Finding our way to Santa Croce we happened upon a cabaret style marionette show
(and for once i was not creeped out!). Surrounded by many happy children who looked on, and danced eagerly with the marionette's swayed too and fro to classic italian music. I always enjoy watching how much kids get into things like this. They were mesmerized by these beat up wooden dolls on strings and how they moved, interacted with eachother and with the audience. Every time a song would stop, inevitably at least one kid would protest until it started up again while others cheered egging on the rest of the show. When they have to leave however is a whole other story. Kicking, screaming, desperate not to leave behind their new puppet friends (both human and wooden), parents, literally in some cases, must drag them away shat
tering all of their hearts. Yet as soon as they were leaving the Piazza their cries stopped and their marionette's forgotten, while excited about the next thing.
After our marionette show, we wandered home the long way. Giovanna had told us about an event on her street, which happened to be on Sunday, that happened once a year when artists take over the street, selling, showing off and in some cases creating new works on the spot.
Already mobbed with Italians and tourists alike (this I see is where all the Italians were this particular Sunday),
Claire and I dodged our way through the crowd while admiring the countless number of artists and their works. Aimlessly walking down the street and finding ourselves at the end, we made our way home after an eventful day of wanderings.
Monday morning came with a start and we all were hurled into classes before any of us realized. Starting out semester with Survey di letteraturea italiana (italian literature but im sure you all got that). Rapid italian word whirled around us as we learned about what the class would entail, what it would be about and just for review a brief overview of Italian literature from 1300-1500. Dazed, and with fifteen minutes to recover I took my seat in Storia del costume e moda aka history of costume and fashion Italian style. Basically Im getting credit to learn about clothes. Be jealous. When the first couple of words our of our overly Italian professor, Costanza, were Ferragamo, Armani, and Dolce & Gabbana (no mom not the gardening store), I already knew this was going to be an awesome class. Not to mention we get to go to a leather factory, the Ferragamo shoe museum, and some of the only clothing and costume museums in Italy... for class. We finished the day with Stylistics. I originally thought it would only be about grammar, words and other useful but annoying things but it seems like it will be much better than originally thought. While I am still somewhat unclear as to what the class actually entails, I believvve its how to use colloquial Italian, learn about modern Italy and to get us talking more. Yet I could be mistaken. Updates will be given.
After a long day on classes, I wandered home to rest up for day two! Day two came even earlier than the day before, but I was excited because it was our real first storia dell'arte aka art history class. Even though we had art history with the same professor during Orientation, real class seemed like it would be much different. Indeed it was. Instead of a general overview of the different styled found in Italy, we will be focusing on the (you guessed it) Renaissance. I mean really, what better place to learn (well re-learn) Renaissance art than where it began? Im stoked (yes Im a nerd, please forgive me). After art history we had our second and final Italian literature class for the week. Today was even a bigger panorama of Italian literature from 1500-present day. A very rough day ending at 1'o'clock pm I found my afternoon free to explore the very sunny city of Florence yet again.
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