University of Wisconsin–Madison

Italy: Aleeya Sengdao (The Five Senses in Florence)

The Five Senses in Florence 

A zoomed-in photo of a cathedral, which has patterned details in a dark color and several archways, pillars, and statues.

See

My walk to classes is about 20 minutes from my apartment and I get to walk through all of the beautiful and famous bridges, streets, and buildings. One thing that is hard to miss on my walk is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the main Duomo in Florence. I get to see tourists taking photos, all the tours happening, and admire the gothic architecture every day. It amazes me how detail-oriented this duomo is and the different art and designs presented on the duomo!

A plate with steak and potatoes.

Taste

This was by far my favorite sense to write about. For Italians, food is more than something you eat, it is an expression of culture, joy, comfort, and family values. Italians have so much pride and passion for their cuisine. Italy is divided into regions and the food is much different in each region. Florence is in the Tuscan region and is known for its earthy and rustic taste. Two obligatory ingredients for Florentine food are beans and bread. Everything has tasted so rich, fresh, and natural here.

A river with an arched bridge running across, surrounded by yellow buildings with red roofs on both sides.

Smell

The Arno River flows through the center of Florence. I can smell fresh water as I walk along the Ponte Vecchio bridge which is over the Arno River every day for classes as well. This bridge is the only bridge that was spared during World War 2. This bridge has lots of jewelry stores along it. As I smell the fresh water, I can also smell the metal from all the stores.

In a courtyard outside a tall, elegant building, three people in a band play a double base, guitar, and saxophone.

Hear

Every day, whether it is during the day or the night, there are always street performers out. They are either singing folk or traditional Italian songs with their bands or playing musical instruments. It is always so beautiful listening to it on either my walk home or my walks to class.

Five people make goofy faces taking a selfie in the mirror.

Feel

Being in Florence for the past month, I did not expect to be as homesick as I am. I feel homesick but the friendships I have made and relationships with the SRISA staff have given me little bits and reminders of home, making my homesickness not as intense of a feeling. The friendships and relationships I have made here in Florence have given us the opportunity to talk about each other’s hometowns, compare and contrast cultural differences between my Lao, Thai, and American culture to their European and Italian culture, and learn about one another’s cultures in the process. While I feel homesick, speaking about it with my friends and roommates, helps relieve some of it because I am not the only one feeling this way. Beyond this, I am so thrilled and have so much gratitude for being able to study abroad and experience this while learning new things about myself every day.

 

Aleeya wears a suit jacket and sits on a white bench underneath a tree.

Aleeya Sengdao

Major: Human Development and Family Studies and Sociology with Certificates in Criminal Justice & Education And Educational Services

Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Program: Italy, Florence / Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA)

I chose this program because it offered so many opportunities for immersion and learning more about Italian art, history, and culture. This program fed into all my personal and academic interests as well as my love for traveling and would help me figure out how I can incorporate art, my interests, passions, and hobbies into my future career. Something I am most excited about is the different art course offerings and the activities that they offer like field trips around the surrounding cities of Florence to Rome, Venice, and Milan Fashion Week.