5 cities in 2 days. you can do that in Italy :)

Urbino: cute little street in one of my favorite little towns in Italy so far.
walking in Urbino
We were able to climb up to a fortress to see a view of Urbino...we tried to time it right with the cartwheels...didn't quite work out. ha but it was fun!
Mackensey, Kelly and I in Urbino.
It snowed in Arezzo!
Arezzo
our view from our hotel room in Urbino!
snowing in Arezzo!
Aaron and I in Arrezo
Kelly, Mackensey and I in Arezzo about to go into the church of San Francesco with GORGEOUS frescoes by Piero della Francesca. This trip to 5 Italian towns--Arezzo, Monterchi, San Sepulcro, Urbino, and Rimini was essentially a tour of works by Piero della Francesca. He has a chapel in this church in Arezzo, the Madonna del Parto in Monterchi (which is a fresco that expectant mothers visit and pray for their child--beautiful fresco), and one of his later works in a church in Rimini, which is actually called a temple now and was bombed in WWII accidentally by the U.S. (but was restored soon after). Basically the trip was AMAZING!!!

I just realized that I probably have not written about this art history class that I am taking! it is called Masterpieces of Art and basically it is set up so well and is my favorite class. Every monday we have a lecture in the classroom where we look at slides and listen to our professor who is edcated at Harvard and was offered plenty of teaching positions all over the US but turned them all doen to teach at Syracuse University in Florence (basically this guy is huge--all the art history students at Syracuse have either read stuff from him or from this other professor that some of my friends have--my professor and this other guy are HUGE in their field and it is so cool to have him as a teacher--brilliant guy) anyways.... then on tuesdays I have a "site visit" where the TA's lecture -- these TAs are incredible and are so fun and young named Kellin and Sarah -- our site visits have included Santa Croce, Piazza S.S. Annunciata, San Marco, Il Museo del Opera del Duomo--basically ALL of the MOST important areas of artwork in Florence. And we get free admission to all the museums we go to on these site visits! It is so cool because I really feel that I am getting such a great feel for the city and the significance of the city in the Renaissance....I am seriously in the heart of it and I am appreciating every moment of it. Also our "homework assignment" every week is a "looking assignment" where we are assigned to visit some place in the city to write about it--Example this week I went to the Boticelli room at the Uffizi!! others: Giotto pieces in the Uffizi, Santo Spirito, Chapels within Santa Croce, Santa Trinita...seriously so many places! I am learning SO much and would never have taken a class like this had I not come to Florence! Now I actualy am also understanding the true significance of this city in pre-Renaissance and Renaissance art....i love it!
anyway...i could talk about it a lot more...but i will spare you! Nonna is making dinner now and it smells sooooo yummy!!! :)