I signed up for the Joseph S. Bruno program my freshman year and I can’t believe the time has finally come to spend three months in Italy! We are starting our second week in Ariccia and I have loved getting familiar with all that this quaint town has to offer.
Our first night in the palace we read letters from last semester’s students addressed to us, the “Chigi Babies.” They were filled with advice, encouragement, and a glimpse of all that is to come. It didn’t take long to see their words manifest into our reality. From going to Rita’s before our first day of class and drinking cappuccinos in the square to trying to soak up all of Cinzia’s Italian wisdom on our tours around town, I think we can all say that this semester is going to be one to remember!
On Friday we ventured outside of Ariccia city limits to Rome for a full day of sightseeing. We saw the ancient Roman Forum, the Colosseum, Capitoline Hill, the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Via Condotti, Antico Caffè Greco, and the Spanish Steps! In between all of our sightseeing we walked the streets of Rome (about 11 miles worth). Most of us headed back to Rome on Sunday to do more sightseeing and complete our first assignment, a scavenger hunt around Rome!
To end our first week in Ariccia, the porchetta festival took place Friday to Sunday. Porchetta is a type of pork that Ariccia is known for. The festival had the streets and bridge into Ariccia lined with tents selling candy, food, drinks, toys, and clothes. There was also live music playing late into the night. I couldn’t have asked for a better week to start out our semester in Italy!
Ciao Ciao!
Annika Kieper

The first stop on our tour of Rome, the ancient Roman Forum!