As part of our Italian AB initio course, four members of our class went to Florence, Italy, to learn more about the Italian culture from April 4th to 8th 2011. During our time there we visited many culturally significant landmarks, one example being a visit to the Boboli gardens, which were much greater in size then we imagined. We also learnt about such historical figures such as the Medici family.

We delved into the part of the culture which revolved around food by gorging on local delicacies such as pizza, pasta and spaghetti – among others.

During our visit to Florence, we took great notice of the beautiful structures of many of the landmarks, with a scarcely populated village just outside of Florence being a highlight due to both the structures of the buildings and the imposing view it provided of Florence. Our skills in Italian were enhanced dramatically due to the communication with locals, such as eccentric restaurant owners and agitated bus drivers, showing the true side of Florence during the experience.

One of the landscapes we became fond of was the Michaelangelo square. We spent a lot of our free time there, enjoying the breathtaking views of Florence while being able to enjoy listening to live music. On our return from Florence, we decided to take a detour and visit the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, which was smaller than we expected it to be.

Overall our visit to Italy was a really positive experience. We highly recommend that if you are intending to study Italian and you get the chance to visit the country, you do!

Many thanks to Signora Fontana and Felipe for attaining the capability to put up with Jack’s constant ‘head-banging’ music!! (For the record, it isn’t putting up with something if the aforementioned thing is good.)

Click the pictures below to view the gallery