a childcare hotline, in collaboration with the children’s hospital of Careggi.

- Most recently, we enacted a renter relief fund and delivered door-to-door masks to each and every one of our citizens - We have also extended guaranteed service in food banks and dormitories reserved for the homeless population

CM: How the Florence citizens are responding to the emergency?

CDR: As they have demonstrated in the past, the citizens of Florence have responded to this crisis with enormous heart and a great sense of responsibility. Present in our city are numerous volunteer groups who moved quickly to put themselves in the service of the municipal government so we could in a timely fashion enact the measures mentioned above. Individual citizens and business owners also made themselves available to us with a great sense of altruism. Many business owners, for example, responded to our call to find lodging for nurses hired during this period of emergency to support our healthcare system. Without their generosity, there would have been serious difficulties finding appropriate housing for our healthcare workers. Obviously, our concerns are numerous, and some citizens have not abided by our measures, but overall the city has responded well to this emergency.

CM: How the technology is supporting the Municipality and the Police in keeping under control the territory?

CDR: Technology is an instrument that proved to be fundamental to the management of all the services provided by the municipal government. In a matter of only a few days thanks to the hard work of the city’s IT team, all of our employees were equipped to work remotely from home. The crisis revealed difficulties with home connectivity and the lack of hardware, but with a concentrated effort we were able to overcome them. Technology allowed us to continue offering services to the citizenry, and facilitated the functioning of the city cabinet and committees.

New technology has also had an important role regarding the surveillance of of our territory, allowing us to enforce the stay-at-home mandate. For the first time drones were used to support our police officers, and wifi and cellphone data tracking contributed to decisions regarding some municipal regulations such as the closure of parks to avoid gatherings of individuals in public.

CM: How do you see the future evolution of Florence as a green, smart, sustainable city?

CDR: Sustainability and a sensitivity to the Green movement have a fundamental and central role for our city as part of the mayor’s Firenze Smart initiative, clearly they are central points in the operational plan we are drafting to guide the design of the Florence of the future. Specifically, we are projecting the realization of over 2 million square feet of new park and garden space that will be carved out of dozens of public areas currently uncured or non-existing.

Micro-zones for only pedestrians and bicycles will be mapped out, along with therapeutic forest areas within our urban parks. We would also like to reduce regulations on agricultural lands as an incentivizing factor.

CM: Which is the message you would like to send to the Florida State University Florence Program, International Community, and to all the American and International students who deeply love Florence, Tuscany region and Italy?

CDR: At the beginning of this emergency a regional ordinance was signed guaranteeing health coverage to foreign students in line with the measures already in place for our citizens in Tuscany. Most importantly, since these students do not have a family practitioner, the region established an information and emergency hotline for those who needed it.

16,000 foreign students arrive in Tuscany every year, 10,000 of which come to Florence. In other words, Tuscany alone makes up half of the 30,000 yearly student entries into Italy, the majority of whom come from North America.

The message I would like to convey to them is one that regards the extreme attention we are paying to their health - that Florence is preparing as always to offer high quality services with the maximum amount of safety.

CM: Which role the technology, research, and innovation will play in the future Florence recovery?

CDR: It will have a fundamental role in this our New Renaissance. An operational plan to bring us into the future will be our principal instrument. It will not only determine urban regulations, but the entire redevelopment of the city. Our idea is to repurpose former industrial areas to house technology companies and research labs, and realize a technology campus specialized in bio-and-medical technologies. Additionally, thanks to funding in our urban planning sector, our fiber optic system will be extended to areas of the city still not covered by it. Another important objective is to realize a space completely dedicated to Coworking in the former Caribinieri barracks at Santa Maria Novella. It will be a center for digital innovation located right in the heart of Florence and open to all Florentines.

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Cheek Kisses

by Dr Rahoul Masrani Professor of Media and Communications

The idea of ‘personal space’, so prevalent in America, doesn’t carry nearly the same significance for Italians. This is a country where people greet new acquaintances with at least a handshake— but often with a kiss on each cheek.

Polite affection and solidarity are often communicated through a gentle touch on the shoulder. Getting ‘up close and personal’ is normal, even expected.

Even in the context of payment transactions, I always find it amusing that contactless card payments are referred to as ‘contact’ in Italian — the exact opposite of contactless! These quirks, that make Italy charming, endearing, fascinating and loved by so many, were abruptly halted on March 9th, when the entire country went into full lockdown in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

Social distancing suddenly became the new norm, with people required to keep at least one metre or three feet apart—later revised to two metres or six feet.

For the duration of the quarantine, we must carry a self-certification document justifying our movements, or risk a hefty fine. Only those shops providing essential goods remain open—these include pharmacies and grocery stores. All other retailers are shut, as are schools, universities, gyms, social clubs, bars, restaurants and cafes. Coffee made on the stovetop in a moka has replaced an important cultural staple—a quick stop at one’s local bar for a caffè.

Technology has become central to life in the country, with even the famous Italian aperitivo now an online event—and we are grateful for FaceTime, Zoom, Skype and other platforms that make these interactions possible! The crisis has demanded a huge shift in the way people operate. The ‘in your face-ness’ of life here, with its strong community aspect, has for now been replaced by online video interactions - chats with friends and family, and learning sessions with teachers.

Has this challenging transition, from face-to-face to online, caused the community spirit, so central to Italian culture, to waver? My infrequent trips to the supermarket suggest that, on the contrary, this spirit is alive and in some ways even more vibrant. As a media scholar, I have been following the portrayal of the crisis in the various news outlets with great interest. I was surprised to see non-Italian media reports focusing on the barrenness of life in lockdown Italy, given that our shelves are well-stocked (no toilet paper shortages here!) and people are kind to one another (whilst of course respecting the two-metre rule); not to mention the plethora of footage of singing, performing and clapping from our balconies to show solidarity and to thank healthcare workers. The warm and smile-filled conversations I’ve had queuing outside my local supermarket suggest that the desire for human contact, albeit from a distance, is still a fundamental part of life in this country.

We have transitioned into unfamiliar territory. I distinctly remember a conversation I had with a retired gentleman at my gym, only a few weeks before the lockdown. He joked that he spent more time chatting with his friends in the changing room than he did on the gym floor. For what it’s worth, I told him not to fret, as being socevole (social) was also healthy.

The suspension of this key aspect of our existence – the social closeness – has meant adapting our daily lives and habits. While I miss my students very much and fondly recall my morning caffè normale at my local bar, we all know that this is temporary. As well as focusing on the limitations of the current situation (which is only human and natural), we can embrace the opportunities offered by this transition. We will hopefully emerge from this crisis with a renewed appreciation for all the means of communication available to us. We will probably re-evaluate many aspects of our ‘normal’ life and will perhaps decide to leave some of them

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behind—while bringing forward new strategies and ideas.

After all, it is spring, the season of rebirth, a renaissance of sorts. The sun is shining and the trees are bursting with life. One can feel the very essence of transition in the air (albeit during the short essential outings). Yet, I hope, some things will remain the same. One such thing that springs to mind—with the pun fully intended—is the local passion for eating seasonally, another beautiful aspect of Italian life. Spring highlights like strawberries and asparagus may not be the solution to the crisis, but they do remind us of Italy as we used to know it and give us hope that Bella Italia will eventually be back to its glorious self, cheek kisses and all.

Andrà tutto bene!

The Italian Fashion System is Taking Action.

by Professor Costanza Menchi Fashion Merchandising and Communication Made in Italy Program Coordinator

On February 21st 2020, when the stories about the first cases of COVID-19 in the Lombardy region began circulating, I, like many others was on my way to Milan to attend the Women’s FW 20-21 Fashion Week. What happened over the next few days, weeks, and months has been a challenge for all of us. No one was expecting such a huge global crisis to ensue, changing our lives forever.

My schedule, which included attending fashion shows, events, presentations and press conferences, was super busy. I was very excited because I had a lot of projects and meetings organized to discuss and plan our FSU Fashion Merchandising and Communication course, with the hope of offering great and unique opportunities to our students. In the past, Milan has always been exciting during these events, as it is a city full of energy, and creativity. Just walking around is so inspiring: the architecture, exhibitions and places to see are always projected into the future. After the Expo in 2015, the city has achieved a starring role in the International scenario: tourism has grown, big infrastructure projects have seen the renovation of industrial and social spaces, sustainable projects and attention to the environment have flourished into concrete initiatives though green architecture, including the improvement of public transportation and shared mobility.

Let’s not forget that the city will host the 2026 Olympic Games.

The atmosphere this time was not only unusual, it was surreal. There were fewer people around, and with the passing of time we all became conscious that the situation was evolving rapidly, becoming more and more serious. On Sunday February 23rd, the first designer who decided to hold his fashion show behind closed doors was Mr. Giorgio Armani, to support the government’s initiatives in safeguarding the public’s health. The show was streamed live on digital platforms.

We all are aware of what happened afterwards, and how things evolved incredibly quickly. On March 9th, the Government of Italy under Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed national lockdown measures.

The majority of the Italian fashion labels have rapidly converted their production and supply chains to aid in the battle against COVID-19. Salvatore Ferragamo, in its laboratories in Florence, has been manufacturing and donating 100,00 TNT antibacterial masks, providing 50,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and 3,000 FPP1 masks to the local healthcare units in an agreement with the Region of Tuscany.

Kering Group and its Houses, including Gucci, has collectively donated US$1 million to the CDC in the United States to support the valiant efforts of healthcare workers on the frontline in the US and Latin America, by funding the provision of personal protective equipment and other vital supplies. This contribution follows those already made by Kering and its Houses in Italy, France, and China – to the Hubei Red Cross Foundation – in recent weeks, and the production of over one million surgical masks and gowns for healthcare personnel to help fight the spread of the virus. Kering contributes to a Common Thread, the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund as well as Kerby Jean-Raymond’s ‘Your Friends in New York want to Help’ program, to aid the American fashion community impacted by the pandemic.

In Florence, the small medium size artisanal producers and laboratories are also constantly contributing with by sewing surgical masks, donating as much as they can to solidarity projects, volunteering, and supporting many initiatives providing assistance to hospitals, and those who are fighting in the front line.

Italia We are With You is a major solidarity project created by Associates of the Fashion Industry. The project enables the special Commission for the Emergency and the Civil Protection Authority to donate ventilators and other essential equipment, like medical surgical masks, testing reagents and protective clothing, to meet the growing requirements of the country’s healthcare system, The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) is in constant touch with the coordinators of the Italia We are With You project. The medical equipment is provided to all the hospitals in need, starting from the temporary hospital in the former Fiera Milano area, serving as a resuscitation center for Lombardy and the rest of Italy. Each member of the CNMI contributes to the project by donating to the Civil Protection Authority an amount not lower than their annual membership fee. The non-associated brands donate an equivalent amount, while the Associations donate the amount they raised. The list of who has joined is constantly updated on the website cameramoda.it.

The equipment is indispensable for guaranteeing the survival of critical patients and it is, at the moment in which we are writing, very hard to come by due to the global emergency. The CNMI and Chic Investment Group, the CNMI’s Chinese partner, with the support of Ernst & Young’s China and Italy international teams, directly facilitated the cooperation between the Italian Civil Protection Authority and the SINOPHARM (China’s largest medical group) for medical and technical supplies arriving in Italy from China.

In such an unprecedented situation, navigating through such troubled times, a common sense of solidarity has become stronger than ever. All the Italian fashion houses continuing to act every day with concrete efforts, in contributing to citizens’ safety and well-being as the first priority. As we navigate the crisis together, by finding solutions, and collaborating, we meet the new spring season of rebirth, under the positive light of a brand new Renaissance.

We shall overcome this together.

#iosonomilano #iosonofirenze #iosonoitalia

Selfie by Professor Costanza Menchi

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The Small Things

by Laura Buonanno Program Coordinator

When I was 12, my parents bought me a new mountain bike, and I would spend my afternoons after school exploring our neighborhood. I would cycle nowhere in particular, but I always found different areas that I had never seen before on any of our family walks. There were creeks, woods, and fields undiscovered and all within walking (or biking) distance of my house.

These past few weeks, under quarantine rule, I can’t help but feel as if I’ve been brought back to my exploring days. We are not supposed to go far from our house if we do venture out at all, and although I don’t have any dogs to take out for a walk, I do have 2 children. We’re so lucky to have a beautiful field behind our house that is vast, full of flowers, trees and a few benches. In the distance, we can see a crop of old villas in the hills, overlooking the field. I’ve lived here, in this area of town, for about 5 years now, but I’ve never really lived it until now.

Mornings are now spent getting the kids breakfast, getting homework done and out of the way for that day, and then taking them out to the field to run around a bit. We’ve found new corners, hidden benches, beautiful budding dogwood trees, and so many different flowers scattered everywhere. We take a frisbee, a soccer ball, or nothing at all and just walk through: the field is not a park, so without any slides or jungle gyms to climb on we are left to our imaginations. My son loves to cover every area we hadn’t covered the day before, and we always find something new. I’m fascinated by the crumbling wall facing the field and how old it must be. There is another area with a magnolia tree that has various nests and birds chirping from every direction and who knows what else living underneath it. My daughter loves finding new flowers and picking as many as possible. Each day she comes back with different bouquets of buttercups, bluebells and daisies. The flowers not falling out of her small hands are overflowing from her pockets and we make flower necklaces and crowns with them.

Lately, with the grass gone uncut, the field has become even more beautiful.

Walking through this week with my children, the sun shone down on us and we all held hands as we headed towards our favorite bench underneath a dogwood tree. The wind was blowing and the field became an undulating sea full of waves moving back and forth. No one was out and all we heard were birds chirping and a constant hum of bees in the dogwood tree. My daughter looked up at me and smiled, and I thought, ‘she’s creating a memory in this moment’.

There is so much beauty to be seen in everyday things that are right under our nose, and so many times our busy schedules get in the way of us stopping to appreciate the small things. These past few weeks have forced us all to slow down a bit and to look around, and for that I’m grateful.

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Gratitude and Resilience

by Tamara Pfeil Financial Coordinator

These are the two words -and the lessons- most important to me.

A lesson that I wish to extract from this frightening situation and that I hope to transmit to my children.

Gratitude, for having the privilege of staying at home and being able to work and study from home while other people are on the front lines fighting a terrible battle.

And they fight it for everyone, even for those of us staying at home.

It is not only Italian law that requires us to stay at home, it is also a larger law, which respects life itself. Because life must be protected - not only ours, but also that of others. And it is precisely others that we must worry about: in this unusal period we are not in danger, we are the danger.

Resilience, because sometimes life freezes, turns on itself and transforms.

Thus our children (and we, ourselves!) must begin to understand that there may be a moment, in which we must stop, take a deep breath and gather our strength.

An opportunity to grow inside and through that fostering growth - a maturity to be gained, not from day to day work or just getting through each day, but from understanding overall that bad things happen, in everyone’s life, and the difference lies in how we react.

Adverse circumstances are also an opportunity.

Despite everything and sometimes against all odds, you can effectively face the difficulties and give new impetus to your existence, even achieving important goals. It all depends on how we know how to react.

Finding in yourself, in human relationships and in life the strength to overcome adversity and also to focus on what you have instead of what is missing. Always.

Gratitude and resilience. I am sure that we will recover, and we will all be stronger and more aware than before.

And it is with the same awareness, with the same certainty and the same gratitude that I see our new Palace in Via de ’Neri as the bridge that will lead us into our new life.

Our new “afterlife”, that same life that previously taught us that together we can face everything, every adversity.

We will come out of this stronger, and even better than before.

#andràtuttobene #celafaremo 15

Spring Rebirth and Hope

by Chiara Basile Istituto de’ Bardi Director

All seasons speak to our senses in their own peculiar ways, but spring is surely the one that inspires the broadest variety of emotions. It is the moment when nature blossoms and comes back to life in all of its strength and magnitude.

Spring and its multiple transformations undoubtedly represent the ideal season for working with your hands. Craftsmanship blossoms and comes back to life in the warm spring days and so does the Istituto de’ Bardi.

The Istituto de’ Bardi is a non-profit foundation that promotes craftsmanship and educates people about the artisanal arts, and whose creation is a charming story of partonage set in Florence in the 19th century. The Institute was founded in Florence on January 1, 1829, upon the will of Count Girolamo de’ Bardi, who devoted a portion of his conspicuous inheritance (no less than 50,000 ecus!) to the creation of a school aimed at providing free education to the needy artisans of the City of Florence.

The institute went through some troubled times until 1865, when the Istituto de’ Bardi finally established its headquarters at the Palazzo Capponi, in the working class neighbourhood of Santo Spirito, where the Count Girolamo de’ Bardi had wanted it to be. Palazzo Capponi (Number 2, Via de’ Michelozzi), next to the Basilica di Santo Spirito) is still, almost two centuries later, the Istituto de’ Bardi’s current headquarters.

In 1966, Florence was hit by a terrible flood that severely damaged the Oltrarno, the district that was known as the beating heart of the Florentine ancient tradition of craftsmanship, where the institute was located. The Istituto de’ Bardi continued its educational activities, but was flooded and its building was seriously damaged.

Lacking funds, the school for artisans was closed.

In more recent times, Palazzo Capponi was entirely restored and given a new lease on life.

Count Girolamo de’ Bardi’s original design was refreshed and modernized, and in the finally adequate headquarters the Istituto de’ Bardi went back to its original splendour, blending with Florentine life and the Oltrarno neighbourhood.

Unfortunately, craftsmanship as a practice nowadays is scarcely attractive to young people, and it is difficult to recruit new artisans. Production and distribution of artisanal works is going through a difficult phase. The Istituto de’ Bardi has the ambitious mission to promote the culture of artisanal know-how beyond the city’s borders and enhance its practices with experimentation and new technologies so that handcraft becomes a formidable tool for growth.

The Istituto de’ Bardi’s activities are open also to foreign artisans and artists and to the new techniques that they may represent, attempting to enhance synergies between local artisans’ experiences and the new international craftsmanship techniques. This combination can only but nourish new ideas for the promotion and education to craftsmanship.

The Istituto de’ Bardi’s collaboration with an important American educational institution such as Florida State University, meant opening our laboratories to a young and international audience, moving the attention from the object - the artisans’ product - to the subject - the artisan-, and promoting not only the product in itself, but all the culture and tradition that lies behind it. In this way, artisanal activity can become an innovative, experience-based tourist attraction.

Visual emotions and the materials that students touch and work with, offer them the chance to experience their own intense emotions and allow them to discover some of Florence’s esteemed artisanal heritage.

Chiara Basile, Istituto de’ Bardi

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www.istitutodebardi.org

Montedomini Senior Citizen Center

by Tarcisia Barazzuti Coordinator at the Social Coop ARCA

On March 10, we were ordered to close the Airone elderly day center. The news arrived in the afternoon, and left our dear elderly guests astonished and in disbelief.

Owing to the Coronavirus crisis, we had, just a few weeks earlier, suspended a number of activities and projects like our collaboration with Florida State University.

Our fundamental, productive collaboration involves a series of meetings between our elderly guests and FSU students. Our guests always appreciate and anticipate these meetings with the “young Americans,’ and enjoy spending a few hours together to cultivate a cheerful and uplifting mood.

The suspension of our activities due to the Covid-19 emergency led us to think about what we could do for our elderly friends, many of whom live alone and sometimes have troubles with their short-term memory. It is therefore important, at this time, not only to prevent social isolation, but also to remind them of the rules they need to follow, such as staying at home, limiting social interactions, in addition to helping them carry out their daily errands like grocery shopping, picking up their medication etc.

Fortunately, there are a number of associations working to help people in need. The City of Florence has a help line that elderly and vulnerable residents can call to seek help and information.

We do collaborate with the City’s help line and organize a constant and continuous round of phone calls to our guests so that they do not feel alone in facing this difficult moment. We are aware and certain that our presence will help them cope with loneliness, and look forward to the day when they will go back to spending their days at the center with the “young Americans,” and not to mention learning a few English words!

Practicing Italian

Professors Patrone, Menchi, Panarella togeter with Daniela at Montedomini during the activities

Bingo Time

Playing Games

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

This section explores living and studying in Florence through the eyes of our students.

This semester students had to face umpredicatable and challlenging moments but with the guidance of their professors and staff and their own excitement about learning they never stopped being curious about the richness of Italian culture.

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A glimpse of one of the many side canals in the city By Allison Earley

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Photography for Non-Art Majors Class Professor Michelle Eccles

Crossing Bridges. A Solo Diary

by Student Allison Earley

The streets of Venice were sparse, the off-season and cold weather a good excuse for any tourist to forego the city. For me, however, this meant an opportunity to get well and truly lost in the tight alleyways and lonely backstreets of the city (and I mean that literally – I have an awful sense of direction). But directional mishaps or not, it was an utterly beautiful place the likes of which I had never been to before, and the stunning architecture and ethereal feeling of the floating city had me in love from the moment I stepped out of the train station. It felt like something of a milestone – I had gone places on my own before in America, but there was certainly a difference when it came to being an ocean away from any familiar culture. Venice was a labyrinth, but I didn’t mind finding my own way along the quiet neighborhoods, or stopping to watch a taxi or a ferry go by on the Grand Canal. Every tiny, twisting crack in the wall could open up to an entirely different view, hiding beautiful and family-owned shops, cafes, and eateries. In the empty restaurant tucked into a side street where I stopped for dinner, my waiter sat with me and (tried) to bridge the gap in my Italian skills, and offered me the homemade sorbetto. Before leaving, he told me earnestly, “Come back in four months, and we will have a conversation in Italian.” It was an incredibly memorable and personal experience, something I’ll surely remember even years down the line.

Venice canals perspectives By Allison Earley

There are 391 bridges in the city of Venice. They crisscross over the waters of the canals, some arching elegantly high above the water, others only a few squat feet across. The web of bridges spins all across the tiny islands of the city, caught in the masterpiece of architecture, weaving a labyrinthine path to trap tourists in the fantastical and unforgettable sights, sounds, smells, and tastes, of historic Italy.

With graduation looming and the growing expectation to get a job and start “real life” just beyond the semester, the experience somehow soothed my worries, offering instead a glimpse at the joys the transition to adulthood could really bring.

Instead of the gnawing pit of anxiety I had expected, I felt a breathless exhilaration, excitement for things to come in my life. This wasn’t a plunging cliffside ready to throw me to the waves of adulthood, but a graceful, arching threshold, urging me to step forward. Transitioning from being a student to a “real” adult was something I had been fretting over for years, but as I crossed those magnificent bridges of Venice – and of Florence, Rome, London, and many other cities – I felt like each one was bringing me closer to the beginning of something really wonderful.

There are certainly words to describe the experience of studying abroad – enlightening, inspiring, unforgettable – words that have all been said before. As my last academic semester, I couldn’t have asked for anything better, and though it was bittersweet to know I would be leaving the new friends and professors behind, I felt confident knowing this push into independence would stick with me forever.

Studying abroad was my first time out of the country alone, and though it was a big change, I found myself in love with Italy. Being able to spend my last semester of being an undergraduate in Florence with Florida State was more than I had ever hoped. Our brilliant professors were all eager to show us the opportunities Florence had to offer – from exploring the sprawling Mercato in Food and Culture, to seeing iconic works of art in Art History, and even getting hands on experience in historic crafts from laboratories of the masters in Craftsmanship & Design.

Meeting new people, forming new connections, and exploring a new city and culture was not something I had ever thought I’d actually get to experience it really felt like a dream come true.

Only a short train ride away from Florence, the home base of the FSU study abroad program and where I was going to be staying for the next few months, Venice was where I decided to take my first trip of the semester. As a senior in my very last months of being an undergraduate, I was keen to see the sights, and I didn’t mind flying solo to do it.

View of the Grand Canal By Allison Earley

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Through my Eyes Pictures

by Student Madison Hopkins

Exploring By Madison Hopkins

Travelling By Madison Hopkins

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Photography for Non-Art Majors Class Professor Michelle Eccles

Visions By Madison Hopkins

Secret Bottles Details By Madison Hopkins

Art and Beauty Details By Madison Hopkins

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Porto Portugal Food for the Soul By Gillian Lurie

Porto Portugal Bird’s Eye View By Gillian Lurie

Porto Portugal A Genuine Moment of Affection By Gillian Lurie

Photography for Non-Art Majors Class Professor Michelle Eccles

The Beauty in the Things Around us that are Unfiltered and Untouched

by Student Gillian Lurie

The first three photos were taken in Lagos, Portugal at sunset at the beach. I took these photos because they made me smile and remember how beautiful nature is.

Each the concept is to make people see the beauty in the things around us that are unfiltered and untouched such as the natural food in the bowl, the sunset, the water, the photo of the rooftop view in Porto, the sunset on the Ponte Vecchio, and more.

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1.Lagos Portugal Sunset On The Water 2. Florence Ponte Vecchio Just Before the Sun Set 3. Prague Chimney Tower 4. Lagos Portugal Crisp Blue Waters 5. Florence Boboli Gardens A Sunlit Walk 6. Lagos Portugal cotton candy sky 7. Lavacchio Winery Simple Life 8. Florence local record store Worldwide Jams By Gillian Lurie

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Photography for Non-Art Majors Class Professor Michelle Eccles

The “Environmental Portraiture” Photographic Method

by Student Michaela Meyer

For my Photography class assignment, I had to recreate a photo made by one of the three photographers given to me. I could have chosen any photo taken by either Arnold Newman, Edward Weston, or Bill Brandt.

I decided on the photo, Igor Stravinsky by Arnold Newman, who was known for pioneering the “environmental portraiture” photographic method.

These photos were part of a collective project focused on portraits in different lighting situations.

The picture of Sam in the record store is an example of bouncing light, where the light is coming from one light source, bouncing off of an object, and hitting her face.

Sam looking at a record By Michaela Meyer

The picture of Sam sitting on a chair is an example of side light, because the light is hitting her face from the side.

Sam sitting on a chair against a wall By Michaela Meyer

The picture of Same smiling is an example of shooting into the sun, where the light is hitting her face head-on and creating a cool ‘transparent’ effect in her hair.

Sam smiling among the streets of Florence By Michaela Meyer

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Train approaching a station By Michaela Meyer

Nature trail in Sintra By Michaela Meyer

Cat lounging in the sun By Michaela Meyer

These photos were part of another project, where we had to take different types of shots that Michelle assigned us.

The ones shown here are blurred motion (train approaching a station), “who cares” (cat lounging in the sun), storytelling (nature trail in Sintra, Portugal), and panning (vespa driver). Blurred motion is when you slow down the shutter speed to get an object in motion to blur.

“Who cares” photos are when the photo doesn’t have a foreground or background, and everything is in focus.

Storytelling is kind of the same as a landscape photo: everything is in focus, and the photo is a long shot (meaning the distance between the camera and the subject is great).

Panning is when the camera follows an object in motion at the same speed that it is passing, creating an effect where the subject is the only thing in focus and the background is blurred.

The first 3 of these photos were taken when I was in Portugal!

Vespa driver By Michaela Meyer

Person clicking their heels in a parking garage By Michaela Meyer Historical Photo Recreation (man sitting at a piano) By Michaela Meyer

This was taken during a photo walk that was assigned, where we had to go on a walk and take nine photos!

I walked along Park Avenue, back in Orlando.

This was our very first assignment for photography!

We just had to differentiate between a “snapshot” and a “photograph” - this was my “photograph.”

This was taken at the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore di Firenze.

Friends watching the sunset in Madrid By Michaela Meyer

Shadow taking a photo of the Duomo By Michaela Meyer

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International Food & Culture Class Professor Lucas Lanci

Bringing Italy Home

by Student Abigail (The Rock) Bedard

On August 29th 2019 I arrived in Florence, Italy. I had only been to Italy once before when I was really young so I did not remember much.

Little did I know I was about to learn everything there was to know about Florence; I was going to live in this amazing city for nine months.

Rather quickly I learned the principles of the language, met local people, and adapted to their social way of life.

Most importantly, I noticed the intense and varied food culture throughout the entire country. One thing I soon realized was that everyone took time to thoroughly enjoy their meals. People would sit in a very relaxed state and actually enjoy the time spent at the restaurant in each other’s company.

Whether they were at a panino shop, a café, or even a fancy restaurant, the appreciation for food and the people whom they shared it with were always the same. Not only did the people dining at the restaurants show this appreciation, but so did the chefs and servers. Almost every restaurant made their pasta fresh and homemade. The ingredients tended to be sourced from family farms or local markets. Even I found myself shopping at the local markets for all of my groceries.

This way of life gave me a new appreciation and knowledge of fresh, local, and seasonal foods.

One of my favorite trips while I was in Italy was when I travelled to Calabria to visit my family. I had not seen my cousins, uncles, and aunts since I was about three years old, and did not speak to them very often due to the language barrier.

However, as soon as I arrived I was met with big smiles and a freshly cooked meal.

Every time is was lunch or dinner time, I found myself walking through the town with my cousins to see a new family member, who would be preparing what I would consider a feast!

Everything was freshly grown from their farm or gardens--from the tomatoes and beans to the olive oil it was all so delicious. I even visited the farm where my Nonno - my grandfather worked before emigrating to America.

My family showed me around the farm and explained how they worked to make the best quality ingredients.

On the last night I was in town we had a big dinner with family members from all over Calabria. We had fresh bread, salads, pasta, pizzas, and tiramisu.

Everything was absolutely delicious, but the best part was that everyone sat and talked for hours while enjoying our meal--they even helped me out with some Italian! Although my grandparents live over 4,000 miles away now, every meal I ate while in Calabria reminded me of all the meals my Nonna still cooks for our family in America.

On February 29th, I received the news that I would have to leave Italy. We were not able to go back to Antico Noè for one last panino, or to the Mercato Centrale for fresh ravioli. We just had to leave and go home for the remainder of the semester.

Although I was very upset to be leaving a place I learned to call home, I realized there was a simple way to take the spirit of Italy home with me - through food!

I had to stay at home in a fourteen-day quarantine after returning to the United States. This, however, gave me a lot of time to brush up on my cooking skills.

I decided, much like many Italian families and restaurants, that I would cook with what I had readily available to me.

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First, I decided to make fresh pasta. Pasta has a very simple list of ingredients.

To make fresh pasta I prepared flour, eggs, and a little bit of salt to taste.

I made my dough, rolled it out and cut it into long spaghetti pieces before placing it in the boiling water. After the pasta was cooked, I invited my entire family to come so we could share and enjoy the meal together. The meal may not have been quite as good as the ones I enjoyed in Italy, but the cooking and long sitdown meal reminded me of being there.

I decided that at least once a week, while everyone was home from school and work, we would make one Italian inspired homemade meal to enjoy together.

Considering my grandparents are Italian immigrants from Calabria, I decided I could also share our new routine with them.

Due to the quarantine, I could not physically cook or eat with them; however, I was able to call once a week to tell them about my past meals or even receive recommendations about what to cook next. My grandmother is a fantastic a cook and she enjoyed sharing recipes over the phone and seeing how mine turned out.

Although we may not have been physically together, the idea of food culture gave us something interesting to do and we were able to connect in a deeper, more meaningful way during this challenging time.

After the quarantine was over I found myself being drawn to our local formers’ market instead of the big name grocery stores.

I wanted fresh, farm-sourced, and new ingredients. Not only did these fresh ingredients add a better and fresher taste to the dish, it felt good to help out local small businesses during this time. My family also joined in and helped me cook. We all enjoyed spending time together while also celebrating our Italian heritage. Through a variety of different cooking methods, spices, and flavors, food has an amazing way of helping people connect with different global cultures.

Food culture itself excels at bringing people together. Transporting Italian food culture home with me has helped me fondly remember my time in Florence and grow closer to my Italian-American family and their roots.

Cooking in Italy How to Bake in Florence

by Student Mia Bonet

A selection of pastries from La Loggia, our favorite cafe. Photo by Mia Bonet

It’s nearing Christmas, Florence is becoming colder and lights are being strung up between buildings. It feels more like a winter wonderland than anything back home in Florida - where Christmas decorations are often no more than a sunburnt shirtless Santa on the beach. The thing I missed most from home was my mom’s soft gingerbread. It’s sweet and has a kick of spice.

The entire month of December (and I’ll admit sometimes late November…) our house is filled with the smell of nutmeg and brown sugar. I knew what I had to do to cure my homesickness.

Baking in Florence is hard for Americans. It’s difficult to find ingredients because of the differences in cooking styles, not to mention the language barrier. For example, you have to know Italian to read what’s in the sausage you’re buying, which white cheese on the rack is cheddar, or if the brown spice you picked is allspice or nutmeg. Another issue is not having as much knowledge as the locals.

I didn’t know about the Mercato Centrale, (Florence’s central market where you can find all kinds of fresh ingredients), until halfway through my first semester.

You could always go to Vivi Market, a foreign foods store, to get your American cake mix fix, but sometimes that just doesn’t cut it. For me, I was missing one ingredient: molasses. I learned how to ask for it at stores and quickly realized it wasn’t carried here. I asked my teachers if it was even a thing here and they just confirmed my suspicions. There is no molasses in mainstream stores in Italy (if only I had known about Natura Sì, a health food store in Via Masaccio, where they do sell molasses!). I decided to make it myself from a guide online. It was the key ingredient for the soft and sweet cookies I wanted so badly.

Sadly, it ended up being more of a burnt caramel. I still tried to work it into my dough but it quickly turned into a hot ball of sugar with a greasy butter coating - I couldn’t even stir it.

Me and my friends started laughing, this is how a lot of our baking went. Cinnamon rolls would fall apart in the oven, crepes I’ve made a thousand times would suddenly feel like rubber, the snickerdoodle dough would taste great and then we would coat it and realize that in Italy cinnamon tastes like sand because it is usually sold unsweetened! The list goes on. We decided to make chocolate chip cookies instead, and grabbed stracciatella gelato from Vivoli downstairs.

Not everything will turn out your way, especially not while in Italy - and you always have to be prepared with an equally as sweet Plan B.

More Than Just Ramen

by Student Jordyn John

When you tell someone that you’re living in Italy, the first thing they’ll probably ask about is the food. The reason why is obvious: Italian food is absolutely delicious.

What many people forget, though, is that I’m in Italy for college. Before anything else, I am a college student―and everyone knows how college students eat. We like our food fast, cheap, and easy, which created some interesting dishes when combined with authentic Italian food.

I love going to the Mercato Centrale on weekends and buying fresh pasta, fruits, and vegetables. I lay out all of the ingredients on my tiny kitchen table and get inventing. Lemon blueberry ricotta cake, cherry babka, and rosemary focaccia are just a few things I whipped up over the course of my time in Italy.

Of course, this isn’t to say that my roommates and I don’t enjoy our fair share of ramen. We even found ways to elevate the cheap noodles with our own eggs, meats, and spices. If there’s one thing that living in Italy taught me, it’s that food is an art and its possibilities are limited only by your own creativity. Although I had a thousand “limitations” placed on me (such as unfamiliarity and scarcity of ingredients), Italy made me grow as a cook in the long run. Now that I’m back in America, I’m constantly using what I learned in Italy to cook and bake here!

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International Food & Culture Class Professor Lucas Lanci

The Greatest Pizza on the Planet

by Students Ian Schafler, Brian Manno, Ilan Mussaff

This is a story about three good friends who indulged on a mission to find the greatest pizza on the planet. We were willing to go to desperate measures in order to do so, including risking our lives to dine with the mafia (a story for another day). We traveled to the far ends of Florence attempting to get a taste of the best pizza in existence, all to no avail. That is, until we came across a little modern looking restaurant called Duje.

Little did we know, this restaurant would change our lives forever. When we took our first bites, we knew we’d found our holy grail. In other words, it was the greatest pizza experience we had ever had and through this experience it allowed the bond of our friendship to grow as we indulged in one another’s pies.

This happened to be our last meal together (talk about going out with a bang) and, thankfully, it was the best meal we had and one that strengthened our bond for a lifetime simply all through the power of a good pizza. Each of us had our own unique experience and have included our Duje testimonials:

Ilan Mussaffi: Would Duje be the pizza that I could confidently say was the best I’ve had in my life? The second I touched down in Italy I took it upon myself, not just for me, not just for all my loved ones, but for the entire country of the USA to find the best Pizza in the world, placing this upon myself as a civic duty. I was a bit sceptical.

The place seemed a bit too modern to be the place to enlighten me. However, the instant my pizza arrived from the blazing coal stone oven, I knew this was it before even taking a single bite. My pizza included 4 different tomatoes each coming from different regions of Italy. The tomatoes included the San Marzano tomato, organic green tomato fillets, organic red tomato fillets, and casa marrazzo dried cherry tomatoes.

On top of these exotic, fresh tomatoes were a puglian liquid burrata, Basil, and EVOO. These 7 ingredients turned out to be a lethal combination that seriously changed my life forever. From that day I made a vow to Duje to never have any pizza again until I make my return to my beloved Duje and meet again.

Ian Schafler: As we wiggled our way into the restaurant, sat down, and glanced at the menu we knew Duje was the place for us. The innovative menu choices, cozy atmosphere, and level of comfort each and every one of us had, allowed our dining experience to be brought to life.

While ordering our pizzas, each of us knew we had to order different, eye-catching pies that still attested to our taste buds. I ordered a pumpkin sauce pizza topped with pig cheek and smoked provola cheese.

Seeing this dish being brought to the table, everyone was in awe, not knowing where to start as the steam from the pies guided its way into our nostrils.

We each nibbled our interesting pies, and apart from those who had their mouths full, there were smiles gleaming from a majority of the group. This will forever be one of the best dining and bonding experiences we had as a group Owing to the atmosphere, flavors, and friendships we experienced, we all agreed that we will make it a life goal to return to this legendary eatery.

Brian Manno: As three American college student stumbled into this trendy restaurant, we were surprised. Local Italian eyes wandered all over us: why were they speaking English?

We soon realized that this little modern pizzeria was filled with locals from Florence, suggesting it must be good. Being the only Americans in the restaurant initially made us feel uncomfortable, but excited to see how good this local pizzeria must be. The friendly staff had asked our name for our reservation and led us to our snug, yet comfortable table. After we all settled on unique pizzas, we ordered beers to sit back, converse, and drink before our meal. As the pizzas came out all eyes wandered, and mouths drooled.

We all shared slices of the unique pizzas and loved every single one of them. Being a part of the culture while eating the amazing pizza really made the experience memorable for all of us.

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Paella Connections

by Students Carly Polacek, Jake Steel, Mackenzie Smith

other. Believe it or not, we completely lost track of time, talking for hours about our travel experiences. Between the family of four, we learned many life lessons and looked at life through their lenses. These people are in their later years, realizing that they are not getting any younger. They take advantage of the world around them by visiting one country that they have yet not been to each year. It amazed us that one of the father’s favorite trips was to Cambodia, not what we would immediatley think of as a luxury destination. He said that it made him realize how lucky he was to be living comfortably, and able to travel. The one thing he said that really resonated with us was simple, yet meaningful: “You are only young once. Continue to see the world, and take every opportunity that is given to you.”

During our journey abroad, the three of us made a decision to fully immerse ourselves in the food culture of each place we visited. When we were in Barcelona during spring break, Jake suggested we take a paella class (he had already taken a similar one during his last excursion there). It seemed like the perfect thing to do, considering it gave us the opportunity to try one of Spain’s famous dishes and to learn the history behind it. We arrived at the class in a little bit of a funk, as we were trying to process the fact that we were being sent home, and this was one of our last adventures together.

Had we not signed up for this class, or made conversation with people we otherwise wouldn’t have met, this trip would have been much less memorable. We truly believe the food and drinks we made brought us all together. It is crazy to think that we made friends halfway across the world, during a time in which we thought our adventures abroad were over. This cooking class opened our eyes to not only trying new foods and drinks, but also to a whole new way of viewing friendships.

The class was organized into two big tables, and most of the activities were done in groups. While one group was prepping the seafood and vegetables, our table was enjoying a traditional Spanish tapas- fresh bread with rubbed tomato, olive oil, cured meat, manchego cheese, salt, topped with a pepper. We enjoyed this food with our table and became instant friends with people who were strangers just a few moments ago. After the prepping was done, our table went together to cook the paella, which isn’t as easy as it seems! We learned that Barcelona’s traditional paella consists of purely seafood, and the poultry versions come from other areas of Spain. It was amazing to see that learning to cook this dish—stirring the vegetables, pouring the broth, throwing the rice—brought us all together through struggle and laughter. Everyone was eager to help and do their part, making it seem like this dish was truly made by a family. While the paella was cooking, our chef showed us his favorite recipe for sangria. Jake and Carly were able to make it alongside him, while everyone was cheering them on and chatting about their opinions on sangria.

After all the cooking was done, everybody sat down together to enjoy the sangria and paella- not before a proper cheers, of course! While I’m sure the sangria made everyone more outgoing, it seemed as if the whole group was really forming a special bond. The three of us especially connected with one family in particular, which seemed funny at first because we were significantly younger than them, not to mention at very different stages of life. None of this mattered though, as we were all enjoying a homemade meal together, while taking great interest in the culture surrounding it.

After talking throughout the whole meal, the chef invited us to his restaurant for dessert and drinks. Many people called it a night at this point, but us three, along with the family, decided it would be fun to go and continue getting to know each

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International Food & Culture Class Professor Lucas Lanci

Chianti Connections

by Student Julianna Mileto

There are countless things I miss about Florence, my home away from home.

Florence gave me a whole new community of friends, places to travel, information to learn, and most importantly memories to form. With seven airports and eight flights in between me and JFK, I had a lot of time to reflect on the life I had overseas. A lot of those memories were created over a glass of wine surrounded by good company.

This Florence program gave me a whole new world of experiences. Ranging from singing at the top of our lungs at the Thanksgiving celebration while sipping happily on grapefruit champagne at Machiavelli’s vineyard, to cracking jokes with friends and faculty on our Lavacchio trip.

That day at Machiavelli’s vineyard, the sun had set against the most beautiful landscape I’d ever seen in my life. Faculty and students alike had come together in a loving celebratory mood that was infectious. Not a single soul wanted the evening to end. We were simply content with being in each other’s kind and encouraging company.

The knowledge that our first semester abroad was coming to a close was in the back of our minds. We came together in such love that it poured out of every person there. Even the most reluctant and professional professors were infected by the energy of everyone there. That evening we took more pictures than we’re proud to admit and held all our friends close because the moment was magical.

That wouldn’t be the last time we felt that magic. Halfway through the Spring semester, we were taken on a Valentine’s day excursion to Lavacchio vineyards, where we not only toured but were able to be ‘wined and dined’ by our most special Valentine: FSU. Faculty and students came together and created long-lasting memories as we drank glasses of Chianti. Just like Thanksgiving, the energy on the trip was irresistible. No one drew lines between faculty and student body, instead we were all just old friends enjoying each other’s company, as well as our newfound furry friends courteously shared with us by our friends at Lavacchio vineyard.

The love in the air was palpable. Maybe it was because we were all one our third glass of Chianti, but there wasn’t one unhappy face present that day. With stomachs full of amazing traditional Florentine food and Chianti Classico we couldn’t help but smile. Somehow we were all lucky enough to be on that vineyard, on that gorgeous day, with these special people, drinking that earth-shattering wine.

After experiences like these, I count myself a truly lucky person. Lucky to have been able to witness beautiful sights, meet amazing people, and drink some damn good wine.

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Lockdown by Choice

by Student Nicholas Giammarino

The Experience of One Student Who Stayed Behind in the Midst of the Pandemic I sat down to write this article three times, but to no avail each time. I felt as though I couldn’t accurately capture my emotions with respect to the situation, but now, having just returned home from seeing one of my best friends here for the last time in the foreseeable future, hopefully I can articulate my sentiments and experience. I believe my motivation for staying in Italy during the Lockdown that occurred as a result of the coronavirus is rooted in my youth.

I remember saying many times to my friends that if I didn’t like where my life was going, I would just pick up and move to Italy. Of course, this was said without any real intention behind it. That all changed when I found myself in a situation where this move was possible, albeit only for one year.

Living in Florence was a dream up until the arrival of the coronavirus.

I was doing my best to integrate, learn the language my family had lost when they Americanized, and make friends with as many people as possible. When we found out that the program was cancelled, my initial reaction was to feel distraught, which then reshaped itself into anger.

How could this happen to us? I heard a lot of students express their feelings of sadness, and a desire to stay in Florence despite the circumstances; however, no one seemed to make any effort to do this. In the midst of the situation, I found myself pondering my concept of home. I think we are all raised to think of home as the place where we were raised, where our family and the friends of our youth are.

The two months we spent inside taught me a lot about our resiliency as people in regard to how we respond to difficult situations. I was also pleasantly surprised by the comradery that revealed itself during that period; my friends made sure to check in on me periodically, and vice versa.

As the situation improved and we were able to go back out, Florence felt like a completely new city. I had never known it without the thousands of tourists that roam its streets daily. What was previously a large, multicultural society had quickly turned into an Italian city through and through.

I cannot say if I prefer one to the other, they are both beautiful in different ways.

Now, as I prepare to return to the U.S., I can say with one hundred percent confidence that I made the right choice for me.

I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I was given to live here, all the things I learned about myself, and about the society, the experiences I had, the friends I made, and the struggles I faced I would implore anyone given a similar opportunity to take it, whether it be in Italy at the fantastic new FSU Florence Study Center or at another abroad program.

While I understand why this is the case, I thought heavily about my relationship with Florence. In the end, I came to the conclusion that although we have a strong connection with the place where we come from, there is also a profound bond between who we are and the place where we come to adulthood.

Florence will always be the first city that I lived in on my own, away from home, truly paving my own path and becoming independent. For that reason, I felt a responsibility to remain here in the midst of the virus, as a means of demonstrating my support to the city that has provided me with so much. I cannot say that the situation was easy, although it certainly could have been significantly worse.

Frustrations continued to grow as our quarantine was extended over and over again. Our home felt like a softer version of prison, especially as we peered out into the world between the cracks in our window shutters.

Our longing to go back to any type of normality grew as the days passed. Another big blow was struck when we came to the realization that our program would not reopen for summer; we had previously hoped to resume our studies in May. However, after being in this situation for so long, we chose to tough it out, if for no other reason than to validate all the time we had waited. I must thank my friend Thomas Etter, who chose to stay here with me; without him it would have been extremely difficult to do so.

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

In this section our Staff share their thoughts about the value of community service and the hard work facing the big challanges in lifes.

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Planting Seeds: How the Hard Work of Today Shapes the World of Tomorrow.

by Eduardo Sanin, Community Engagement Coordinator

indeed representative of the hearts and minds of FSU volunteers showing that their service was not a “moment” of giving, but instead a strong commitment to help and change. As a matter of fact many of our students expressed their desire to be able to come back and finish their experience.

Volunteering at FSU Florence has been a key component to the program because of its ability to contribute to our host society in Florence and to allow our students to work on issues they value and create a special form of exploring and learning the local culture through a different lens.

Fortunately for Florence and our FSU family, our students see volunteering as a quintessential form of community engagement, which is a personal practice to incorporate into their daily lives providing a full term commitment. This semester, our student volunteers would dedicate several hours of their week, every week, to partake in their new home community in one of the most sincere and positive ways of engagement: dedicating time and energy to help the less fortunate and those in need.

Unfortunately, this pact that our students assume and the journey they usually traverse was cut short this semester. The COVID-19 pandemic that caught the world claimed Italy as one of its earliest and most serious victims. Even before the semester was suspended, volunteers were kindly asked not to go to their respective centers due to the rise of the emergency level in the region. ‘’Volunteering at FSU was a dream,” Julianna Mileto, who had spent her semester teaching local children English at MyTata, said at the conclusion of her experience.

“The company [I worked with] created such a strong community that I was so glad to have been a part of, and I’m heartbroken to have my time with them cut short.’’

Hers was a quite common sentiment amongst many students who had found a home and community in their respective centers. For our amazing volunteers the disappointment of not being able to participate in their placements and help their respective communities outweighed the fear of the unknown virus at first. This is

Although coming back proved to be impossible as the semester in Florence was suspended, it still must be said that the Spring 2020 class showed constant commitment, empathy and maturity and became what we dearly call our ‘Corona Angels’. It was precisely due to these qualities of our students that the Spring 2020 semester was one of great investment and growth, showing much promise for the future. Since the first day of classes, students would not simply come into school to sign their names under an existing volunteer placement, but also ask me, their Community Engagement Coordinator, to find placements where their skills could best be used. Hence, this semester we had several trailblazers in new placements that have become stable partners moving forward.Particularly, the Pucci Theatre, MyTata Start-Up and the St. James Church Library were all partners we made along the way this semester due to the initiative and proactiveness of our volunteers, expanding the FSU Florence network in the process. More recently, organizations such as the Rober t F. Kennedy House of Human Rights also agreed to partner with FSU volunteers given their reputation, beliefs and work ethic.

Simply put, our volunteer team this semester was so spectacular that they not only got things done in a caring and professional way during their time studying, but their determination and initiative unlocked partnerships and future relations for FSU and the students that will come after them.

Martin Luther King Jr. once stated that ‘’The ultimate measure of [a person] is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge.’’ In these challenging times our students responded with solidarity, composure and optimism, doing what should be done in crisis— investing in a better tomorrow. In their case, this means a better tomorrow for the students to come and the Florentine civil society.

It gives us here at FSU Florence a light at the end of the tunnel and another instance where it is the students who teach us.

Getting out of Unprecedented Times Successfully

by Giacomo Sproccati, Student Life and Health Services Coordinator

When was the last time you hugged someone you care for? The situation we are currently living in comes with many challenges, but we shall not oversee the opportunity it brings about. I find this important because we are surrounded by negative messages. While it is impossible to deny the misfortunes that covid-19 generated, it is equally important to shine a more positive light on its favorable circumstances. This virus is forcing us to change our routine and pay more attention to habitual gestures we used to take for granted. As much as this challenge seems hard to face in the present moment, we know for a fact that it will not continue on forever, and once it will be over, we hope will be better than before. To ensure improvements will occur, we shall focus on two opportunities this virus generates: appreciating time and memory. The pace of our lives has recently slowed down as we spend more time at home. The world we live in lost velocity. This allows us to have more time to consider where we are and where we would like to go. Due to extraneous circumstances, you were unable to finish your semester in Florence, but you still got to complete its first half.

Six weeks in a different country are still a meaningful experience.

How has the first half of the semester changed you? What will be the next step you wish to take once our lives return to normal?Now is the time to think about it.

The challenges we are facing by staying at home most of the day are the opportunity to develop our strength and resistance, skills which will allow us to grow stronger out of the present moment. When we feel like it is too much, our memories are precious to help us find the energy to power through.

Who forgets the first gelato, see the Duomo, walk across Ponte Vecchio, the first glass of wine without being carded on your night out with new roommates and friends, the first class abroad, soccer practice? Enjoyable moments are impossible to forget and power through this difficult time will allow us to live many more soon.

To conclude, we are living an unprecedented time which will always be in our memories. In these weeks we are forced to adjust our routine, but we know it is just temporary.

Don’t forget to imagine how amazing it will be when we will conquer again the normality we used to. Being able to simply get together with some friends for a pizza movie night is going to be very special for all of us.

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Sharing our Students’ Talents

Exploring By Student Madison Hopkins

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ART & CULTURE

This section explores the emerging possibilities, new strategies, and ideas to ensure the high quality education our students expect, without forgetting the importance of direct human interaction.

This section includes vignettes from our faculty and students regarding our rapid transition to remote learning.

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The Trials of Our Day: Historic Reflections on the Past, Present and Future

by Professor Alan Pascuzzi

“

a...pestilence...several years earlier had originated in the Orient, where it destroyed countless lives, scarcely resting in one place before it moved to the next, and turning westward its strength grew monstrously.

No human wisdom or foresight had any value...the sick were barred from entering the city, and many instructions were given to preserve health...despite all this, at the beginning of the spring of that year, that horrible plague began with its dolorous effects in a most awe-inspiring manner, as I will tell you.

”

What reads as a summary of what has happened in the latter part of February and March of 2020 is actually an account of the beginning of the plague in 1348 (!) in the introduction of Boccaccio’s Decameron. I have always made reference in my lectures to students to Boccaccio’s Decameron and the nature of why it was written.

The book tells the story of a group of young people leaving Florence for the hills outside the city to escape the dangers of the disease. As part of a game, they each are challenged to tell stories to entertain each other and pass the time. I intentionally quoted from his introduction to demonstrate how the plague had a tremendous effect on humanity and in turn on art history. Boccaccio’s description, however, was always simply a literary reference, distant and difficult to imagine - at least until now. Upon re-reading the introduction, I was amazed by how Boccaccio’s description accurately describes the current situation:

“

To cure these infirmities neither the advice of physicians nor the power of medicine appeared to have any value or profit; perhaps either the nature of the disease did not allow for any cure or the ignorance of the physicians (whose numbers, because men and women without any training in medicine invaded the profession, increased vastly) did not know how to cure it...

” ”

Another excerpt accurately describes what we are all experiencing:

“

One citizen avoided another, everybody neglected their neighbors and rarely or never visited their parents and relatives unless from a distance...

I also remembered coming across references to the plague in Luca Landucci’s A Florentine Diary. Landucci was an apothecary in Florence who wrote a diary of what happened each day in the city of Florence from 1450 to 1516. It is one of the most fascinating books ever written on Florence and a must-read for anyone who wants to know what it was like living in Renaissance Florence. Landucci mentions ‘the disease’ many times in his entries but the most heartening is from the 5th December, 1496:

“

A case of plague was discovered, after there had not been one for some months.

At this time the complaint of French boils had spread through Florence and the country around, and also to every city in Italy, and it lasted a long time.

Anyone who tired to doctor them suffered severe pains in all the joints, and in the end they returned; so it was no use doing anything. Not many people died of this complaint, but they suffered much pain and annoyance.

”

How then do we learn from past events? Boccaccio wrote of the suffering of the events of 1348 but after it was over, he wrote one of the most important pieces of literature in western culture. After the events of 1348 humanity bounced back, flourished and produced the beauties of the Renaissance which enrich the human experience even in the present day. Landucci makes reference to the resilience of the human spirit through the trials of events out of our control. Both Boccaccio and Landucci are testimony to the hope that this trying time will end and we will flourish again – just like they did.

The current events that are limiting to our lives will certainly pass. Like our parents and grandparents who bravely withstood the trials of similar trying events, we too will dress humanity’s wound and go forward. It is a time of internal fortitude, faith and hope for that day when we can all freely step outside, breathe deeply the fresh spring air and look to the future in the warm embrace of the sun.

Open Educational Resources for Faculty and Students: Improving Classwork, Saving Money.

by Professor Emiliano Wass, Politics and Cultural Anthropology

Open Educational Resources (OER) provide a great opportunity to innovate classwork with little effort while saving students a lot of money.

How can faculty members transition to OER? What are the many advantages for both faculty and students?

Richard Stallman, the father of the free software movement and an early copyleft activist, once explained what he meant by ‘free’: ‘free as in free speech, not free beer’. But what if you could get free stuff in every possible sense of the term, that is, both gratis and libre? And what if this stuff is the very raw material of the teaching profession, knowledge?

That’s what Open Educational Resources (OER) are: granular or composite content that can be freely and legitimately used, distributed, remixed. Think of that particular article that deals precisely with the topic of your interest; the images you want to include in your PowerPoint presentation; the documentary you want to show your students; the textbook you have so desperately sought for so many years. Even better: think of the course reader that you used to assemble for your students; that course reader that you were so proud of because it perfectly matched the needs of your syllabus; that course reader created by photocopying bits and pieces from different books and reviews, hoping that it would all fall under fair use and that you have not committed any copyright infringements. Now, imagine the possibilities if you could only have access to unlimited free materials.

Fortunately, more and more authors, publishers and scholarly reviews are releasing their work under open licenses - which is just fair if you consider that in most cases their research has been funded with public money. This means that such content can be remixed and distributed according to our own needs as teachers, providing us with a great opportunity to be more creative and innovative in our daily endeavors.

OER offer several advantages, for both faculty and for students. As a teacher, I enormously appreciate the fact that they allow me to break the stale monotony of old-fashioned textbooks and build my own course materials that not only fit students’ needs and my own research interests but that are a faithful reflection of the most recent literature. My field of study - politics and new media - is a constantly changing one, a fluid and magmatic landscape, and now more than ever we need updated tools to navigate the complexities of our times. Tools that we can modify if needed, without any fear of legal repercussions. Students, on the other hand, are the ones that benefit from OER more concretely: they save money. A lot of money. Textbook prices can be a serious financial burden for students and are often seen not as an investment but as a waste: why would anyone want to spend tens of dollars for a book which we will become obsolete in less than a year?

In addition, the adoption of OER “forces” us to become familiar with digital technologies and practices: from e-book formats to Creative Commons licenses, from on-line repositories to the software (ideally, free software!) one might need to modify content (word processors, photo and video editors, publishing tools).

And that is a boost in our career a lot of us so desperately need.

FSU has a dedicated team among their librarians that helps faculty members to transition to OER: they can assist in locating, identifying, adopting, adapting and even publishing open educational resources. And, if this were not enough, FSU Libraries offer an Alternative Textbook Grant for those instructors who are willing to replace commercial textbooks with open alternatives or library licensed e-books. This is a great opportunity to become familiar with open licenses, digital technologies and content, and thus discover a world of possibilities and stimuli. OER benefit everyone, for faculty and students alike.

Photo credit - Emiliano Wass CC BY SA NC 4.0

Photo credit - coreeducation CC BY NC ND 2.0

Photo credit - eflon CC BY 2.0

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Media & Communication Class Professor Rahoul Masrani

Transition into Online Learning

by Student Erinn Lyden This Spring 2020 semester was full of fun times, exotic adventures, and meaningful memories until the Coronavirus appeared in Europe.

Italy faced its first wave of COVID19 on February 23rd as the number of reported cases grew from fewer than five to more than 150.

In the Lombardy region, officials locked down 10 towns after a cluster of cases suddenly emerged in Codogno, southeast of Milan.

By February 28th, Italy, already reaching over 800 cases, remained an area of concern.

On February 29th, FSU Florence was released for spring break and four of my classmates and I were enjoying ourselves in the Croatian national park of Krka when, on our way back home, we received an email telling us to pack up our belongings and return to the States, and that we would transition into online learning.

At that moment, we were devastated. None of us had packed our computers to be able to leave directly from Croatia, so we booked the next flight out to Florence, cutting short what was supposed to be our epic spring break trip.

Those next 48 hours would be the fastest 48 hours of my life, topped with a spiraling swirl of emotions. Let me give you a glimpse of what it was like.

March 1st

10:30 PM: I do not think I have ever packed so many belongings so quickly, stuffing an array of items wherever they fit in my luggage, leaving replaceable items behind.

March 2

1:30 AM: I finally finished packing so my friends and I, being the only ones in the Stinche apartments, decided to commemorate and remember our last night in Italy. We decided to get a doner kebab, a late-night favorite, from the best kebab chef, in Florence Ali, who works at a kebab shop near our dorm.

Kebabs in hand, we slowly made our way back to the apartment, stopping at a nearby photobooth to create physical memories from our last night together in Florence.

4:30 AM: We arrive back in our apartment to say our goodbyes after taking a stroll through the quiet city, trying to salvage our favorite parts of our second home while no one was out and about.

11:00 AM: I woke up wanting to see the city one final time before I had to head to the airport at 4. I made stops at all my favorite places including what I think is the best gelateria in Florence, Gelateria Caffè delle Carrozze, located next to the Ponte Vecchio.

2:30 PM: My final stop was The Lion’s Fountain, my favorite Irish pub. I ordered my usual, a Magners Apple Cider and sat in my usual spot, the table in the back next to the TV. I will admit, I shed a few tears because I could not believe how quickly my time in Italy was ending and because of how sad I was to have to leave.

March 3

7:00 PM: I arrived back in Miami, not ready to face my new reality.

Little did I know that for the next two weeks, before Floridians were ordered to

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stay at home, I would be asked by everyone I encountered if I had the virus. I was even kicked out of one of my best friend’s houses because I had been in Italy and her parents were terrified of me infecting them with a virus I did not even have.

The transition to online learning was not the easiest.

There was no more walking to class with friends, no more in-class discussions, no more Italy. My life now has simply become filled with homework that was supposed to be classwork done at home.

We were swamped with work for the first couple of days, trying to play catch up being 5 hours behind and 5,000 miles away. I am just starting to get into the groove of things now being a few weeks into our classroom transition.

I miss having social interactions with my professors and friends but I guess this format will have to do for now until the pandemic is over.

Although my time abroad was cut short, I’m grateful for the people I got to meet through FSU Florence and the family we created.

Personal Transformation: How the Comparative and International Media Course Affected My FSU Florence Experience

by Student Iza Leslie

Looking into the depths of sources to find credible information is one of the most important things I have learned through this course.

Being able to look at a piece of information and question whether the information is correct before sharing it with others, has opened my eyes into being able to identify false information, sometimes known as “fake news”.

Before this class if I had seen news on Twitter that caught my eye, I would usually share it immediately with friends and family. If you see it on the news, it has to be correct, right?

Now I have learned to look deeper into articles that I see on the news.

Throughout the course we learned about news channels publishing items to sway the audience in different directions.

Journalists and content creators have certain guidelines they need to follow in order to be published and those guidelines are sometimes applied loosely, in the aim of being the first outlet to publish braking news.

It is fascinating to be able to take a deeper look into an article and figure out if the news is credible or not.

This class not only helped me think deeper about world events, but helped me feel more confident in public speaking.

We had a small class and it made me feel very comfortable to share my views on a variety of subjects and being able to hear feedback from my peers.

The class was actually my favorite because I was so interested in learning about the topics.

This has been one of the first times that I have felt excited to go to a class.

The class discussions were highly engaging and I loved being able to pick sides and debate with my peers about topics that actually interested me.

In the class talked about events in Florence and events all around the world, which was really interesting.

I loved being able to learn about things happening in the city I was studying in and other places at the same time, to switch things up.

The class was filled with amazing students and a great teacher and it really connected me to my classmates and helped enhance my study abroad experience as a whole.

The skills I learned during the course thus far have transformed my daily life more than I could have ever imagined and I’m thankful I chose to take Professor Masrani’s course.

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Media & Communication Class Professor Rahoul Masrani

Transitions through Twitter: How Our World is Changing One Tweet at a Time

by Student Sydney Diercks

There’s no denying the influential role social media and digital technology have played in shaping the way societies communicate and connect with one another.

Our increased dependence on mobile technology is largely thanks to social media platforms becoming primary sources for news, entertainment, and heightened connectivity.

One platform in particular has revolutionized each of these areas, and that would be none other than the social media giant Twitter.

With over 330 million monthly active users and more than 150 million daily active users - 44% of whom are from the U.S. and between the ages of 18 and 24 Twitter has transformed the ways in which we communicate on a daily basis. Here are 4 ways how:

1.Twitter provides Real Time Global Connection

4.Twitter allows Free Speech and Self-Expression

An advantage the platform offers that differentiates it from others, is that it gives users the ability to have chronological, real-time, nearly instantaneous connection with other users globally. The immediacy behind Twitter is what attracts users to gather information, bear witness to real-time events, and respond to others within seconds. Just consider the last time Instagram was down, and how we all ran to Twitter to find #instagramdown trending, just to make sure we weren’t alone.

Phew, what would we do without you, @Twitter?

Twitter as a social platform thrives from the public conversation that is generated by active users engaging in free speech and self-expression. Features like hashtags, retweets, favorites and threads all act as tools to facilitate public discussion forums on a variety of topics. The prevalence of Twitter’s meme culture is a great example of how this self-expression has manifested over the years to create a resounding cultural impact.

2.Twitter has Become an Everyday News Source

5.Twitter challenges User’s Media Literacy

As a result of this immediacy, Twitter has become a key source for receiving up-to-date and breaking news. By providing a low barrier to publish, Twitter has quickly become a hub for catching all the latest updates on a wide variety of topics. The 280-character limit also encourages the spread of easily digestible, easy-to-read, convenient headlines that many active users prefer. The Trending Topics and search features also make Twitter a one-stop-shop for staying updated on the latest trends and news stories.

The transformations in how societies communicate through Twitter have inevitably led to an increased need for practising strong media literacy and discernment skills. We see this need develop as users are increasingly challenged by the rise of fake news, misinformation, not to mention the sheer volume of noise and clutter that build up on the platform. The coronavirus crisis serves as a great example where there have been numerous instances where misinformation has gone viral despite it being inaccurate. By learning how to effectively develop and implement media literacy skills, the platform encourages people to remain well-informed and capable of identifying and engaging with credible information.

Especially during difficult times such as these, when people may be separated physically, there is a comfort and solidarity knowing we can be more connected than ever, one tweet at a time.

3.Twitter facilitates the Spread of Political Messages and Campaigns One specific area that has seen quite the evolution in how messages are created and spread through Twitter, is that of political messaging and political campaigning. Despite CEO Jack Dorsey recently banning political advertising through the platform, many politicians and public officials—especially US President Donald Trump—continue to make statements via Twitter. On a platform that can quickly inspire collective action through the sharing of information and the allowance of free speech and self-expression to the public, it’s no wonder that political advocates and activists use Twitter as a means of agenda setting and public debate unlike ever before.

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Students On Site Learning Photo by Professor Costanza Menchi

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Photo by Professor Costanza Menchi

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Students visiting Sustainable Thinking Exhibit at Salvatore Ferragamo Museum

FASHION FOCUS

In this section our students explore the behind the scenes of the Italian fashion sistem, they entered the artisans’ laboratories, and they learned the value of the authentic hand made prodution.

They also visited the International textile trade show Pitti Filati, exploring the future trends, understanding the interactions between nature and the fashion system in order to develop a more sustainable future.

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cities under streams of stars

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Materic Poetry: When Nature Meets Recycling

by Silvia Logi - Florentine Artist

I am a self-taught artist from Florence, I have created my own language working with natural and recycled materials together. The initial spark for my art was the intuition that the materials found in nature and many of those thrown away by humans, could get together very well and become the “building blocks” of my mosaics.

My artistic style and technique come from the observation of perfection that already resides within a natural element and the will to make it coexist somehow with manmade objects that are old, worn out and about to be thrown, increasing our already dramatic environmental problems. It can be a tricky balance to reach because normally there is nothing so far from nature, then a manmade object. So its most fulfilling and enjoyable when I find harmony and balance between these apparently opposite elements. All materials are left recognizable in my work, but at the same they are all entwined to depict every time different subjects: an acorn can become the eye of an owl, a pinecone becomes the fin of a fish. Old nails can become rays of a shiny sun, a tuna fish can become a little frame encasing a subject.

The challenge also lies in using a large number of materials with a great sense of game but at the same time research of harmony. Thanks to the endless possibilities of wood combined to the unusual contamination with other materials, I invented my very personal language of “materic fusion”, a unique art form encompassing both art and craft, natural and manmade elements, overcoming and erasing their boundaries Living now in a world where we cannot look away from environmental crisis anymore, climate change, all sorts of catastrophes we are encountering in the recent years, we are on the verge of a new world where everyone must (no more should) become responsible of our impact on Earth. Single individuals should start to feel like part of a mosaic. Yes, no coincidence I said “mosaic”: I love mosaic cause it’s the closest example in art of how humanity works, no matter how individualistic, irresponsible, short sighted we have become , sooner or later nature and life itself brings us back to this simple and irrefutable truth. Like this Coronavirus Pandemic, it has so much to do with our irresponsible behaviors so far, and has definitely forced a sharp stop to all humans activities that may have indirectly caused this virus to start.

Earth is breathing again, and this is a fact, it is recovering very fast from all injuries we had been causing to her, having put on break all our activities and habits on a huge scale. So, when we will go back to normality, this tough lesson must be deeply metabolized. We will have to slide into a new normality that we don’t know yet, where we must be respectful of our planet first of all and supportive with all our sibling human beings on Earth. Priorities should be definitely rescheduled, and economy should become very secondary and supportive to the above two priorities.

And after this excursiveness into the actual situation, here I come back to my work that I really consider like my little mission. Through my art I feel I express much better my ideals on nature and humanity, turning them in a piece, rendering ideas and theories into something that you can see, touch and receive a very direct visual message from.

I love to work on my own, in silence and just follow my inspiration and be driven by materials and mood of the moment. This is how I have been working in the initial

Hummingbird couple

Italian Fashion and Craftsmanship Class Professor Costanza Menchi

years. Nonetheless over time I started to feel the need to make workshops so that I could share this beautiful new language with more people. I realized during my workshops that this kind of mosaic really helps people feeling better. A great sense of lightness and even peace comes from standing in front of all sorts of materials and being able to play in freedom and to look at those objects for the first time in another way, like precious resources and not things to dispose. Gratefulness of my students, either kids or old retired ladies or tourists on a short workshop, is such an important reward for me and it gives me great motivation to go ahead. Pure energy for future projects and achievements. Last but not least, being able to recycle worn out objects into art, it is somehow deeply nourishing for our soul and gives to our artistic language a deeper value connected to a superior aim.

I am confident in the future we will have new opportunities of sharing more handson experiences, and laboratories as we have done so far with the Florida State University students, coming together with joy, passion, and positivity, learning by doing to appreciate the values of staying together, sustainability, respect for nature, and quality behind the unique hand-made goods.

2015 the journey of the ark of beauty

2016 Look out over the stars

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Italian Fashion and Craftsmanship Class Professor Costanza Menchi

Tradition over Technology

by Students Samantha Bloom and James Lattanzi

Thinking that I had known the extent of attention to detail, I was shocked.

Knowing that a laser could produce a similarly looking piece within five minutes, I was unable to estimate the man hours that it would require to be made by hand.

I realized that the handcrafted piece was worth so much more in comparison to the computer lasered version.

Aesthetically, the two pieces may be the same, but when you look at the handcrafted one, and know that someone spent a month to hand chisel the intricate designs, a greater appreciation is formed.

The craft has slowly crumbled within Florence as there are less people that understand the time, effort, and dedication that it takes to create a single piece.

Fortunately, the appreciation still exists for the larger brands that find artisans such as Giuliano Ricchi for one of a kind designs.

Many that walk into this store will appreciate similarly, and this appreciation is what keeps his craft of metal artisan work alive.

Giuliano’s metals by Alex Frantsvog and Lindsay O’Laughlin

When stepping into a hole in the wall metal artisan workspace and shop within Santo Spirito, one word came to mind: tradition. The owner of the store, a middle to older aged man, along with his wife of 55 years walked us into the shop as we were immediately surrounded by decades of blood, sweat and tears.

To begin our visit, the artisan made it known that he is an apprentice to his master who opened the shop many years ago.

Out of respect, he kept the name of his master to the store although his is different.

He learned for many years under his master who showed him the craft, and he and his wife eventually took the business over after his passing.

The artisan explained to us that everything in the shop was handmade, and that while there were many finished products for sale, most of the business that the store conducts is contract based.

Stressing precision and quality, he explained to us that at one point there were many artisans among them in Florence, although most had died out due to the crippling economy and lack of made by hand appreciation.

What makes this shop different than those that were unable to withstand economic downturn is the lasting quality that defines them. The large brands that continue to provide contracts to this store understand that the one of one quality is unmatched.

The artisan began to show us his masterpieces as well as his everyday works of art that are all unique.

Walking through his workspace one can see that his machinery is as old as his craft, and that his workspace produces authentic Italian art.

With immaculate attention to detail, each piece is crafted meticulously.

Pulling certain pieces from his endless workbench, I asked about the time it would take to create a particular frame mold that was immensely intricate. He replied that it had taken a month to chisel the piece by hand.

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Giuliano’s Creations by Samantha O’Boy and Sofia Moises

The Head, the Heart, and the Base: Fragrance and Craftsmanship in Florence

by Students Alex Frantsvog and Sophie Vargas

BB Fragrances

by Professor Costanza Menchi

Essences

by Allison Earley and Shannon Mellish

Hiding indiscreetly by the historic Piazza Santo Spirito is the Instituto de’ Bardi, a bustling hub that is home to various Florentine craftsmen and their workshops.

Originally founded by Conte Bardi 1829, this newly renovated organization works to unite artisans and teach courses that will keep the values of “Made in Italy” workmanship alive. Among these mentors is Beatrice Bernocchi of BB Fragrance, who enthusiastically welcomed the eager students to their own private fragrance-making workshop one windy February afternoon. Upon entering the building, we were escorted through a hall that showcased several works of photography and art (no doubt created in that same space) until we reached the final room, which had been meticulously arranged as a pop-up perfume laboratory.

Bottles, lamps, cups, and swatches were spread out across the desks, ready and waiting for our experiments to begin.

As we filed in to take our seats, we each found a personal setup made for our use.

But before we were able to roll up our sleeves and dive in, Beatrice walked us through the methodology of fragrance making and the particular science behind it.

The most critical concept she explained was that fragrances can be broken down into a set of three “Notes,” according to the olfactory pyramid. The first note is called the “Head Note,” which lasts only a few minutes compared to the others and is considered the lightest yet most attention-grabbing and exciting of the three. Next are the “Heart Notes,” lasting up to a few hours, and functioning as intermediary scents with a medium level of persistence. Finally, there are the “Base Notes,” which can remain for a couple days and act as heavier aromas with a slower emergence. Although there are almost infinite flavors to create, Beatrice helped us by narrowing our selection to a floral theme. Once we understood these concepts, we were ready to go, and the bottles of various essential oils were sent circulating around our stations.

To test the scents, we would first take a strip of test paper, write the name of the fragrance on it, add a small drop to a paper strip, then air it out and smell it. We tested the base scents to start, which mostly came from tree bark or herbs. The most popular among the group were the vanilla and vetiver scents.

Hand Made Fragrance

by Lindsay O’Laughlin and Francesca Recchio

We each added five drops of our three favorite essences into our mixing bowl.

After cleansing our palettes with some coffee beans, we repeated the same process for the heart scents. These fragrances were the most unique, with options such as bamboo, lime, and geranium. We got to choose two of them and added five drops of each to the mixer. Finally, we reached the head scents, which were almost all floral, like lavender and rose. We got to choose three of these to add to our mixture. After a final stir and a sniff of our various concoctions, Beatrice completed the perfumes by mixing the essences with some alcohol and putting the finished product into a spray bottle. The last step in our perfume’s journey was to pick a name that would capture the essence of our scent.

This step was probably the most challenging part of the process, as Professor Menchi impressed upon us the importance of this tricky branding strategy. Once we had chosen our names, we left with our personal perfumes, our hands still smelling of all the different essences we tried. Something Beatrice emphasized to us during the process was that the essences we used were all-natural, meaning they weren’t made with any harsh chemicals. She prides her business on its sustainability, as many synthetic fragrances that other manufacturers produce are incredibly harmful to the environment and can pollute the air when sprayed.

BB Fragrances refuses to take any short-cuts in their perfumes, so they only use natural essences that come from the environment, rather than harm it. Beatrice’s commitment to be an eco-friendly company and making her fragrances by hand shows why she is a true artisan in her craft. Getting the chance to go beyond being just a consumer and try to hand make these products was an eye-opening experience. It is easy to buy whatever perfume is cheapest or most readily available but getting to see what goes into a “Made in Italy” fragrance shows you why these goods are superior. The work that goes into them, the use of natural products, and the tradition behind the process are why BB Fragrances, like many other Italian brands, maintain such respectable and authentic reputations.

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Italian Fashion and Craftsmanship Class Professor Costanza Menchi

Bookbinding Generations

by Students Rylie Cibelli and Grace Cobb

The Master and the Studnets during the Workshop by Chloe Burchard and Rozsa Gomory

Experiential learning is fundamental to the way that students absorb, learn and retain information. Through Florida State University in Florence, students in the Fashion and Craftsmanship class have the opportunity to work closely with local artisans and craftsmen, learning new skills and working with their hands. During the Spring semester, students had the opportunity to visit the Instituto de’ Bardi, located in the beautiful Piazza Santo Spirito, for a unique workshop experience in bookbinding.

The bookbinding craft has had a long and rich history in Italy. For centuries, craftsmen have been creating and binding books that are not only functional but have an artistic value as well. The earliest form of a bound book was created by the Romans in the first century AD and was called a codex, which consisted of wooden boards sewn together. When the turn of the first century occurred, a common form of writing throughout the Roman empire was on a folded parchment notebook called, “pugillares membranei”. The codex replaced writing on wax tablets and scrolls, entirely by the 6th century AD in the Western world. After the 5th century, books were completely made out of parchment, sewn by strong cords and bound by hard covers (usually wooden boards) that were covered in leather. With books being handwritten, they came in all contrasting styles with different materials and sizes. Medieval codices had flat spines, and the rounded spines on books today were not utilized until the 15th century. When the period of renaissance came around, artisans in Italy, especially Florence, had a great influence on the craft of bookbinding. During the renaissance, there was an increase in the study of classical and religious texts, which resulted in a high demand for books. The Medici family, who was the most prominent and influential family in Florence, sponsored a great deal of fine bindings. For example, Catherine de Medici purchased from a bookseller who was a trade artisan bookbinder, and she had a secretary who was a known book collector. When marbled paper became a popular craftsmen trade in Florence towards the end of the renaissance, it was commonly used in end leaves of bound books. Soon after, other decorative papers were commonly used in bookbinding as well. Italy was and still is the most important manufacturer of decorative paper, which gave bookbinding more of its artistic value. Italy has been the basis for creating the foundation for the functionality and artistic value of bookbinding, and the craftsmanship still thrives in Florence today.

The students who had the opportunity to participate in the workshop at Instituto de’ Bardi had nothing but wonderful things to say about the staff and instructors as well as the experience learning bookbinding. Sophomore Kaitlin Landolfa said, “Such a wonderful experience getting to see how much hard work is put into bookbinding.

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Truly makes me respect handcrafted items.” These words are a testament to how important it is for students to have the opportunity to learn and immerse themselves in alternative fields of study to the traditional courses offered at large public universities in America. Being in Florence and getting to interact with local artisans is important to creating a well-educated, balanced student. The workshop began with an introduction of Chiara Basile and Silvia Bianconi, the masterminds behind Instituto de’ Bardi. Chiara and Silvia are experts in craftsmanship, and they possess unique skills necessary to communicate others about the art of crafting with your hands.

The master artisan during the laboratory was Victoria, founder of TOI Bookbinding, she is an artisan who moved to Florence many years ago to improve her skills in the city renowned in the world as the capital of craftsmanship. Florida State students were given all the tools necessary to create their own leather-bound book that they could take home to remember the workshop as well as the skills learned during it.

The students were tasked with folding their own pages, creating templates for the spine of the book, sewing in their own pages with expert instruction from Victoria, Chiara and Silvia and finally finishing up the loose ends to create a finished bound book. The variety of tasks the students were given were both challenging and rewarding. Sophomore Peyton Guiry said, “The process of book binding was more difficult than I expected but working with your hands is extremely rewarding. It was a great feeling to take home a leather-bound book that I worked so hard to create.”

Developing the skill of binding a book was very special for Florida State students, especially considering that the craft has had a major presence and basis in Italy.

Learning a craft that has thrived in Florence for so long is an experience that the students will never forget.

Materials by Jaitlin Landolfa and Peyton Guiry

Stefano Bemer: The Florentine Shoemaker

by Students Lindsay O’ Laughlin and Calry Polaceck

Stefano Bemer’s Artisans by Emma Filderman

In our world, humans have a different way of expressing ourselves through a sense of style. We want to feel confident and safe in what we put on our bodies, which also includes our feet. Wearing a pair of shoes that are comfortable on our feet but also represent a unique style can really showcase our personality. To find a pair of shoes that are custom made and used with extraordinary material is hard to find in this time and age. Thankfully, Tommaso Melani, the Chief Executive Officer of Stefano Bemer Bespoke Atelier in Florence, is able to bring in the magic of Stefano Bemer and continue the legacy of elegance and quality to the people of Italy.

Having the chance to see how such a special leather shoe was made was really an eye-opener. We never really knew how a shoe was exactly made our what was put into creating this masterpiece. After attending Stefano Bemer, we learned about Bespoke which is a one of a kind custom fit shoe. Bespoke, is a collection that lets the customer come in and build their shoe from top to bottom with receiving the best quality for their custom shoe. We had the chance to meet the wonderful owner, Tommaso, who led us around his shop. He explained all the criteria on the process of ordering these shoes. The ordering process consists of two appointments which include choosing the design, skin, and precise measurements will be taken. The second appointment will happen after 6-8 weeks and this will be the final fitting for the customer’s shoe.

Throughout the whole workshop we were able to see the model shoes for the specific customer. It was full of wooden outlines that were personalized for each customer, the outlines were almost like decoration throughout the store. These shoes meant a lot to us since our dads wear leather shoes when attending a working day.

Except, our fathers have never had a custom fit shoe when it comes to this distinctive design. Seeing the men hard at work, completing the touches on these shoes was incredible. Their focus and dedication on cutting the edges of the remaining leather or hammering the nail into the shoe really showed how committed they were to give the customer a one of a kind product.

This incredible workshop was like none we have ever seen or heard of before.

When we heard that our class trip was to see a shoe designer and learn how they are made we expected a lowkey messy factory. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a fancy store that gave a very aesthetically pleasing touch. From just walking in and feeling at home, to meeting one of the main employees who was so generous and kind to show us around. Learning about the time and dedication

it takes to make custom design shoes, not only increases our appreciation for the craft, but also our understanding of why these shoes go for as much money as they do. This company believes in keeping the tradition of the old ways active while creating their work. The apprentices are typically from old Italian families that are proud of the hardships they have overcome to get where they are. While visiting, our guide talked about how one of the craftsmen started shoe making when he was 11 years old. They only take the very best and don’t settle for less when it comes to their company and the care they provide for their customers. There are not many places out there that would take as much time and patience with their products as Stefano Bemer shoe company does.

In conclusion, this learning experience is something we will always remember because this form of craftsmanship is something, we use every day. There is never a time we leave the house without shoes on or bring a jacket to wear. Learning the importance behind this skill really brings into perspective how important it is to know what companies we are buying from. The clothes and accessories we wear represent the companies that produce those products, and personally, we would like to show them off proudly. Observing first-hand how this apparently simple accessory is made, shows all of the hard work and dedication it actually takes to make high quality leather shoes.

The Atelier by Kaitlin Landolfa

Tommaso Melani owner of Stefano Bemer by Rachel Redington

Bespoke Shoes by Emma Fiderman

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Italian Fashion and Craftsmanship Class Professor Costanza Menchi

The Legacy of Leather

by Students Peyton Guiry and Kaitlin Landolfa

Italy is famous for its huge contributions to the worlds of art, architecture, fashion, opera, literature, design, film, food – the list goes on. Leather for example, has long been part of the country’s tradition thanks to Florence’s proximity to the Arno river. The Santa Croce neighborhood once filled with tanneries. To this day, everywhere you go in the city you will spot shops advertising leather accessories, jackets and bags as well as in the markets. The Italian leather-making industry has grown significantly since World War II when it was mainly a craft, as it faces challenges similar to those in many U.S. industries. There is growing competition from China, recessionary pressures and shifting consumer habits that have negatively impacted the industry. In Italy leather-making artisans have responded by focusing on quality, and technological advancements, while diversifying their product offerings.

Although, plenty of ‘leather’ has actually been mass-produced outside of the country with only a few adjustments completed in Italy yet tagged with the coveted “made in Italy” label that is meant to be synonymous with quality. However many Florentine companies such as Giorgio Linea, have maintained the integrity and purpose that the merchandise mark “Made in Italy” stands for; which includes the planning and manufacturing of a product. Giorgio Linea states their promise to the merchandise mark saying, “The best Made in Italy with the power of creativity, imagination, traditional craftsmanship and research. This is the mission of GIORGIO LINEA SRL, a company operating in the leather industry and vendor of the most important luxury fashion brands on an international level.”

Names including Givenchy, Burberry, Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Céline, Giorgio Armani, Chloé, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Balenciaga, Ermanno Scervino are just some of Giorgio Linea’s partners, exemplifying the level of skill and quality Barbara Ricchi and her team produce. At Giorgio Linea generally artisans produce in limited quantities; however they can create in large productions while maintaining the same quality standards as if they were produced in smaller quantities. The company specializes in production of belts, yet over the years, they have expanded into a larger product mix including: bags, suitcases, wallets, and due the boom in technology, leather cases for iPad’s and iPhone’s. In addition to the production of leather accessories, the company’s activities involve: department of material research, department of model making, product development (modeling,

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prototyping, and sampling), quality check, and training. The fact that Giorgio Linea’s services aren’t limited to just production, embody the Oscar Wilde quote, “Either you are a work of art, or you are wearing it.”

Tanning leather with vegetables is a tradition in the Tuscan region that has been passed down from generation to generation. In today’s times, there are so many different types of leather tanning, but vegetable tanning is the most traditional, recognizable, and creates the most unique product. This process uses tannin pigments, which are found in many different trees and vegetables. Tannin is what is responsible for the animal hide being transformed into a more compact and durable material that will last for years and years to come. Vegetable-tanned leather matures without ruining, meaning that it reveals age and use in a natural and beautiful way. The colors that tannin gives the leather are very warm and beautiful and only get better with the passing of time and with more and more use. This leather also does not contain any toxic substances that can be harmful to humans.

Handcrafted items, such as vegetable-tanned leather, are very important to Florence and because traditional work like this needs to be preserved and kept to show future generations, many people have created their own spaces to conserve hand crafted goods such My Vintage Academy. “My Vintage Academy was born in Florence as a fashion archive, the result of 30 years of experience in an Italian artisan workshop, in the fashion accessories sector.” In their three decades of being open, they have gotten the chance to work with some of the most iconic luxury brands. My Vintage Academy is also an online platform in which samples of accessories and other works that have made history in the Italian craftsmanship world are displayed and receive the value which they deserve. “My Vintage Academy was born from the desire to make available to everyone the rich heritage of Italian history and knowledge in the fashion sector. We give all creatives the opportunity to give space to their creativity, through a new way of doing research.” Because of places like My Vintage Academy, young artisans can see how truly traditional works are crafted and what they are supposed to look like. Even though all pieces should not look the same and each artisan gives their works a bit of their own flare, having something like My Vintage Academy gives young and new creators inspirations of what quality works are like.

Weaving into the Modern World

by Students Shannon Mellish and Chloe Burchard

Lisio HandLooms by Prof Costanza Menchi

Anyone who has traveled to Florence or dreamed of doing so has undoubtedly been mesmerized by the charm of the city. Florence, known as the ‘Renaissance City’ is known for its art, fashion and rich culture stemming back thousands of years.

Back in the days of merchants and trade routes Florence found itself an integral part of the Silk Road network.

Merchants carried spices, textiles and countless other goods along this ancient trade route and used it as a means of cultural exchange. Florence obtained precious silks, originating from China and quickly transformed into one of the most important silk weaving districts in Italy. Silk was a textile that embodied luxury and belonged only to the rich and high-class members of society due to its elusive nature. During the rule of the Medici family Eleanor of Toledo, the duchess of Florence, wife to Cosimo de’ Medici, was a huge proponent of silk and its possibilities at the time. She emphasized that by weaving fabrics endless patterns could be created and symbolism could be illustrated through patterns in textiles. She stressed to the Florentine people that by supporting Master weavers and the textile industry they would positively stimulate the economy. She was right.

By putting so much energy into producing precious textiles Florence began to thrive as the epicenter of textile production and the arts. Through symbolism in the weaving process the Florentine people were able to represent their power, beauty and rich culture. One such example is the frequent inclusion of imagery depicting artichokes and pomegranates, both of which represented endless life and abundance in Italian culture. As weavers strengthened their craft they were referred to as masters. These masters passed their technique and knowledge down by gener-

ation. In today’s Florence you can visit local weaving workshops and bottegas and see the modern-day work of those who have been trained by generations of master weavers dating back to the renaissance and before. This long line of craftsmanship is undoubtedly one of the characteristics of Florence that charms visitors and makes locals proud of their ‘Renaissance City’.

As our class had the opportunity to venture into the history and culture of weaving, we also were pleasantly surprised to discover the present-day practice of weaving was not far from us. The Lisio Silk Foundation was a case study that was founded right in our city of Florence by Fidalma Lisio all the way in 1906. As we learned about weaving as a more traditional practice promoted by Eleonora di Toledo, it is only expected that Florence still practices weaving today. From studying here so far there is one characteristic that is shared in Italian products; the emphasis on quality over quantity which makes Italian products so special.

The unique way of weaving through the Lisio Silk Foundation limits a weaving project to only one person. Unlike many factories and brands often seen in the United States that practice mass production (Shein, Zaful, etc.) when a product is made here is it assured that one person created its entirety. It is an easy way to notice this, because one person has a certain way of weaving that is unique to that person. If someone else were to have finished the product, you would be able to notice the chance in pattern or technique. What I have also learned about what makes Italian products so valuable is that it is a small production. Lisio’s artisans can only make 15-50cm in a day, so when you get the product you know you got what you paid for.

Similar to Italian leather products or even when we took a visit to a Stefano Bemer for shoemaking, you can tell that each one is specially made with time and the highest quality you can receive.

Not only in Florence can you discover the history and present-day experiences of weaving, but I found out they also teach in this case study. Another part of what makes this foundation so unique. They take on the challenge of not only making it themselves but teaching it to other young people to carry on the tradition.

The city of Florence empowers the tradition taken from weaving, but also the idea of including weaving in the modern world to allow it to still take place today. Next time the classroom seems dull, try experiencing history rather than learning it. Hands-on learning is the best way to truly understand something.

Weaving Tools by Professor Costanza Menchi

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Italian Fashion and Craftsmanship Class Professor Costanza Menchi

It’s All About Feathers

by Student Emma Filderman One of the craftsmanship fields we have got to explore in the course is feathers, discussing everything from the process of creating and applying the feathers, to fashion and clothing. Mazzanti Piume is the Atelier based in Florence we had the opportunity of analyzing, it has been around since 1935, and it works in the field of feathers and artificial flowers. For over nearly 80 years, Mazzanti Piume has created stunning and vibrant artificial flowers and feathers, that are known globally. They are extremely famous for their unique style and aesthetic, since they are gorgeous to the eye and have an amazing background history. The history behind the company has been passed down for nearly three generations, creating a huge family tradition. The business started by focusing on boas, then haute couture, headbands and headdresses, costumes for theater, etc. Really, it has focused on just about everything and anything! This company is one of few that creates incredible feathers and artificial flower bouquets and inventions that are known worldwide in the high fashion.

The second company that is in the feather crafting is the Galeotti Piume located in the Tuscany region, also focusing on high fashion feathers. This company is also known worldwide, as this industry is small and well known to many in the fashion industry. The online contents for this company share many different types of fashion that they focus on. For example some of the unique items include “Product made of twisted bands of feathers in order to create a voluminous effect.

Can be made using any kind of feather and in any shade of color. Mainly used for scarves, finished accessories, edgings, trimmings, and collars.” This explanation shows us how versatile feathers truly are, and how they can help create many different and amazing pieces of fashion and art! My personal favorite piece on the website is a stunning rose pink arrangement of feathers, creating a scarf.

Another company is Lemarié Feather Atelier based in Paris. This brand focuses more on the actual art of the feathers, and creates amazing visuals for fans and audiences to see. For example, they produce gorgeous art pieces including many different butterflies and pieces of nature, all which come from the creation of feathers. It is visually appealing and very fascinating to see how feathers can create such amazing masterpieces. The feathers are laid out almost in order to create a flower look, which looks incredible. It is so amazing and awesome how feathers can be made into dresses and pieces of high fashion. In order to make the dress, the designers must carefully place each feather in the spot that they want it to go on, using tweezers, which shows how careful they must be.

After studying the varying ways that feathers can be used to increase and enhance fashion and art as a whole, I can confidently say that I have a completely different outlook on feathers. The art that goes into it, including the choice of colors, fabrics, material of the feathers themselves, and so much more, all contribute to the final result of the product. For me, Lemarié Paris took the feathers into a fashion sense. It was fascinating to me to see how feathers can contribute to fashion in such a cool way. For example, the colorful feather dress have been used as a work of art. The model walking it down the runway really captured the overall essence as to what wearing a feather dress is truly about. It was awesome to see how she really made the feathers stand out. The colors, along with the textures and placements of the feathers really made me look at the dress in a different way. I now have a completely different appreciation towards feathers that I did not have before. I want my own feather dress now, since I know how flattering and fashionable, they can truly be, I loved learning more about feathers in the art and fashion world based on the works of skilled artisans.

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Mazzanti Piume Laboratory by Costanza Menchi

Feathered Helmet Mazzanti Piume By Costanza Menchi

Italian Fashion Houses Class Professor Michela Mattei

Inside Milan Fashion Week

by Student Samantha Bloom

Gozel green’s family inspired collection by Samantha Bloom

Omer Asim’s contemporary sudanese influenced collection by Samantha Bloom

The Milan Fashion Week Fashion Hub Market by Samantha Bloom

Being in Milan for fashion week was the highlight of my semester. I had the most amazing time, entering the exclusive world of fashion, where people treat their bodies as canvasses, and their outfits are their art. The redefinition of clothing from something to cover oneself from the elements to a vessel of expression, protest, or silent message was the true spirit of Milan fashion week. The fashion hub market focused on sustainability, with many of the featured designers incorporating that sentiment in their design processes. There was an invigorating creative energy in the air as I entered headfirst into the world of fashion.

I first interviewed Omer Asim, a Sudanese designer who uses minimal to zero waste, bottom up pattern cutting techniques. His collection was inspired by Sudanese women who would use 4.5-meter pieces of fabric to make their clothes, not cutting into it so as to conserve the scarce materials. With fashion being such a wasteful industry, it is refreshing to see a brand simultaneously committing to environmentally friendly production and creating heritage honoring, visually striking pieces. I appreciated the neutral tone and myriad of different textures used in lieu of color, as it drew me in close to truly appreciate its value.

Also from Africa, was the Nigerian brand Gozel Green. Twin sisters Silvia and Olivia’s collection was inspired by their mother and father’s story telling. On each piece there were letters, representing the short and meaningful words spoken in their native tongue. Some made words, others were scrambled nonsense up for interpretation. I loved how this brand kept a strong theme of heritage and family in their collection. The sisters used Nigerian Adire fabrics, cotton dyed with the traditional Nigerian process, and revamped common materials such as the cotton and polyester to make stunning bright, asymmetrical pieces that stood out amongst others in this event space. Next I interviewed the designers of the romantic brand, Gentile Catone. Designers Francesco and Chiara drew inspiration from a text describing nature as an inaccessible temple with secrets only few can hear. Their original prints featured florals and personally reminded me of an updated version of the renaissance. The fairy tale sense carried throughout, holding together the beautiful and distinct pieces like a story. My personal favorite piece was a black blouse with leg of mutton sleeves as it reminded me of the last Italianoles issue’s fairy tale editorial. I would have loved to include that piece, but I take it as a compliment that we did not have access; FSU was ahead of the trends!

My favorite brand I interviewed was Apnoea by Pina Pirozzi and Enzo Della Valle. This inclusive brand joined streetwear and luxury, the two designers’ individual specialties, into adjustable pieces that could be worn by anyone of any size. One size was truly one size due to the chords that allowed the fabric to be bunched up or released, beautifully draping on the wearer. One interesting piece was a long black dress with keyholes along the sides, held together by the chords that appeared throughout the whole collection. The elegant dress was surprisingly composed of many smaller fragments of fabric, the designers’ approach to low waste. The juxtaposition of common and luxury fabrics was most interesting, uniting such different worlds. There is something to be learned from the messages behind the designs. As we navigate unsure and difficult times, we must focus on what is important. We must stay optimistic, as displayed by the efforts of Milan Fashion Week to transform the industry towards sustainability. We must come together, as Apnoea displayed in uniting such different styles, bringing the best out of each other when we are with those different from us. We must also find solace during hard times. Family can be a source of comfort, as displayed by Gozel Green in their collection’s inspiration.

We must not panic or fill with fear. We must calmly face the storm and unite as a greater power in order to make it through.

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Italian Fashion Houses Class Professor Michela Mattei

Pitti Filati 86: Fashion Re-Immagined

by Student Sydney Diercks Attending Pitti Filati 86 for Spring 2020 has by-far been one of my most industry-immersive experiences to date.

Hosted by globally recognized organization Pitti Immagine, it is known for showcasing innovative and trend-focused products and textiles that draw industry insiders, designers, and buyers from throughout the world’s fashion and lifestyle industries. According to @pittimmagine’s official Instagram page, Pitti Filati has been “confirmed as the most important rendezvous for the big names in fashion and the best international knitting mills”. At this year’s event, it drew a reported 4,400 buyers from all over the world, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and Japan.

This year’s theme was dedicated to showcasing yarn and knitwear textiles for Spring/Summer 20201through the lens of flags. The Pitti Immagine Filati 86 Trend and Color Forecast interpreted the future of fashion using the flag as being representative of “Tradition, Identity, Recognizability, Commitment, Communication, and Cohesion”.

Experiencing the gallery showcasing the textiles designed as flags was both inspiring as well as thought-provoking.Through use of the physical characteristics of the textiles including texture, color, construction and pairings of fabrics, intertextual meaning was able to be created that transcends cultural boundaries and shapes literal and figurative understandings.The layout of the gallery was divided into six categories that one had to walk through each in order to get to the next.

The categories we all saw were: Orient, Wave, Twinning, Heraldic, The Moon and the Stars, and N.G.O. My favorite knitted textiles shown in the Yarns United Gallery are pictured on the bottom right of this page: One of the trends forecast I observed to stand out the most was the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year, Classic Blue, as it is meant to instill calmness and dependency in a time of change. I also observed themes of sustainability and environmentally conscious textiles as major buzz words present throughout the event. There seems to be a rising positive push towards eco-friendly production of textiles within the industry, which hopefully will continue to grow in future years. The concept of well-being and self-love also seemed to be present themes that I observed as well, as represented by the photo shown below:

My impressions of the Pitti Filati fair was that it far exceeded my expectations.

It very much so reminded me of the Florida State Seminole Futures Career Fair that is held semesterly in Tallahassee.

Walking amongst some of the most influential names in fashion and the industry was incredibly inspiring to me as I realized what an opportunity it was to feel the energy and witness the dynamics of a large-scale industry event.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time wandering around the textile booths, watching the interactions between vendors and buyers, and admiring all the beautiful vintage pieces available for purchase that were in the Vintage Selection area.

The mannequins displayed within the Vintage Selection forecasted an upcoming season of vibrant patterns and color mixing, as shown below: All the Pictures from the trend area of Pitti Filati 86th edition by Sydney Dieckers

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Pitti Filati Fair

by Student Alex Frantsvog From the 23rd to the 25th of January, Florence hosts the Pitti Filati fair which showcases the latest in textiles and high-end vintage pieces. I had the pleasure of walking the floors of this event to get an inside look at some of the future trends for spring/summer of 2021. Upon walking past the grand entrance, adorned with large stretches of multicolored fabric, I was greeted by mannequins, suspended in the air, dressed in outfits inspired by the flags, the main theme of the fair, which is meant to promote the ideas of unity and tradition.

ability. When walking around the ground floor of the fair, I saw a section of textile swatches paired with artwork about saving the planet. The picture below shows a drawing of two people planting a tree paired with a knitted yellow textile that states “Use your bicycle.� I found the heavy focus on saving the planet to be inspiring and reassuring because it shows that the fashion industry cares about climate change and recognizes how our actions affect the environment.

Many of the textiles presented not only drew inspiration from the flags of different countries, but also from banners and historic flags. When I first learned about the flag theme, I didn’t imagine how much you could do with it, but the Yarns United exhibit proved me wrong. In their unique knitted flags, there was a combination of common flag colors and symbols with historical figures, crests, and patches. One of the most unique ways they played with the flag theme was by depicting the motion of a flag in the wind through wavy, colorful lines of yarn. Vibrant colors and fun linework was seen throughout a lot of the fair and reminded me a lot of the fashion from the 1970s so be on the lookout for those groovy looks to make a comeback. I thought the way they depicted motion through textiles was as meaningful as it was creative and stylish. The way the wind manipulates and affects the flag plays into the connection of nation with nature.

Nature and the planet were anther major theme at the fair. Fashion is a major contributor to pollution, but the industry is looking to change that in the future which is evident through the many messages about climate change and focus on sustain-

When textile companies display fabrics that include these kinds of messages, it serves as a call-to-action for clothing designers and fashion fanatics to follow in their footsteps and become more sustainable. In terms of future trends, earth tones will be prominent in 2021, which also reminds me of the flower child fashion of the 70s. Even the color of the year is classic blue which ties into the oceans and the sky. Overall, I would say the future trends to look out for in Spring/Summer 2021 would be vibrant colors, wavy linework, earthy tones and sustainable options that all have a 70s vibe to them. Also look out for historical flag symbols, such as stars and crests, combined with a modern, vibrant twist. The textiles and sample pieces at Pitti Filati sent out inspiring messages of unity and of saving the planet that I hope will inspire the world to make a change.

All the Pictures from the trend area of Pitti Filati 86th edition by Alex Frantsvog

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A Preview of What’s to Come for Future Students

The Façade of The FSU Florence Study Center at the Palazzo Bagnesi in Via dei Ner

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Associate Director Lucia Cossari showing her Seminole Pride

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Italian Cuisine Teaching & Tasting Kitchen

The ItaliaNoles Media Lab & Newsroom

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The FSU Florence Fashion & Design Lab

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Picture by FSU Spring 2020 Student Madison Hopkins

See you all in florence