Italy has always called to me. When I was a sophomore in college, I participated in a summer abroad program that studied ancient civilizations, taking us students to Athens, Rome, and Tunis (Carthage in classical times). It was my first trip abroad, aside from freshman year spring break in Mexico. Of these three destinations, we spent the longest time in Rome, where I lived for three weeks in a pensione in Trastevere.
There I took classes on classical and Christian history. For the latter, our professor sent us on a scavenger hunt of Rome’s churches, seeking out the variety of odd and vaguely gross Christian relics (like saints’ fingers) preserved therein. We visited the Vatican and the Parthenon, the Forum and the Colosseum, the catacombs and the ancient walls of the city. We were given freedom on long weekends to explore the country, which I spent in Florence and Venice.
I lounged in cafes, drinking cappuccinos and wine and watching the life of Italy move around me, more languid than the life I knew in the US. When Rome beat Naples in some soccer match, I joined the electrified crowds in the nearest piazza in their raucous celebration. I explored the Vatican Museum, the Uffizi, and various other museums and art exhibits, my first real introduction to art.
Italy was my first experience of Europe, the beginning of the longest love affair of my life. I’ve been to a total of 27 European countries since then, but Italy has always held a special place in my heart. In many ways, when I think of Europe, it is Italy that I picture.
But Italy contains multitudes, and though I’d returned to Naples and Rome a couple of times when I worked for the Navy, there were many parts of this diverse country that I had yet to explore. So a year ago, I jumped at the opportunity to book a week-long photography class in Tuscany through Capital Photography Center and Il Chiostro for October 2024.
When I decided to add an additional week to the trip, I sought out the less-touristed regions of the country. I settled on a week in Emilia-Romagna, a region squeezed between Tuscany and the Veneto that is the birthplace of some of Italy’s most iconic foods—balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, parma ham, tortellini, lasagna… the list goes on. Wary of trying to cram too much into one trip (a character flaw of mine), I decided to save Campania, Sicily, the Dolomites, Lake Como, and other places for future trips. I don’t think I’ll ever have enough of Italy.
And so, my itinerary came to look like this. Four days in Bologna, which serves as a convenient launch-point for day trips to other Emilian cities. Two days in Ravenna, briefly the capital of the Roman Empire during Byzantine times and home to astounding mosaics. Then one night in Florence, which would get me near my Tuscan destination. Then eight days at the Dievole Wine Resort in Chianti, Tuscany, home base for the photography class where we would launch day trips to towns throughout Tuscany: Siena, San Gimignano, Pienza, and Radda. Two weeks full of beautiful sights, delectable Italian food, and so much wine!
Follow me on my journey through my next few Sunday posts on Bologna, Ravenna, and Tuscany, plus maybe some more if the mood moves me. Arrivederci for now!
