Blending Magazine Fall 2013

A RT S - L I T E R AT U R E - C OM M U N ICAT ION - S O CI ET Y& OP I N ION - E N V I RON M E N T - FO OD - FA SH ION - S P ORT S SOCIETY & OPIN ION

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MACHIAVELLI REALITY AND DISENCHANTMENT INTERVIEW: DANIEL MEYER INSPIRING CIVIC INTERESTS SHADOWING THE ITALIAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM BLOGGING THE TASTE OF SANTA CRISTINA GUERILLA GARDENING

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SOCIETY & OPIN ION

ap·pe·tite [\ˈa-pə-ˌtīt\] noun

Middle English apetit, from Anglo-French, from Latin appetitus, from appetere to strive after, from ad- + petere to go to more at feather (14th century). 1. any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life; especially: the desire to eat; 2. a. an inherent craving <an insatiable appetite for work>; b. taste, preference <the cultural appetites of the time — J. D. Hart>.

Photograph by Victoria Haleba

[Merriam-Webster Deﬁnition]

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Ou r mind s are like o u r sto machs; t h e y a r e w h e t t e d b y t h e c h an g e o f t h e i r f o o d , and variety su p p lies bo th withh fresh app p etittes.

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W hetther sixxty o r si xteen, there is in every hu man b eingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart the lu re o f wonder, the unfailing child-like ap p etite o f whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ne xt, and the jo y o f the ga me o f living. ma n

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T here are many thing s we desire to see o r g et b ecau se we have b een to ld o f them and ind u ced to b elieve them goo d .

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Illustration by Claire Curtis, Yun-Yen Chuang

Ju st a s ap p etite co mes fro m eating, so wo rk bring s insp iration, if insp iration is no t d iscernib le at the b eg inning. Ho w d o yo u f ind ap p etite fo r what yo u d o? Ho w do yo u rel ate to ap p etite? How d o yo u g et ap p etite, no t onl y fo r a mea l but a l so to do the worrk yo u do? r

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Blending Magazine is a semesterly publication produced by the students and faculty members of Florence University of the Arts, the academic member of Palazzi Florence Association for International Education. Semestrale / Semesterly Magazine Reg. Trib. di Firenze n° 5844 del 29 luglio 2011 Anno 3 – Numero 2 – Autunno 2013 / Year 3 - Issue 2 – Fall 2013 Direttore Responsabile / Editor-in-chief Matteo Brogi Caporedattore / Editorial Director Grace Joh Coordinamento editoriale / Managing Editor Federico Cagnucci Coordinamento studenti / Student Editors Lauren Fromin, Carlota Mendoza, Michael Turner

Ringraziamenti / Special Thanks To Cristiana Gallai, Lucia Giardino, Paride Moretti ++++++++++++ Editore / Publisher Florence Campus per INGORDA Editore Via Alfonso La Marmora 39 50121 Firenze

In redazione / Masthead

Sede editoriale / Editorial Headquarters Corso Tintori 21 50121 Firenze Tel. 055-0332745

Redazione / Copy Editors Lauren Fromin, Carlota Mendoza, Stephanie Schneider, Michael Turner

Stampa / Printer Graﬁche Gelli s.r.l., via G. Leopardi, 11 - Calenzano (FI)

Progetto graﬁco e impaginazione Graphic design and layout Federico Cagnucci

Il numero è stato chiuso in redazione nel mese di dicembre 2013 / This issue was completed in December 2013

Fotograﬁ / Photographers Richard Alvarez, Claire Curtis, Isabela Elizondo, Mikaela Fortuny, Victoria Haleba, Andrea Hringsdóttir, Olga Makarova, Tuan Anh Vu Nguyen, Onur Ozen, Shang Wei Liu, David Weiss

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Illustratori / Illustrators Richard Alvarez, Yuchi Chen, Yun-Yen Chuang, Claire Curtis, Jessica Lederhos, Sujani Munamalpe, Stephanie Schneider, Arran Shields (pictograms) Foto di copertina / Cover Photo By Olga Makarova Illustrazione quarta di copertina Back Cover Illustration By Federico Cagnucci

Photograph by Richard Alvarez

Letter from the Editor 5

fua annual conference A Conference of Many Appetites 6 Florentine Appetites as Seen by Gianni Caverni 9 Diva Exhibition. Visual Dependencies 10

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Arts

Food

Sketching Florentine Sensations 12

TuttoToscana. Tuscany’s in Town 41

Hunger Art Gallery 14 Desire for Colors 16

Santa Cristina. Adventuring into Tuscan Appetites 43

FAME! 17

Feeding the Moment 45

PHOTO ESSAY Hunger for Recognition 18

Discussing Food Safety with La Buchetta 46

literature

fashion & style

An Appetite for Power. Niccolò Machiavelli 20 Florentine Hunger in Literature 22

PHOTO ESSAY Reportraying the Renaissance 48 Humble Origins. Guccio Gucci 52 Does This Come in Black? 54 Before the Lights There Was White 55

communication

The Business of Blogging 56

Language Barriers Near and Far 24 Context is Key. A Language to Live 26

sport

European F.O.M.O. 28

Hunger Games. National Soccer Facility 58 Appetite for Life. Florence Dragon Boat 60

society and opinion Civic Engagement. Interview with Daniel Meyer 30 Health. A Concept often Used Yet Not Clearly Understood 32 La Cité. The Survival of an Off-Circuit Gem 35 How to Satisfy Your Cultural Appetite 36

environment Energy in Italy Today 38 Guerrilla Gardening 40

o c f o e l b a t

s t n nte

If This Man Was Standing in Front of You, What Would You Do? 62

student voice Seven Days. Five Appetites. One Flavorful City 64 Integrating Family Ties 64

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Photograph by Richard Alvarez

C O M M U N I CAT I O N

Letter from the Editor GRACE JOH

florence_ a CITY of many appetites How many hungers can a city generate, and how do appetites align in a city like Florence? The Fall Issue of Blending Magazine continues its tradition of taking cue from the yearly FUA and SUNY Stony Brook academic conference, which was titled after a suggestion from Mitchell Davis, Vice President of the James Beard Foundation in NYC. The arts, literature, politics, and sociological issues presented by conference panelists represented academics and professionals from diverse disciplines. If Machiavelli’s theme of ambition and the appetite to succeed in the politics of Florence was the starting point for the conference that inspired both the historical and contemporary topics presented, the Fall 2013 Issue seeks to expand the creative viewpoints of the Florentine and FUA community. Whether one discovers the changing currents of European environmentalism or civic participation, the appetites-centered magazine theme asks each and every reader to consider curiosity and desire as the filter of analysis and reflection. M.F.K. Fisher wrote in The Measure of Her Powers “I cannot count the good people I know who to my mind would be even better if they bent their spirits to the study of their own hungers.” Fisher gently reminds us, though it would seem that like-minded individuals were but a few in her circles, that perhaps there is a loophole to Brillat-Savarin’s famed statement “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” We human beings are defined by our physical hungers as the French culinarian succinctly argued. Fisher, on the other hand, leads to hoping for a higher transcendence of our very selves if the human spirit begins an honest acknowledge starting with a basic bodily need: hunger. Introspection and the frank desire to arrive at the heart of a question or an issue unites the various sections of the current magazine. And though food is just one of the many sections featured I cannot help but to wish all readers buon appetito along with buona lettura!

GRACE JOH

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. Annual Conference F.UA.

a conference of many appetites

THOMAS BROWNLEES

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Photographs by OLGA MAKAROVA

F UA A N N UA L C O N F E R E N C E

From top-right clockwise: Terry Umbreit, William E. Arens; Haroldo Gallo; Gabriella Ganugi, Shelley LaMantia.

o some extent organizing an international conference is not very different from organizing a massive rock concert. You still have the headliners and the opening acts, you can certainly call the professors rockstars as their publications are top-selling records. Also an important focus of the event involves choosing the right location and making sure that you start with making an impression. If the Church of Santa Croce was a venue, then the Cenacolo would be the center stage, as it is such a remarkable sight and experience to be in a room which bids together two far concepts. The Cenacolo, gets its term from the Italian word Cena, meaning supper, and it would be the room in the monastery where the priests would gather at the end of each day to feed their body after having fed their souls with prayer and meditation. The Cenacolo therefore connects the physical and spiritual, the mental and the bodily, the speculation and the pragmatism of the human nature, in one word its ambivalence. And in this sense the theme of the conference tried to depict a city like Florence, the cradle of Renaissance, but also the pinnacle of western civilization as a place that throughout history was capable of harmonically embodying these dissonant elements. Stony Brook University was the most important partner in this project as it provided the conferene organization with the precious collaboration of Prof. Mario Mignone, who overviewed the organizational team and offered wise consultancy in most academic matters. The partnership between FUA and Stony Brook has been ever so successful in merging intents in the planning of the conference.

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William E. Arens speaks at the Cenacolo of Santa Croce. In the circle: Thomas Brownlees.

The “Cenacolo" connects the physical and spiritual, the mental and the bodily, the speculation and the pragmatism of the human nature.

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FUA gathered a diverse rse academic academ community that recognized level in izze a high le ized n organizing the event. International tern ernational congratulac ratula tions came from professors and res researchers ors an from prestigious European and internainter national universities and institutions, including University College Cork, UC Davis, IMT Lucca, and the Medici Archive Project, just to name a few. The theme was explored so as to describe the concept of appetite not only as a feeling pertinent to the guts and stomach, but instead as an instict that evolves and changes its nature according to the organ to which it is being associated. The instinct of hunger as a synonym of survival and fierce affirmation of the law of the strongest is but the starting point. The appetite of the heart, is instead what encompasses ambition, courage, and will not only defend one legacy but conquer and spread the seeds of innovation. Lastly, the appetites of the mind, the speculation of beauty, the contemplation of art and the appreciation of the finer things that embellish our lives. This is a journey which was layed out before the speakers and the congregation of faculty, students, journalists and Florentines who took pride in being part of this major event. FUA students were given center row seats, as they contributed with their research at the student panels, where in groups they redefined their concept of appetite to rediscover themselves in the process of experiencing Florence and studying abroad. All in all it was a remarkable accomplishment. The theme for our annual conference, so prone to debate and discussion, generated many remarks from the contributors, audience, and students who joined in the academic discourse with humble yet insightful observations. For the pleasure of debate, for the satisfaction of our appetites.

F UA A N N UA L C O N F E R E N C E

Florentine Appetites As Seen By Gianni Caverni

LAUREN FROMIN Photos Courtesy of GIANNI CAVERNI Photographs of the opening by OLGA MAKAROVA

photography exhibition at F_air

or its second showing in Florence, Gianni Caverni’s Florentine Appetites was exhibited at F_AIR coinciding with FUA and SUNY Stony Brook’s academic conference, Florence: A City of Many Appetites. The works shown were “visual and hallucinated reflections on Florence” fallen victim to tourists without a really conscious appetite. Indeed it is a desire superimposed by the touristic industry pushing people to travel to specific places and wander around immersed by masterpieces of art, without clearly catching the deep cultural meaning of them. The following is quoted from Antonio Natali, Director of the Uffizi, clarifying the meaning of Caverni’s work when it was first introduced in Florence. “I do not find illustration more truthful and poetic than

the formal inventions of Gianni Caverni. In front of a civilization attacked (and eventually annihilated) by the cultural industry, Gianni represents a heritage besieged by a convulsive humanity, that recklessly repletes and swerves in front of sublime ﬁgurative texts, now reduced to simulacra by a society exclusively devoted to money. Precisely ‘preconceptions’ and ‘prejudices,’ deliberately created and alimented to make easy money, deﬁne the routes of tourism.”

Caverni’s Florentine Appetites exhibited from November 7 - November 22 at F_AIR Florence Artist in Resident. F_AIR is the ﬁrst residence program in the center of Florence for artists from all over the world, and is associated with the School of Fine Arts of FUA.

Gianni Caverni at the exhibition opening.

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Diva Exhibition Visual Dependencies

INTRODUCTION BY GIULIO VINCI

student exhibition at corridoio fiorentino - diva

Featured are free interpretations, impressions, and reﬂections developed by FUA’s School of Digital Imaging and Visual Arts for the annual conference. Photographic works, interior design projects, visual communication, and multimedia are the direct result of the students’ high motivation and the desire to leave a visible trace of their presence in Florence. The theme of the exhibition focuses on visible or less visible aspects of the city, on what it represents today compared to its important past, and on how it is perceived and represented.

Cassandra Guinand Visual Communication Design Fundamentals Studio I

Three of Swords 30 x 42 cm Dante Alighieri is known across the world for his writing and is strongly afﬁ liated with Florentine history, as well as with the meaning of the Three of Swords tarot card. I also wanted the overall theme and composition of my cards to convey a strong Italian yet mysterious feeling. Thus I decided to use an old parchment paper and incorporate a mystic symbol into my work.

Marissa Murdy Intermediate/Advanced Digital Photography

Untitled(stomachs) Polyptich

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My cravings for food have changed through the exploration of Florence. In this series, I connect our desires for food with the body. I stumbled upon a lonely plant growing clementines, a market full of beautiful fruit, and the staring eyes of seafood. Food being slurped up, and a minute later an elegant plate of food being abandoned by diners leaving. Mysterious but important appetites.

F UA A N N UA L C O N F E R E N C E

Noelle Gelesko Project for Sustainable Interior Design

Riecine Winery Kiosk Placing the Riecine kiosk in the Ufﬁ zi Piazza is a strategy for harmony. There is a 360° atmosphere of diverse shapes: arches, vertical columns, variation in materials, etc. The juxtaposition of lines combined with an open piazza view makes for a perfect location. The nearby Arno River creates the right atmosphere to taste wine and gaze upon the surrounding beauty. The kiosk’s glow and romantic lighting will stimulate the senses of visitors.

Courtney Kulhow Intermediate/Advanced Digital Photography

Addictive Appetite Polyptich Appetite can be a hunger, a drive, or a desire for nourishment. Food in Florence is famed, it is an

addiction. Culinary artists possess an appetite to create while the city’s appetite consumes. Both are equally addicted to the concept of food. So addicted that food is comparable to a drug as explored by these photographs. The basic elements of cuisine such as pasta, coffee, and seasonings are taken out of context to show their addictive qualities.

Victoria Haleba Landscape and Architectural Photography

The Imaginary City Joni Van Bockel Intermediate/Advanced Digital Photography

Untitled (Mouths) Polyptich

Polyptich

For me the focal point for “appetite” is the mouth, the body part we use to satisfy our many appetites. Our mouths taste food, kiss our lovers, pray to our gods, and communicate our wants/needs to the world. This portrait series focuses on the mouth before the act of satisfying the appetite. My hope is that the viewer will observe the many subects and ask “what do they hunger for?” and perhaps cause them reﬂect on their own appetites.

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Appetite for... Arts

sketching florentine sensations

MARIO AYALA

Fine Arts student Mario Ayala journals and illustrates the sensations encountered on a Florentine day. He tuned in all of his five senses in order to fully observe the myriad of feelings and flavors that were stimulated. or this journal entry, I will think of taste not only as belonging to the sense that the tongue perceives, but as the different sensations that the human body is capable of perceiving through the eyes, the nose, the ears, and touch, and which the mind is in charge of processing. If one is observant enough, it is possible to find interesting practically everything that the mind processes and to find diverse and unexpected sources as possible inspiration for artistic expression. By being observant it is possible to slow down the passage of time and stretch out moments during our day into sensually stimulating experiences. Upon waking up, I first prepared my mind for a day of strenuous observation. I began by noticing how warm I was, wrapped in my down comforter. My window was slightly open and I could hear the sounds of an early day going on outside, as well as the constant patter of rain, a low hiss that sounded like a mother shushing a sleepy child. It was quiet and distant, since I live on the topmost floor of my complex. I stepped out of my bed and immediately felt the cold rush through my body, as if it were just waiting for me to get out of my comforter. Now it was time to shower. The water warms gradually so the initial rinse was a shock of cold that efficiently shook off my grogginess. As the minutes passed I could sense each consecutive droplet getting progressively warmer. Steam began to appear around me and it unfurled in lazy, winding motions, as if it too had just woken up and was stretching to begin the day. I had breakfast after my shower, a typical Italian breakfast consisting of coffee and milk and a pastry. On an empty stomach, each sip and each bite were joyful experiences. Coffee and milk are a wonderful pairing and with a few teaspoons of sugar the initial sharp taste is coaxed into comfortable warmth. The pastry was a chocolate-filled cornetto, with simple sweetness and substantial enough to satiate my hunger. The day continued and I eventually went out to lunch to have a pizza. The rain was persistent and grayness filled Florence, yet it was still beautiful. In an almost paradoxical way, the

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city seems to calm down when the rain falls. The colors are muted and Florence herself is quiet, yielding to the sound of the rain. It is a veiled beauty. I brought out my umbrella to protect myself against the rain. The sound of the rain falling on the fabric of the umbrella is louder and it surrounds me just as the umbrella does, like a bubble. But the rain was relentless and still found a way to meet my skin. Through my ill-equipped shoes it seeped into my socks and created discomfort with each step I took. It even found its way around my umbrella and ﬁlled my sleeves with cold dampness as I made my way to my favorite pizza joint. Upon arriving, I immediately praised the warmth from the brick oven that is used to make the pizzas. I ordered my pizza, grabbed a beer, and waited. A wonderful celebration of the senses greeted me. The pizza was piping hot from the oven, and steam rose into my nostrils, causing my mouth to water. The freshness of the ingredients was all too evident. I drizzled spicy oil onto the pizza and observed how it mixed with the juices of the ingredients. The pie dough was soft, similar in texture to warmed marshmallows, and the taste brought an immense sense of satisfaction and joy. The effect was immediate. The cheese, tomato, and the basil, each so unique on their own, are a meld together as a chorus. I washed all of it down with the beer, which went surprisingly well with the taste of the pizza, perhaps due to their organic nature. After the pizza, I went to Palazzo Pitti, so that my eyes could enjoy their full ability. The amount of things to see is overwhelming. It is possible to stay in one single place an entire day and ﬁnd new things to see, if one tries. The art extends beyond the canvases and into the marble sculptures. It is the space itself that is visually gratifying. The palazzo is like a giant, living creature and each of its chambers holds an essence, or a feeling that is only possible to experience by being inside. It’s like being in a garden, where life abounds and calls to your senses. The art in the palace, like all of the palaces in Florence, is alive.

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Mario Ayala The Five Senses [2013] graphite pencil and watercolors 35,5 x 50 cm each

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Hunger Art Gallery

SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS STUDENTS Works have been selected by Professor Paride Moretti

Anna Wettergreen Taste [2013] graphite pencil 25 x 100 cm

The sense of taste is a powerful skill of the human body, and is obtained through the mouth. The mouth serves as a portal to taste and take in food, as well as a device for speaking. This project focuses on the process of saying the word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tasteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and how the mouth looks when each letter of the word is pronounced.

Camilla Ostrzycki San Lorenzo pumpkins [2013] graphite pencil 5 x 5 cm each

These sketches were inspired by the overwhelming amount of fruits and vegetables available at San Lorenzo Central Market in Florence. Being such an important food group to the regional cuisine, I chose to magnify the forms to emphasize the texture and details of each pumpkin, all ranging in size, shape,and lighting.

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Collective works oF FUA School Fine Arts Spices 1 to 5 [2013] mixed media 30 x 50 cm each

Lindsay Larimore Sense of Drama [2013] 70 x 50 cm each black and white charcoal

This collection was inspired by the statues in the Gardens of Versailles in Paris, France. When I visited the gardens, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but feel a magical sense of life from the statues. I could imagine that if the statues were to suddenly come to life that they would begin waging a dramatic battle within the garden grounds. I selected toned paper that reďŹ&#x201A;ected the mood that the statues convey.

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Desire for Colors

’ve always wanted to occupy an ancient city. For me, fairies do not live in tree houses but amongst the chimneys of ancient cities, the moon is beautiful when it pops out from behind a bell tower that’s at least 500 years old, a river measures time well when ﬂowing under a historic bridge made of stone. When I occupy a city, I do so by fantasizing and creating history, which is also a way to exercise the imagination. The Greek word historíe indicates a vision and this visionary reference is conserved in the Italian verb “istoriare,” to illustrate history. Not all cities are well-suited for this game of mine. Venice and Florence are. These are cities that happily welcome dreaming minds because they understand that it’s a way for such minds to occupy the histories and feel like a part of the cities. I wrote a book about occupying Venice, Venezia inabissata: un fantasaggio (Milano 2007, Paris 2008), in which I made the history and imagination of the city spin at high velocity, like a carousel that left me breathless. For Florence, on the other hand, who knows why I need to feel like a child again, to forget everything. Its history and its spiny beauty. Thus I colored Florence like a fable, with the Oltrarno by night and its golden windows, Santo Spirito playing soccer, a fairy that enchants the square and makes silence fall upon it. A game, a divertissement, a childish way to occupy Florence who, albeit doubtfully, agreed to pose for me.

Above: Night in Oltrarno [2008] Acrylic on canvas 100 x 120 cm

Right: Water Fairy in Santo Spirito [2008] Santo Spirito plays [2008] Acrylic on canvas 100 x 150 cm each

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NICOLETTA SALOMON

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FAME! The fine balance between appetite and starvation while searching for recognition and acclaim in the art world of today. n the English language, the word fame means the condition of being known or recognized by many people, a state that is often highly sought after. But when the same spelling of the word is translated into the Italian language, the meaning becomes something entirely different. The word fame, turns into fame and the definition becomes that of hunger- experiencing a desire or need for fuel. Most people’s first instinct is to associate the word fuel with food. But what if for some people there’s something more? As children we are taught that there are three elements necessary for survival: shelter, water, and food. However, what if some people are required to feed a hunger beyond that of the physical appetite? Many artists attest to the need to create art as an essential part of their existence. That without art there is no meaning; food, water, and shelter become superfluous. Today, the art world is an anomaly. Many artists have achieved international levels of recognition. As more and more studio artists begin to associate and collaborate with true celebrities, their reputations extend beyond the confines of the arts circle. Every day auction houses achieve astronomically high bids, as prices in the tens of millions of dollars become the new norm. Despite this, or perhaps inspite of this, many artists remain indifferent to this type of fame. To them success is not measured by dollar signs. Their end goal was never to make money, and even after achieving commercial success they continue to produce art in a manner that is true to their own vision. The amount of unrecognized artists far exceeds that of well-known artists. The starving artist is still very much alive, but even without recognition they continue to feed their hunger for creativity. As students of Contemporary Italian Art at Florence University of the Arts, we were fortunate enough to meet some Italian artists, among them Giuseppe Locatelli — who presented a recent exhibition at F_AIR — and discuss with him his opinions of fame and fame. Unlike artists who have the fortune to be supported and promoted by a widely articulated and efficient system for contemporary art such as those coming from England, France, and Germany, Giuseppe Locatelli comes from an Italian context. Italy is more focused by law in the preservation and promotion of the glories of the past rather than the encouragement of contemporary art. The principles 1-6 of the Codice Urbani, the national regulation for the arts and landscape, emanated in the 1980s and confirmed on various occasions to the present day, emphasize the importance of cultural heritage and the mission of the state and the private citizens towards its safeguard and valorization. The regulation never mentions living artist, who by consequence do not exist, at least as practicing professionals in their field of interest. You can be a graphic designer, a personal shopper, a professor, a vendor, a chef yet Italian identity cards do not contemplate the profession that Italians seem to have practiced the most since the Romans throughout the Renaissance and later. Therefore in the land of the Colosseum, Leonardo, and Michelangelo, a living artist working to gain fame is more occupied by finding a way to have his physical fame placated. Metaphor aside, artists are spending more time on “regular” jobs rather than working daily in the artistic sphere. It isn’t a surprise, ultimately, to discover the honest attitude towards creation for young artists such as Giovanni Locatelli. For him, there is a primary physical necessity that he must satisfy that is not art. Yet only after satisfying this necessity, and through this satisfaction, a piece of art can be produced. In an interview Locatelli explains: “Sometimes success is a side effect of hunger. But regarding being hungry for success, I’m simply not interested.”

SARAH KALKBRENNER KATHERINE SCALIA MICHEAL MUNETSI Photos Courtesy of GIUSEPPE LOCATELLI

Giuseppe Locatelli La Figlia del Boss [2013] Stampa Lamba, 50x70.

Giuseppe Locatelli, Ex [2013] View of the installation at F_AIR Florence Artist in Residence.

This article is an abstract of the students of Contemporary Italian Arts presented at the 2013 annual conference, held by Florence University of the Arts and SUNY Stony Brook on November 8 - 9 in Florence.

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Photo Essay

MIKAELA FORTUNY Text by CARLOTA MENDOZA MIKAELA FORTUNY

HUNGER FOR Recognition hat is the ﬁrst thing that crosses your mind when you are walking through the romantically melancholic streets of this city and casually notice a sweet melody coming from the nearest piazza? It may draw a smile on your face or bring back memories from your past. Public performences for tips or CD purchases are a common aspect of most Western countries. However, the uniqueness of Florence’s artists also adds to the cultural gem that attracts curious visitors from all over the world. It is therefore essential to dig into the everyday life of street artists who give a touch of excitement to our lives and ﬁll this beautiful city with an appetite for being recognized.

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A humble trio of musicians captivated our ears from the ﬁrst time we passed by them. We have the amazing opportunity to taste a piece of their music. On our way to classes, we have the daily pleasure of enjoying their performances in Piazza Santa Croce. These artists are surrounded by hundreds of people every day whether tourists, vendors, or locals. The majority stops to look and admire for a few minutes, while others dance to the sound of the music. There are the regular musicians who sell CDs and work for tips, and then there are bigger concerts scheduled in the spring and summer time. Whatever may be the case, these musicians are truly devoted to their music and crave the taste of success.

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Appetite for... Literature

An Appetite for Power

SARA LAGI Illustration by RICHARD ALVAREZ

Niccolo' Machiavelli and His Disenchanted View of Human Nature

The personage of NiccolĂ˛ Machiavelli evokes the demoniac image of a thinker. A great, absolutely modern, political thinker who recognized the separation between ethics and politics. This is one of the reasons why his works and his political ďŹ gure have been often associated with a sort of immoral view of politics. 20 *

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L I T E R AT U R E

ome of the main scholars of Machiavelli’s political thought – from Maurizio Viroli to Quentin Skinner, Luigi Firpo, and Isaiah Berlin – have brilliantly explained how restrictive such interpretation is and how Machaivelli’s discourse on ethics, politics and human nature is much more complex and profound. In his masterpiece, The Prince, Machiavelli presents a reﬁned view of politics that is not immoral but rather based on the recognition of two morals. With his constant recall to the Classical-Pagan political tradition (Cicerone and Tito Livio), v breaks with the idea that there are intrinsically just and universally valid principles regulating politics – one of the deepest implications of the Western century-long political tradition – by saying that what we call values are the concrete “product” of our decisions, behaviors, intentions, and even mistakes. It is just this consciousness – as the Jewish philosopher Isahia Berlin realized – that stands behind Machiavelli’s idea according to which political dynamics are inevitably characterized by “internal rules” and “principles” differing from those thought as universally valid and professed by Christianity. Among these

From a perspective of history of political concepts, the word “appetite” has an ideological and political implication which is clearly not religious, it is materialistic.

“internal rules” Machiavelli identiﬁed not only the use of violence, which in some cases is required to protect the interests of the state, but also the so called “appetite for power.” The latter represents one of the key aspects of Machiavelli’s political theory. An individual, a political leader, or more precisely a state that loses the “appetite for power” and for domination is doomed to collapse, lose honor, and be conquered. In Machiavelli’s The Prince or in his Discourse on Tito Livio the “appetite for power” is mainly correlated to the problem of political stability and survival. No chance for a political community to live, survive and resist against one’s enemies unless its leaders have a true and coherent “appetite for power.” From a historical perspective of political concepts, the word “appetite” has an ideological and political implication which is clearly not religious but it is materialis-

tic. It recalls to the mind an idea of politics that is tremendously concrete, realistic, and made of flesh and blood. The term “appetite for power”, which is used by Machiavelli to define what he thinks is one of the most intimate characteristics of politics and of human beings as “political animals,” and is deeply connected with his critical attitude towards Christian ethics and those trying to apply it to politics. If we lived according to the norms of Christianity, if we fully adopted and carried out the principles of peace, humility, submission, and forgiveness professed by the Gospel, we would perish, we would lose our dignity, we would lose that “appetite for power” which is, according to Machiavelli’s lesson, the ultimate source of political and social survival. I am convinced that by saying this Machiavelli was not so much trying to justify evil behaviors, but rather he was trying to make us realize that there are two different and distinct sets of moralities and values. On the one hand, we have “Christian morality” with its own reason of being, which is noble and spiritually “high” and has an optimistic and positive view of human nature. On the other, we have “political morality” whose major objective is the preservation of the State and of the community. An ambitious objective which, in Machiavelli’s opinion, must be accomplished with any means if necessary. The anthropological vision underpinning the second type of morality is basically pessimistic, negative, considering evil something inevitable. When he spoke about the “appetite for power” or when he identified the fundamental difference between Christian morality and the political one, he was specifically referring to the Italian 16th century political background characterized by a widespread fragmentation, weakness, and instability.During this era, Italy was the “victim” of the major European rulers’ “appetite for power.” Before that painful situation, so distant from the glory of the ancient Rome, Machiavelli was convinced that Italy needed a strong, resolute Prince with an “appetite for power” to reestablish the lost greatness. The true modernity of Machiavelli’s works is not the presumed immorality of his political perspective and theory but rather his clear, realistic and disenchanted consciousness of how politics follow norms and principles substantially different from those characterizing religious ethics. In this sense, Machiavelli can be considered as one of the founding fathers of that realistic political traditio, which is an integrative part of Western political modernity.

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L I T E R AT U R E

Florentine Hunger in Literature

a bocc i n n giova

MICHAEL TURNER Illustration by YUN-YEN CHUANG

c cio

Florence certainly is and has been a city which has fostered many different appetites and talents. The city is of course widely renowned for being the center and birthplace of the Renaissance movement which gave way to pioneers such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo Galilei. But perhaps the greatest hunger that can be contributed to the city was its desire to be recognized as the head runner and patron for all things new and unique.

hile it isn’t necessarily a bad slight, the groups that receive the most attention historically regarding their advancements and contributions to Florence and abroad are painters, engineers, and philosophers. More often than not the contributions of Florentine writers, and Italian writers in general, have been largely overlooked and their signiﬁcance to the modern world of poetry and literature left to the world of academia.

er English poets such as Shakespeare who published his famous collection of 154 poems and sonnets around the themes of time, beauty, mortality, and love. Following the British Renaissance, in the nineteenth century, during the age of Romanticism, Shakespeare’s work continued to blossom, inspire, and become the cornerstone for poetic achievement and evolution in lyrical poetry, sonnets, and the literary theme of love in general.

Without the works of FRANCESCO PETRARCH (July 20, 1304 – July 19, 1374) the landscape and use of poetry today would be drastically different. As a literary ﬁgure Petrarch is known widely for perfecting the sonnet form which became the model for later Italian poets and the foundation on which Shakespeare crafted his own version. Petrarch had a very passionate and astounding appetite for love poems and sonnets, a topic which he dedicated 366 of his work to—all dedicated to a single woman. While this feat is never equaled the themes are mirrored by lat-

The concept of realism in literature was ﬁrst introduced by GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO (1313 – December 21, 1375) through his work The Decameron which is a collection of 100 stories told by ten characters over a ten night span. Boccaccio, along with Petrarch, was a strong advocate of humanist concepts which placed the potential and value of mortal human qualities over that of the divine and spiritual. In The Decameron, events that traditionally would be summed up as “divine intervention” at the time would be portrayed merely as luck or fate. One of the many central themes of the collection, and literary

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L I T E R AT U R E

tr o pe c s e c fra n

a rca

igh e al t n a d focus of Boccaccio himself, is that of human struggle—the struggle to obtain wealth, the struggle to maintain it, the struggle to accept life, and the struggle to persevere through it; all without the aid of God or miracles. It is a wholly earthly and mortal collection that reflects on mankind’s limits as to what we can accomplish, and the need to accept all that can, will, or has happened. While Boccaccio’s masterpiece was not the direct foundation for the birth of literary realism, it does hold the distinction of being one of the first and a studied inspiration for the concept of average and relatable characters in fiction and literature from the Renaissance period through the nineteenth century. For centuries also, the default language for publication in the Western world was Latin which prevented the greater majority of people who were not educated in it from experiencing or understanding literature and other publications.

More often than not the contributions of Florentine writers, and Italian writers in general, have been largely left to academia.

i e ri

This trend was first defied by Florentine poet DANTE ALIGHIERI (1265–1321) who was one of the first authors to publish his major work, The Divine Comedy, in the Italian language. The great success of The Divine Comedy would not only lend legitimacy to the concept of writing in a language native to the greater population, but made Italian so popular that variations of it replaced Latin as the language of the cultured and educated and only continued to grow in use during the age of the Renaissance and the Medici family. Following these eras, the concept of writing in the language of your country or territory continued to develop until we have the modern form of language and literature in which you can find almost any written work in any spoken language. So as a writer of poetry and the occasional realistic short story in my native language of English; I’m grateful to these forerunners for leading the way to a better and more creative age.

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MICHAEL TURNER

Language Barriers Throughout history the use of language has been central in our understanding of one another. Without some form of language we would be unable to co-exist or grow. This reality is especially relevant for immigrants who leave their own language and culture to become a part of another. hortly after the reuniﬁcation of Italy in 1861, many Italians who were discontent with the actions and policies of the new government decided to immigrate to other countries—predominantly the United States. During this mass migration it is estimated that around one-third of Italy’s population had immigrated to the U.S. While they all looked towards the promise the “New World” had to offer, most who made the journey knew little to no English, and occasionally there were those who could not speak Italian. Many Italian immigrants were unwelcome and looked down upon by other immigrated groups after arriving in the United States due to the poor and often uneducated conditions from which they left. Their inability to communicate and understand the language of the country they had entered also created barriers that made it easier for local businesses and people to take advantage of them. While Italian-American citizens were fully accepted by the end of World War II, the ability of the second and third generation to break through the

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C O M M U N I CAT I O N

Photograph by VICTORIA HALEBA

Near and

Far language barrier allowed Italians to begin the process of becoming a part of the American culture through music, popular culture, and civic service. People from other countries such as Albania, Romania, Yugoslavia, the Middle East and Northern Africa have also immigrated to Italy over the course of many years. The most interesting case amongst these is that of Albania which following the dismantling of its communist government in 1991, and a subsequent economic crisis, underwent a mass exodus into nearby countries. What made their immigration to Italy so interesting was the fact that prior to entering Italy they spoke ďŹ&#x201A;uent Italian. This was due to the large amount of Italian television that they watched. Under their communist government, Italy had become the symbol of hope and prosperity that previously people had envisioned the United States to be. Even before the collapse of their government many Albanians dreamed of one day traveling to Italy and as a result of that desire had went to great lengths to learn their language and culture. However, despite a thorough knowledge of the language many Albanians were not accepted in Italy and faced unfair scrutiny and prejudice that impeded their legal integration into the country. While there were those who succeeded in legally acquiring citizenship hundreds of thousands continued to come illegally until the late 1990s. Unlike the Albanians, who came with knowledge and understanding of the language, many immigrants from other cultures did not possess this and as a result faced many hardships. However, a similarity they shared was that of community. Because they could not communicate with the general Italian population and therefore could not ďŹ nd jobs, many immigrants from a certain country would settle down in areas that had a predominant population of people who were from their country or spoke the language of their country. This created further issues as the rift between Italians and the immigrating groups only continued to widen as these pocket communities continued to exist only in themselves without adapting to the Italian language and culture. The need to bridge the communication gap grew to the extent that the Italian government started to provide local language courses that would allow immigrant groups to learn Italian. Through these programs, by the second and third generation, immigrant groups were ďŹ nally able to communicate with the Italian population and integrate themselves into society. While there are still prejudices and an unwillingness to accept certain groups, the ability to communicate and drive towards a mutual understanding was reached. Hopefully, as with Italian immigrants in the United States, one day most of the cultural differences will become a matter of history.

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C O M M U N I CAT C AT I O N

Context Is Key A Language to Live

JANE ZELENKO Photograph by RICHARD ALVAREZ Illustrations by YUCHI CHEN

Th The he Italian Ita alia an la language anguage has has a wealth wealth w words, ords, b but ut tterms e r ms for get att ttimes. fo or ffamily am mily members meembers ccan an g et ttricky ricky a imes. Consider word nipote Co onsid der thee w o rd n ipote that that sstands tands ffor or for for nieces, nieces, granddaughters, nephews, gra anddaug ghters, n ephews, and and grandsons. grandsons. Therefore, Ther refore, context context is is key. key. Jane Zelenko off ccontext Ja ane Z elen nko explores explores tthe he iimportance mportance o ontext and, ass a an Apicius wine from m a cultural culltural a nd , a nA picius w ine student, professional perspective. stu udentt, a p rofessional p erspective.

arrived in n Italy armed with four years of Italian courses — three from high school and one from university. In truth, I won’t deny that I come from a country where e students are thought to excel less in language learning. However, I will say that learning Italian all’estero (abroad), here in Firenze, is also difﬁcult because there are two main parts to ‘proﬁciency’ that you can’t escape, regardless of where you study. First, there is a ton of memorization to learn vocabulary. Second, there is putting aside the norms of what your mother tongue dictates such as for sentence structure. Studying Italian in Firenze, at sQuola and throughout my home-stay, has been great, and I sense that I can attribute some of this greatness to luck. My instructor, Marta, is fantastic at explaining language roots and cultural associations that frame the Italian and Florentine languages; my home-stay parents, Maria and Paolo, provide an environment where — though we speak almost

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exclusively in Italian a — I’m comfortable making conv conversation n ersation and n mistakes. Every day is full of vocabulary, of which o whi h ch I know I probably retain less than fi percent during fifffty t per ty rcent durin i g the first introduced. Context time it’s introduced d. Contex e t is a good friend of mine, and above abo ove all, I find the marginal returns to be the greatest grreatest when a concept is introduced to me and n then reintroduced and reinforced through h various contexts. Vocabulary and colloquial a phrases, in that sense, just seem to stick after after you’ve heard them several times in situations situa u tions that support your Sentence understanding. Sen ntence structure is more being difficult, but after b eing immersed d for only weeks, could a couple of week ks, I cou o ld already d discern when something was a off about a sentence I said. My main focus this semester, academicallanguage, ly, has not been languag a e, but rather wine. I’m here to learn a variety of different topics including, but certainly not limited to, grape varieties, production techniques, wine styles, and related legal, marketing, and ser-

vice con concepts. o cepts. I’m also here to taste, because that happens to be a fundamental aspect to understanding wine. Learning about wine is effectively learning a new language; the same two parts to ‘proficiency’ have stared me in the face all semester so far. There is a great deal of memorization; names of grapes, names of locations, names of classifications, names of scent compounds, etc. And there is definitely a great deal of ‘sentence structure’: (a) figuring out how to compare wines to one another in their individual “See, Sniff, Sip, Summarize” components; (b) learning to distinguish between primary aromas (varietal — the typical aromas of specific vines), secondary aromas (fermentative — the varying aromas that develop during fermentation), and tertiary aromas (post-fermentative — the typical aromas consequential with aging processes); etc. It’s interesting to me that, just like with the Italian language, I learn more about wines by experiencing them in different contexts.

C O M M U N I CAT CA AT I O N

after aftter being b immersed i for only a couple weekss, I could coul already discern when of weeks, somethingg was off about a sentence I said.

VINO WINE

CONTESTO CONTEXT You u can c n learn a lot of ca o basics ba asics about ab bout a wine e such the differencfrom contrast tastings, fr tastingss, su uch ass th he diff f eren nc-dry and es between acid and dr d y wines an nd still and d Comparative tastings (sevssparkling sp arkling wines. Com mparative tas asti as t ngs (sev veral wines that tha h t are similar) simi m lar) are signifi sig i nificantly ca antly y harder to “absorb,” because be ecause there e are plenty y of small nuisances that tha hat ha a confuse co onfuse the palate. p late. pa for wine, Context knowledge know o ledge fo or each win ne, such as a from volcanic “these grapes come fro r m volcan nic soil and expect helps therefore I should exp pect minerality,” minera ality,” h elps both to set the stage for bot o h co ccontrast ntrast stt and nd d comparative tastings. played part Florence has pla l yed a si ssignifi gnificant p art as the language context that has surrounded surro ounded my y langu uage e and wine education. Italian Ittalian is spoken spo p ken in i a different accents, large variety of differe ent accents tss, dialects, Florentine closest if you will, but Florentin i e is close est to both bo oth home, the Italian language I studied studied at ho h me, and d the colloquial that most mo ost books are written n in, thank you, Dante! It’s Itt’s for this reason, and possibly because I still ll mix up the Italian pronunciations of ‘pope’ and ‘dad’, that I use words that are culturally Florentine, such as

babbo and bischero. Babb Babbo is the translation though in southern Italy of ‘dad’ here, even thoug it s a synonym for ‘crazy.’ it’s ‘crazy crazy The Bischeri were in medieval a powerful p werful Florentine family po f outwit the government times who tried to outw for a large proﬁt on a sale sal of land surroundiing in g the Duomo area, but they ended up misand politics and losjudging both the market a ing a fortune. To this day, day the word bischero describe someone who (pl. bischeri) is used to des iss sly and cunning and also, al often, naïve. main wine proTuscany is one of Italy’s two t ducing du ucing regions (the other is Piedmont), and it Italy’s largest producers, is home to some of Italy’ ssuch su ch as Marchesi Antinori, Antino and most recogwines example, Chianti. My wine nized wi ines for example biased towards education has deﬁnitely been b anything produced with Sangiovese, the native grape of the region. Through that bias, however, I’ve learned to appreciate the versatility of several types of o wine grapes. Sangiovese is known as one of o the most versatile so than many wine-producing grapes, more m

international red wine grapes that immediately come to mind (i.e. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon). Some grapes, I’ve learned, have personality that shows no matter what the wine-maker does. A Merlot, good or bad, is fairly easy to identify in my opinion. Sangiovese gives plenty of evidence to its presence—a ruby red color with a garnet rim, gripping tannins, and a distinct warm cherry scent—but it also blends incredibly well into its surroundings. I’ve tasted some blends of Sangiovese that I’m convinced are Bordeaux wines, others that I couldn’t imagine having origins north of Sicilia. Context, here, again, is everything. I’m excited to continue my journey here, and I know that upon returning home to New York City, I’ll immediately be planning my return home to Firenze. My appetite for Italy, for Tuscany, and speciﬁcally for Florence is ingrained in the fact that there is always a different context to experience and learn from.

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C O M M U N I CAT I O N

European F.O.M.O.

ANDREA HRINGSDÓTTIR Photographs by ONUR OZEN [Train Station] ANDREA HRINGSDÓTTIR [Boboli Garden]

A hunger for travel and exploration of Europe seems to be the case for many students in Europe. Visiting London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and other popular places is probably on many to-do lists when traveling. Considering that the average semester’s time frame is only about three months, and that time does fly, the impulse can often lead to booking the first flight out of town. Yet, Florence and Italy have just as much to offer as many other European destinations. Does the Fear Of Missing Out on Europe outweigh exploring our own backyard? 28 *

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C O M M U N I CAT I O N

ost students studying in Europe have been traveling heavily during their fall break or whenever they get the chance. It is understandable that the students want to see as much of the continent as possible while they are here, especially if Europe is new to them. We all know that traveling can be wonderful and provides great experiences, but if you think about it, travel can also be terribly frustrating depending on where you go. Imagine having to wait at the airport, standing in line with crowds, ﬂying to and from and then waiting to get to the next destination all over again. This is usually the case when traveling to different countries. What about the importance of exploring your own backyard? Is it possible that while travelling to so many places in a short amount of time students could have instead explored their own neighborhood? The city of Florence and other Italian regions have just as much to offer as other far away countries. Is it not better to enjoy your journey than focus on your destination?

Jumping on a train at Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station and heading somewhere local to explore Italy and all it has to offer can be brave and exciting. The question is, why assume that the grass is greener in Berlin than it is, for example, in the Boboli Gardens? Traveling around all of Europe in one week may seem like a good idea for those who have never been and really want to understand the scope of what Europe is all about – but can you really do that in approximately seven days? Also, each and every European country is different from each other: with different languages and different culture. Truly exploring a place, a country, a city or even just a town deﬁnitely takes a lot of time. A good recommendation is to take more time in the future to travel to try to get to know other parts of Europe. But for now try to take the time you do have in the place you are in, to fulﬁll your appetite for travel and exploration before the chance passes you by.

Is it not better to enjoy your journey than focus on your destination?

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CIVIC

LAUREN FROMIN Photograph by SHANG WEI LIU Illustration by YUN-YEN CHUANG

INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL MEYER

Daniel can you tell us about yourself? What is your background, what do you currently work on, what are some of your interests, etc.? My father is German, my mother from Austria and I was born in Italy. I have lived in Florence since I was four years old. You could say that this is my city, although I see Florence from both the outside and the inside. Currently, I am the Editor-in-Chief at the magazine FUL and the head of communication for Italia Futura (Tuscan chapter), an association with political, social, and economical purposes.

ENGAG Can you tell me a little about Firenze Urban Lifestyle and what it is you do with FUL? FUL stands for Firenze Urban Lifestyle. It is a Florence based magazine which speaks about everything that is interesting and alive in the city: culture, art, enquiries, people, environment, lifestyle, fashion, and so on. Most of the people in my team are young, love the city, and think Florence is not just an open air museum, but has a lot more to offer.

Can you interpret or define your outlook on what civic participation in Firenze is? It is a difficult moment in Italy regarding civic participation. It is hard for young people to find a job or to start a company. Our political class is mainly made up of old, inefficient, and corrupt individuals. This brings disaffection in a lot of young people because they think nothing will ever change and they have to resign themselves to this fate. Leaving them to escape from Italy or to find someone with power that helps them.

What exactly is civic participation or engagement? The following excerpt from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education (Oryx Press) provides an apt description stating, “Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes”. FUA Journalism student Lauren Fromin interviewed Daniel Meyer, Director of Firenze Urban Lifestyle, a Florence-based magazine relating to all aspects of life for the younger crowd in the city. In the interview, Daniel discusses his own views on civic participation, its importance, and how members of Florence’s community can get involved. 30 *

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SOCIETY & OPIN ION

Firenze is deﬁnitely a city of many appetites, not just one for hunger of food. What are your thoughts on how appetites can be interpreted through civic participation? If you are hungry for something it means there is something missing in your life. That’s why civic participation is a form of appetite too. An appetite for a better and more equal world. It’s an appetite that works the opposite way: it makes your plate full not empty.

Are there any key outlets you use to stay informed on civic participation? Politics are complicated, very complicated. Never get your information just from one source. Read many different newspapers from all over the world, watch TV news, and use the internet intelligently. No one knows everything, no one is always right, but everyone has something to teach you—everyone. Sometimes it’s what to do, sometimes it’s what not to do. Be open and curious, never be satisﬁed, and always look for new answers. Thank you for your thoughts. Is there anything else you would like to add to the point that was not covered in the previous questions? A great singer and poet once said “People have the power.” Politics is made by people, and we are the people. So, don’t lose/use your time to complain… do something about it!

EMENT Are you someone who is engaged in civic participation in Firenze? How so? In a way, everything I do has to do with politics. Italia Futura directly acts in politics by organizing public meetings, promoting discussions, pointing out political and practical solutions for Florence and Tuscany’s problems. FUL deals with culture, young people’s problems, dreams, hopes, and expectations.

What are some suggestions you have for citizens to be able to get involved or learn about civic participation? Read, be informed, learn, and discuss. Take your destiny in your own hands or someone else will decide for you. Find other people that share your views, speak with them, discuss, be open, and transform your words in actions. Luckily, nowadays with Internet it’s much easier.

What are the driving factors behind your interest in civic participation? I’m not happy with what I read in newspapers, see around me, or with the problems that affect many people nowadays. It is true that I am very optimistic, but I believe we should take our own destiny in our hands. We have to work all together to make this world a little more equal and break the paradigm of inequalities. You can’t change the world by sitting on your sofa. Do you think it is important for younger locals to be informed and engaged with civic participation in Firenze? Why? It is extremely important. Information is knowledge and knowledge is power. The power to identify problems is to know how to face them and to ﬁnd solutions.

Take your destiny in your own hands or someone else will decide for you.

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SOCIETY & OPIN ION

Health: A Concept Often Used Yet Not Clearly Understood

PAOLA CARRETERO Photographs by DAVID WEISS [Gaia Poli - Fabrizio Polloni] Photo Courtesy of Pilar Carmona [Pilar Carmona] Illustrations by YUN-YEN CHUANG

Healthy, Fit, Organic. I bet you are all familiar with these words, the famous adjectives taking a huge part today in our society. It is the #healthy era. Everybody wants to be healthy, everything is sugar-free, gluten-free, low-carb, etc. Thousands of ads, campaigns and products are showing the different ways to be “healthier”, but the truth is health goes far beyond food choice and weight loss. It is a concept and a lifestyle that regards so much more in life.

hen Steve Jobs said, “Stay hungry, stay foolish”, he was not talking about eating. He was encouraging people to keep wanting more, to look for something else, something special to feed themselves with. It is all part of the same pyramid. Of course, food takes the ﬁrst place regrding our needs, but let’s not forget about the other essential components. “Life is about fullﬁllment”, this is something the famous Deepak Chropah says in his book, What Are You Hungry For?, where he successfully promotes the message, “A mind-body approach is the key to lifelong wellbeing.” Everything in this life, as cliché as it may sound, is about keeping a balance. I’m afraid that today there is a misconception with words and meanings related to this theme. Being healthy doesn’t only mean to be free of sickness, and is much less related to physical appearance and good looks. People will spend an incredible amount of time and money, searching for the perfect diet or nutritionist just to be “healthy.” But is this actually the meaning of the word? Not even close. Please don’t misunderstand me, I’m a fan of clean eating and working out, but I think people should stop counting calories and also check the nutrition facts of their feelings. Are they really happy? Is everything in order inside of

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them? Healthy habits are not only found in the kitchen but in every single aspect of our lives and relationships with our external and internal world. Looking good vs. feeling good. If we work on our inner selves, the same will be reﬂected outside. Everything starts from the inside, because in the end you’ll see, no matter how good it looks from outside, “Appearance is not essence perception is not reality, and the cover is not the book,” just as author and well-known psychiatrist, David R. Hawkins said. Being healthy is a lifestyle, the sum of healthy thoughts, healthy choices, healthy relationships, and healthy habits within the same person (mind and body). To have an active life means moving, doing, and interacting with people, with nature, with our jobs and also dedicating time to ourselves. Exercising, practicing a sport, taking a walk, just including physical activity as part of your lifestyle will guarantee more health than any “low-calorie bar” or “Special-K diet.” But to further explore this statement, I had the opportunity to interview different experts on physical activity. From FUA instructors to professional dancers and artists, you’ll see in the following interviews how being active is essential to keep your mind, soul, and body in the best condition.

SOCIETY & OPIN ION

GAIA POLI Yoga instructor and Coordinator of FLY, the fashion store and integration project of the FAST fashion campus at FUA. what is the importance that physical activity has on a person’s well-being and inner health? I believe physical activity gives you a new way of living within your body frame, and rewards you with a new perception of the world around you. A sort of awakening. In a new and lighter way I compare it to a religion, since it relieves us from the embarrassment and dichotomy that an out-of-training body puts us in. It is obviously not connected to “looking good,” but it is in a way connected to “feeling beautiful” in a more philosophical way, since you feel your body is definitely “functioning” so much better then before! It also represents a teaching in a broader sense, since while pushing yourself beyond your self-imposed limits you understand that there is more you can give to yourself and others than the basic minimum. Yoga for this reason is a revelation, since it shows you that fortitude and self-discipline actually DO bring you somewhere new. Tell us about your experience in YOGA. Is it really a sort of therapy and source of wellness? I have been practicing yoga for 15 years now, in different countries and with different techniques - more static or more flowing. Entering the self may be scary at the beginning, asanas (postures) may be difficult and painful, and breathing exercises make your head spin a little. This is the “preface,” then the muscles get warmer and longer, the breath gets deeper, and the mind clearer. Silence becomes a necessary friend. As Shri Pattabhi Jois used to say, “Practice and all will come.” This means discipline, patience, and forgiveness for those parts of the body that hold our limits more. As basic as it seems, it is full of meaning to me, the sound of my inner silence becomes my biggest ally. It turns out to be very stress-relieving to practice self potential, both physical and spiritual. However in my opinion the healthiest teaching yoga offers is to be gentle to yourself. I cannot say if, scientifically speaking, yoga heals. But it did heal me, and mend my broken heart as a chubby, uncoordinated “athlete.”

people should stop counting calories and also check the Nutrition Facts of their feelings.

FABRIZIO POLLONI Sports professor and campus coach shares how FUA is involved in promoting a healthy lifestyle to students. As a coordinator of FUA’s Gym, La Palestra, what can you tell us about how FUA promotes physical activity and motivation to the students? FUA’s objective is to offer solid academics and integrate cultural exchange and knowledge of the local territory. We also have to consider the fact that students should have the opportunity to continue certain activities from back home or at their home campuses. Sports are often overlooked when students are studying internationally, and FUA responds to this need from the ﬁrst day that students arrive. Our gym within the main campus is equipped with cardio and ﬁtness machines as well as a space for daily courses featuring disciplines such as yoga, zumba, Latin dance, abs & legs, and hip-hop. We also feature weekly activities such as soccer, which is an important element of Italian culture and very much present in the Florentine landscape. Students always respond with great enthusiasm to these opportunities, which are offered at no additional cost to the FUA community.

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SOCIETY & OPIN ION

DR. ANNA CHOUB A distinguished psychiatrist that works in Pisa, Italy and collaborates with FUA. Counting an impressive curriculum and professional path including a wide range of studies and titles, Dr. Choub also has a master’s degree in sleep disorders and nutrition and wellness. She provides the clinical and medical approach to this topic.

PILAR CARMONA Spanish artist and devoted Flamenco dancer, director of the association “Fundacion Flamenca Andaluza” in Florence. She takes a different approach to our statement from a more artistic and cultural perspective. How do you think cultural movements and art expressions such as dance, in your case, Flamenco, have an inﬂuence on the growth and development of a person’s emotions and their interaction with the outside world? Dance is a part of our life, it’s a form of language and another way of expressing and communicating as human beings. The words are the movements that we express with our bodies. If a person is used to dance from a very young age, it’s of course easier to learn, follow, and therefore grow in this ﬁeld. But this development and the norms required and taught in these dance disciplines create a lifestyle, which is characterized by different values such as responsibility, dedication, perseverance, and maturity. Aspects that will make you grow not just as a professional dancer but as a human being. I dance because of passion and profession. I have committed myself to this discipline. Dance in general is about passion, and Flamenco is the expression of existence in movement. Which means that all the pain, suffering, sadness, worries, joy, happiness, and the desire to live emerge while you are dancing. By teaching you also learn a lot, and I like to refer to a former student’s remark that has stuck with me: “For many reasons, Flamenco has been the best psychologist I could have asked for.”

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What can you tell us about the relationship between physical activity and pyschological well being? How important is being physically active and how is it implied when fighting aspects like stress or depression? There is a strong relationship between physical activity and emotional well-being that is well documented. Endorphins are released during exercise. This can lead to overall feelings of positivity, even euphoria, a diminished perception of pain, and can offer a sedating effect. The significant psychological benefit of improved self-confidence/esteem often increases as well with exercise. When exercising in a group atmosphere or teaming with a friend, the network of support is also quite beneficial to emotional wellness. Finally, sleep has been shown to improve remarkably with consistent exercise. Quality sleep is very necessary as it relates to managing stress, preventing depression, and overall wellness both physically and emotionally.

On Stress A growing body of research over the last 10 years substantiates that physical activity and exercise improve psychological well-being. Published investigations conclude that individuals with improved levels of fitness are capable of managing stress more effectively than those who are less fit. The data suggests an inverse relationship: higher physical fitness is associated with lower levels of stress. It appears that the method of exercise that most benefits stress reduction is cardiovascular exercise. On Depression The antidepressant action is one of the most commonly accepted psychological benefits of exercise. Individuals with clinical depression tend to be less active than healthy, active adults and have a reduced capacity for physical exertion. Since people suffering from depression are not predisposed to participating in exercise, it can often be challenging for fitness professionals to introduce physical activity to this population. However, patients diagnosed with depression have credited exercise as being the most important element in comprehensive treatment programs for depression. Looking good is one thing, but feeling good is another. As a specialist in this field, how can you help us understand the true meaning of the word “healthy”? Being “healthy” encompasses the well-being of a person, both body and mind. Unfortunately there is a large misconception that one’s outer appearance reflects the level of health. For example, a person suffering from bulimia may appear “healthy” (meet “normal” standards of the body mass, etc.) to their family and friends. However the reality is they are suffering profoundly emotionally and in great danger physically. When it comes to being healthy emotionally and physically combined with exercise and nutrition, moderation is always advised. Extremes, in terms of exercise, or fad diets are never recommended or associated with positive health outcomes (mind and body). Ultimately, self-care and trying to find a balance in our lives is what leads us to an all-encompassing sense of well-being.

SOCIETY & OPIN ION

La Cité The Survival of an Off-Circuit Gem

eep inside the city limits of the Oltrarno hides one of Florence’s most unique nightspots. Attracting hipsters, students, and artists of all ages, this book bar is certainly one of a kind. With live music every night, the venue draws in a creative crowd to sit around wooden tables and sip on coffee and beverages. Books fi ll the shelves around the café, welcoming anyone to read them. Even with the success that the café has had so far, not all positivity beams from the front doors. Located in a quiet neighborhood, La Cité has undergone numerous fines and orders due to the noise projected from the live music and enthusiastic customers. Never once has there been a complaint about La Cité due to screaming, drunkenness, vandalism or fights. Out of all the bars in Florence, La Cité is one of the few that strays away from loud techno & pounding bass of pop music. In six years, La Cité has organized more than 600 book presentations, 300 exhibits, and 1,500 live concerts thanks to artists all over Tuscany. The locale if anything brings the community together to share the common passion of anti-superficiality. Unfortunately, bringing the creative world together comes at a cost. The city of Florence had La Cité shut

down for a period of time following a charge from the Judicial Authorities. Due to complaints about the mental and physical health of the neighborhood, La Cité closed mid-June. The dedicated customers of La Cité worked hard to petition the higher authorities holding parades and meetings to open the popular book café again. With the café shut down, receiving no revenue, the owners still had to pay rent for the building therefore losing money in the process. Finally after re-opening recently, the atmosphere couldn’t be more alive. Protestors with the message “life is noisy” have ﬂocked to La Cité in hopes of getting more of the public to help stand with the issue. La Cité has now changed their hours in hopes of attracting a larger crowd. They now open early in the morning and offer a quiet environment to grab

CLAIRE CURTIS

Illustration by CLAIRE CURTIS

a cof fee and pastry before work because the closing time is mandated to 11pm. Just because of the passionate customers, it has been roped into the world of loud dance discos. It is a place to share a common enthusiasm for live music, real art, and intriguing conversation. La Cité is a fun, enlivening place that need not hide in the depths of the city any longer.

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SOCIETY & OPIN ION

How to Satisfy Your Cultural Appetite

HOLLY GUARINO CAROLINE WALL Photographs by RICHARD ALVAREZ

When you think about the term “appetite,” what is the ﬁrst thing you think of? Probably food right? The term can have many different meanings. Someone can have an appetite for food, power, wealth, knowledge, travel, and even culture. Florence is a great city to explore and satisfy this need for culture, for it has subcultures within the city. This article provides some starting points for explanation, clariﬁcation, and guidance on how to successfully absorb a foreign culture and all it has to offer. 36 *

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SOCIETY & OPIN ION

TIP #1

TIP #3

to Satisfying Your Cultural Appetite

STUDYING THE MOOD AND ANALYZING IT When you’re at home getting ready to go out with friends or family for dinner, what’s the ﬁrst question asked before walking out the door? It’s usually, “What are we in the mood for?”, or “Where do we want to go?” This simple principle applies to nourishing your cultural appetite as well. Prior to transitioning, do a little research. Investigate all of the different places you are interested in going to. Whether you are staying in a foreign land for a week or an entire year, be educated on the different policies, social norms, and taboos. It’s always best to be ready for any challenges you may face before you actually have to face them.

DON’T JUDGE This tip is more difﬁcult to accomplish. You might catch yourself making comparisons to home. If you do, stop. That is the worst thing you could possibly do when living in a new place. Once you start comparing homesickness settles in much faster. Sure, appreciate the new things you discover, but don’t reﬂect on it to the point where you overanalyze. There are many other differences between the home and hosting cultures, but the more you dwell on them the more frustrated you’ll get. Understand the differences and then, for lack of a better phrase, “deal with them and understand them.” Once you stop acknowledging them as differences they no longer stick out as strange but as the realities of the hosting culture.

TIP #2 to Satisfying Your Cultural Appetite DON’T BE SCARED AND TAKE YOUR TIME Once you have decided what you’re hungry for don’t be afraid to actually go for it. You don’t need to jump in all at once, but take baby steps. Explore the city you’re living in. Florence, for example, has much to offer. So much that sometimes it can be hard to take in. Here’s a little guidance on what to tackle first: • Practical logistics: Learn where the supermarket and ATMs are for basic living needs. • Grab a friend and a map. Venture around your neighborhood when you first arrive. Explore your new landscape. • SLOW DOWN. The first thing you’ll want to do when you arrive is see everything. This is normal, but take some time to observe and notice things. The more you observe, the better you can understand. Once you have tackled some of the beginner tasks, then you can venture on to challenging yourself a little more. Make the effort to go to new places, try new things, and experiment. Step outside of your comfort zone, but pay attention to you conscience. Keep an eye open to issues of safety. This tip applies greatly to Florence because of the different subcultures that exist in the city. The city is split into two separate sides because of the Arno River. A lot of times you’ll even hear people say, “Oh yeah, it’s on the other side of the river.” One side of the Arno features the Duomo and the Uffizi, among other tourist attractions. This, as you can image, is known as the “touristy side,” while the other side is the host of important monuments as well such as the Boboli Gardens and Piazza Michelangelo. These are just starting points that should lead to other discoveries. Consider the advantage that you have as a citizen of your home town. You intimately know how it is structured and are familiar with both the main attractions and the lesser-known gems. Why not acquire the same knowledge in a new environment and apply it to your daily life?

TIP #4 to Satisfying Your Cultural Appetite TRAVEL SMART After interviewing FUA Professor, Valentina Dolara, one can realize that there is much more to traveling than people realize. The decision to live internationally often creates travel within travel, but often travelers scramble around to get to as many places as possible. “I would say it is better to see one place but see it with more ease than seven places and just running because you don’t have an idea of what the place is like,” said Professor Dolara. The appetite for travel does not only exist in different countries but is especially diverse within Italy’s unique regions. Professor Dolara continues, “Italy is so diverse. I understand you’re in Europe and you want to see London, Paris, and other places, but sometimes I hear about people going to very offbeat places. In Italy you can go to Sicilian towns or Naples in Campania and it’s another universe. You go to Turin in the North and realize yet again how things change and how traveling around Italy is worth the effort.” Traveling opens the mind and is a freeing experience that can changes lives. To have an appetite for intelligent travel includes indulging yourself in other cultures. It is an important aspect of life because you are able to expand knowledge and experiences.

to conclude LIVING VS. THRIVING Living in a foreign country is actually simpler than one would think. Thriving in a foreign country is what takes more effort. With these simple tips and advice, you can successfully survive and thrive in not only Florence, but in any new city. Satisfying a cultural appetite is not an easy task, but it can be accomplished if you stay open minded and willing to accept change and differences.

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Energy in Italy

INTERVIEW WITH MIRELLA SARTI

ANDREA HRINGSDÓTTIR Photograph by OLGA MAKAROVA Illustration by YUN-YEN CHUANG

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ENVIRONMENTALISM AND BEING AWARE OF YOUR OWN TRAIL

ENVIRONMENT

The solution is a must, the Earth is our only home.

ecently, Florence University of the Arts screened a documentary feature about environmental problems of the world. The film is called Trashed, it was written and directed by British filmmaker Candida Brady and includes Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons with the role of a guide who highlights solutions to environmental problems which face us all. The film sets out to discover the extent and effects of global waste problems. The main character travels around the world to beautiful destinations tainted by pollution. Following the thought of the film I talked to Mirella Sarti, an environmental engineer here in Italy, about energy use in Italy and environmentalism in general. I shared a similar interest with her on the issues of our times concerning energy, littering, a clean future and the desire to truly do something about the global environment – the hunger for action, an appetite for productivity. Awareness about environmentalism is a concrete need and people have to see that the problem lies with the individual and from that expands to the extent of affecting us all. The problem of littering, for example, lies in the lack of keeping track of your own trail. When a person litters, he or she problably thinks that they are not the only one who litters. “It doesn’t matter, someone else will pick up his or her trash anyway” or other excuses all contribute to the biggest problem of our time. Littering is not the only problem we are facing. In 2050, statistics tell us that the worlds population will rise to almost nine or ten billion people. Today we are approximately seven billion and the number keeps rising. Scientists have told us that this is a problem – the earth is overcrowding. Scientists predict our resources will drain, people are already facing economic problems and cities are expanding to the extent of explosion. So talking about energy is one of our smartest moves considering that one day, probably very soon, there simply won’t be enough for everyone and we will have to use our energy in a much smarter way.

Here is Dr. Mirella Sarti's view on the problems we are facing, her knowledge on energy matters and her opinion on what we can do to reduce our trail: what are Italy’s main energy sources and where do they come from? In 2012, the Italian energy demand had decreased since 2011 by 9.6%; in particular 26.1% was covered by renewables. Photovoltaic has covered the 6.3% of the general energy demand. Wind energy has also increased (+28.5%). Hydroelectric and geothermal energy instead decreased, according to the TERNA energy report. Thermoelectric energy plants decreased their production of 4.3%. Are Italy’s energy resources renewable and sustainable? We have hydroelectric, geothermalm abd thermoelectric energy plants, while renewables are increasing year after year. Especially photovoltaics and wind energy. How is the energy distributed? How much energy can one home have for example? The distribution net in Italy is managed by a company called ENEL. Energy is distributed to every building from transformation voltage stations. Normally an apartment has 3kW peak power, with electricty at 220 volt. what do you think environmental problems are and how can we address them? The problem is the lack of knowledge and awareness about the environmental impact of our everyday actions. “It's not a problem if you're not aware of the problem.” – Denial. Could our main problem concerning environmentalism lie in the way people think about their environment, their habit of comfortable living or simply the lack of thinking about the future? Where exactly the

problem began might be a good way to see the problem better. But spending too much time pointing fingers might have us lose precious time on actually solving the problem and getting straight to the point. Scientists and people alike have been debating whether we have a problem or not and frankly the debate itself is a waste of time as we can see for instance in the fi lm Trashed that we obviously do have a problem that won't simply vanish when we close our eyes. Are you optimistic about solving our environmental problems? I’m always optimistic, that's why I’m teaching environmental education in schools, and also at FUA. Every semester my students leave the class with more knowledge and awarness about their environmental impacts. The solution is a must, the Earth is our only home. Will Italy's energy resources run out? the world's energy resources? And if so, how soon? Fossil fuels are probably going to run out if we still go on using them at the actual rate, but increasing energy efficiency and decreasing energy demand will let renewable enegies be enough to cover the energy consumption. The individual’s biggest contribution to saving the earth from trash and running out of resources is keeping track of his or her own trail. Keeping track of your trail means that, for example, if you buy a can of soda you know that you shouldn't just throw it in any trashcan available — we have special trashcans for a reason. Another example, don't keep your lights on if you're not using them, don't keep the water running for no reason, and so on. Simply: don't use more than you need. You would want the same things that you have been given for your children, their children and so on — I hope.

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ENVIRONMENT

Guerrilla Gardening Building a Community Garden

ardening - it seems like such a simple concept. One digs a hole in the dirt, drops a seed, covers it up, and then waits for it to grow. From an outside point of view, it is a single process that is done after a few minutes. Yet from an inside view, gardening offers much more. Especially when it comes to the Guerrilla Gardening Program started by Giacomo Salizzoni. The Guerrilla Gardening program offers a way for individuals to find themselves through the process of both figuratively and literally growing. The goal of Guerrilla Gardening is to create a network of small city vegetable gardens. Popping up, hidden inside the city centers, this project reaches out to the public through a volunteer basis. Giacomo has created a program that involves the entire community and benefits the city’s environment as well as people's lives. The current garden is located at Borgo Pinti 76 and is always open to perspective volunteers. The garden consists of multiple beds that foster a home for small herbs and plants. Whether it is planting, cleaning up or creating intricate structures from bamboo, there is always something to do. The garden was started to raise awareness of the importance of living “green.” Through this program, a diverse variety of volunteers have helped make this garden possible. From disabled

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citizens, to intrigued passerbys gardening has touched the hearts of many people of all ages. Creating lasting relationships, many students also volunteer at the garden. One student graciously spoke of how she saw the garden in progress from an apartment window and just had to see what it was about. She instantly fell in love with the program as Giacomo welcomed her into the garden, thankful for her help. Whether the interest is being green, planting, or just getting involved with the community, everyone working there has a smile on their face. The amenity of the progression and work ethic is enlivening when realizing that all was made possible through the driven volunteers. When talking to Giacomo, you can feel his passion beaming from inside. His drive to make this possible could not have been done without the help of the members of the community. People come every day on their own time, even just for an hour to lend a helping hand. Guerrilla Gardening offers a safe haven for those who need time for themselves or simply want to do something for the community. The creation of community gardens is growing throughout the city, just as the seeds planted within the ground, ready to be discovered and bloom.

CLAIRE CURTIS Photographs by CLAIRE CURTIS

Tuscany’s in Town

CARLOTA MENDOZA Photographs by DAVID WEISS ISABELA ELIZONDO [students' portraits]

TuttoToscana Satisfies NYC’s Hunger

THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE ANNUAL TUTTOTOSCANA PROGRAM SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE OF BRINGING THE TRADITIONAL TASTE AND APPETITES OF TUSCANY ABROAD.

What are the challenges of presenting Tuscan appetites to an international audience in places like the famed James Beard Foundation? Blending Magazine catches up with Erick Dole, Timothy Martin, Phillip Steinberg, and Cody Durbin from the FUA career program, TuttoToscana. The interviewees are a part of a unique team of faculty members and students who traveled all the way to NYC in October 2013, bringing with them authentic Tuscan menus and the desire to communicate what it really means to eat in Italy, on foreign turf. Find out about what they learned, accomplished, and encountered during this transcontinental gastronomic journey. FALL 2013

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Erick Dole

Timothy Martin

what would you say was your favorite part about the TuttoToscana Program? Having the opportunity to work with world class Italian chefs at one of the most prestigious venues in New York, The James Beard House, was the highlight of the program. Preparing for four major events in seven days with at least 60-90 guests per event was not an easy task. However, this made us appreciate even more the industry. Furthermore, we loved the fact that we were able to experience Italian food, in an American setting; it gave us a perspective of how Italian cuisine influenced other countries around the globe. This experience combined two countries and their respective cultures. What was the biggest challenge in satisfying the US public? This being an international culinary experience, our main challenge was the flavor complexity. Relating the classical Italian flavor profi le to the American palate. Italian cuisine is very simple in flavors, for that reason we payed respect to every ingredient perfecting the harmonizing flavors of ingredients of the Tuscany area. While Italian cuisine is very deep-rooted, American cuisine is a fusion of other cuisines influenced by the many countries. Holding true to the key values in each respective culture allowed us to create successful dishes.

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Phillip Steinberg

Cody Durbin

What do you feel the TuttoToscana program taught you that you didn’t know before? We were taught the difference between being prepared and being fully prepared in the eyes of a manger. It was a great learning experience that taught us how to be an efficient leader making sure all questions were answered and delegating tasks in a clear way. The TuttoToscana program also taught us how to organize a fine dining banquet service and gave us the opportunity to learn new techniques to improve previous knowledge. The most important thing we learned was how to handle stress properly and that being organized in the kitchen is the main ingredient for success. What is some advice you have for next year’s TuttoToscana student participants? The most important piece of advice is to understand the importance of every action and decision before it happens. Plan ahead and analyze every possible scenario in your head; also be prepared for a very long and difficult work load. Always go into a kitchen with a sense of urgency, you need to think quick and fast. A missing utensil can easily be substituted with another, be ready to solve problems. Further, before going to NYC, students should be familiar with the public transportation as they will utilize it often. Lastly, we would encourage them to be confident, fearless, but humble; keep your eyes and ears open, and try to keep up with everything that’s going on.

FOOD

Adventuring into Tuscan Appetites

ALEXA MELLARDO

Writing for the Santa Cristina/Apicius Online Cookbook

Photograph by ISABELA ELIZONDO

During Alexa Mellardoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time in Italy she got involved not only as a regular Blending contributor but also in a unique blogging project - the Santa Cristina Cookbook, an online gastronomic collaboration between FUAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Apicius culinary and wine departments and the Santa Cristina wine brand of the Marchesi Antinori group. Seasonable recipes and dedicated wine pairings are regularly featured in the cookbook, which features the voices and culinary expertise of FUA faculty and students. FALL 2013

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hile studying at Florence University of the Arts, I have had t he op por tunit y of writing for the Santa Cristina / Apicius online “Cookbook.” In addition to taking a Food, Culture & Society class at Apicius; writing for the Santa Cristina cookbook has given me the opportunity to fully embrace the Italian food culture, and I have loved every second of it. Santa Cristina Winery is located in the gorgeous town of Cortona, Toscana, Italia. Having presented their very first vintage to the world in the year of 1946, the winery continues to contribute deep passion and dedication to every single bottle of Santa Cristina. The Cookbook section of the site features authentic and seasonal recipes particular to different regions of Italia; complemented with a fine bottle of Santa Cristina that works best with the unique flavors of each dish. Some of the recipes are even prepared right before your eyes in a video recipe by talented Apicius chefs. Each week I write an introduction for a different preparation – covering the historical background of the dish and the distinctive essence it brings to the table with a suggested Santa Cristina wine that the recipe pairs well with. I have written introductions for a variety of different preparations including a refreshing summer chicken salad with yogurt mint and cucumber dressing, a savory eggplant parmesan, and a dessert tart with figs and chocolate— a sweet delicacy. This has certainly been a fun and mouthwatering undertaking for the passionate foodie and cuisine connoisseur that I am. I highly recommend checking out the Santa Cristina / Apicius Online Cookbook. Whether you are in the mood for mushroom crepes, pappa al pomodoro, zesty artichoke salad with lemon and parmesan, or slow cooked pork loin with apples and prunes, there is a delicious and seasonal preparation fit for everyone’s taste. The site breaks all recipes down into sections including: starters, pasta, soups, meat, fish, vegetables, dessert, and specials. The recipes will certainly satisfy your palates and the strong selection of Italian wines will be the fi nal cherry topping to making an absolutely perfect meal. S a l u t e !

Photo Courtesy of SANTA CRISTINA

Photo Courtesy of ALEXA MELLARDO SANTA CRISTINA CANTINA & BOTTEGA Case Sparse Centoia, 52/A 52042 Cortona (AR) www.santacristina1946.it/cookbook

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Feeding the Moment

SHANNON LYNCH Photographs by DAVID WEISS

s I was standing in my kitchen preparing dinner, I was thinking about the idea of “Florence and its many appetites” for this issue. I thought about how the concept applies and relates to everyone that reads Blending. It was my first time making risotto by myself. After making risotto with the help of my professor and classmates in my cooking class, I realized how easy it was. All you need are a few simple ingredients, as well as a little time and love, and you will be left with this deliciously creamy meal. I was excited to finally try cooking something new. I chopped an onion, carrots, and celery very finely and cooked them in olive oil. I added some Arborio rice and vegetable broth, and let it simmer away. I was hoping with all my might that it was going to turn into risotto. I prayed with every addition of broth, it was going to get creamier and creamier. Then I would finally have a successful dish that was something other than pasta or chicken! It would be a big change of pace. I had been wanting to try something other than my usual dinners for a while. Although I get inspired to try something new every time I go to the market, I usually opt for a quick and easy meal that is all too familiar; one of the dishes that I will eventually get sick of eating too much. I’ve always had an appetite for food. Ac-

tually, I’ve always had a huge appetite for food, so I was very happy that this little epiphany would finally give me the motivation to explore other dinner options. I felt like I was beginning to explore and fulfill one of Florence’s many appetites. To me, that is the meaning of “Florence and its many appetites.” The fact that I was using newly acquired knowledge about this risotto dish, and expanding my horizons when it comes to food and cooking. The food in Florence is explored daily, by tourists as well as locals - but it is not only food that is explored in Florence. For example, no two people are exactly alike. Therefore, different interests makes anything from architecture to shopping part of the wide range of Florence’s appetites. I am only in this amazing city for a limited amount of time, and I am constantly learning about new appetites, which I have been determined to explore as much as possible before returning home. I’m constantly observing and absorbing Florence’s culture, way of life, food, and everything else that makes this city what it is. The appetites are plentiful. But as I sat down with a plate of delicious, creamy goodness in front of me, I had just explored, and temporarily fulfilled, an important appetite that I cared about, in a specific moment of time.

I’ve always had an appetite for food. Actually, I’ve always had a huge appetite for food,

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Discussing Food Safety with La Buchetta

CARLOTA MENDOZA Photographs by VICTORIA HALEBA [portrait] DAVID WEISS

Carlota Mendoza interviews Maurizio Eremita, owner of the La Buchetta restaurant located on Via de’ Benci. Although the place opened recently, TripAdvisor reviews rank it highly in the Florentine restaurant scene. As for the restaurant’s name, it’s important to consider the restaurant location at the historic Palazzo Bardi. In Florence, one may ﬁnd small windows on the ground ﬂoor of many aristocratic palaces. Called buchette, these openings were historically used to sell wine. Maurizio shares his values concerning food safety and sanitation as essential qualities of the products used daily at the restaurant.

INTERVIEW WITH MAURIZIO EREMITA Owner of La Buchetta What is the philosophy behind La Buchetta and how is it related to food safety? Our philosophy is to focus on quality products that are chosen from the best suppliers of cured meats, cheeses, vegetables, fresh pasta, and wines. All of these products arrive in perfect condition and are carefully stored according to the proper temperatures and food type. Each item must be cleaned and handled by our staff according to proper standards and regulations of cleaning procedures, food preparation and conservation, and ultimately food safety. What measures are required to be taken by a chef in regards to food safety when managing food? The chef, or a similar role, must guarantee that products arriving at the restaurant are of the highest quality. Product duration and expiration dates must be checked. Once the products are handled, if the chef decides to change ingredients he must re-prepare and rewash the work areas and substitute the work tools as to not create cross-contamination. The items must also be divided and conserved in separate refrigeration spaces. Which part of Tuscany is known for the freshness of its products, in your opinion? I’d say the Chianti area, where even something as simple as an onion offers a great difference in quality and ﬂavor. When paired with a good extra virgin olive oil, the result is the essential building block of Tuscan and Mediterranean cooking, the soffritto composed of olive oil, garlic, onion, carrots, and celery.

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a chef, or similar role, must guarantee that products arriving at the restaurant ARE of the highest quality.

Which places provide the highest quality ingredients? What are the norms and regulations for the handling of food by the employees of your restaurant? The employees must follow the rules and regulations established by HACCP, the organization that periodically analyzes and controls the risks and critical points for the prevention of food contamination. The HACCP system monitors every single aspect of food production in which the possibility of biological, chemical, and physical contamination comes into play. The system assures that excellent quality is guaranteed to the client and that public health is being safeguarded. What factors are you familiar with that play a role in this discipline of preserving food? Two factors are especially important for product conservation. Prolonged times under high heat can cause the beginning of bacterial contamination that compromises the safety of ingredients. What do inﬂuences or factors such as temperature and conservation have on food? If an ingredient is either exposed to blast chilling or vacuum sealed, it maintains its freshness in the freezer for longer periods. However, in the case of fresh ingredients, one must always respect expiration dates. How long can you store leftovers in the fridge? What are the risks involved in something as simple as a tomato sauce? One of the greatest risks is to not respect the two key factors of temperature control and proper food storage. Consider that a simple can of tomato sauce could become a bacteria nest for botulin, which in some cases can be lethal. In fact it's mandatory to bring the sauce to a boil to eliminate all forms of bacteria.

And ﬁnally, I'd like to suggest a few recipes. The ﬁrst is a VEGETABLE SALAD that only takes 5 minutes to prepare yet gives wonderful results: INGREDIENTS: lettuce radicchio 1 zucchini 1 carrot 1 tomato 1 eggplant salt pepper olive oil balsamic vinegar PREPARATION Slice the eggplant and zucchini very thinly and grill for a few minutes. Chop the lettuce, radicchio, carrot, tomato. Add to serving dish and lay the grilled vegetables on top. Dress with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

The second recipe is PICI CACIO E PEPE. Pici are the famous long and thick pasta noodles from the Siena area. Put the pasta to boil. The sauce is obtained by combining a knob of butter with 2 tablespoons of pepper and 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Mix the sauce ingredients until smooth and even. Add the cooked pici to this sauce, drizzle in some extra olive oil as well and mix together thoroughly. This is a great dish that will impress your partner or friends.

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S tephanie

C A N A D A

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FA S H I O N & S T Y L E

Photo Essay

Text by LAUREN FROMIN

MODELS Andrea Hringsdóttir Mikaela Fortuny Stephanie Schneider MAKE-UP Linda Salimbeni HAIR STYLE Scottie Key

Special Thanks To: Federico Cagnucci Gaia Poli Edgardo Kenneth Carlota Mendoza Paola Carretero Yun-Yen Chuang Yuchi Chen

REPORTRAYING THE RENAISSANce OLGA MAKAROVA

“The Renaissance period in Florence was one of the important eras in art. Portraits from this period, in contrast to the modern-day ones, reﬂect tranquility, wisdom, contemplation, dignity, poise, and conﬁdence. Intending to reproduce portraits from that time with digital technology, I took into consideration the colors and lighting from the styles of the paintings, and focused heavily on the facial expression of each model.” O.M.

n today’s society, portraits come a dime a dozen thanks to modern technology and the ease of uploading them instantly wherever one chooses. Yet, the concept of creating a portrait dates far back in history. Better known as “portraiture,” images of individuals have been depicted since the beginning of time. The Italian Renaissance helped pave the way for the “rediscovery of the individual” and is known in Europe as an age of portraiture. Painted ﬂawlessly by the likes of Da Vinci, Raphael, and Bronzino, just to name a few, portraits were commissioned by the distinguished of the time to illustrate their status and celebrate the moral quality of the subject portrayed including strength, patience, rational control over emotions, intelligence, purity, and loyalty. We have come a long way concerning portraiture since the Renaissance. If Ghirlandaio was still around, we might all be considered distinguished upper-class citizens by his own belief. To demonstrate contemporary beauty through the Renaissance portrait, Olga Makarova, a DIVA student at FUA, photographed fellow students in this classic style inspired by the great masters of the time.

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Andrea I C E L A N D

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M ikaela E C U A D O R

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Humble Origins Guccio Gucci

KELLY CONNOR Photographs by SHANG WEI LIU Illustrations by SUJANI MUNAMALPE

Gucci Museum entrance in Piazza della Signoria, Florence. Right page, in the circle: Gucci Museum Bookshop staff.

Gucci is a name that is universally synonymous with luxury, and one of the most recognized high-fashion labels in the world. A-list celebrities and socialites are often spotted in garments labeled by the double G, but where did this prestigious line of fashion get its start? No other place than the ďŹ&#x201A;ourishing city of fashion, Florence. 52 *

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...it was his job as an elevator attendant that became the defining moment of his early career...

uccio Gucci wasn’t born into the elite life of fame and fortune that his fashion pieces represent, as he is among many other self-starters who started from the bottom and worked their way to the top. There must be something about becoming an adult from age 20 onward that makes one want to step outside of their comfort zone and explore what the world has to offer. Just like many students who choose to study abroad at this age, Gucci too, left his hometown of Florence at the age of 20 to see the world for himself. The city was London, his mission was success, and the rest was history. Alone, isolated, and a stranger to a country that was not his home, Gucci was fueled by the fire that is ignited in so many who come from humble beginnings as himself, the son of a common leather maker. Gucci worked as a dishwasher, waiter, bellhop, and a concierge in one of the first luxury hotels with an elevator, The Savoy. Although Gucci had to get his hands dirty at first, it was his job as an elevator attendant that became the defining moment of his early career, and is attributed to his success as a self-made millionaire. Working at the Savoy, until he was let go at the age of 40, Gucci worked as an elevator attendant and rubbed elbows with stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Winston Churchill and countless others. As a true Italian businessman, it was through those elevator rides that he utilized his time and networked with his celebrity encounters. Admiring and taking notes of their fashion, style, accessories, manners and habits; with close attention to their luggage, he was fueled with a dream and a passion. Gucci returned to his home of Florence, known of course for skilled artisans and materials; it was here that Gucci who once ironically thought of his father’s business in leather and luggage as boring, put his savings into opening a store doing just that. Utilizing the knowledge he obtained after all those years working in the elevator, Gucci targeted the rich population of

Florence and started manufacturing luxury luggage and equestrian leather goods that stood as symbols for the elite. Gucci was far beyond his times, as far as branding; the iconic double G symbol is still embossed today. With this forward thinking combined with the lack of competitors, the rich began to associate the Gucci label with luxury, and his sales and production skyrocketed. Even during the war, when stores were forced out of business, Gucci fed off the same determination he had as a young man and continued to produce products. During this time he used materials such as canvas and bamboo, creating one of labels most iconic handbags. Gucci’s bamboo handbag became a fashion relic of that time period, and was adopted by Grace Kelly as a main staple in her wardrobe. Not only was his creation received well with the upper class, but also it marked the humbleness that Gucci came from, a place he would never forget. Inherited by his four sons, the Gucci factory

was run into worldwide expansion as it is recognized today. The ﬁrst Italian company to open a store in Manhattan in 1953 marks the driving force behind the powerhouse that Gucci was a young man who had a big dream, and adventure in his heart. A man who left his home and everything he knew to work amongst the lower class, not giving up until his products were draped, worn, and accessorized by the people he at once observed and now belonged amongst. Whether it was something in the pasta he ate as a young boy that made him want to drop everything and stray from a family business, or his hunger for wanting more out of life, he was able to become a self-made millionaire leading the life that he once dreamed about. Although Gucci has long passed away, his symbol stands on its own, defying time and the changing env i ron ment; embodying the same class and timelessness he b e ga n with.

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Does This Come in Black?

JOANNA SCOTT KEY

Elegance and sophistication are significantly prized here in Florence. Style and grandeur seem to stir in the Italian soul, or at least that’s how my mind perceives the Florentine people. As I walk these streets of Florence, I see the influence from generations of Fashion Royalty being born here. High fashion designers such as Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Emilio Pucci all began in this beautiful city. ith an understanding of the rich fashion history of Florence, it's not so hard to believe how incredibly chic and glamorous Florentines dress. In one casual stroll through a square, I see more beautiful people than I do on television. As if straight out of a Hollywood movie, I see Italian men in fabulous tailored suits, women in stunning dresses, and children that look as if plucked straight from a catalogue. However, scattered throughout this beautiful picturesque scene is of course, the tourist. The tourist can be of any age, gender, or nationality, and is spotted instantly. Florentines receive tourists and co-inhabit the city with them every day. Regardless of the inviting and warm nature of the locals, there is always a visual distinction between someone who looks as if they belong to the local culture and someone who is visiting . Living in Florence for the past three months, I have developed one simple trick to help myself blend in and immerse myself in the local fashion culture. After making this easy change to my wardrobe I now have strangers asking me for directions in Italian, on a daily basis. Perhaps it's a direct result of my experimentation. Many articles out there about dressing for Italian fashion will discuss and advise scarves, leather jackets, sunglasses, and handbags, but all that can go terribly wrong when there's a lacking sense of what true style is. My surefire way, to keep my fellow tourist looking like they belong to the fashion scene, consists of five simple words: Does this come in black? If I keep it simple and keep it black, I always look cool and feel confident. Color psychology for visual merchandising tells us that the color black represents elegance and power in the mind of the consumer. I applied my knowledge as a Fashion Merchandising major to my wardrobe, took a few queues from the latest Prada and Dolce & Gabbana collections and whittled down my wardrobe this year to simple and neutral items. I reduced my floral prints, the neon, and anything that wasn't classified as a neutral color. Sometimes color is for the birds (or tourist), if you want to stay chic in Italy, remember to also ask, “Does this come in black?” Obviously while keeping an eye open towards what's in store and new trends for the next season.

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Illustration by CLAIRE CURTIS

FA S H I O N & S T Y L E

before the lights there was White

STEPHANIE STEPH HANIE SCHNEIDER Illustrations by YUCHI CHEN [chandeliers] JESSICA LEDERHOS [model]

lorence, Palazzo Pitti: Sala glamorous event, and Florence Bianca. Enchanting and was a gracious host not only grandiose. Elaborate for the show, but also for the Baroque-style. The walls of culture, food, and parties that the hall are wrapped in glow- followed. The reaction to Italian ing white from floor to ceiling; designs was beyond favorable, orable, which is elegantly adorned with and it was a moment that shook o four sparkling crystal chandeliers. modern fashion, and changed ed the It is the perfect setting for a fash- future of the industry entirely. ely. In ion show; which is precisely why it July 1952, the fashion shows moved was carefully selected by the mas- to their new home, at the stunning ning ter curator of Italian ready-to-wear: Sala Bianca in Palazzo Pitti, where Tuscan born Giovan Battista Giorgi- they continued for twenty years. Florni. He is the visionary responsible for ence maintains its reputation as the putting Italian fashion on the map, birthplace of the modern Italian fashashwho had the foresight and passion ion industry. Although the big designer ner to develop what “made in Italy” now women’s wear shows have since moved d to means today. Mr. Battista Giorgini saw Milan, it doesn’t mean Florence has lost ostt the great potential in Italian artisans its appetite for fashion. The city is still ripe pe e in the area who crafted quality, well de- with traditional artisans, industrial leather er signed, and easy to wear clothing; that in production, and is host to many important nt post-war time was not readily available. A trade fairs year round for clothing and texxman equipped with good business sense tiles. One being Pitti Uomo, the largest Menssand charm, he saw great opportunity in the wear showcase in the world, which recently y American market, through his strong con- has become just as high profile as its women’s nections in New York. In February 1951, the counterpart. On January 7-10, 2014, the city will very first fashion show was held at Villa Tor- welcome buyers, editors, fashionistas, and jourrigiani in Florence, under Battista Giorgini’s nalists for the Men’s S/S 2015 Collections located direction. A bevy of influential Americans, ce- at the Fortezza da Basso. The global spotlight will lebrities, socialites, and buyers were welcomed once again be shining on Florence, as this importto the Renaissance city to view the first Italian ant semi-annual event will highlight its rich histodesigns to be displayed on the catwalk. It was a ry, unique culture, and hunger for fashion.

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The Business of Blogging

STEPHANIE SCHNEIDER Photographs by CARLOTA MENDOZA SHANG WEI LIU [right page - top left] Illustration by STEPHANIE SCHNEIDER

ver the span of five years, the fashion industry has experienced a steadfast change in its rules regarding hierarchy and clout, through the influence of great and powerful websites. Various social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pintrest have carved a convenient way for fashion brands to interact with customers, while creating and promoting brand awareness. But blogging is perhaps the most fascinating phenomena to impact the industry, as it has made fashion even more accessible to the masses. Many successful fashion bloggers are considered today’s trendsetters, and celebrities in their own right. A world that at one time welcomed only the elite and exclusive, has now embraced those unknown. The steps up the fashion ladder have had a significant alteration, which leads us to question: How did Bloggers get to the front row? Blogs everyone reads them, and done well, they can be an excellent means of seeking information and inspiration. They allow anybody the freedom to be a critic, qualified or not, which can be a double-edged sword, especially in the case of fashion. In the article The Circus of Fashion by veteran fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, she makes a very important observation, “While fashion pros tend to have personal agendas related to their work, bloggers start a critical conversa-

Carlota Mendoza with Chiara Ferragni

tion that can spread virally”. The effects of multimedia on the industry havebecome a solid force that is here to stay. Fashion shows used to be for socialites, buyers, and reputable journalists; it is seemingly becoming more of a street-style competition, and quest for the next new “it” blogger. Probably because many bloggers have gained great fame from this kind of publicity, and now have their own strong following. This has resulted for many, an impactful place in the industry. These bloggers have had doors opened to them in areas of consulting, endorsement deals, and other business in the fashion sector, while they have little or no previous qualiﬁcations. Italian blogger Chiara Ferragni who started her blog, The Blonde Salad, only two years ago, was offered endorsements for various brands, and now has her own namesake shoe line. Eleanora Carisi, another famous Italian fashion blogger who was initially featured on The Sartorialist, does consultant work for big brands and designers as well as modeling. The right combination of style and followers, can actually be a better means to break into the industry then any old fashioned way. But should we really be taking fashion advice from bloggers over editors? Popularity is power, which has been an eternal trend in the fashion business. Not everyone may agree with the new norm, but it is certainly difﬁcult to ignore.

Source for Suzy Menkes’ quote: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/ 2013/02/10/the-circus-of-fashion/?_r=0

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Popularity is power, which has been an eternal trend in the fashion business

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Hunger

games MATT WILKINS Photographs by TUAN ANH VU NGUYEN Illustration by RICHARD ALVAREZ

While in Florence you may feel a bit deprived of the sports that you celebrated wherever your home country may be. College and professional football is in full swing, and let us not forget about NBA, NHL, and the Olympic Games. Whatever your sports craving may be, it may seem difficult to get your fill of your favorite team or sport while abroad. Do not give up my eager friends, as William James said, “Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.” This new “sports diet” abroad may leave you hungry, but there just might be a solution to satisfy you. 58 *

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he food is on the table but it is just not in your kitchen, and let me remind you that not everybody’s taste buds are the same. Sometimes you try something new to find out that you love it greatly. What the Italians hunger for here is calcio, or soccer. Besides the soccer team Fiorentina, who seems to be on a roll right now, Florence is host to a truly beautiful soccer facility named Coverciano. Try Googling Coverciano and you will see what I mean. Some pictures that you come across may be more beautiful than others but you will see what I am talking about. As an intern at Coverciano since late August, I can tell you that it definitely sets itself apart from the rest of the city. Located on the outskirts of the city (Viale Aldo Palazzeschi, 20) one can easily get there by taking the number 17 bus from Piazza San Marco to Verga 03. Once there you can indulge yourself with over 100 years of soccer history at the Museo Del Calcio. Here you can view memorabilia such as the 1934 World Cup, a used and autographed jersey from Pelè, many amazing photos capturing astonishing moments, the 2006 World Cup, and much more. If you are looking to take home some official Italia gear do not hesitate to ask Silvia at her office directly to the right of the museum. She will happily show you to the gift shop. You may also fi nd the famous Dr. Fino Fini there as well. He is the director of the museum and has

served as the physician for the Italian National Team for more than 20 years (and let him know that I sent you!). You could possibly get lucky enough to visit while the national team is preparing for an upcoming match. It seems to be a well kept secret, but Coverciano is where the national team, the under 21 team, and some visiting Serie A teams prepare for matches. Recently Parma FC prepared there while awaiting the rained out game with Fiorentina. I myself have watched the national team prepare for three world cup qualifiers and have photo bombed a picture of the coach Cesare Prandelli and (Super) Mario Balotelli. Coverciano also houses a very prestigious school for coaches. If one wishes to obtain the qualifications and licenses needed to coach here in Italy, Coverciano would be considered the Godfather that gives you the “go ahead” nod. Lastly, if you just want the smell of freshly maintained grass with a beautiful backdrop then Coverciano is the place to be. The three grounds keepers, whom I have come to know, do a better than outstanding job with the fields. These fields, mixed in with the castles and hills surrounding Coverciano, make it such a scenic place. So if you are looking for a quick and easy escape with sports in mind I highly suggest a visit to Coverciano. To see and read more about sports from me, including Coverciano, visit www.mwilken.blogspot.com.

Coverciano is where the national team, the under 21 team, and some visiting Serie A teams prepare for matches.

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S P ORT S

LAUREN FROMIN

Photographs by DAVID WEISS [portrait] HOLLY GUARINO CAROLINE WALL

Appetitefor

Shaped like a dragon and rowed by a team of 20 to the rhythmic sound of a drum, Dragon Boat racing has come a long way since its Chinese origins from more than 2,000 years ago. his sport spread to Europe in 1990, the European Dragon Boat Federation was founded and on June 24, 1991. The International Dragon Boat Federation was established by 12 countries including Italy. There are currently almost 1,000 members that participate in the Italian Dragon Boat Federation which is widespread throughout the country, taking place in many regions.Enter Susanna Bausi, Communications Manager at FUA and Palazzi, and a breast cancer survivor. What does a strong woman like Susanna have to do with Dragon Boat racing? Ever heard of Florence Dragon Lady? Launched in 2006 by Susanna at the request of Romeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dragon Boat team creator, the Florence Dragon Lady team is a group of 40 women,

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aged 29-70 years old, who have all survived breast cancer. Like that of standard Dragon Boat racing, the Florence team participates on the water with 20 paddlers rowing to the sound of the drumbeat, as if it were the heartbeat of the team signifying life pulsing through the water. When Susanna was battling cancer in the hospital, she was visited by many women who had won their ďŹ ght and provided support for her. For those who have suffered, there can sometimes be identity issues post cancer, including the fear of relapse or just not being the same person as before having been diagnosed. Communities built by survivors and advocates can make all the difference in giving the much needed emotional and psychological support to those

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...20 paddlers rowing to the sound of the drumbeat, as if it were the heartbeat of the team signifying life pulsing through the water.

cardi who is a past professional rower, volunteers as a trainer for the team. He feels strongly about supporting women in the ﬁght against breast cancer. The team strives for togetherness, awareness, and overcoming negatives. Togetherness is the key to the sport and when the ladies are rowing on the water, paddling insync, it imitates life by working together to overcome anything. Additionally, this group of ladies makes hospital visits to cancer patients, driving home their desire to provide support. Women who survive breast cancer

can join the Florence Dragon Lady team and spread the message of hope and prevention knowledge throughout the community. Some doctors have come out against the physical exertion of rowing for breast cancer survivors. However, a case study by Canadian doctors proved with 24 post cancer women that there is no dangerous relation between rowing and breast cancer. Susanna stresses, “It’s important to look toward the future, not the past.” The Florence Dragon Lady boat team won the Italian title and will participate in the world championship, scheduled next year in Tampa, Florida.

If you would like more information on the Florence Dragon Lady team or to get involved, visit www.ﬂorencedragonlady.it or contact Susanna Bausi at Florence University of the Arts.

LIFE living with cancer and even after. The Florence Dragon Lady team is exactly this kind of symbol of hope and hunger for life. Not only does the team provide a support system and community for all of its members, but these women are also on a mission to spread awareness, prevention knowledge, and hope for ladies of all ages. Cancer in general is more common than ever, knowing someone diagnosed is not unheard of for many of us. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, with 1.38 million new cases diagnosed in 2008,” and Italy ranks number 18 out of 50 countries for high cancer rates per 100,000 women. The Florence Dragon Ladies know the importance ﬁrsthand of detecting breast cancer at an early stage and seek to educate women about it. Every Saturday at 3pm, the Florence Dragon Ladies practice at the city rowing club along the Arno river. Their coach, Alessandro Pic-

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S P ORT S

If This Man Was Standing in Front of You,

TUAN ANH VU NGUYEN Photograph by DAVID WEISS Illustrations by YUN-YEN CHUANG [players] YUCHI CHEN [Santa Croce Square]

What Would You Do?

If you have the courage to attack, or at least hold your ground, then your endurance may stand up to “Calcio Storico” - one of the most unique festivals in the world. 62 *

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Every year, thousands of people flock to Florence in June to witness this festival.

t’s hard to see Calcio Storico as a sport by modern standards. If compared to the traditional sports (including rugby) Calcio Storico is violent. Even with a centuries-old history, the players still use almost no protective equipment. The rules of the game are strange; two teams of 54 players on the pitch, yet only two are trying to put the ball in the opponent’s line to score, and will defeat his opponent by any means. After witnessing a Calcio Storico match, many people feel that a regular soccer game is dull. In the 16th century, King Henry III of France recorded his feelings on the subject of Calcio Storico during the times he visited Italy, “Too small to be a real war and too cruel to be a game.” Despite not being recognized as a “true” sport, every year in June many people gather in the Santa Croce square, to witness this spectacle. Why so? Let’s start by listing the most popular festivals in Italy. Venice’s carnival, Siena’s horse races, and

Calcio Storico are certainly in the e top 10. If the carnival in Venice is about luxury, mystery and enchantment, Firenze’s football is about danger, courage, and tradition. No one knows exactly when Calcio Storico, historic football was first played here, but its first pitch, at the piazza of Santa Croce, dates from the 14th Century, and the rules of the game - as few as they are - were written down in the late 1500s. The four quarters of the city, Santo Spirito, San Giovanni, Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce, named for their representative churches each put up a team of 27 men. Each team has a symbolic color, red of Santa Maria Novella, white of Santo Spirito, green of San Giovanni and blue of Santa Croce. If these four colors are mixed, they make purple, the color of Firenze. But on the field, these colors seem to be overshadowed by burly men working together to fight with all their strength. Blood, injury, and exhaustion is what this historical match holds for its participatns. However, when

compared with the horse racing festival in Siena, the Calcio Storico is safer because so far, no one has died playing. It is probably due to the presence of tourists. Every year, thousands of people ﬂock to Florence in June to witness this festival. Not simply for the thrill of the game, but also the feeling like you’re back in time, back hundreds of years ago. And after the ﬁnal, usually held on June 24 (the feast of St. John’s Day), the city will have a memorable night when the winning team will celebrate until the next morning. Florence is the city that the world knows as the cradle of the Renaissance; a cultural and artistic center of Europe and the birthplace of great men such as Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli and Dante Alighieri. Florence is considered a tourist destination with the harmonious combination of elegance and modernity in the ancient city of dreams. Yet at times homage is literally paid in blood as in the case of Calcio Storico, a tradition of the past that continues to live today.

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Seven Days. Five Appetites. One Flavorful City HANNAH AMODEO

Integrating Family Ties

y father is an observer, my mother is strong willed. My two sisters are diversely identical. I was the guide, the one with the answers. It’s a big responsibility, being the one who knows and I was terrified. I have made my home in Florence, this is my city. I have survived trials and tribulations to figure this place out. Here I was faced with the opportunity to share these discoveries, why was this such an issue? Because this city is more than can be explained. It offers more than you could ever show with just a walk around the block. There is ancient history, surrounded by modern consumerism. Foreigners from more countries than you can count, exist among the locals. It is a city full of passion, tradition and prestige. You need weeks, maybe months to unearth it not just seven days. I was doubtful that I could communicate all the intricacies of my new life through sightseeing and tour guiding. Four hours after my family arrived, as we enjoyed our fi rst meal together in over three months, the solution to my anxiety struck me. My family eats! That is what we do and who we are. I have come to realize it is never entirely about the food. It is about common ground, the thread that holds together all of our individualities. We are closest when there is a table between us. In seven days we sat around many tables. Florence stitched us with a strong thread. I shared my new life over liver spread and Chianti Classico. We were reconnected as we gnawed on five pounds of bistecca. The snags made by our disparities were smoothed over with a little olive oil. We are a family of many personalities, but we all have a desire to connect, to become cohesive. The flavours of Florence made harmonious sense when combined with my family’s appetite.

oving to Italy for a year was the biggest decision I had ever made in my life. Though it was possibly easier for me than other students to make the decision since I didn’t have to sell the idea to my parents. Reason being, they passed on separate occasions in the last four years. If anything my biggest fear was the idea of living in a country where everyone spoke a different language. Would I be able to blend in or ﬁnd my way around? How would I be able to identify with the locals and communicate my thoughts? It turns out Florence is a melting pot of languages and this has made the transition of integrating into the city much easier than I had originally thought. Although, it is my hope, more than anything, to learn as much about Italian culture, especially the language, before I have to leave. Since starting classes, I joined a couple of extracurricular activities to gain as much experience academically as well as learn more about Italian culture. So far, for me, the greatest thing I could have done was join the Italian Family Club. My biggest desire was to immerse myself into a family here once I found out about the opportunity. One could imagine my excitement of getting new parents and siblings. My only request was to be paired with a family that had younger children. I never had younger siblings growing up, so I thought this could be my chance to get the experience. The family I have been paired with is absolutely amazing. My “mom” speaks great English, so it make the language barrier a lot less challenging. However, my “dad” and “brothers,” aged nine and twelve, do not speak much of my native language. This makes it even more fun for me. Not only do I feel great being able to help them to learn a new language, but they teach me even more when it comes to learning Italian. I am extremely lucky to have the family I have been paired with. Every weekend, instead of traveling around the rest of Europe, I make my way to Terranuova, a small town just outside of the Montevar-

LAUREN FROMIN

chi train stop, about forty-five minutes from Florence. What I love most is I do everything with my family as if I have been a part of theirs from the beginning. A few weekends ago we went bowling together. The next weekend, they took me on a road trip four hours north of Florence to my “dad’s” parents’ home in Sarone, a small mountain town an hour north of Venice. On Saturday, we took a train to Venice and spent the day exploring and eating. It was marvelous. My favorite time with them however, is lunch time on Sundays. I had heard about typical Italian family-style meals, but I had yet to discover how they really were. Between four weekend meals with them, I have probably been served 30 different courses. Starting with primo, usually at least two pasta dishes and moving on to secondo, mainly meat dishes paired with a contorno (vegetable sides, hot or cold), and finally a mix of insalata (salad). I am usually fully sated before we even get to dessert. The dolci are served last, usually a tray of pastries from the local cafe and sometimes there is gelato to top them. I am not a huge fan of sweet wines, but limoncello and vin santo are always on the table to taste. To top things off, espresso is served to finish out the meal. While in Florence there will always be a spot for me at the family table, un posto a tavola.

Photos Courtesy of the authors

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Photograph by Onur Ozen

SOCIETY & OPIN ION

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