My Experience

My time studying abroad has come to a close and now as I reflect on the incredible places I have been, the friends I have made, and my once in a lifetime cultural experiences  here in Europe, I can’t help but feel bittersweet about returning to the United States. When I came here I spoke little to no true Italian, and the concept of living in another nation so far away from home was a daunting one. As I set to leave, my Italian is still far from perfect but the idea of being outside of the States no longer holds any fear for me. For anyone interested in studying abroad during college, I would definitely suggest it. My experience has had some bumps in the road, a couple hospital visits, an unfriendly cultural exchange with the Lupa contrada, and more than one time being lost, but I know that all of them have helped me grow as a person. I feel thankful to have met the diverse group of people in the CET program and thank my lucky stars for Christina’s help in everything. I feel like I have learned so much in my short time here in Siena and have compiled a short list of some things I would suggest to someone looking to study abroad.

1.      Get involved in your community- This seems like a bit of trial but look for opportunities to involve yourself with local event and people. I taught kids English at a local elementary school and though they were a handful, it was always a bright spot in my day to see them.

2.       Know what’s going on with public transportation- This one is an absolute must particularly if one is looking to study in Italy. With its various strikes, changes in schedule and general lateness of everything it pays to plan ahead.

3.       Visit other parts of Europe- One of the best times I had studying abroad was visiting incredible places in Europe. There exists such a variety of culture and history so close together in Europe, that weekend trips can be eye-opening experiences.

4.       Visit other parts of Italy- As incredible as visiting other countries in Europe has been, the reason I chose Italy in the first place was a desire to experience it. Travel around. See Cinque Terre, Sicilia, Roma, and Venezia as each and every region of Italy is incredibly unique and has much to offer. 

5.       Try local delicacies- Be it escargot in Paris, Fiorentina Bistecca in Florence, or a Cannolo  in Taromina, find out what food specialties are made where you are and try them.  Europe has some of the best food in the WORLD, particularly Italy. It would almost be criminal not to try some.

6.       Spend time in your city- Travelling is great stopping to enjoy the beauty of Siena was a great way of recharging the batteries from travel and a great way to find out more about local culture. 

7.       Get out of your comfort zone- Put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to talk to locals and practice your Italian. The Italians are a warm people and are willing to work with you to help better understand.

8.       Have Fun- Pretty self –explanatory, enjoy your time and remember how lucky you are to be abroad. 

Mike Babineau, UVA

The Chiocciola Contrada

   In Siena you are always surrounded by contrada life. You walk on the street and you see a series of different contrada symbols everywhere. When you tell people where you live, you usually add in which contrada is located for a reference point. If you are lucky enough to come to study in Siena in the Fall like us, then the first month you arrive, the August Palio winning contrada’s drums will wake you up at 1 am. It is the first culture shock that you will experience here. Even though we were annoyed of these banging sounds, we benefitted by attending different contrada parties when the weather was actually amazing here. Contrada life surrounds Siena, and it is one of the things that makes this small medieval town so unique. I personally lived in the Aquila (Eagle) contrada, and I know that I will always root for it in the Palio from this day forward (also, we had the best party in September, so obviously we are the best) After being introduced to this system of neighborhoods, I personally wanted to have more understanding of how it functioned. Luckily, in our Italian Cultural History class (our teacher is a devoted Istrice contradaiolo) we had a lesson on the history of the contradas and how they function. A contrada is essentially a small community that has a governing body, its own church, and recreation center. The governing body can tax the people that live in the contrada and discusses all the contrada’s affairs. However, during the Palio, the contrada governing body becomes a “dictatorship” and the capitano makes all the decisions on behalf of the contrada. The Palio is a very stressful as well as exciting time for the contrada. They want to get the best horse, there are hidden and underground deals going on with other contradas, and the jockey has to be picked very carefully. Winning the Palio is the greatest honor than a contrada could receive, and their success means they can celebrate all year and rub it in their rival’s face.

   We were lucky enough to visit the Chiocciola (snail) contrada museum, where we learned about the history of the contrada and saw some very old artifacts. Firstly, we saw where the newborn kids are baptized into the contrada. This baptism signifies that they will always be loyal to their contrada and put them first until the day they die. Later we were showed a room full of old artifacts that always had a snail included in order to signify the Chiocciola. It was really interesting to see how the contrada preserved its history, and how proud they were to have all of these things. Lastly, we entered the room where all the winning Palio banners were. The oldest banner was over 100 years old and comparing the different styles from the oldest to the youngest was a huge shock. The banners always have a picture of the Virgin Mary and the symbols of all the contradas that participated in that Palio. The last time Chiocciola won a Palio was in 1999, but the museum guide said that they never lose hope for their next win. The visit to the museum made me realize even deeper how important contrada life is in Siena, and how deep the loyalty is amongst the people in it. Contrada life is one of the prime things that makes this town so special, and it is worth the time to truly learn about it and understand how it functions. 

Where the contrada kids get baptized

 

There are snails all over the contrada

                                              The first 1772 Palio winning Chiocciola banner

  The 1999 Palio winning Chiocciola banner 

Paola Croce, UVA