E 'arrivata!

 Today is the day I have been waiting for since December. This isn’t just an ordinary trip to Italy for me; this is the most important trip to Italy. I’ve landed in this beautiful country on May 31st, a couple days before the study abroad program starts. I went straight to Arona and Lago Maggiore; a very scenic and peaceful town with rich medieval history. Than had to opportunity to visit Pavia, the town my father grew up in and was left speechless. I visited Leonardeschi, an art show of Leonardo Da Vinci pieces and his students in an old castle. Pavia isn’t given the recognition that it deserves.  For example; it holds one of the oldest Universities in the world dating back to 650.  Famous graduates and professors went to the University of Pavia such as the inventor of the battery, several noble prizewinners in literature, science and medicine, a professor who found malaria, the first woman to go to college and holds the original book of where law originated from. Every cobblestone in the street is a piece of ancient history. June 3^rd I arrived into Milan and visited Duomo and saw Impressionism paintings by Monet and many more artists in the Palazzo Reale.  Since this year Italy is celebrating 150 years of freedom, I visited La Galleria delle Bataglie, an exhibition of paintings, memorabilia, documents and reenactments of famous speeches and battles. 

Entrance into University of Pavia

Statues of Professors

 Lastly, across the street is the Novecento museum where I only saw one piece, a very powerful piece.  Il Quarto Stato by Giuseppe da Volpedo. It is the only piece of art that is on the way up to the museum. It expresses the power of the public working together to get freedom. It is a very symbolic painting that was not given enough appreciation from the public till after the artist’s death.

Il Quarto Stato (Hands open symbolize help and "welcome with open arms")
Each row is a generation of the people in the town. 

            These past days have re tweaked my senses so I can take everything I see and analyze it through different lenses. Since I was in Milan a day before the rest of the students, I anxiously waited. As time slowly passed, I couldn’t help but daydream about what this trip may entail.  Once everything was unpacked, we all met to have an orientation and went straight to dinner. A very delicious dinner might I add. This wasn’t just an ordinary dinner. The waiters came with a show and served us well over 15 various pizzas. Erano molto buoni. Tomorrow morning is the kickoff of this 4-year-in-the-making program.  I am looking forward to work with respected companies, absorbing as much as I can about Milan and the fashion but also leave my own contribution in  the industry.

Right in front of the Palazzo Reale in Milano