™HERALD
October i6, 2013
A Meredith Student’s Glimpse into Italian Culture
Nancy Merritt, contributing writer
As citizens of Sansepolcro,
though only for a short time, we were
invited to participate and to become
immersed in the traditions of the
Palio. Traditionally, Meredith College
students have been asked to march in
one of the many processions, but this
year we were invited to dress up in Re
naissance costumes at the traditional
market held on the Saturday before
the palio, where citizens sell or dis
play traditional goods on the streets.
It was truly a theatrical performance.
Adorned in our Renaissance costumes,
we greeted visitors at booths through
out the market. It was a culturally en
riching experience to get a glimpse of
the town as it once was, and it was a
way for us to show our respect and
enthusiasm for their culture and also
practice our Italian with the help of the
citizens of Sansepolcro.
One of our professors informed
us that many people have lost enthusi
asm for the palio in recent years, but
that was hard to believe as seats in the
Piazza filled up on Sunday afternoon.
There was another long speech for the
opening ceremony, the meaning of
which was lost because it surpassed
WM
our basic knowledge of the language,
but we were delightfully overwhelmed
by the brightly colored costumes, and
performances before the competi^
tion began. The Piazza Torre del Berta
overflowed with drummers, flags and
characters in this theatrical display of
cultural tradition and rivalry, as the
two teams paraded into the piazza and
the competition began. All that we
know about the rules of the competi
tion comes from what we interpreted
on Sunday. Both teams shot arrows at
one target once and when the target got
full, arrows began falling to the ground
and the piazza echoed with sounds of
disappointment. There were several
spectacular performances before they
announced the winner of the palio, and
though Gubbio came out on top, San
sepolcro paraded and celebrated into
the night.
Last week we were surprised
by how warmly Sansepolcro welcomed
us into their home, but this week we are
grateful that they have also welcomed
us into their community. For many
students, study abroad is a means to
see more of the world, but for us, and
in the true spirit of Meredith tradition;
it’s a means to “experience it.”
The Office of International Programs
has a variety of study abroad oppor
tunities, the semester-long Sansepol
cro program being particularly no
table. Students have had irreplaceable
experiences of Italian culture while
living in the 16th Century Palazzo Al
berti, leased by Meredith College for
over 20 years. Engaged by Meredith
faculty in residence and the local com
munity, students are presented with
the opportunity to become seasoned
international travelers, all while ful
filling the Meredith Foreign Language
requirement. The following is an ex
cerpt from the travel journal of Nancy
Merritt, a current student of the San
sepolcro program
Jessica Feltner, Editor in Chief
Images courtesy of Office of International Programs
Interested in studying abroad?
Visit The Office of International Programs for information on the
application process and eligibility. Located in 124 Joyner Hall.
STAFF
Editors: Jessica Feltner, Editor in Chief. Julia Dent, Managing Editor. Cody Jeffrey, Assistant Editor. Lucia Rynka-Estevez, Layout Editor.
Monique Kreisman, News Editor. Maitlyn Healy, A&E and Sports Editor. Rachel Pratl, Editorial Editor
Staff Writers; Hannah Nielsen, Katy Koop, Livi Burke, Hannah Thornton, Marlena Brown, Mollie Schrull, Isabel Benson, Kristin Hight
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