Venezia

We spent a total of three days in the city of love. Venice was the last stop of our trip, it was magical and a different experience from the other cities we had visited. The city felt fast paced due to the busy foot and water traffic, as well as the short, but sweet time we spent there. The buildings seem compact as they are surrounded by water and congested streets. 

I enjoyed the experience of staying in a city where you can only travel by foot or water taxis’. What is fascinating to me is the urban planning, understanding that the city is built on top of water and held by timber piles reveals the Venetian history and incredible thought taken to plan the city. Something that I noticed that was very different from the other cities was the lack of public seating. There were not many areas to sit, as that is not permitted in the city of Venice. I thought that was interesting and challenging when visiting Piazza di San Marco. The only way to really be able to sit outside and experience the city culture was by eating at a restaurant or standing in the piazza. Venice was a sweet end to our trip, it was lovely experiencing the floating city that is recognized for Murano glass and gothic architecture.

Firenze

The infamous city of Florence is the beautiful capital of Tuscany, and is the home to Renaissance architecture and art. Once we left Rome via train and arrived in Florence, I instantly noticed the pace and environment of the city. It was much quieter and appeared calmer, it did take two days for me to adjust to the sudden change. I missed Rome, but as I got to know Florence I began to fall in love with the city’s rich culture and history. The art that was birthed from this city is magnificent and inspiring. The streets are vibrant and the buildings are tall, making you feel small and hugged by the buildings.The city fabric spatially feels safe and comforting due to the liveliness of the streets that are animated by vendors and artisan shops. The tall buildings guide you to different paths, creating new encounters because you do not know what to expect next. What I love about Florence the most is Piazza della Signoria, it is located to the left of the Uffizi Gallery and has a replica of the statue of David outside of Palazzo Vecchio. There are also spaces to sit along Loggia dei Lanzi. This area was pretty crowded most of the time, but I enjoyed sitting there for some time to people-watch and draw the replica of David.

Another space I enjoyed greatly was Piazza Santo Spirito. Our group met up one morning for an exterior sketching session of Santo Spirito and the peacefulness of this piazza was incredible that morning. I was sitting along the sidewalk as businesses were getting ready to open up. The feeling and sound of the early morning was beautiful and unique because time felt slower. As I was drawing, tourists and locals would walk by and stop to compliment and watch me sketch Santo Spirito. It was such a simple but unique experience that is very meaningful to me, because not only was I being immersed in the city culture, but I was also interacting with others in that space without necessarily speaking. This is very important because it shows me that spaces like this are essential to human flourishing and is possible to create through architecture. Humans need spaces that will bring locals and tourists to intermingle and connect to have these unforgettable moments. I will never forget my time here.

Roma

Rome is one of the most attractive metropolitan cities in the world, it is known as the city built on layers over centuries. Our group got to begin our study abroad trip with Rome, our first site destination once we landed was Saint Peter’s square. One of the first public spaces I have experienced that architecturally and spatially draws people to a meaningful structure. It was amazing to see many large spaces designed for community, intentionally to gather the people of the city. As I spent time here, I came to understand what the city fabric of Rome is like. The mass vs void creates a sense of funneling in of people through corridors, as people travel through these corridors they will eventually get to an open space: a square or intersection of streets or a monument. And as I walk through these corridors I get a sense of what the city culture is like (this is where I am being primed), and once I get to the end of the corridor, and enter the threshold that is between the corridor and square, I can get a taste of Rome. And it feels like energy is being released once I enter the open space. This phenomenon is important to architecture because it primes the human for what they are about to see and experience, and it stirs curiosity in us because it inspires us.

The liveliness of this city was magical. What stood out to me personally was the ancient feeling that the city holds with a modern environment inhabiting it. What I mean by this is that Rome is rich with so much history and gorgeous architecture, nothing compares to it; but even with that truth, it does not feel like you are in that point of time because of the busyness and traffic of the city. This is a unique and beautiful experience because it shows the past and present colliding. Something I treasure and will take away from Rome is intricacy and purpose in design. The craftsmanship in every church I entered was astounding and notable, it drives me to want to design with a level of intention and integrity.