Global Art Classroom students made their way through Italy this term, with stops in Rome, Florence, and Venice before continuing on to Austria. Some of the most powerful moments in experiential travel come not from the itinerary, but from the detours – the spontaneous decisions that pull students out of the tourist's perspective and into the local culture. When several students caught wind of a football match and asked if they could detour from the afternoon itinerary to attend a match at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo in Venice. Read reflections from Lukas '26 and Nicola '26 on the evening with Venezia FC, and from Lydia '27, who looks back on Italy as a whole – from a special meal in Rome to Botticelli's “La Primavera, and gelato in Venice!
A Big Surprise in Venice: Football!
Nicola '26
On our first full day in Venice, we went on a walking tour of the city with our guide, which included a visit to Piazza San Marco. We walked by the shoreline, which looked out on la isola Giudecca, only a couple of hundred feet away. After our tour, we went our separate ways to grab some lunch around the city. After lunch, our originally planned activity was to go to the Doge's Palace, but when I received a surprise text in the WhatsApp group chat, everything changed. Evie, Lulu, Lukas, Maddie, and I rushed to the Stadio Pier Luigi Panzo home of Venezia's very own football club. If you had not already guessed it, there was a game that was going on at 3 pm in the afternoon against Pescara.
After arriving at the stadium, we stood in line and waited for the opportunity to enter the stadium, which would come 10 minutes into the first half. We took our seats and buckled up for an action-packed game of football. The stadium was packed with barely any room to spare; the crowd was electric, and it was capped off by Venezia's ultra section singing and chanting throughout the game. When we had arrived, Pescara had taken the lead by an early goal, and it wasn't until the last five minutes of the first half that Venezia would respond with two rapid-fire goals of their own. The first was a tidy finish by the attacker, placing the ball in the bottom corner, and the second was a cross finished with a half-volley around the penalty spot. The stadium exploded with noise as the Venezia fans around the stadium celebrated.
The second half was no less exciting than the first as Pescara would equalize the game around the 60th minute. As the game headed towards its conclusion, the tension in the stadium was palpable, but the stress would be relieved when a late-game winner would come at the 80th minute. The final whistle blew, and Venezia bagged a well-deserved three points. As we left, I couldn't wipe the smile that spread from ear to ear. I was so happy that I was able to share this amazing experience with my friends and for them to experience what European football had to offer.
The Hornets Take Venice: History, Gelato, and Football
Lukas '26
We started the day with a much-needed sleep-in until 9:30 am, had some breakfast, and then we met our guide to give us a tour of Venice. As we walked along the lagoon and canals over many bridges, we stopped and talked about the history of Venice and how it was constructed; it was very interesting and insightful. We then headed into Piazza San Marco to stop and talk about the drains that shoot out water. ACB (Aaron' 26) was scared of it. The bell tower and Basilica were beautiful. We walked through small alleys and little bridges and started talking about how Venice was built on top of the water. Our tour ended, and a small group of us went off to get lunch until 2:30. Maddie, Evie, and Lulu got lunch together, which took quite a long time. We then headed back towards the hotel and stopped to get our favorite gelato from El Penguino.
We sat by the canal, eating our gelato and getting attacked by seagulls and birds while Evie worked on the group journal. We watched as many people were headed to the Venezia soccer game, so we decided to ask Amy and Laura if we could go to the game instead of going to the palace, and they said yes!
Nico, Lulu, Evie, Maddie, and I all decided to go to the game while the rest of the group went to the palace. We walked with the fans getting closer. We then arrived at the stadium and bought tickets for the game. They were expensive, but we decided to go anyway. The stadium was so loud, and we couldn't wait to get in. We got scarves and hats to fit in with everyone. The game was electric, with Venezia down 1-0 before leading 2-1 right before the half. It was super loud with the roaring crowd, and the Ultras were chanting the entire time. We ended up winning 3-2, and it was such a good and fun experience. We walked back to the hotel as the sun was setting. We all got dinner together and had our group meeting before going to bed. It was a great day for the Hornets!
Remembering Our Time in Italy
Lydia '27
Italy! What an awesome country. I learned a lot in Italy. I learned how to appreciate a museum. Museums have come to be my favorite part of the trip. My favorite museum in Italy was the Capitoline Museums. I really liked all the mythological sculptures. I've also gotten very good at packing my suitcase, something I usually struggle with. With how much we move around, it was a skill I had to learn quickly, but I feel it will be very helpful for the future.
Rome was my favorite city in general. We went to a lot of cool places there, like Saint Peter's Basilica, the most jaw-dropping, beautiful church I have ever seen in my life. Especially with the service and singing going on inside; it was unreal. I had my best meal of the trip in Rome at a restaurant that Nico's (Nicola '26) family kindly treated us to. I had a piece of veal with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. It was SO good.
Florence was also amazing. The weather, not so much, but we didn't let that stop us. We had an amazing tour guide who we had for both our walking tour and the Uffizi Gallery. I really loved the Uffizi. It had the piece I studied in class (Botticelli's La Primavera), which was so cool to see in person. I was also able to buy some brushes for my horse, which I was really happy about. I really enjoyed Florence and had some of the best food of the trip there, including my second favorite meal: a Florentine steak dinner.
Venice was the first city I had never visited before. It was so beautiful. I didn't realize how much I missed the ocean. The smell of the sea is nostalgic for me, growing up on the seacoast. Walking across all the bridges was so exciting, and each corner was another view that left me awestruck. The Venetian sunsets are unrivaled. There was a gelato spot that Erin '26 and I visited five times called Il Penguino.
Overall, Italy was the best! I can't wait to see what Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany have to offer!
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