melissa grace kreider

Although Italy lost to Spain last night, Italian pride was still running high in my favorite Piazza as I watched the game-

Proud that Italy is my adopted country-

Ciao for now,

-m.

Musei Vaticani

Sistine Chapel-no words.

There are just no words for the splendor that was Rome...so much history!

Ciao for now,

-m.

    In celebration of my first summer semester ending, I rolled off to the countryside to stay with my roommate and her family who is visiting this week. They are staying in the smallest, most obscure town of Pian di Sco in the hills, 20 km from Firenze, my home. These photos don't even do it justice.

Our house is the one on the end-

The view from our terrace.

Around the town...

Apples, AMERICAN coffee and books for breakfast-my favorite.The sunset on my last night there.

I loved the countryside to pieces, but was absolutely esctatic [as usual] to come back to Florence. It feels like home. 

Ciao for now,

-m.

Piazza Santa Croce-the ring. I am not a sports fan. I do not like watching baseball, and don't even get me started on American football. However, when my roommates informed me of Calcio Storico, I HAD to go. This ancient tradition of Calcio Storico has been taking place since the 5th Century as a way to test troops on their strength and endurance. Four districts from across Florence (that's right-districts. Hunger Games, anyone?) play two preliminary matches and then the final match. Yesterday, June 16th, Team Bianchi (Santo Spirito-my town) and Team Verdi (San Giovanni-somehwere that isn't as great as Santo Spirito ;D).

After 5 months, Santo Spirito is close to my heart. Go, go, Bianchi!

The opposing team's fans.

Now, the game is supposed to be soccer (our soccer, their football), but it's more like rugby...with no rules. Which means this can happen:

...and this.

oh, yeah, and this:

It was probably the most excited I've ever gotten about sports...ever. It could have been the mixture of my deep-rooted love for Santo Spirito and really attractive men covered in tattoos and dirt (judge me), but I loved it. It was also fantastic to experience a true Italian tradition carried into the 21st Century.

The best news?! Team Bianchi won! We rule.

Final score-9 to 2. If I could go to the next two games, I totally would, but funds are low and I'm lucky enough to have gone to this one! It was one of the best days I've had here.

Ciao for now,

-m.

Statue of Dante + the facade of Santa Croce.

        Yesterday was a day I needed. At this point I've been living in Florence for so long I tend to forget what it is: home to more art & history per square foot then any other city in the world. It doesn't help that they make you pay to go into all of the museums + (almost all of) the churches, but this week I saved my change to go into Basilica di Santa Croce, also known as the Tempio dell'Itale Glorie (Temple of the Italian Glories). Why is it called this? Some of the most brilliant men are buried inside including Michelangelo, Galileo, Gentile, and Machiavelli. 

        Seeing these tombs slapped me in the face with history and the realization of-well, that the men I've learned about since age 7 that helped shape the world were buried right in front of me and walked the streets I trek everyday. I am constantly amazed by Florence, even after five months of living here. Since they were the people that helped shape our modern world, they were obviously buried in style...

My roommate + Michelangelo Bounarroti's tomb.

Uppermost part of Galileo Galilei's tomb.

       All of the tombs were grand and beautiful, carved to perfection! I think I may have stared at Michelangelo's grave for a full ten minutes. One of my favorite figures in Italian history is Dante Alighieri. Dante was born and lived in Florence, he died while exiled in a city called Ravenna, about 120 miles from Florence. Dante was buried there, in Ravenna, but the city of Florence chose to honor him with a Memorial Tomb inside Santa Croce. 

Memorial tomb for Dante.

        As if that wasn't enough, there is art plastered (literally..heh.) everywhere! Giotto, whom I am partial to, painted frescoes and altarpieces throughout.
Giotto's fresco in the Capella Peruzzi.       I am often taken aback by how beautifully and carefully constructed these churches really are. Out of the four or five I've visited personally, I think that Santa Croce is my favorite.

Detail in a door found in Santa Croce.

The divide between the main area and a chapel.Ciao for now,

-m.