We were all finally reunited in the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence, after a weekend of personal travel.  We had groups travel across Italy and Europe to places like Barcelona, Milan, Venice, and London to name a few.  Even though we had only been gone a few days, I was so excited to see the rest of the group when we were finally back together.  We started out the week with an introductory tour around Florence where we got to see many famous sights such as the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and the stunning Duomo.
467 steps later, we arrived at the top of Brunelleschi’s impressive dome. It was definitely a hike to the top that left us out of breath, but it was worth every step for the incredible view of Florence that awaited us.  You could see miles of the beautiful city of Firenze as the Italians call it.  My favorite part of the dome was learning the genius behind the design.  In our lectures previous to travelling here, we learned that Brunelleschi figured out how to build this dome without having to build it around a temporary structure first (a process called centering).  He instead built a dome within a dome which allowed for the giant structure to span such a huge distance.
Other highlights of our trip to Florence include seeing many Renaissance masterpieces in the Uffizi Gallery, viewing Bernini’s statue of David in the Academia, and having the option to visit either the Gucci or Ferragamo Museum.  We also took a day trip to Siena to see its stunning cathedral and winding cobblestone streets.  After a fun week in Florence, we were free to travel on our own.  Groups went to see the rolling hills of Tuscany, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the beaches of Barcelona before returning to the Chigi Palace for the start of another week.
As I reflect on the previous week, a connection between the Renaissance and our own personal experience becomes apparent.  The Renaissance focused on a rebirth of the Classics and a return to antiquity, and here we are in the 21^st century, spending a summer doing the exact same thing.  It amazes me that the Grand Tour we are partaking in now has remained fairly constant for so many years.  As we begin our fifth week today, we welcomed Auburn’s Communications and Marketing team to Ariccia to come document our experience with the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy Program.  We are all excited to share our memories with them in the upcoming week.
By: Caroline Stephens