Harvey Scholar Travels - Katie in Italy

After finishing my undergraduate at Mines, I realized what was missing from my education: art. I was raised by an Italian artist, so I have always dreamt of going to Italy to be able to explore the culture and the incredible art within the country. I started my journey in Venice, spending a week there. I enrolled in a glass blowing class for the mornings and spent my afternoons marveling at the canals, the incredible architecture, and eating amazing food (despite being Celiac). While I had started glass blowing the year before, relearning the basics from masters in Murano was a completely new experience. Giovanni, the main instructor, had been blowing glass since he was 12, working his way up from cleaning the shop, to assisting, to finally being able to sit down at the bench. English was his third language, so I learned mostly by observing how he worked with the molten material. He emphasized how we cannot force the material into the shape that we want, but have to respect the glass and have to be patient. People can make a living in the US with glass blowing, but in Murano, it is a way of life.

First Night in Venice

Next, I went south to Florence and visited the Galleria Academia and the Uffizi. I got to see the David and paintings by Sandro Botticelli, who I remember studying when I was younger. I was always fascinated by his work, particularly the Birth of Venus and La Primavera. I was able to find sketches of these paintings that I did 10 years ago once I was home. It was astounding being able to walk through the eras of Italian artists within the Uffizi. I spent hours there and know I didn’t see it all.

View of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo

Lunar Eclipse from the Ponte Vecchio

I took a small train to Chiusi, where I stayed in an old farm house and took a painting class. I had never used oil paints before, and was able to try them out for the first time, learning from the instructor Julian who was with us the entire time. While the painting was fun, the best part about this leg of my journey was getting to see the small Tuscan town from the perspective of a local. He showed us around and explained the history in local areas during wartimes, explained the origins of different pillar types and paintings in churches, and showed us local restaurants that we never would have found otherwise. This adventure was a lovely break from the heavy tourist areas.

The farmhouse from the painting class

I painted!

I stopped in Rome for a few days, visiting the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, and more. Seeing the first century amphitheater and the incredible Renaissance church was unreal, both feats of architecture and design in their own times and own ways. My last stop on my trip was Naples, where I went on trips to see Mount Vesuvius, the ruins of Pompeii, and the Amalfi coast before heading home. This was an incredible journey – the memories, and the art I got to take home, will last me a lifetime.

The Colosseum (I went to see it twice)