Submitted by Angelina Gargiulo on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of History…
The biggest thing I’ve learned from this experience is that there are many cultural differences between life in Italy and at home in the United States. I’ve noticed this most in the overall exaggerated pace of Italian pedestrians and the specific times allotted for meals. In terms of the pace of the day to day, no matter whether in the city of Florence or the countryside of Dozza, it is very infrequent that you see any locals walking at a fast enough pace for New Yorkers like myself. Nobody ever seems to be in a rush. Even bikers seem unafraid of the problematic driving of Italian taxis. The lack of chaos definitely contributes to the peaceful vibe the country is known for. This is obviously very different than life at home for me in New York City, a community that pretty much runs on chaos. As far as the food goes, I had been told previous to the program that Italians will even go far as close their restaurants when the time of day seems unusual for a meal. I’ve noticed this most in Rome, where 5:00 pm seemed so unreasonable for dinner that finding a place to eat before our train back to Florence was a struggle for Ben and I. Although finding a delicious seafood restaurant to eat at eventually, we were inevitably the only ones eating in there at that hour. As the program went on, I definitely became more adapted to the Italian eating schedule versus that of American culture, which is pretty much eat whenever you feel hungry.
This time in Italy has definitely widened my perspective of the world. Having never left the United States, I’ve always heard about life in other countries rather than seeing them for myself. Incorporating that extra sense of sight made everything I’ve heard come to life in such a surreal way. Being in Italy really showed me that cultures around the world truly are so different. It also showed me that respecting the country you’re in and participating in the customs of day to day life really makes the experience of traveling that much more enjoyable. Other than just straight up pleasing the locals, diving into the culture of Italy allowed me to fully understand the significance of the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Living as an Italian for the past couple of weeks opened my eyes to all the aspects of life that differ from mine at home, from food, fashion, cars, sports and everything in between. It made me really experience the realness of Italian lives and culture, rather than just reading or hearing about it.
One experience that I would recommend that future program students take part in is the Galileo Museum. Other than the controversy around Galileo’s relationship with the Renaissance and the discussions that would involve disputing that, I think it is important to understand that art and literature weren’t the only advancements that were made during this era. The Museo Galileo really emphasized some major advancements in science and technology. It is important to be aware of Galileo’s inventions and discoveries, whether the time of his life was considered within the time frame of the Renaissance on a personal level or not.
