Haley Smith Kingsland: April 2008

Sunday, April 13, 2008

FERRARA

Spring quarter begins with a perfect day trip! I adored this city of bicycles, gardens, and museums complete with a castle and moat. Check out my travel articles over the next few months for my internship at the Florentine, a newspaper for English speakers in Florence! Read the student blog as well as my piece "Money Matters."

Leave Rifredi on the 9:30 Intercity to reach FERRARA, a quaint, carefree city of bicycles. Devour Ferrara’s famous cappellacci di zucca (stuffed pasta with pumpkin) at Osteria al Brindisi and then explore Castello Estense, complete with a real moat! Inside are frescoed ceilings, a prison, lookout tower, permanent collection, and rotating exhibitions. Farther down Corso Ercole I d’Este are two more museum complexes, the Palazzo dei Diamanti and Palazzo Massari, showcasing both modern and older Italian art. Relax in Parco Massari near the fountain or grab gelato near grassy Piazza Ariostea, perfect for people watching. Search for your birth month in the frescoed Hall of the Months in Palazzo Schifanoia or even visit the Renaissance Casa Romei. Don’t forget to pop into the Duomo and enjoy the lively atmosphere (and shopping) in the public squares nearby, and be sure to walk under the charming medieval archways of Via Volte or along the nine kilometer pathway surrounding the city, savoring the abundant Italian around you.

ORVIETO

Here I toured the fascinating caves of the Etruscan underground and enjoyed the extravagant Duomo and laid-back local ambience.
Tour the underground Etruscan city of ORVIETO— its spectacularly preserved caves, tunnels, dovecotes, and wells dating from the ninth century BC— and then spend the rest of the day exploring the aboveground medieval city. (www.orvietounderground.it) When you arrive by funivia, spend some time admiring the panorama from the fortezza and wind your way down into the Pozzo di San Patrizio commissioned by Pope Clement VII before the 1527 Sack of Rome. Climb the Torre del Moro for another spectacular Umbrian view. Definitely marvel at the gorgeous façade of the Duomo and go inside to observe its unbelievable patterns and frescoes (noteworthy is Luca Signorelli’s depiction of the Apocalypse in the Capella della Madonna di San Brizio). The adjacent Museo dell’Opera del Duomo holds more artwork and you can even duck into a frescoed Etruscan tomb in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale. Escape the mobs of American tourists with a passeggiata through the quiet neighborhoods on the other side of Orvieto, ending at the terraced garden near Chiesa di San Giovenale.

BOLOGNA

I spent a great day exploring this city of porticoes and visiting my two Stanford buddies Joel and Ned.
BOLOGNA’s colored houses, infinite porticoes, impressive monuments, and famous stuffed pastas make this city a marvel. Have lunch at Il Portico on Via Augusto Righi in Bologna’s “Little Venice” (search for the small canal on Via Piella). Piazza Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore are great for people watching en route to the Duomo, but make sure you aren’t carrying a backpack and your purse isn’t too bulky when visiting the imposing Basilica di S. Petronio. Definitely don’t miss the expansive Chiesa Santa Stefano (seven churches and temples built together) as well as the long climb up Torre di Asinelli for an amazing bird’s eye view of the whole city beneath you. Catch your breath at Il Gelatauro near the university, which boasts creative flavors and excellent granita. For those interested in art, check out the Pinacoteca Nazionale for medieval, Renaissance, and Mannerist works. Another attraction is the hilltop hike up to Santuario della Madonna di San Luca under 666 porticoes starting near Via Saragozza.

RAVENNA

Stunning UNESCO protected mosaics everywhere had me captivated the entire day!
The mesmerizing UNESCO-protected mosaics of RAVENNA are worth waking up for the direct 7:31 train-— a spectacular ride through misty gorges, vineyards, and yellow fields. Buy an ATM bus ticket and take #4 or #44 to Basilica di S. Apollinare in Classe, only about ten minutes away. When you get back, walk up to Piazza del Popolo and enjoy the lunchtime passeggiata of all ages. Grab a bite to eat in Mercato Coperto before heading up to Basilica di S. Vitale to purchase a combo-ticket for the most popular mosaics, including Mausoleo di Galla Placida, Battistero degli Ortodossi, and Basilica di S. Apollinare Nuovo (Cappella di S. Andrea is currently closed for reconstruction). Spend the afternoon admiring these dazzling monuments as well as Battistero degli Ariani. If you find yourself with free time, there’s a park and marble mausoleum for Theodoric the Great about a ten minute walk away, or shopping at ZARA, Benetton, MaxMara, and more before the direct 5:45 train departs for Firenze— another beautiful ride through the sunset.

LUCCA

Lucca is a spectacular medieval town with perfectly intact walls. Definitely my favorite of the Tuscan cities I visited!
Spend the day dodging bicycles while wandering through LUCCA’s cheerful streets. Its pristine medieval ramparts are perfect for a book, picnic, or passeggiata. Climbing up the tree-topped Torre Guinigi is a must to see much of Tuscany and Lucca’s private gardens— as is standing in the middle of the perfectly circular Piazza Anfiteatro imagining the glory of the Roman amphitheatre beneath. The day isn’t complete without a stroll around the perfectly tree-lined walls, or browsing the many boutiques along the bustling Via Fillungo, including the Benetton outlet on Via Antonio Mordini.

AREZZO

Another small Tuscan town, but this one is not heavily touristed.
AREZZO is a simple half-day jaunt from Florence to see Piero della Francesca’s chapel (only pay the 6 € if you want to view the frescoes up close) and the Duomo’s beautiful stained glass windows. At the top of the hill across from the Duomo is a pretty garden view over Tuscany. Also visit the picturesque Piazza Grande (the site of an antique fair the first Sunday of each month), the nearby Romanesque church, and Vasari’s home covered in his frescoes. But the best part about Arezzo is that you will hear virtually no English the entire day.

SAN GIMIGNANO

Spring break begins! This was one of the most picturesque Tuscan hilltop towns I visited.
Although overrun by Americans, SAN GIMIGNANO’s fourteen medieval towers, picturesque hilltop views, Vernaccia wine, award-winning restaurants, and “best gelato in Italy” are a fun day trip from Firenze. Have lunch at Trattoria Chiribiri to the left of Porta San Giovanni and continue along the main drag to finish with gelato at Pluripremiata Gelateria in Piazza della Cisterna. Definitely climb the Torre Grossa for spectacular Tuscan scenery and visit the Duomo for Ghirlandaio’s Capella di Santa Fina and endless other frescoes. In the afternoon, relax at the nearby fortezza with more beautiful views or wander through the less trespassed area near Sant’Agostino (home to a decorated chapel by Benozzo Gozzoli). SITA is the fastest way to get to San Gimignano from Siena.

BERLINO

A field trip to Berlin with my Fascist cinema class taught us about the city's rebirth after World War II.

Inside the glass dome of the Reichstag building, designed by Norman Foster, one of my favorite architects. We saw a gorgeous view of the night city lights!

LONDRA

Our museology class jetted off to London for the weekend to visit the National Gallery, Tate Modern, Courtauld Gallery, National Library, and British Museum.

MILANO

Watching the sun set from atop the Duomo is hands down one of the top five things I've done in Italy. Another highlight from that weekend: hearing our art history professor narrate an hour-long private viewing of the Cenacolo.

ROMA

A quick jaunt to Rome on the Eurostar to meet the American Ambassador brought back a flood of memories of this ancient capital.

VENEZIA

My friend Gwen and I continued our Carnevale celebrations here during Venezia's biggest party of the year!

MILANO

The very generous donor to Stanford's Overseas Program treated us to a wonderful evening at La Scala, the most famous opera house in the world. Afterwards we even met Placido Domingo!

VIAREGGIO

Carnevale begins in Italy in this little tiny town on the coast!

The pre-Lent tradition of Carnevale is celebrated all over Italy, and for five Sundays in a row through January and February the seaside town of VIAREGGIO attracts Italians of all ages for an enormous parade down its main promenade. Huge hilarious satirical papier-mâché floats— some of them consisting of platforms supporting hundreds of dancers— entertain costumed crowds of thousands. For schedules and information consult www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com, and if the train is on strike, take a bus with LAZZI.

SIENA

Me atop the tower overlooking the main square and Duomo. Dinner that night was one of the best meals I've had in Italy!
Spend a relaxing morning sipping café and people watching in sunny Il Campo, the main square of SIENA. (SITA is the best way to get here.) Buy a combo-ticket to climb the City Tower for breathtaking views of Toscana and visit the Museo Civico to see Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s 1340 Effects of Good and Bad Government. Then stroll to the impressive Duomo to admire the stunningly vivid early 1500s frescoes and manuscripts within the Piccolomini Library. Also check out the Baptistery for the work of Donatello and Lorenzo Ghiberti as well as the Duomo Museum for Duccio’s stained-glass rose window and another panoramic view. But make sure you’re outside at dusk to soak up the beauty of Siena at twilight and spend some time wandering through the medieval streets. For an unforgettable dinner, Paolo at Papei in Piazza Mercato will take care of you.

PISA

Our first day trip!
Hop on the train to PISA and take your picture shamelessly supporting the Leaning Tower. Afterwards, climb its winding staircase for a lovely view overlooking the city. Don’t forget to explore the rest of the Field of Miracles— visit the Baptistery with Nicola Pisano’s revolutionary 1260 carved pulpit showcasing the first classical three-dimensional nude since ancient times, and the enormous Duomo with another Pisano pulpit and gorgeous gilded ceiling. Finish the day admiring the houses along the Arno River and shopping in the fashionable boutiques of Corso Italia.