VIENNA TRIP PROGRAM

Northern Italy (Part One)

The first stop on our Northern Italy trip was in Firenze (Florence).  After arriving and dropping off our luggage, we headed straight to Santa Maria Novella by Alberti to sketch.  As the day continued, we studied a sequence of urban spaces in Piazza della Signoria. Later, we climbed all the way to the top of the dome, all 463 steps, on Santa Maria del Fiore by Brunelleschi. The last part of our day was a viewing of the Uffizi Gallery near the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio. 

 

The next day in Florence we tried to sketch in Michelangelo's new sacristy in San Lorenzo, but we got kicked out after a half hour.  We then went to sketch perspectives in the nave of San Lorenzo by Brunelleschi.  After a nice warm lunch, we were able to walk through the Laurentian Library and staircase by Michelangelo.  Then we walked to the Galleria dell'Academia to see the very famous David statue by Michelangelo. We also had the chance to see some of his unfinished sculptures intended for Pope Julius II's tomb which is in San Pietro in Vincoli, the site of our studio project in Rome. We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping in the leather markets and then finished the day with a group dinner at a Florentine Steakhouse.

On the third day of our trip, we took a train to Como near the border of Switzerland. Como is a beautiful town of about 80,000 residents. During our time there we studied three projects by Giuseppe Terragni: Casa del Fascio, Casa Giuliani-Frigerio, and Palazzo Novocomum. We were able to keep warm sketching Casa del Fascio from a cafe over some hot tea. Later, we spent a good amount of time photographing the beautiful lake and hills. Some of the students were even able to attend Sunday mass at the Cathedral in town.

 

On the fourth day we all boarded a bus to travel across the Swiss border to a small town called Vals. Our only stop this day was the Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor. We spent four hours bathing like the ancients in the magnificent Swiss alps. Zumthor drew inspiration from the mountains surrounding the site. He used stone from a local quarry to create this structure that emerges from the hill-side. On the interior, Zumthor carefully modeled the circulation to lead bathers to certain predetermined points but allows some independent exploration. Every perspective is controlled and the windows serve as a frame of the incredible views of the alps. It was the perfect relaxing day we all needed after a very tiring three days of travel.  

Rebecca Murray and Ryan Lyssy

Northern Italy (Part 2)

The fifth day of our trip to northern Italy landed us in the town of Vicenza. The town is dominated by the works of Andrea Palladio. Perhaps the most notable being Villa Capra. Palladio is well known and respected due to his contributions to High Renaissance Architecture. His knowledge and strict use of proportioning is evident in most all his projects. He is an extremely influential figure in architecture and influenced many of today's best architects. We also visited got to visit his Teatro Olimpico where we were fortunate enough to enjoy a light show with some music (very cool).

The following day we boarded a train and headed west to the town of Verona. We made a quick visit to the Arena di Verona before heading out to see the works of Italian born Carlo Scarpa. The first was his project for the Banca Popolare di Verona. We then spent the rest of the afternoon at the Castel Vecchio where we sketched our favorite "Scarpesian" details. The building is a medieval castle turned art museum by Scarpa. It is intriguing to see how he implanted his architecture around an existing structure while still being very respectful of the existing structure.

The last (and in my opinion) most beautiful stop on our Northern Italy trip took us to the city of Venice (Venezia). Upon leaving the train station we were greeted by the grand canal as well as a light rain leaving a very eerie but potent image of this amazing city. As we snaked our way up and over canals and through extremely narrow alleys we finally arrived at our hotel. The next morning we started the day by taking the "aqua metro" to the Doge's Palace and the Basilica San Marco on the other side of the city. We later went to check out another Scarpa project right off of Piazza San Marco. Perhaps the most intriguing element of the building was the mini-reflection pool and "shifting" staircase. The final day we went to see two of Palladios churches in Venice, San Giorgio Maggiore, and Il Redentore. We also saw another Scarpa project, Fondazione Querini Stampalia. There was exquisite detailing everywhere, notably in an outdoor courtyard. The perfect end to a perfect trip.

Nicholas Darin and Chris Derks

The Tempietto, Palazzos, and More!

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Our sketching assignment on Tuesday was of the Tempietto in Montorio.  On a hill overlooking the city, San Pietro in Montorio includes the Tempietto designed by Bramante.  Though debated, this is the supposed site of St. Peter’s crucifixion. While there, we also visited the Spanish Embassy to see a special Rodin exhibit that included many charcoal sketches and drawings. 

 

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On Wednesday, we explored Renaissance Rome with focus on the birth of the palazzo.  Paolo Alei was our guest instructor and took us on a walking tour of Renaissance Rome starting at Palazzo Venezia and continuing on to the Campidoglio, Palazzo Massimo,  Palazzo della Cancelleria, and Palazzo Farnese.

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The following weekend allowed the students to take in parts of Rome on their own.  Some places visited included the Castel Sant’Angelo and Capitoline Museum.

By: Elizabeth Bezilla and Emily O'Loughlin
     with some photo credits to Maura Rossi and Brandon Perez