Student space

After a long and rainy winter we are finally finding ourselves under that Tuscan sun everyone had told us about. Siena is in its prime: beautiful sunny hillsides visible from our school which is situated on a hill, one of the highest points in Siena. From our classrooms you can see Tuscany itself. Rolling hills, green green grasses, and even other small towns and cities clustered atop hills in the distance.

If you get the opportunity here at school, join the class for one of the school field trips. These trips give you the opportunity to see parts of Italy you wouldn’t normally be able to find on your own. This past weekend I took one to a variety of places including San Galgano, made famous for the sword in the stone.

While there, we took the opportunity of the good weather and beautiful landscape to snap some photos in the grass, which was blooming with tiny wildflowers.

This was one of those days that wore you out a bit but you couldn’t complain because everything you were seeing was so beautiful. We began some excursions through the woods to find abandoned abbeys, churches, a garden and some beautiful lookout points. We climbed through the woods, through the mud, up and down hills, driving up a tiny dirt road. I can’t imagine how I ever would have found these places on my own. All the while we were learning about the rich history and culture of Siena and of the larger Tuscan area.

I come out of the field trip with a deeper understanding of Tuscany and the culture and history here, of the people, and of why this part of the world gets so much attention for being beautiful and romantic. Nothing beats driving down those windy roads, looking out the window and seeing exactly what you’d always pictured Italy to be, views that take your breath away!

Eliana Carter

Siena Art Institute student