My semester in Italy’s oldest port city

English major Yailen Aenlle returned last month from a semester-long study abroad in Italy as part of the FIU in Genoa program. Housed in a 1,000-year-old former convent, it combines academic courses with experiential learning and cultural immersion. Students gain a background in the history of a place that grew from an important ancient Roman town into a major medieval center and today continues to serve as a Mediterranean maritime power. And they discover an architectural and artistic heritage that dates back centuries and attracts visitors from around the world. The junior shares her reflections here.

Hearing about the Genoa study abroad program, I immediately searched online for images and videos that might capture its spirit. The beautiful port city in the northwest of the country appeared to have a special European charm that utterly captivated me and convinced me to sign up to go. Now that my time there has come to an end, I can report that my experience far exceeded my expectations.  

As a recipient of a Bright Futures scholarship, I am grateful to be able to study at FIU. Growing up, I never had the opportunity to travel, so FIU's incredible, affordable program meant a lot to me. 

Three courses were offered: Art History Survey, Contemporary International Problems and Western Civilization. We were 13 students all participating and learning together.

One of my greatest memories is of a hike that our Italian-language professor led during our last meeting with him. (The noncredit Italian course was shorter than the others and relatively informal.) Having little to do with actually speaking Italian, the excursion seemed, at the time, nothing short of a treacherous four hours through the mountainside. Not athletic, I was among the few in the back of the pack who struggled to catch up with the others. When we finally reached the top, I understood the professor’s insistence on our going: It was a breathtaking view where we could see all of Genoa, even the building in which my roommates and I lived.

During the hike, I captured photos and videos for social media. I wanted to share with others what such a trip might mean to them as they considered going to a foreign land for a portion of their undergraduate education. Today, for me, the hike itself is a great memory, one that includes all of us laughing and truly enjoying the chance to take in the moment.

Beyond that natural beauty, Genoa’s most important attribute has always been its water access. Even today, this ancient, highly storied port - which dates back to the 5th century B.C. - remains the busiest in Italy and one of the largest in the Mediterranean.

Last century, the port suffered 86 documented bombings by Allied forces during World War II in attempts to disrupt Germany’s transport of military supplies to North Africa. The city and port were liberated in late April 1945.

One of the buildings heavily damaged during the air raids was Palazzo Rosso, which has since undergone significant restoration and stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Inside, some of the statues and other artwork that filled the original museum remain on display in their ruined state to serve as a reminder of a dark time.

In the heart of the city stands the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Built in 1098, it is the seat, or main church, of the Archbishop of Genoa, the Catholic leader of the region. With its grand demeanor and classic Genovese decorative style of black and white stripes adorning the entrance, it also stores inside one of the unexploded bombs dropped during the war. Again, a reminder.

Reflecting the trove of riches found throughout the city, two of our professors worked to prepare us for the Rolli days festival during which museums and palaces open for guided tours. We students got ready to show off treasures to incoming tourists as well as some very special guests: a delegation from FIU that included President Jeanette M. Nuñez and Provost, Exeutive Vice President and COO Elizabeth M. Béjar.

The FIU contingent had come to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of FIU in Genoa, the very program that we students were taking advantage of in a spectacular way. I was honored to introduce the cloister (a covered walkway that connects various buildings) of Santa Maria di Castello, a 12^th-century former convent and church complex that houses the program. Notably, I drew our guests’ attention to the 15th-century fresco of the Annunciation by Giusto di Ravensburg, one of many renowned works that we students had the pleasure of passing on our way to class.

Beyond the gems of Genoa, I learned about the living legacy of Italian art and design on a trip to Florence. There, I experienced for myself a masterpiece of Italian Gothic architecture in the massive structure of the Basilica of Santa Croce. Inside, we saw renowned works, among them the 1379 “Madonna and Child” by painter Giovanni del Biondo.

The most fascinating attraction in the church is the tomb of Michelangelo, the quintessential Italian Renaissance artist. It is surrounded by three sculptures, each representing the disciplines he had mastered: painting, sculpture and architecture. In all, the basilica houses more than 270 tombs, most of them embedded in the floor so that we walked right over them. Rather than a disrespectful act, however, this is considered a way for the faithful to remember the deceased.

In addition to all that I learned, living in Genoa allowed me to grow in an environment far from what I am used to. In Genoa, for example, I relied not on cars, like at home, but instead walked everywhere and took public transportation as needed. I had only myself to rely on if I wanted to go anywhere and learned to navigate in a new place, in a new way.

Studying abroad allowed me to become more independent. And as an aspiring writer, I embraced the challenges of being forced out of my comfort zone into surroundings so different from my own. For such a formative opportunity, I can only say to FIU and my professors, Grazie.