Submitted by Jacob Jebran on the 2017 winter session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science and the Department of English…
Leading up to my departure for Milan, Italy, I admittedly became a bit nervous about leaving the U.S. for over a month. I think it was mostly from a lack of what to reasonably expect out of this experience and whether or not I would love it to the degree that everyone told me I would. Now, with a full week under my belt, I can confidently say that this opportunity has really opened my eyes, and I fully appreciate how special an impact this month will have on me in the overall scheme of my lifetime. In addition to that, the cuisine here has certainly more than exceeded the hype. So far, I have visited the cities of Milan, Verona, Venice and Siena all in quick succession, and after being immersed in the culture, three things I have noticed come to mind. First is the rich history that Italy possesses. It’s something that didn’t truly register with me until I saw in person the architecture and the art here. Going off of that point, there is a great deal of symbolism in the art and the architecture that I never had expected. I thought that the appreciation for this part of their culture stemmed from the astounding skill and talent it took to make it many, many years ago. I am always astounded by what I see, but everything becomes a step more impressive when a deeper meaning is exposed. One example, was a visit to the church of Santa Maria del Grazie in Milan, home to Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper. Built during the Renaissance, the outside had many shapes of circles set inside of squares. Squares represented mankind and circles (the most perfect shape, according to Renaissance architects) represented God. Therefore, it was symbolism of the church being the place where mankind meets with God or an in depth explanation of Da Vinci’s Last Supper painting highlighted the mannerisms of the disciples and what it showed of their personalities. Simple examples like these add artistic value and I find them extremely interesting. Lastly, this adventure has revealed to me how big the world is and how much there is to see, and of course how exciting it is to be exploring Italy this month.