Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Week three go!

Friday we took an official tour of Macerata and here is a list of all the genuinely interesting things that happened:
- We toured the public library, which at first doesn't sound exactly exciting, but then we went into this crazy ornately decorated room full of crazy old books.  A lady that worked there pulled out a few for us to see and they were gorrrrgeous. There was a Bible from the 13 or 1400s, a book of etchings of Albrecht Durer (who I've learned about in printmaking and Visual Communications classes), and some really old illuminated manuscripts that I've also learned a good amount about in art history classes.  It took we way off guard to see all of these priceless ancient things that I had learned about really recently. I was excited.  
- We revisited the Teatro Rossini where I previously saw the Macerata Symphony. This time Filiberto took us up in the balconies and we got really nice pictures. 
- Then at first I thought we were visiting a thriftstore, because it was a thriftstore, but it was, like everything else in Macerata, an old church that had a creepy tunnel underneath and awesome fragments of frescos on its walls. Anyway, we went into the creepily warm tunnel and it was pretty much what you would expect. I wanted to have a torch, but there was some electricity installed already. 
-We climbed the tallest building in Macerata, which is the clock tower. It was so fun. The staircase was, no exaggeration, about 2.5 feet wide and there were many many levels, but being at the top was beautiful. While we were up there the bells rang and it was really loud and it was 12 o'clock so we got to enjoy that as well. I have a videoooo!
- The last place we visited was what Macerata's known for; the Sferistereo. Its a giant amphitheater that was previously used for some game that sounded to me like a huge version of Walleyball (sp?) only ancient-like. Now its used for an opera held every summer that's known nation-wide. Whoa. I was impressed. 

Saturday Ellie, Carolynn, Morgan and I went to some live auditions that are part of a music festival held by the University of Macerata. Students and professors judge the acts and the bands that make it to the end get to preform at the previously mentioned Sferistereo in the summer.  So in Italy, events start at around 9 o'clock at night and this one wasn't over until midnight. Needless to say the anxious American in me was.....anxious. We are trying to figure out how Italians stay out until midnight and then easily start their days at 8 AM. 

Sunday I did pretty much nothing. It was great. 

This week I got some sketches in the 'foreign kids' art show. It was funny and all over the place. We also met our Tandem partners today. The Tandem program matches an Italian student with an American student so we can practice each other's languages. My roommates and I got matched up with three girls that are also roommates (on purpose) so its working out really nicely. I might've made a weird first impression. Oh also Ellie and I had our first gelato. AND I had my first Nutella and because addicted within around 10 minutes of eating it.

Here are all those things listed above in the form of photography:







Illuminated manuscripts.


Durer! My goodness!




Scary thrift store tunnel.


The thrift store/remains of ancient Roman art. No big deal.


The clock tower.








So very very windy.

In the theater.

Lovely balconies and classmates.

The Cathedral and a good sky.

This was in the cathedral and I like it.

Sferistereo!






This is a sound clip from the Auditions; these guys were my favorite.

Slow progress.

My first gelato experience documented.


My official gallery showing in Italy. She used it to cover a crack in the wall.


Our attempt at a tuna/caper sauce. Yuuum.

A 360 view from on top of the clock tower! WARNING: It gets really loud when I get to the windy side.




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