Lovers in Italy

Lovers

I t al y

in

By Francesco

Large contributions from Francesca Our Lovers Francesca, Lorenza, Lorenzo, Cristiano, Cristiana, Ezra, Can, Eylem, Cihangir, Zara, Leonardo, Elif, Jacopo, Giovanni, Alexander, Marco, Polen GĂźzelocak & Jacob Wong.

This journey would not have been possible without our supportive parents, friends, the love of Isotta Venuti, Annalisa Maione, Luben Dimcheff, Jan Gadeyne, Jeffrey Blanchard, Valerio Mosco (both of whom would feel very icky about this book), Maiko Sein’s thoughtful edits and the wonderful staff from Cornell in Ithaca.

At a glance: Roma Centro Storico Monti Ostienze Trastevere Ponte Milvio Testaccio Stato della Città del Vaticano Firenze Arezzo Sansepolcro Città di Castello Urbino Ravenna Verona Maser San Vito d’Altivole Brion Vicenza Venezia

This a book about people and happiness.

The contents of this travel log might not seem to make a lot of sense to who are not featured directly in it. There are no photos of the Spanish Steps or the Pantheon because nobody needs another photo of the Spanish Steps. This is by no means a complete memoir either. If it were, I would have included all 3,701 pictures from my phone. Sometimes, entire cities and experiences (like wine and food tasting at Renato e Luisa Quelli della Taverna) are left out. This book is merely a device to jog our memories. This is a book written in past and present, a romantic ruin of frozen moments.

The following subjects are covered for they bring us much joy: 1. Polen & Jacob 2. Food 3. Travel Beauty, art, design, architecture and friends are integral and assumed.

Thanks to Polen for photos of me.

Chapter I: Arrival 20200117

Roma Stato della CittĂ del Vaticano

1

20200118 Zara on phone with annesi. She is looking out the window with the best view from our apartment. I room with Colin Carder, Zara rooms with Abigail Calva and Jaein Lee. We have a wonderful time.

2

20200118 Vatican City, Piazza San Pietro We are dead after visiting the Vatican Museums. This was the day when I first ate pizza from the chain Alice.

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20200119 Roma, Monti, in front of Ai Tre Scalini Amazing polpette, would come again. The truffle cured meat sausage things were good too. Chef ’s daily of pumpkin gnocchi was good, would get wine next time.

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20200119 Roma, Monti, in front of Ai Tre Scalini Jacopo with Jaein and Abigail.

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20200120 Roma, Ostiense, Eataly Our first lover, Francesco, waves us into the restaurant. I order a salad because I hadn’t eaten a veggie thus far. Francesco suggests us go to Felice e Testaccio, Alibi Club and Yellow Bar (we never make it to Yellow Bar). We like exploring.

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20200120 Roma, Ostiense, Eataly Feeling the love.

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20200123 Roma, Centro Storico, Via di Sant Anna 11 Eating.

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20200123 Roma, Centro Storico, Liòn Alexia, our Turkish representative and Giovanni get aperitivo for the first time - kinda. We get drinks and pasta.

Introductory Bus and Walking Tour by Jeffrey Blanchard 09:00 Palazzo Santacroce 09:30 Walk to Capitoline Piazza Mattei Palazzo Mattei di Giove Piazza Campidoglio Panaoramic terraces overlooking Roman Forum and Imperial Fora Santa Maria in Aracoeli Via dei Fori Imperiali Colosseum Via di San Gregorio Clivio di Scauro Via San Paolo d. Croce 11:15 Beginning of Bus Tour Terme di Caracalla Circo Massimo Lungoteverre Viale del Muro Torto Porta Pia Termini Santa Maria Maggiore Via Merulana Via Amba Aradam Via Cristoforo Colombo Via Appia Antica 12:00 Park bus near Catacombs of San Callisto Visit Fosse Aradeatine Monument walk along Via Appia Antica) 13:30 Picnic Lunch Near Tomb of Cecilia Metella on Via Appia

14:15 Continuation of bus tour San Giovanni in Laterano Piazza del Popolo and Santa Maria del Popolo Pincio Terrace to Trinita dei Monti Scalinata di Piazza di Spagna 16:00 Completion of tour in Piazza di Spagna

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20200125 Roma, Spanish Steps End of our first walking tour of Rome, guided by Jeffrey Blanchard. Polen/Francesca is always cold and is wearing Nkiro’s jacket. We all hug in the end.

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20200125 Roma, Spanish Steps Nkiro!!

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20200125 Roma, Trastevere, Basilica di Santa Maria Amazing golden apse, outside is a large fountain surrounded by middle-schoolers sitting on its steps.

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20200128 Roma, Piazza Venezia We go on walks for our studio projects to identify potential sites of intervention. I am drawn to fontane and nasoni. She touches things.

Chapter II: That Weekend 20200130 Roma Firenze

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20200130 19:18 Roma, Trastevere, Alle Fratte Beginning of a exciting weekend. Our first visit to Trastevere is at night. We walk around, give up on trying to use Google Maps and trust our gut. The toilet downstairs was cool, I loved my anchovie (alice) and tomato bruschetta, had some pasta?

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20200130 19:19 Roma, Trastevere, Alle Fratte We walk over to Teatro India for Vortex.

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20200130 22:58 Roma, Testaccio, Gelateria La Romana The performance was amazing: Circle stage, fans blowing.

Buisnessman brings life to plastic bags, sheds his skin, gives birth to a plastic bag (and herself), strips naked.

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20200131 19:39 Roma, Ponte Milvio, Ippo Pizza Ate some suppli while waiting for Zeynep/Zaza/Zayna. Still learning how to eat past 7 pm like an Italian.

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20200201 00:04 Roma, Ponte, Milvio, Trappezino I don’t have a photo of us at the beer bar! Mrs. Cold Hands and Zaza had beer with Alice in Wonderland label that tasted like strawberries. Drank on the street. Zaza and I had the chicken trapezzino, she got supplÏ, Polen got the beef one.

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20200201 00:28 Roma Zaza and Zara!

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20200201 10:23 Firenze, Mercato Centrale, Da Nerbone Caught a four-hour bus at 5 am to Florence. First stop: tripe!

Tripe sandwiches and a plate of tripe. Polen went to ATM to get cash to pay, was such a hassel they gave us two bicchiere...

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20200201 10:23 Firenze, Mercato Centrale, Da Nerbone of rosso vino on the house. Shop had a great family bro vibe.

Thank you lonely planet and our good research.

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20200201 11:51 Firenze, Orsanmichele Amazing details. Grainery-turned-church with towering statues. Great views of Duomo and ringing church bells. Columns had grain chutes embedded inside them.

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20200201 12:05 Firenze, Orsanmichele On a bridge attached to the church.Washing hands on the bridge. Lorenza touches things: water.

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20200201 12:07 Firenze, Palazzo dell’Arte della Lana Lorenza touches things: Door

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20200201 12:09 Firenze, Palazzo dell’Arte della Lana Lorenza stops because I ask her to.

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20200201 12:39 Firenze Lorenza touches things: Wall-embedded ring to tie horses to.

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20200201 12:49 Firenze, Mariano This is not a photo of Eylem. The quaint semi-subterranian cafe’s toilet has flusher outside stall. Waitress/owner/family buissness lady tells us we are too young to be hanging out there. Thank you mother Jenny Chua for the Lonely Planet.

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20200201 13:35 Firenze, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo Lorenza touches things: mysterious curtain.

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20200201 13:48 Firenze, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo Engaging exhibition showcasing sustainable materials used in Ferragamo’s fashion designs. It was drizzling outside. I loved the woven shoes.

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20200201 14:14 Firenze, Ponte Vecchio We crossed this bridge a few times that day. En route to Uffizi.

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20200201 16:21 Firenze, Uffizi Entranced by the Caravaggios, the architecture, the ornamentation.

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20200201 17:22 Firenze, All’antico Vinaio I got “The Boss” panino. Very yum. Why do Italians always eat standing up?

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20200201 17:22 Firenze, AquaFlor Most enchanting perfumerie. Later found it was also reccomended in Lonely Planet. Three large rooms and an adjacent showroom. Two large vats of perfume at the entrance filled the street with a good smell. I am bad at smells.

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20200201 20:22 Firenze, Cabira Lounge Bar First restaurant was a miss so I only got an Irish Coffee. Apericena was amazing! Old Canadian man talked to us. Kids and parents. Spritz. Unlimited: Truffle Gnocchi, Tripe, Grilled Eggplant, Salads, Endless Bliss.

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20200201 20:39 Firenze, Cabira Lounge Bar Still eating.

Chapter III: Rome at Large 20200202 Roma

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20200202 14:14 Roma, Villa Torlonia Free Museum Day. Mussolini’s summer villa is now a museum and art exhibit space. It had great symmetry, chandeliers, Egyptian room, mosaics, columns, chandeliers. Beautiful views to garden, had coffee and a jammy tart at the cafe.

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20200202 17:15 Roma, Baths of Trajan Gargantuan spaces are liberating. Walked down into the empty baths. The flocks of starlings in the garden courtyard were scary and captivating.

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20200207 Roma, Contemporary_Cluster Next to studio, this furniture store and bar had beautiful things objects and spaces. We could see the mannequins in its windows from across the courtyard from our apartment.

Somebody was working on Sketchup furniture designs.

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20200207 Roma, Contemporary_Cluster

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20200207 Roma, Piazza Mattei Elif touches things: Hardware

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20200207 Roma, Piazza Mattei Fontana delle Tartarughe and the cafe with the french lover.

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20200207 Roma, Centro Storico, Via di Sant Anna 11 Comparing foot sizes while I watch The Crown.

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20200208 13:48 Roma, EUR, Salone delle Fontane Got off a long-ish bus ride, explored an empty fountain. We had big panini at Caffe Palombini but they didn’t toast them for us. The cold coffee icecream made up for that. Went to a sunday market and continued exploring.

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20200208 13:49 Roma, EUR, Salone delle Fontane

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20200208 14:32 Roma, EUR, Palazzo della CiviltĂ Italiana Now an office for Fendi. Their website promised unbarred entrance to public. Lies. Lots of highschoolers taking photos in the loggia.

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20200208 13:47 Roma, EUR, Piazzale delle Nazioni Unite This portico is featured on Divisare. It is split into two detached semicicles by a road. Looks nicer in photos.

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20200208 13:47 Roma, EUR, Piazzale delle Nazioni Unite

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20200208 Roma, Gallery Montemartini Fragments from 8 m tall statue of Athena excavated from Largo Argentina. Students were sketching everywhere. Tourist got emotional over a statue of a woman hunching over a column stub. Previously a power station, now a archeological museum.

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20200209 01:31 Roma, Centro Storico, Jerry Thomas Speakeasy The day ends in a cold alley. There is no space in the speakeasy and we huddle around a column with a small table as we order drinks. Eventually got seats. Felt like a long night.

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20200209 Roma, Centro Storico, Roscioli Pizza and beer with Alexia Asgari before Gazzelle concert.

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20200208 Roma, EUR Andare mare no mi va! Fantasticare!

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20200209 Roma, Centro Storico, Pallazo Santacroce Lorenzo is standing.

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20200211 Roma, Bonci Pizzarium We took a bus up to Bonci after Jan Gadeyne’s class which ended at the Mausoleum of Augustus. Had the best spread of garlicky chicken pizza thing, mozzarella and peanut pizza, tomato and the wet-ish globby cheeze.

Chapter IV: Up North 20200212 Arezzo Sansepolcro Città di Castello Urbino Ravenna Verona Maser San Vito d’Altivole Brion Vicenza Venezia

Central and Northern Italy Field Trip

by Jeffrey Blanchard and Jan Gadeyne 20200212 Roma 07:00 Departure

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09:30 Arezzo Piazza Grande (Loggia by Vasari, 1573) Pieve di Santa Maria (12th - 14th centuries) (altarpiece by Pietro Lorenzetti, 1320) San Francesco (fresco cycle by Piero della Frencesca, 1453-64) Duomo San Domenico (13th - 14th centuries) House of Giorgio Vasari (154048_ Galleria e Museo Medioevale e Moderno 11:30 Lunch Break 13:15 Departure from Arezzo 13:45 Sansepolcro 14:30 Visit to Pinacoteca Comunale (Resurrection, 1450-55 and Madonna della Misericordia, c. 1445-46, Piero della Francesca) 15:15 Departure 15:45 Città di Castello

Visit to Fondazone Burri at Palazzo Albizzini and at the 17:00 Ex seccatoi del Tabacco 18:15 Departure 19:45 Urbino Check in at Albergo Italia

20200213 Urbino 09:00 Urbino, Palazzo Ducale 11:30 Visit to university buildings by Giancarlo De Carlo including: Ex-Facoltà di Magistero (now Area Scientifico-Didattica P. Volponi) (1968-76) Facoltà di Economia (1986-99) 15:30 Visits to residential colleges designed by Giancarlo De Carlo including: Collegio del Colle (1962-66) Collegio del Tridente (1973-83) Collegio dell’Aquilone (197383) Collegio della Vela (1973-83)

20200214 08:30 Departure 10:30 Arrival in Ravenna San Giovanni Evangelista Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo Duomo

Battistero Neoniano Museo Arcivescovile Battistero Ariano 12:30 Lunch Break 13:15 cont.

San Vitale Mausoleum of Galla Placidia Domus dei Tappetti di Pietra Mausoleum of Thodoric Sant’ Appolinare in Classe 17:00 Departure

20200216 Verona 08:00 Departure

18:15 FICO Eataly World, near Bologna, dinner break

13:30 Vicenza 14:00 Villa La Rotonda (exterior) Piazza dei Signori & Piazza delle Erbe Basilica Palladiana Loggia del Capitaniato Palazzo Thiene Palazzo Iseppo da Porto Palazzo Barbaran da Porto (houses Museo Palladiano) Palazzo Valmarana 16:30 Teatro Olimpico 18:30 Meet Calabresi bus at train station and retrieve luggage 19:03 Departure with RV2735

21:30 Verona Hotel Giberti

20200215 Verona 08:30 Piazza Bra & Arena Piazza delle Erbe & Piazza dei Signori San Fermo Maggiore Banca Popolare (facade) Porta Borsari Palazzo Bevilacqua Palazzo Canossa San Zeno 14:00 Visit to Museo di Castelvecchio, Carlo Scarpa 17:00 Visit to gardes of Palazzo Guisti

10:00 Villa Barbaro at Maser (Andrea Palladio, c.1550; frescoes by Paolo Veronese) 11:15 Departure 11:45 San Vito d’Altivole Brion Visit to Brion Cemetary 12:45 Departure

19:50 Venezia Board vaporetto 1 and ride along Grand Danal at Accademia stop Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli

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20200217 Venezia 08:15 Piazza San Marco Basilica di San Marco and its roof terraces Ascent of Campanile 14:00 Tour by vaporetto to Isola di San Giorgio/San Giorgio Maggiore (Palladio), Giudecca/Redentore (Palladio) Walking tour of contemporary housing on Giudecca: Public housing on Campo di Marte (calle Mason, Siza, Rossi, Aymonino, Moneo, 1983-2009) Public housing at former Trevisan area (calle dei Lavraneri, Valle, 1980-86) Former Junghans area (Fondamenta Pallada, Zucchi, 1998-2002)

20200218 Venezia cont.

08:30 Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Scuola da San Rocco Ponte di Rialto 13:30 Visit to Palazzo e Pinacoteca Querini-Stampalia (Carlo Scarpa) 15:30 Visit to Olivetti Showroom (Carlo Scarpa, 1953-60) 15:45 Aperol Spritz at Carnival Festivities at Piazza St. Marco

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20200212 Arrezzo Pomodoro touches things: another wall-embedded horse tie.

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20200212 Arrezzo Pomodoro touches things: things touch her.

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20200212 Arezzo, In front of Duomo Sunlight.

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20200212 Arrezzo Hua Hua eats pizza. I buy a hot-dog-y pastry and a quiche-y pizza. Cheap and fast. Went to CremĂŹ for gelato afterwards.

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20200212 CittĂ di Castello, Former Tobacco Dryers, Burri Collection. Large tabacco drying spaces free of obstructions. Columns underground had elegant taper to them. Soft, continous strip lighting was very impressive.

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20200212 Urbino, La Trattoria del Leone Rabbit roasted with wild fennel, olives and cooked leaf vegatables. Side of fries. Red wine of course. Sublime.

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20200212 Urbino, La Trattoria del Leone Chocolate cake with berry fruits - served warm. Made a reservation for the next night under Francesco. Guest at hotel the next morning comes up to me and recognizes me as Francesco from the night before. We have a conversation in Italian.

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20200212 Urbino Pass by lots of students chanting dottore, wearing Corona d’alloro per la laurea. Inspired by the preservation of the medieval town and its persisting liveliness. We grab a drink and continue walking.

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20200213 Urbino, Ducal Palace Basement has stables for horses, big spans in masonry. The fine intarsia woodworking inside the study and all over the doors. The window alcoves with their two seats and the kneelength curtains were inspirational.

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20200213 Urbino, University of Urbino Carlo Bo Saw buildings with brave plans and sections: landscape and sky dip in and out, programs fit elegantly into odd frames. We ask around, eventually buying piadine from UBIK bistro to eat on the steps of Cattedrale di S. Maria Assunta.

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20200213 Urbino, University of Urbino Carlo Bo Thanks for the photo Alexia.

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20200213 Urbino, University of Urbino Carlo Bo

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20200213 Urbino, Rampa Elicoidale From Giancarlo De Carlo’s Carlo Bo, we head down the ramp for horses which he also renovated, and walk up the hill to the Collegio del Colle Student Accommodation designed by Giancarlo De Carlo. He is a genius.

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20200213 Urbino, La Trattoria del Leone And we are back with a much larger group. Collin, Maddie Collins, Savanna Lim, Abigail and Jaein.

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20200213 Urbino, Botanic Sushi Late night stroll.

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20200214 Ravenna, La Piadina del Melarancio Piadine. Porchetta with squacquerone one looked good.

Ravenna had really beautiful mosaics. Would not have been able to appreciate them without Jan. From the headsets he sounds like the voice of a higher being.

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20200215 Verona, Banca Popolare Guy who works at the bank told us he hated the building because it was extravagent and that spaces did not work. I loved it all.

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20200216 Verona, Osteria all’Organetto Magical cuttlefish and squid ink pasta with sauce made of mandarins. Shared a variety of local white wines with Maddie and Aşkım. Ade Lawrence had a Moscow Mule. Aşkım kept her eyes open for tables outside. Didn’t happen.

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20200215 Verona, Osteria Sottoriva Walked down from Giardino Giusti to eat horse meat with polenta, Polen and Maddie August. Glasses were hung from the ceiling. Menus looked like they were drawn in crayon on worn, yellow paper. Free edible chocolate cups with mousse.

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20200215 Verona, Osteria Sottoriva

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20200216 Venezia, San Marco, Rossopomodoro Dropped off our bags at the hotel. We dance a little in Piazza San Marco to English music. DJ had his setup on a glitzy corinthian capital. It is Carnival season in Rome. We went to Rossopomodoro for seafood. It was chilly and foggy.

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20200216 Vicenza, Piazza Matteotti Sevgilim touches things: because it looks like rosemary.

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20200216 Altivole, Tomba Brion Could not fall deeper in love with Carlo Scarpa.

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20200216 Altivole, Tomba Brion

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20200216 Altivole, Tomba Brion These types of steps make Jaein feel loved.

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20200216 Venezia, San Giorgio Maggiore Here is a Palladian church with a mixed temple and basilica facade. Polenta walks on the temporary walkways deployed during aqua alta.

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20200216 Venezia, Vatican Chapels at 2018 Venice Architecture Bienalle CanÄąm touches things: Rosemary bushes.

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20200216 Venezia, Vatican Chapels She remembers obsessing with her mother over these same bushes two years prior.

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20200216 Venezia, Vatican Chapels GĂźvercinim demonstrates how to shimmy through the door of my favourite chapel by Terunobu Fujimori, in collaboration with LignoAlp Barth Interni.

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20200216 Venezia, Vatican Chapels Beyaz eĹ&#x;im inhabits Valerio Mosco’s favorite chapel by Ricardo Flores and Eva Prats, in collaboration with Saint-Gobain Italia.

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20200216 Venezia On a ferry. We cannot forget the fantastic fur hats we saw.

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20200216 Venezia, Basilica di San Marco Leonardo is sketching the golden domes of the Basilica.

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20200216 Venezia, at the docks near Acqua e Mais Marco, Marca, Jaein and Lucy eat fried seafood with polenta from Acqua e Mais. Marco gets pasta from Bigoi, with the pepper flakes of course.

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20200216 Venezia, Olivetti Showroom Carlo Scarpa, genius as always: custom terrazzo floors, detailing, subtle level changes, small water feature, hanging walkways. SultanÄąm and I head out to get an Aperol Spritz at the St. Marco while waiting for the tour to end.

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20200216 Venezia Had aperetivo and the extra spritz near the train station.

Michelangelo was a tipsy. Back to Roma.

Chapter V: Home again 20200219 Roma

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20200220 Roma, Trastevere, Trapezzino Tek diĹ&#x;im and I get Lingua Salsa Verde. We establish that she is obsessed with eating baby animals. Waiter suggests we drink the artisinal Spuma. It is for children and tastes like a mix of something fruity and sweeter than coke.

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20200220 Roma, Trastevere, Trapezzino

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20200220 Roma, Isola Tiberina ÇiçeÄ&#x;im poses for me. We are entranced by sonorous undersides of roman arches which span across the Tiber. We spend four minutes clapping and listening to the thunderous echoes.

We are children both by day and night.

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20200220 Roma, Mercato di Testaccio, Food Box After Piero della Francesca’s Brera Madonna, 1472-1474.

SupplĂŹ was the best we had ever eaten. The classico and the carbonara were both excellent.

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20200220 Roma, Mercato di Testaccio, near Pescheria I bought a good panino from Mordi & Vai, this seafood pasta looked even better.

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20200223 Roma, Testaccio, Pasticceria Barberini Walked through an beautiful garden nursery, Porta Portese and ex Mattatoio (nothing was open). Stopped at Mercato Testaccio for beer and snacks before finding ourselves at this Pasticceria. Vorrei due cappuccino poi Maritozzo per favore.

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20200223 Roma, Testaccio, Pasticceria Barberini

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20200221 Roma, Ponte Milvio, Ippo Pizza Our professors, Claudia and the real Francesco of Labics, had their book launch at MAXXI. Listened to their panel with Christian Kerez, Stefano Casciani of Domus and Pippo Ciorra Senior Curator MAXXI Arch. Beer and â‚Ź10, 1 m long pizza.

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20200221 Roma, Ponte Milvio The pizza box was extreme.

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20200222 Roma, Centro Storico, Palazzo Santacroce Jan’s readings were not breezy, floor was clean and comfortable.

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20200223 Roma, San Lorenzo, SAID dal 1923 After walking to a carnival with Italiadea, only to realize it was for children, we went to ingest chocolate with Mateo, Carlotta and Francesca (they are the best) and Savanna (also the best).

We try touring La Sapienza but fail. It was the weekend.

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20200225 Roma, Centro Storico, Via di San Bartolomeo de’ Vaccinari, 16 Lamb chops from the butcher near Campo de’ Fiori. Made tomoato, butter anchovie pasta and butter basted lamb chops.

Red wine from Renato e Luisa Quelli della Taverna.

20200226 00:43 We recieve an email from Meejin Yoon, Dean of Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning sends an email.

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus was spreading in the Veneto.

Chapter VI: Time to say goodbye 20200226 Roma

Con te partirò Paesi che non ho mai Veduto e vissuto con te Adesso si li vivrò Con te partirò Su navi per mari Che, io lo so No, no, non esistono più Con te io li vivrò

20200227 Roma, Centro Storico, Vinaietto We get wine and boiled eggs at this antica vineria.

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20200227 Roma, Testaccio, Felice a Testaccio Snagged the first table on a busy thursday night. Felt very fancy when the sommelier took our order of Merlot. BalÄąm had oxtail in tomato sauce, I got the roasted lamb with the most delicious potatoes. Thanks for the recommendation Francesco.

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20200227 Roma, Testaccio, Felice a Testaccio

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20200227 Roma, Testaccio, Gelateria La Romana These are the faces of people who didn’t know what was coming. They hoped that their Roman dream would never end.

Dear Cornell in Rome students, Thank you to those of you who were able to be on our Zoom meeting Wednesday. We appreciate the questions you asked and the feedback you have provided both during the meeting and by email. Since our meeting, the college and university have continued to closely monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) and evaluate its potential impact on Cornell in Rome.

Caring for our community is our highest priority. To be clear, we do not perceive an immediate health risk to students but rather are concerned about the imposition of restrictions by local/state/national governments as steps are taken to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Thus, we have decided to suspend the Cornell in Rome program early next week.

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We understand that this may be very disappointing to many of you. I want to reassure you that this decision was reached through thoughtful deliberation and in consultation with university leadership and Cornell’s International Travel Advisory and Response team. We are currently planning for your transportation, housing, and continued studies in Ithaca; AAP will coordinate and cover all air travel and ground transportation back to campus. We are committed to your safe return to campus and the continuation of your course of study already begun in Rome.

Please be assured that we are working on a smooth and safe transition back to Cornell in Ithaca. A meeting between AAP Ithaca and Rome is scheduled for 17:00 in Rome tomorrow (Friday). We will have further details to share at that time. Should you have any specific questions before then, please email me at aapdean@ cornell.edu.

Sincerely, Meejin

20200227 22:36 Roma, Testaccio Suspension of program announced

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20200227 22:54 Roma, Ostiense, Piramide Cestia Dante tries to be iconic in front of a monument during this momentus occasion.

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20200227 22:57 Roma, Ostiense, Porta San Paolo Spot the icon.

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20200227 22:57 Roma, Ostiense, Post Office Ostiense Freakin’ out.

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20200227 23:10 Roma, Lungotevere Aventino

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20200227 22:57 Roma, Lungotevere Aventino We walk further north. Past Foro Boario, Teatro Marcello, Piazza Venezia, Piazza del Popolo. We take the tram from Flaminio up to Villaggio Olimpico where we walk up to Ponte Milvio.

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20200228 00:48 Roma, Ponte Milvio, Trapizzino

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20200228 00:49 Roma, Ponte Milvio, Trapizzino Drenched, we wait over an hour for a bus back to Largo Argentina.

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20200228 Roma, Mercato di Testaccio, Food Box Stopped by studio. Was greeted and comforted by Isotta Venuti and Annalisa Maione. This day was made special by their suggestions. Went to Basilica di Santa Cecilia on the way to the market to get more supplĂŹ and panini.

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20200228 Roma, Mercato di Testaccio, Food Box

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20200228 Roma, Mercato di Testaccio Bought three corona d’alloro laurea, one for each of myself, Polen and Luben because he has been our champion in all of the kerkuffle. Got some of the reddest, sweetest strawberries.

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20200228 Roma, Testaccio, UniRomaTre Dipartimento di Architettura Peeked into classrooms of students taking oral exams for architecture. Tried blending in by sitting down and eating strawberries. Visited admissions office, couldn’t get admitted.

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20200228 Roma, Testaccio, outside Mercato GĂźlĂźm demonstrates that she is tall. Lorenzo approves.

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20200228 Roma, Centro Storico, Palazzo Santacroce We wear our laurels to the Zoom meeting with staff in Ithaca.

Our emotions are messy.

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20200229 Roma, Centro Storico, Campo de’ Fiori, Osteria da Fortunata Finished impromptu tour with Jeffrey. Oxtail gnocchi. Then went to MAXXI to see Gio Ponti works and Home exhibit.

Concert at Renzo Piano’s Auditorium Parco della Musica.

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20200301 Roma, Centro Storico, Via dell’Umiltà e Via Delle Vergini Çocuğum is wearing her facemask wrong. I am wearing a useless dust mask. We don’t need to talk about it.

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20200301 Roma, Centro Storico, Fontana di Trevi Paying school fees at Trevi.

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20200301 Roma, Centro Storico, Fontana di Trevi

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20200301 Roma, Villa Borghese, Galleria Borghese Studying the gallery quickly before our two-hour visiting slot.

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20200301 Roma, Laghetto Di Villa Borghese Harpist plays Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye) at the lake. Weather is grey and damp.

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20200301 Roma, Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia Nice nyphaneum.

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20200301 Roma, Flaminio, Fermata Gianturco Always waiting for busses. Moovit bus app is accurate, but dissapointing.

140

20200301 Roma, Laghetto Di Villa Borghese

141

20200301 Roma, Trastevere, Ai Marmi “The Last Supper� featured ten souls. Fried zucchini, baccala, pizza with sausage and mushrooms. The table behind us were also an American university in the midst of evacuation.

142

20200301 Roma, Trastevere, Ai Marmi

143

20200302 Roma, Trastevere, Fontanone di Ponte Sisto Renzo sits on the steps of the fountain. Zaza warned us not to eat and drink on them.

144

20200302 Roma, Trastevere, Ai Marmi Lingua Salsa Verde, Yes Please.

145

20200302 Roma, Vallis Murcia, Circo Massimo We were late to Terme di Caracalla entrance by one minute.

Walked back home via Circo Massimo.

146

20200302 Roma, Prati, Labics Visited Labics office with its smart and delicate models. Bright, clean, calm work spaces. We eat a wonderful final meal at Sora Margherita with Flower Dust, Abigail and Maddie.

147

20200303 Roma, Centro Storico, BARON Hair Quick dash to cut my hair before the journey back to Ithaca for two weeks of quarantine. Polen leaves the day after to Ä°stanbul via Serbia.

148

20200303 Roma, Centro Storico, Palazzo Santacroce La fine.

Epilogue: The trips that never happened 20200228 Potenza Matera Pompei Napoli Environs

20200313 Amsterdam Berlin

20200307 Tivoli

20200402 Bologna Brescia Como Milano

202004018 Caprarola Bagnaia Bomarzo