Welcome to Siena

Less than a two-hour drive northwest of Spoleto is Siena, a beautiful and historic city in the Tuscany region that our Spoleto Study Abroad students often get to visit for a day trip. The city was founded, according to legend, by the two sons of Remus—whose brother Romulus founded Rome. The sons of Remus supposedly rode white and black horses, and therefore the coat of arms of Siena boasts these contrasting colors. All around the city, white and black can be seen side by side, especially at the Duomo di Siena, the medieval church built in the 13th century.

Duomo di Siena

Numerous famous Renaissance artists were born and worked in Siena, and the University of Siena is one of the oldest universities still in operation, as it was founded in 1240. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Spoleto Study Abroad students are fortunate to explore Siena’s duomo, piazza, and other historic sites during their day trip to the city, gaining insight and inspiration to help them grow creatively and intellectually.

Jill and Lorenzo Move Home to Italy

Many of you probably know that Spoleto Study Abroad was founded in 1997 by Jill and Lorenzo Muti. Lorenzo is a native Spoletino, but he and Jill have lived in the U.S. for decades, flying to Italy throughout the year to run Spoleto Study Abroad’s programs.

We have big news to share! When Jill and Lorenzo return home to Italy this summer, it won’t just be for the summer. Jill has accepted a position as the Head of School at the prestigious St. Stephen’s School in Rome, Italy, and she and Lorenzo will be living in Italy full time.

For the last eighteen years, Jill has been the Head of School at Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina. Among the long list of accomplishments during her tenure at Ashley Hall, Jill is responsible for having initiated and implemented numerous programmatic enhancements, including the vision and creation of a global studies program, one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the southeast. Jill leveraged her strategic lens and collaborative spirit by creating purposeful partnerships with other organizations to include Spoleto Study Abroad.

Jill and Lorenzo Muti with SSA Board Member Cindy Landvater and her husband, Lance.

So what does this mean for Spoleto Study Abroad? Now that the Muti family will be based in Italy, Spoleto Study Abroad will have the opportunity to expand its offerings in new ways:

1. MITICI Adventures. If you’ve been following our blog lately, you’ve already heard about MITICI Adventures. Spoleto Study Abroad alumni have made it clear to us that they would love a personalized adult adventure in Italy, so we have created MITICI Adventures to help you bring your customized immersive experience to life. Collect a group of your friends and/or family members, and we will create an experience you will always remember! Want to begin planning your adventure today? Contact Andrea Muti to set up your discovery call HERE.

2. Student Summer Programs. This summer we are offering five intensive programs for high school students. Whether it is photography, a culinary experience, performing arts, vocal music, or visual arts, you will be inspired by the rich Italian culture. Want to participate in one of the summer intensives this year? Get more info HERE.

3. School Partnerships. SSA has partnered with premiere independent schools over the years to enhance their arts curriculum. We plan to continue to work with schools in the US with top-level global studies programs so faculty and students can take experiential learning to another level. Contact us HERE.

We hope you will join us in congratulating Jill Muti on her new position at St. Stephen’s School, and we wish her and Lorenzo the best as they move “back home.” We are excited to have such a talented pair based out of Italy to help Spoleto Study Abroad continue to grow and thrive.

A Delicious Drink & A Lasting Friendship

I have been to Spoleto three separate times. The first was with Spoleto Study Abroad in 2011 as a Creative Writing student. The second was in 2012, again with Spoleto Study Abroad, but this time I did more intensive, solo creative writing study and added cello instruction as well. The third time was in 2016, as a college student studying abroad for 6 months in England.

Many mornings my first summer in Spoleto, I would stop at the café in the Piazza Mercato on my way to morning classes to get a cioccolata calda (hot chocolate). My friends would get a cappuccino or some other coffee drink, but I—the chocoholic who hated all things coffee flavored—opted for the slightly sweet and rich cup of hot chocolate. Italian hot chocolate is usually less sweet than American, and much thicker and richer, almost the consistency of pudding. 

My second summer in Spoleto, I spent many mornings on my own, writing in my journal, and sipping a cup of cioccolata calda at my go-to café. Cristina, the young woman who worked at the café, spoke fluent English and always remembered my order. We became friends over those many quiet mornings, as I asked her about her family and her life in Spoleto, and I told her about Spoleto Study Abroad and how I wanted to be a writer one day.

Four years later, I returned to Spoleto with four friends in tow—friends whom I had made while studying in England. I proudly showed them the aqueduct, the convent, the Sacred Wood atop Monte Luco, and of course, my favorite café. I was shocked to see Cristina still behind the counter when I entered the café again for the first time in years. Even more surprising and heart-warming was the fact that she remembered me. When I ordered my obligatory cioccolata calda, she smiled widely and laughed.

There were so many memorable moments doing Spoleto Study Abroad, but my hot chocolates with Cristina definitely are on the top of my list. 

Want to try a cioccolata calda yourself? Here’s a recipe for Italian hot chocolate!

Cioccolata Calda (makes 2 servings)

• 2 cups whole milk

• 3.5 oz dark chocolate, 70% cacao

• 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tbsp cornstarch 

• 3 tbsp powdered sugar

Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces. Place the milk on low heat. In a bowl mix together cocoa, cornstarch, and powdered sugar. When the milk is hot (but not boiling), add the cocoa, cornstarch, and sugar mixture and start stirring quickly, avoiding forming lumps. Once bubbles form on the surface, add the chocolate and mix until thick and creamy. The cornstarch will thicken it, but make sure to take it off the heat once it just started to thicken. (It will thicken more after it’s removed anyway).

Pour it into mugs and serve warm. Enjoy!

And remember, if you want to sip an authentic cioccolata calda in Spoleto, you can! Applications for Spoleto Study Abroad’s student summer programs close February 1, so there is still time for you to join us. If you see Cristina there, tell her Calley sent you!

— Calley Mangum, Spoleto Study Abroad alum 

Italian New Year Celebrations

In the week leading up to the New Year, Italians continue their celebration of Christmas (which goes until January 6), but also partake in some unique New Year’s festivities as well. In Orvieto, just 80 kilometers west of Spoleto, they have a five-day Umbria Jazz Festival. The seaside city of Rimini is well-known across Italy for having the world’s longest New Year’s Eve celebration…beginning on December 1 and lasting until January 8! The celebrations in Rimini include feasts, concerts, dancing, ice skating, free prosecco, and more. Of course, nearly every city and town has some kind of fireworks display, including Spoleto.

Happy New Year from Spoleto Study Abroad!

An Italian Christmas!

Christmas in Italy is a nearly month-long celebration, beginning on December 8 with the feast of the Immaculate Conception and ending on January 6 with Epiphany. Countless popular Christmas traditions can be traced back to Italy, the most notable of which being the nativity scene. St. Francis of Assisi created the first known living nativity scene in the 13th century, and nowadays, nearly every city, town, and home in Italy has its own nativity scene. Even the Vatican displays a nativity scene in Saint Peter’s Square, along with a Christmas tree. Hundreds of Italians (and many lucky tourists) participate in a midnight Christmas mass performed by the Pope in Vatican City on Christmas Eve.

Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City at Christmas

Nearly every region of Italy also has a special Christmas food. Arguably the most popular Italian Christmas treat is panettone, a yeasted Christmas cake containing candied fruit that originally came from Milan. Today, panettone can be found all around the world, and most grocery stores will sell it during the Christmas season. But if fruit cakes are not for you, there is no shortage of other Italian Christmas treats: pandoro (similar to a pound cake); torrone (nougat with nuts); and struffoli (honey-coated fried dough balls) are all popular around Christmas time as well.

Panettone is a yeasted cake filled with dried fruit and raisins

Why Tal Mangum Supports the SSA Loyalty Fund

Reflections from an SSA Board Member and mother of alumna

Ponte delle Torri. Just naming this Spoleto landmark built in 1350 AD evokes a smile. Has it really been 10 years since my husband & I traveled to Italy to meet our daughter on her final evening of studying creative writing with Spoleto Study Abroad? I remember our reunion in complete detail. Our daughter had walked up from the convent—her home for 3 weeks—to greet us as we checked into Hotel Gattapone overlooking the Ponte delle Torri. After posing with her father for a few pictures, she escorted us through the narrow alleys of Old Town to a lovely outdoor garden table where she had made dinner reservations at her creative writing instructor’s favorite Spoleto restaurant. Midway through the pasta course, her instructor Dr. Jan Guffin arrived at our table to welcome us to Spoleto.

Tal's husband, Michael, and daughter, Calley, at Ponte delle Torri

This vignette sums up why I continue to support Spoleto Study Abroad. The place, the people, the pasta! A program that offers high school students the opportunity to stretch & soar. In the case of my daughter, to stretch her view of the world & her place in it. And with the encouragement of an incredible instructor and a group of other eager writers, turn what was a childhood hobby —writing stories—into a passion enriched by the backdrop of Umbria as her inspirational canvas.

Please join me in supporting Spoleto Study Abroad—both financially and as an advocate for the program. Better yet, familiarize yourself with Spoleto Study Abroad’s newest launch, MITICI Adventures, and make plans to return to Spoleto and revisit the landmarks you remember from your high school days— such as the Ponte delle Torri. My flight is already booked for June 2022! 

Coming Home: An Evening with Spoleto Study Abroad

We shared a few months ago about MITICI Adventures, an Umbrian travel experience founded by Andrea Muti. MITICI Adventures allows you to customize your own private tour to create a travel experience that is completely unique to your group.

Now is your chance to learn more! Join us for a special evening with Andrea Muti, and gather with friends of Spoleto Study Abroad from your home. Bring a glass of Montefalco, a plate of antipasto, and join us on Wednesday December 8 from 6-7:15pm for this virtual video call to hear Andrea talk about coming home to Umbria while designing the MITICI travel experience. RSVP to receive the Zoom link.

Italian Mushroom Season & Thanksgiving Inspiration

It’s the week of Thanksgiving, and although Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated in Italy, there are numerous festivals throughout the fall where scrumptious Italian cuisine takes center stage. Mushrooms, in particular, are everywhere after the November rain and cooler weather spawn countless edible fungi. 

In 2019, Italy produced over 90 metric tons of mushrooms, making it the second largest mushroom producing country in the world (behind the United States). From oyster mushrooms (great for grilling) to porcini mushrooms (the “King of Mushrooms,” delicious in pasta or as a stand-alone side dish) to the classic portobello mushrooms (versatile and served in hundreds of ways), Italy has no shortage of mushrooms varieties. With so many types and a plethora of serving options, even people who don’t like mushrooms can surely find a type and style of preparation that suits their palate. 

If you want to add an Umbrian twist to your Thanksgiving table this year (whether with or without mushrooms), check out the Alla Madonna del Piatto food blog! Owned and run by Italian food writer Letizia Mattiacci, Alla Madonna del Piatto is a cooking school and agritourism business located just outside of Assisi in Umbria. Check out the Alla Madonna del Piatto blog for everything from homemade pasta recipes to quick Umbrian inspired side dishes to spice up your Thanksgiving this year. https://madonnadelpiatto.com/recipes/

Meet Our 2022 Photography Faculty

Meet Karey Walter, our 2022 Photography Intensive Faculty. Karey has a Masters of Fine Art in Photography from the University of Utah, and her photographs are on display throughout the United States, Mexico, France, and Italy! Her work varies from black & white photography to classic color film to historical and landscape photography. Her photos “depict a peaceful coexistence between humans and nature,” and she has curated exhibitions for The Library of Congress, The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Tubman Museum.

Karey currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where she directs the photography department at The Lovett School. We are excited to welcome Karey to Spoleto for our Photography Intensive! Applications are OPEN for the 2022 Photography Intensive, where under Karey’s guidance, students will engage in all elements of photographic practice and learn to document their own unique visual perspectives. Visit the Photography Intensive Program page for more information

Meet Our 2022 Vocal Music Faculty!

Meet our 2022 Vocal Music Faculty! Our vocalist and coach is Courtenay Budd. A Georgia native, Courtenay is a highly accomplished and awarded soprano, whose work includes everything from Handel and Bach to bel canto opera and contemporary works. She has received critical praise from The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, just to name a few. Courtenay has performed at the National Symphony, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and more! She has even appeared on multiple recordings, and her CD Sleep is Behind the Door was named “Lullaby Album of the Year” by CDBaby.com. Courtenay now lives in New York, where she teaches at Vassar College.

Courtenay Budd is the 2022 Vocal Music Intensive vocalist and coach

Erika Switzer is our 2022 collaborative pianist and coach. Erika has performed as a collaborative pianist around the world, including at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. Erika studied and performed in Germany for seven years, during which she won numerous awards, and she has received critical praise from the New York Times and Le Monde. Erika holds a doctorate from The Juilliard School, and she currently serves on the music faculty at Bard College and the Vocal Arts Program of the Bard Conservatory of Music.

Erika Switzer is our 2022 Vocal Music Intensive collaborative pianist and coach.

We are excited to welcome Courtenay Budd and Erika Switzer as our 2022 Vocal Music Intensive Faculty! This intensive runs from July 11-20, 2022, and applications are open NOW! Visit spoletostudyabroad.org/vocal-music-intensive to learn more.

The Sacred Wood of Monteluco

 While the Duomo, castle, and aqueduct in Spoleto are probably the more recognizable and picture-worthy destinations in the city, there is a hidden gem high above that is equally as beautiful. Located at the top of Monteluco, looking down over Spoleto and the entire valley, is the Sacred Wood. A favorite retreat of St. Francis of Assisi long ago, and a perfect spot for those who love to wander in nature, the Sacred Wood is a peaceful, almost magical oasis filled with winding paths, secret stone alcoves, and twisting trees. The noise of the world fades away until all that can be heard is the rustling of the wind in the trees and the crunch of leaves underfoot. But wandering the Sacred Wood can be as exhilarating as it is calming, as travelers adventure down hidden paths and into concealed grottoes.

The Convent of St. Francis is located just beside the Sacred Wood, and was briefly a home to St. Francis himself in 1218. Those wishing to visit the Sacred Wood can either hike up from the aqueduct at the base of Monteluco, or (for an easier journey) take a bus right up to the top. There are even numerous hotels so travelers can stay right next door to this magical refuge. Spoleto Study Abroad’s students often get to hike up to the Sacred Wood, and are sure to gain artistic inspiration on the way up and when they got to the top! As one of our alumni says, “The Sacred Wood fills you with energy while restoring the soul!”

Movie Recommendation: Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 Italian drama film that won both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. The film stars Jacques Perrin, Philippe Noiret, and Agnese Nano, and is directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. The story chronicles the life of Salvatore Di Vita, and his childhood friendship with middle-aged film projectionist Alfredo, in the town of Giancaldo, Sicily.

As a child, Salvatore spends every free moment he can at the town’s movie house, Cinema Paradiso, where Alfredo teaches the boy how to project movies. Salvatore’s deep love of film grows under Alfredo’s guidance, and the projectionist pushes the boy to follow his dreams of becoming a filmmaker. Filled with friendship, romance, and nostalgia, Cinema Paradiso is regarded as a classic Italian film that is a celebration of the movie industry.

Meet 2022 Visual Arts Faculty Kaila Gottschling

Spoleto Study Abroad’s 2022 Visual Arts Intensive will be led by classically trained visual artist and educator Kaila Gottschling. Kaila lives in Charlotte, NC, but grew up in Canada surrounded by a family of professional artists. Her grandfather was a painter and printmaker; her father was a commercial photographer; and her mother was a graphic artist. 

Kaila studied at Beal Art, Canada’s oldest and most innovative art school, where she became proficient in textile design, painting, drawing, lithography, and various forms of sculpture. She earned a BFA and master’s in education from Western University, as well as an AP certification for Studio Art from the Savannah College of Art & Design.

Kaila’s work hangs in public and private venues throughout the United States and Canada, and she serves as the Visual Arts Chair at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, NC. 

“I express myself with conventional and contemporary freedoms,” says Kaila. “I look at an individual piece as a puzzle to solve. What mediums, scale, flow, gesture will be the solution to achieving the same type of blissful mood that I felt when gazing at the subject or place.”

We can’t wait to see the beautiful and inspiring artwork students will create this summer under Kaila’s guidance! Applications are NOW OPEN for the 2022 Visual Arts Intensive. Click here to learn more about this intensive, and to apply! https://spoletostudyabroad.org/summer-visual-arts-intensive. Apply by December 1 to have the $95 application fee waived!

A Taste of Umbria: The Essence of Italian Living

Ever wonder what it would be like to learn about a new culture through its culinary traditions? Find out this summer with our Taste of Umbria: The Essence of Italian Living program! Over 10 days, students grades 9-12 will experience traditional cuisine of Umbria, learn about the rich history of Italy, and reflect on their experience in a final showcase to their peers.

The daily excursions during this program will be hands on, with students tasting many of the foods they are learning about. From gelato to olive oil to chocolate to truffles, students will learn about the history, cultivation, production, and consumption of these foods in the Umbria region. This program is a must for any young food or history lover!

A Taste of Umbria runs from July 21-30, 2022, immediately following the Summer Intensive Programs. Apply by December 1 and your $95 application fee will be waived. Apply for one of the Summer Intensives and A Taste of Umbria, and you’ll receive a 10% discount on the second tuition. 

Check out the full itinerary, and learn more about applying to the program here: https://spoletostudyabroad.org/taste-of-umbria

Meet Shana Bestock

Spoleto Study Abroad’s 2022 Acting & Performance Intensive will focus on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, and students will hone their skills and strengthen their abilities to be alive in the moment through both rigorous technique and attuned instinct.

As students work to bring their own unique creative perspective to this classic play, they will be instructed by Shana Bestock, who has directed over 200 productions with student ensembles, and overseen over 120 professional productions.

Shana is a native of Seattle, Washington, and has been directing professional and youth theater for over 25 years. Shana served as Seattle Public Theater’s Artistic and Education Director for 15 years, and she founded Penguin Productions, which engages, empowers, and creates artists through creative adventures to fuel our future.

Shana has experience with both classic and contemporary texts, and has worked with Seattle Shakespeare Company, University of Chicago, New City Theater, and many, many more. She has mentored hundreds of students over the course of her agree, and believes in giving students ownership and agency, access to professional resources, rigor, and structure in a culture of inclusiveness, fun, and faith in their ability to succeed beyond their own imaginations.

“I am always hungry for work that simultaneously challenges, stimulates, and entertains,” says Shana. “In a highly mediated world, the performing arts and literature offer an opportunity to rediscover the world, to transform isolation and communication breakdowns into stories that give our lives clarity, confidence, and compassion.”

We are thrilled to welcome Shana Bestock as our 2022 Acting & Performance Intensive faculty!

Applications are NOW OPEN! Apply by December 1 and your $95 application fee will be waived!