There Be Dragons: Abbigayle and Little Red in Siena!

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Abbigayle and Little Red in Siena!

Ciao Tutti!!

Welcome to Siena, Italy!

Pretty blue Vespa and my apartment!

Social in an Italian garden with my fellow students!

This week is my THIRD week of studies, and also my last here in this amazing city! I have experienced an incredible amount of history, culture, language, and new faces during my time in Siena, and I'm not sure that I will ever be ready to leave.

The director of Siena School explaining the geological significance of Siena's buildings, and our lovely ASL interpreter!

Sunset views of Tuscany!

The Contrada of the Aquilla feasting and celebrating together before the Palio!

Street artists in action!

I am here at the Siena School for Liberal Arts, taking three classes in the Deaf Studies program. I have completed the Italian (spoken & written) portion of my program, but am still taking LIS (Italian Sign Language) as well as Italian Deaf Culture and History. Italian was taught verbally, but my other classes are taught in Italian Sign with a little bit of American Sign Language. Every day I am interchangeably using four different languages, which is a welcomed challenge! I have some wonderful instructors who are passionate about their culture and language, and learning from them is so enjoyable!

Il Campo! Siena's best hangout spot!

The victorious jockey!

The cultural aspect of this study abroad adventure has been amazing and lots of fun! I now know enough Italian to get by at the grocery store, coffee bars, and getting through massive crowds of tourists! I try to use as much Italian as possible, and when I'm stuck, the people here are usually very patient with me and slow down for me to understand. Apart from language, I have been exposed to the rich history of Siena and many traditions they hold dear. One of the HUGE ones is the Palio- a horse race that happens twice every year! If you've ever seen Casino Royale, you have caught a tiny glimpse of this huge event! The Sienese are deeply intertwined with the tradition of the Palio, and it's honestly difficult to describe without experiencing it for yourself!

Atop Siena's Duomo!

I'll summarize here, because I CAN'T just breeze over it, it's too important!

Palio in a nutshell:

- The Palio is well over 600 years old!

- Siena is divided into 17 sections called "Contrada"

- Each Contrada has its own animal mascot and colors to symbolize it!

- The Palio is a horse race held every year on July 2 and August 16

- Jockeys are hired by each Contrada, but they don't get to select their own horse. The horse is chosen for each Contrada in a random draw.

- The week before the Palio, all the Contada celebrate with feasting, singing, and parading around the town.

- The day of the Palio, thousands of people flood into Siena's Campo to watch the race.

- The horses and jockeys come into the racetrack, and the mayor of Siena announces the order of the starting lineup.

- Once in place, the run-in horse and jockey decide when the race begins.

- After 3 lightning-fast laps, a winner is declared and the celebrating (or sulking if you lost) begins!

Pici pasta- a Sienese specialty!

Little Red loved the Duomo!

Inside the Duomo's Hymnal Library! So many colors!!

I got to be there with some of my fellow students, and the only word I can use to fully describe it is INTENSE. Look it up if you get a chance, you'll learn a lot about its history and significance!

The physical building of my school is also a very important piece of history! In the 1820s, a priest by the name of Thomas Pendola established the Siena Institute for the Deaf. This was the 9th of its kind in the entire country of Italy! The school housed residential students from 6-16 years of age, providing them with education and opportunities to establish lifelong friendships! Unfortunately, the school was closed in the 1980s, along with almost every other Institute for the Deaf here in Italy. I have really enjoyed learning about Italian Deaf Culture and History, and it's so interesting to compare the timeline with that of the American Deaf Community!

Day of the Palio! A packed Compo!!

Inside the Duomo. It is truly majestic!

Old photographs of the Duomo.

Overall, my Study Abroad experience has simply been an adventure! I've found myself handling foreign modes of transportation with ease, trying crazy foods (like pici pasta with duck) and being willing to spend the extra time to get lost just to find the perfect sunset-watching spot! I love being here, I love learning from this culture, and I will forever hold Italy in my heart! Oh, and I'm going to throw a coin backwards into the Trevi Fountain in Rome next week, so I'll be back!

If you are even starting to consider Study Abroad for yourself- DO IT! The things you learn while abroad will teach you more than you could ever explain about the world, how interesting and valuable people everywhere are, and how amazingly adventurous you can be!