Today, Monday, April 25, is Liberation Day in Italy. Liberation Day is a national holiday to commemorate the victory of the Italian resistance and Allied troops against Nazi occupiers and Mussolini’s Fascist Party during World War II. Every year on this date since 1946—when the day was first recognized—marches and parades have occurred across Italy. Liberation Day’s festivities also involve singing a popular folk song, “Bella Ciao,” which was sung by Italian resistance fighters during the war. Many Italians lay wreaths at various World War II cemeteries across the country to honor all those who died for the country’s freedom, from Allied troops to Italian resistance fighters.
Students Return to Italy with Ashley Hall's Amalthea Program!
After a two-year hiatus, we were finally able to welcome students back to Italy! Twenty-two students from Ashley Hall in Charleston, SC, one of Spoleto Study Abroad's Signature Schools, have just returned home from Spoleto after taking part in the travel component of their Amalthea program. Amalthea is an interdisciplinary program at Ashley Hall open to 8-10th grade students. Over the course of about a year, those accepted research and study an object or place of their choosing to better understand its history, function, and significance. Students could choose anything from a machine from da Vinci to a fresco from the chapel in Orvieto to a Roman monument to natural caves.
At the end of their year of research, students travel to Italy for 10-days, where they use the Palazzo Leti as their home base and travel to each person's selected topic to see it in person. While there, students report their findings to the rest of the group. Upon returning home, the students write a paper and present the culmination of their findings in a science-fair-style presentation to parents back at school. This allows them to hone in on their public speaking skills and answer questions about the topic.
Amalthea is a combination of researching to learn something new, listening to peers, traveling to a new country and culture, and a final project that emphasizes presentation public speaking skills. Ashley Hall's Amalthea program is just one example of how our partner schools are bringing Italy into their humanities programming through a partnership with Spoleto Study Abroad.
The possibilities are endless though. If your school is interested in partnering with Spoleto Study Abroad, learn more about each level of commitment here. We'd love to help you create an ideal program for your students to learn valuable interdisciplinary skills that facilitates intellectual and personal growth and experiential learning.
Holy Week in Italy
With the majority of Italians being Roman Catholic, Holy Week is one of the most important weeks of the year in the country. Beginning with Palm Sunday—on April 10 this year—and concluding with Easter Sunday one week later, Holy Week honors the week leading up to the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On Palm Sunday, Italians will often observe or participate in processions that re-enact Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. Many will take palm fronds or olive branches and carry them around, or place them at the entrance to their homes. The Vatican, in particular, draws tens of thousands to its recreation.
The rest of the week often involves numerous church services and many towns and cities have their own special way of honoring Holy Week. Castelsardo in Sardinia, for example, is famous for its Brotherhood of the Holy Cross, a group that dresses in hooded white robes and processes around the town from sunup to sundown on Holy Monday, chanting medieval songs. On Thursday—known as either Holy or Maundy Thursday—church bells are silenced and not rung until Easter Sunday, and many churches recreate the Last Supper through ceremonial foot washing.
Holy Week’s most somber day—recognized as a national holiday—is Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Churches will cover their crosses with black cloth in a sign of mourning, and many Italians will fast. Many cities reenact the crucifixion, and the Pope himself traditionally leads a somber procession through Rome called the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross, from the city center to the Colosseum.
Finally, Holy Week culminates in Easter Sunday, a holiday that is celebrated by both Christian and non-Christian Italians. It is a day of celebration and feasting, often featuring lamb and cookies and cakes in the shape of doves or lambs. Easter eggs are common in Italy as well, sometimes hollow chocolate with toys inside, and sometimes hardboiled and painted vibrant colors.
Along with Christmas, Easter is the most important and most celebrated holiday in Italy, so if you travel to Italy during Holy Week, be ready to watch Italians go all out in honoring this special time.
Wild Asparagus Foraging
After the long winter months in Italy, countryside trails become filled with hikers, bikers, and foragers in search of wild herbs and vegetables. The most notable and sought-after vegetable for foraging in spring is asparagus. Called sparasine in Italian, wild asparagus has a stronger, more intense taste than its cultivated kin, and can be found all across the country. Though tricky to find at first, sparasine hide under feathery green “mother” bushes, and if foragers keep an eye out for these bushes, they’ll have an easy time finding their quarry.
Wild asparagus, or sparasine, grow beneath feathery green “mother” bushes.
Italians put sparasine into all sorts of spring dishes, including risotto, salad, omlettes and frittatas, and soups. But most importantly, these dishes make the sparasine the star of the show. A simple online search will yield dozens of spring Italian recipes that feature wild asparagus. One recipe we recommend is a simple pasta dish with spaghetti—or Umbrian stringozzi if you have it—and asparagus sauteed in garlic and olive oil, topped with parmesan and lemon zest.
Spring in Italy
Spring has arrived to Spoleto! As March gets into full swing, the temperatures across Umbria start to rise, and the flowers and trees that cover this beautiful region begin to bud and bloom. Many consider spring to be the perfect time to travel to Italy, as tourist crowds are not as big as in the summer, and the weather is more comfortable than in the winter. Spring temperatures hit the high 50s (F) in March, mid-60s in April, and low 70s in May.
An Italian spring is also filled with festivals. From Easter celebrations to flower fairs to Italian Liberation Day to even festivals for asparagus, spring is the perfect time to see Italians do some of what they do best: throw large parties with incredible food!
Spring also means we are just one season away from summer and welcoming our Spoleto Study Abroad students back after two long years. We can’t wait!
If you’d like to plan your spring vacation to Italy, visit our MITCI Adventures website and we can share more about all the amazing activities you can do while you’re there.
Submit Your Spoleto Study Abroad Alumni Stories
Over the next couple of weeks, Spoleto Study Abroad will be surveying alumni and former faculty about their experiences during and post-SSA. If you’re an alum or former faculty, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to answer the following questions. You can send your answers to admin@spoletostudyabroad.org with the subject line “Spoleto Study Abroad Study Stories.”
Question 1:
What is your favorite memory of Spoleto Study Abroad?
Question 2:
What did you enjoy most about working with the faculty?
Question 3:
What would you say to someone who is considering participating in a Spoleto Study Abroad program?
Question 4:
What was something you learned about your art in Spoleto that you still use today?
We will be sharing a few of these alumni stories on our social media pages. If you’d like to be tagged, please include your Instagram handle in the email. Also, if you have photos from your time in Spoleto, please send those as well.
Thank you!
Valentine’s Day in Italy
Happy Valentine’s Day! Did you know this romantic holiday began in Italy? Long before Americans were celebrating Valentine’s Day with heart-shaped chocolates, colorful cards, and Hallmark movie marathons, Italians celebrated La Festa Degli Innamorati in honor of the Roman goddess Juno, goddess of women and marriage. Nowadays, Italians honor the martyred Saint Valentine, who (according to legend) was a priest in 3rd century Rome who married young men and women in secret, after the Roman Emperor Claudius outlawed marriage for young men. Saint Valentine was martyred on February 14, and the old Roman festival for Juno also used to be held on February 14…this is where we get the date for Valentine’s Day.
Heart-shaped lanterns often decorate street lamps throughout Italy on Valentine’s Day
True or just legend, the story of Saint Valentine has made him the patron saint of love, which is why Valentine’s Day is known as the holiday of romance. The holiday is less commercialized that in the United States, as it is mostly only celebrated by couples—there’s no Galentine’s Day or innocent valentines given by school children to their classmates. Many Italian couples get engaged on Valentine’s Day, or say their first “I love you.” But one thing is just like it is in the U.S…chocolate! Chocolate is the most popular gift on Valentine’s Day, whether in the form of biscotti, Baci chocolate candies, or some other sweet treat.
We wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day, or rather, “Buon San Valentino!”
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:
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.
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.
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/