Mariah Bell
Gallatin Travel Course: “Italian Renaissance, Art, and Literature: The Culture Explosion”
Florence, Summer 2019
Florence, Italy, is interesting because it occupies such a small chunk of land but there is so much history tucked around every corner. Walking down the streets, there are infinite vendors and beautiful shops to explore, and it makes you want to keep wandering around all day (even if it is 100°F outside and you’re sweating bullets).
Florence is also interesting because of the tension and brilliance that stems from its mix of cultures. Florence, like many European places, claims ownership of its beauty without much acknowledgment of the cultures that it borrowed from. You could go and admire the elaborate prints in the paper shops and the fashions in the boutiques without ever knowing the Middle Eastern and African inspirations behind them. You could walk into an NYU Florence building and pass a blackamoor without truly understanding the history. You could admire the art or walk past the vendors (who are mostly immigrants) and not question it for a second.
But why is that?
In order to answer that question, I made sure to keep an eye out for instances of cultural tensions/explosions. Partly because I was in Florence to attend a class literally called “The Culture Explosion,” and partly because I am formulating my academic major around written and visual media with a focus on cultural representation, I was always on the lookout for diverse histories.
That being said, at the end of the trip, I made sure to ask myself, “What did I learn?” and I think the answer is this:
True beauty never exists in a vacuum and it never exists without tension.
Florence isn’t beautiful in spite of it’s complicated history; it’s beautiful because if you care to look, you can find such a richly fascinating story, and if you don’t care to look, then you can still enjoy a gelato and a nice walk with friends. It’s a place that has something for everyone.
I am truly grateful that I got to go and have that experience, that I got to eat the gelato and experience the tension and revel in the beauty that is Florence, Italy.