Global Art Classroom: Immersed in Italian Art and History

Global Art Classroom students traded their Tucson studio for the streets of Italy, traveling through Rome and Florence during their extended European excursion. After weeks of studying art history through projected images and textbooks, standing face-to-face with the works and monuments themselves proved to experiences that exceeded every expectation. Below, Indira '26, Amena '26, Evie '26, and Erin '26 share reflections from their time in Italy – from the heart-pounding moment of seeing the Colosseum appear through a gap in the buildings to the awe of standing beneath a seventeen-foot marble figure carved by hand over five hundred years ago.

From Arizona to Rome!

Indira ’26

On a cold and gloomy Thursday in February, the hornets buzzed to Europe, first stop: Rome. After dropping our bags off at our hostel, Amena and I went for a little walk to explore our neighborhood in Rome. We were walking down the street when we looked to our left, and that's when my heart stopped. It was huge and right there! I had no idea that we were that close to it. The Colosseum. In all her glory, she peaked though the tall buildings. We let out an audible gasp and looked at each other. We crossed the street and started to freak out. It was right there! So much history and art all packed together to make this amazing creation, and it was sitting right in front of our hostel, and we had no idea. We made our way closer to it and were both in awe. It was huge and surrounded by so many people and ancient ruins. We stood there in silence as we admired it. 

For so many years, I had dreamed of coming to Rome and seeing the art and history that is buried in every stone there, and there I was, in my PJs, fresh off the train (and an eight hour flight), looking at the Colosseum that holds a thousand years of history, and there I was. That moment will always stick with me. The way my heart stopped as we turned the corner, and the amazement that people had built this without modern technology; it's all so mind-blowing to me.

Later that week, my heart was filled fully, and my dream came true, we went into it and saw inside of it! It was something like I've never experienced before and will never forget! 

A Busy First Day in Roma

Amena ’26

Our first full day in Rome started off with going out for cappuccinos and croissants in the morning. It was a day filled with sights--in fact, Indie and I were so shocked at the sight of the Colosseum from our hotel that we were very nearly the victims of vehicular homicide, running across the street to see it.

We saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain (where we asked strangers to throw in our wished-upon coins because we weren’t about to pay and wait in line to throw them), numerous ancient Egyptian obelisks, the site of Michelangelo’s first tomb (where he was interred against his wishes before his relatives kidnapped his deceased body and transported it to Florence per his will), the site of Ancient Rome’s political and financial center (the Forum), the inside of the Colosseum (no cars this time), and the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Then we visited Amy’s favorite art shop in Rome, the shop of Marcel, where I bought postcards and marveled at the atmosphere. 

Dinner was pasta a la amatriciana (delectable), followed by tiramisu. What followed was the Great Dessert Fiasco of 2026, in which we were informed that we were late to meeting time during ordering our desserts. Upon receiving them, we ran back for evening meeting, stuffing our faces, covered in gelato and powdered sugar.

Seeing Important Works of Art in Rome and Florence

Evie ’26

One of the most rewarding aspects of this program has been learning about an art piece and finally seeing it in person. It's almost surreal. After learning all the history and analyzing every detail, seeing it in person exceeds all expectations and makes it all worth it. For example, The David, by Michelangelo.

We began studying Michelangelo's David in Arizona by looking at Google images and zooming in to analyze every piece. What proceeded was all the history that came with one sculpture, which is a lot more than I thought. We had to learn not only about how Michelangelo created the sculpture, but who he was, why he made it, who it was for, and what it represents. 

To be honest, I originally couldn’t understand why it was such a famous piece and thought it to be a bit overrated. On the screen, all I saw was a white marble sculpture of a man. So, when we had to listen to an hour-long lecture on the history and the man who created the sculpture, I was interested but not impressed. The same went for The Sistine Chapel; it seemed beautiful, but I couldn't understand the depth of it until seeing it in person. 

When we went to the Galleria Dell’ Accademia in Florence and saw The David for the first time, I understood why people stood in line to see this. His body arched over me, and it finally hit me that a human with their bare hands and simple tools, with no manufactured or engineered technology, helped them to create this masterpiece. The same goes for the Sistine Chapel. Walking through the doors and looking up to one of the most detailed frescoes above my head, I almost fell over in awe. I am so grateful to be able to see these amazing pieces of art and cannot wait to see the art I personally researched at the Guggenheim in Venice! 

Finding Our Way in Florence

Erin ’26

Buongiorno Florence! We arrived after a highly nauseating train ride in which I discovered that I do get motion sick. We were once again welcomed with rain that I didn’t expect, so of course my umbrella was buried in my backpack. I was then shat on by a bird and had to do laundry the first night. All of that aside, the rain cleared up the next day for our walking tour with Giulia, and we learned about the Medici family as well as local prisons. I learned that women were often arrested for doing what they needed to do to survive (sounds familiar…). 

The following morning, we visited the Uffizi Gallery to see The Primavera and The Adoration of the Magi in person. The museum was packed, but we persevered and made the most of our time. My favorite paintings were the portraits of the Medici family because the clothes that they were painted in are very elegant. 

The food in Florence might be some of my favorite dishes yet. I got truffle pasta on the second night and lots of prosciutto and pecorino sandwiches from Sandwichic. We also found a scrumptious burger place that must be one of my favorite burgers in my lifetime. Once again, some serious shopping was done, and some of us have expanded the collection of luggage. 

Our final day in Florence was spent doing literature and art critique in the morning and spending the afternoon painting and exploring. I tried an affogato for the first time and it was absolutely life changing. I’m writing this as we’re on the train to Venice (I’ve acquired Dramamine) to take a boat taxi for the first time! Ciao! 
 

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