The Gardens at Villa Medici

Author: Kelsey Vogel | Major: Landscape Architecture | Semester: Summer 2023

I have wanted to live abroad for as long as I can remember, and I have been interested in urban studies since I was in high school. When I discovered that the Fay Jones School of Architecture had a required study abroad program for Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, I knew it was going to be a perfect fit. My first two years in the Landscape Architecture program at the U of A were primarily focused on studying plants and parks. While I love learning about landscape ecology and designing nature-rich outdoor parks, my heart jumped at the opportunity to study people and piazzas in the heart of Rome for ten weeks.

During our first week, my professor took us on a “sketching boot camp”. The goal was to have us walk through Rome’s many neighborhoods while improving our ability to sketch and hand-draw our observations in real-time. I drew everything from Basilica di San Pietro and Castel Sant’Angelo to the Tiber River and the lively market in the Testaccio neighborhood. Although I was apprehensive at first, I quickly became more comfortable with my drawing skills due to the intensity and time we committed to practicing. Seeing my drawings and sketches improve over ten weeks was so fulfilling, and it helped me see that my hard work and dedication were paying off.

A few weeks into the program, we were each assigned one piazza to study. We were expected to visit our piazza multiple times at different times of day to really understand how people used and enjoyed the space. I spent a couple hours a week drawing, studying people, and taking notes of my observations and conversations with the locals. It was such an enriching experience! Everyone developed a special connection to their piazza which made this assignment even more fun. For example, I chose Piazza Trilussa which was the entryway into the young and vibrant Trastevere neighborhood. It was a sleepy square during the week, but it really came alive at night with live music, dancing, and local artists. Instead of referring to it as Piazza Trilussa, it became affectionately known amongst my group of friends as “Kelsey’s Piazza”. Another wonderful piazza in Trastevere is Piazza San Cosimato, which is known for its produce markets and family-friendly appeal. My friend Hannah studied San Cosimato, so we referred to it as “Hannah’s Piazza” as well. While these two piazzas were our favorites, there is truly no shortage of lively public spaces in Rome.

After a few visits to our favorite piazzas and restaurants, the locals started to recognize us and we would get to chat with our favorite waiters and baristas each time we went back. Developing these relationships is truly the most special part of studying abroad! In a lot of ways, living in the historic center of Rome can often feel like living in a theatrical performance. It can be hard to know which parts are authentic and which are tourist traps. However, developing meaningful relationships and connections with the locals will give you a raw and honest look into how real Romans live in the Eternal City. There is so much more to Rome outside of its beautiful churches and delicious cuisine if you know where to look!

One of the best parts about studying abroad is that you don’t stop learning once you leave the Rome Center after class. Your education comes with you to the café where you get your morning cappuccino and cornetto, and it follows you out at night on your way to get a drink with your friends. I learned so much about Italian culture and language through my daily life outside of class. While abroad, you will also meet people from a variety of different cultures—talk to them! I can’t recommend enough that you make friends with the locals and foreigners alike. I made friends with Italians in the urban city of Rome and the beachside town of Monopoli; I met Canadians, Argentinians, and French tourists as well. Although you might get to know these people for only a moment, you will hold onto the memories for a lifetime.

I can’t recommend studying abroad through the Rome Center enough. The faculty and staff at the Rome Center are incredibly warm and kind and they really are there to support you during your time abroad. They will answer any question you could have, like how on earth do I use the washing machine? or how do I buy bus tickets? Having the support of the Rome Center made me feel incredibly secure during my summer abroad. Additionally, the professors at the Rome Center are so intelligent and helpful! I learned so much from observing their lectures and having them critique our projects during our final review in Studio.

Despite all the wonderful parts of studying abroad, there will inevitably be some hiccups. My advice to you is to stay flexible— there will be days where you walk for ten miles and your card declines when you try to buy food, your shoes break and you have to walk barefoot on the cobblestone streets at night, or your train switches platforms with only three minutes to spare and you have to sprint across the Termini station (yes, all of this is true!). While moments like these are never helpful, they will be so much better if you can stay positive, remain flexible, and know that they will only improve your problem-solving skills. Plus, they make for great stories!

Now that I have been back in the United States for a couple weeks, I can confidently say that this was the best summer I’ve ever had. I came back from Rome feeling more confident, more independent, and more grateful than ever before. If you need me, I’ll be counting down the days until I can go back!