Archives for February 2010

Last weekend, 37 Umbra students in Professor Bevagna's Roman Civilization course spent three days exploring the rich archaeological heritage in the Naples area of Italy. Despite temporary museum closing due to protests, unusually rainy weather, and the famous Napolitan traffic, the trip was a total success and the group was able to visit the ruins at Pompeii, the Villa Oplontis, and Herculaneum, all of which were preserved in time by volcanic material when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. … [Read more...]

Do you Facebook? Blog? How about YouTube? The Umbra Institute is plugged in with all three in an effort to help students see what it's like to live in Perugia before they make their decision to come here. The Umbra blog documents the activities and day-to-day life while the Umbra Views YouTube page gives insights on Perugia life in tidbit-size bites: want to know about what your apartment could look like, what a pizza workshop entails, or what a Renaissance Art fieldtrip sees? And for those of you with Facebook (who's without, though?) click here for our site.   Umbra: plugged in! … [Read more...]

Last Friday, students in Professor Adrian Hoch's Michelangelo course braved the unusually winter weather -- SNOW in Rome! -- to visit some of Michelangelo's most famous works of art. Students started out at the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, and then made their way around tthe city to see the Campidoglio, the famous Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli, the Porta Pia, and numerous other works designed by the Renaissance master.Students may not have realized just how lucky they were to see snow falling in Rome... it was the first snowfall in the Holy City since 1986!     … [Read more...]