Close your eyes and imagine that you’re sitting at one of the tables at the “Bar degli artisti.” How many times did you sit there during your stay in Spoleto either working on your computer or having breakfast, sipping a cup of coffee or having a fun conversation with your friends!? Do you remember what was all around you? The beautiful fountain source of fresh water both for thirsty tourists and clouds of pigeons alike. In the morning the vegetable vendors with their little truck filled with luscious fresh tomatoes, peaches, plums. Then the tens of restaurants, pizzerias and bars that have come to crown the entire piazza with their little tables and their wooden chairs. Finally, the noise of the people” living” in the piazza: the usual group of older men who would arrive early in the morning and leave only at lunch time, spending their morning discussing soccer, politics, and gossiping. The ladies with their shopping bags running from one store to the other. The kids running after each other, riding their bikes and filling their mouths with a piece of pastry or some ice cream. Well, everything is still there…with the exception of the people.

The beauty of the place is still stunning, the shining sunlight still covers a golden patina on all of those beautiful buildings. However, the noise is gone and so is the energy, the vitality that was so much a part of the landscape. It reminds me of one of those Renaissance paintings depicting the ”ideal city” - beautiful streets, gorgeous squares, fantastic buildings, but everything empty, muted, silenced by the luck of ordinary life.

What is happening in Piazza del Mercato is no different than what is happening all over town. Piazza Duomo is empty, the Corso has seen more and more shops close because there is no business and lastly the increasing amount of families who now have a terrible time putting food on their table.

Still there is hope. Italian people are resilient and in this case, they have behaved really well. After the initial shock they have observed the “lockdown religiously” and with humor and now there is a general feeling that life is slowly coming back to some sense of normality.

Our biggest surprise was visiting the convent. No students, no pilgrims, no visitors. Just the two Philippine nuns and the “eternal” Suor Chiara. But the garden….! Not having anything else to do besides praying, the nuns dedicated all their free time to their garden! Melons, flowers, lettuce, grapes, it is stunning! A speck of light in a world of grayness and frustration.

Spoleto Study Abroad is eager to once again share the beauty of central Italy through an immersive experience for students of all ages as soon as it is safe to do so. We cannot wait for you to help fill the streets with life again!

- Lorenzo

An update from the streets of Spoleto in the time of COVID-19

For 23 summers, high school students from around the world have filled Spoleto’s streets during our Spoleto Study Abroad program. This summer, for the first time since our start, the streets are a bit quieter.

On one hand, it’s a rare blessing to be able to walk through the once busy tourist attractions and enjoy the art and history without the crowds. But on the other hand, the silence is loud. It’s hard not to acknowledge that many small family-owned businesses that are the life and character of our town have been hit the hardest from the COVID-19 pandemic and have closed their doors for good. Many families now struggle to buy food to last them through the end of the week, and our hearts hurt for them as we seek ways we can help out.

Walking the familiar cobblestones through the Piazza Mercato, passing the bars and gelaterias, life here feels somewhat “normal.” Little by little businesses here have opened their doors and locals have started to get back to their day to day, now with a common accessory - the face mask. The beauty in the landscape here is still as breathtaking as ever. We wish you were here to see it!

As the country that was seen to be hit the hardest at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Italians are showing us a glimmer of hope that we can all breathe a breath of fresh air soon. Life is slowly moving toward a new normal here and it leaves us with a sense that we will all get through this.

We are sad you couldn’t join us this summer, and we cannot wait for the day you can travel to Spoleto once again. As you continue to navigate these strange times, we’ll leave you with these charges to reconnect with yourself, your surroundings and take in the beauty in this world, despite the trying circumstances.

Put your phone and devices away for the day and see where your mind takes you. To disconnect from technology is to allow yourself the space to observe yourself and the world around you. Give yourself the time to lean into the new headspace and creativity that can come from disconnecting.
Sit outside and look closely at the tiny details that surround you. Change your perspective and observe the bugs working in the grass below. Sit in a hammock and watch the birds flying above. Listen to the wind blow through the trees. Just stop and observe how we are all connected to the world around us and take in the natural beauty right outside your door.
Breathe. The busy world has slowed down a lot these days because of the pandemic, but the chaos can still be there in our minds and in our bodies. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply with your eyes closed, fill your lungs with fresh life, let out the rest, and repeat.
Create! Whether you are a painter, singer, photographer or just someone interested in any art form, give yourself time and space to play, practice and create just for the fun of it. Creativity does wonders for the human spirit.
Daydream about your study abroad experience in Spoleto with us. Follow us on social media as we bring some of the sights and sounds to you since you can’t be here in person just yet.

We wish you all good health as we make our way to the new normal everywhere, and we can’t wait to see you in Spoleto again soon!

A presto!
Jill & Lorenzo Muti

““If the sight of the blue sky fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive” ”

— Eleanora Duse

Remembering The Sights & Sounds of Spoleto

Wish you were here!