Today started with an early rise. I was able to catch breakfast this time and discovered every Italian meal consists of cheese. There is cheese everywhere, and I absolutely love it. I’ve also discovered that upwards to maybe five venders will come into restaurants trying to sell you roses while you eat dinner. It’s completely normal. People watching in Arezzo is much cooler than people watching in America. The best time for gelato is all the time. And there is no such thing as a sweats and t-shirt day if you are Italian.
We finally heard from our first Activist speaker today. His name is Luca, and he works with Caritas. Caritas is an organization based in the Catholic faith and shares the same message as the Catholic Church. Their mission is to serve the poor, to promote charity and justice, and to help with integral human development. This encompasses a large range of activities. They help with hunger, natural disaster situations, and even those who immigrate to Italy. This is the part Luca has the biggest influence in. He works with those who are looking for EU protection. Most of them are from Africa and are searching for a securer and safer life in Italy. Currently, they are hosting 21 people in Caritas housing.
Dean Ray wrapped Luca’s presentation into our discussion about how to deal with immigration. We tied parallels from the Italian immigrant population to the United States immigrant population. The discussion brought up perplexing questions over how we should handle it. Should we accept all immigrants trying to escape a life of danger and instability? If we don’t, how are we supposed to completely justify it? If we still want to help, how do we find the middle ground? A possible middle ground seems to follow the lesson of teaching those who can’t fish how to fish, instead of giving them a fish. In other words, help the root of the problem in the country in need.
The last major part of the day was the tour of the San Francesco Church. Kirk, the president of OUA, explained the basis of this church before we went inside. Piero Della Francesca was the Renaissance artist that painted the inside of this church with stories from the Golden Legend. The paintings that reside in this building are based on the finding and the proving of the True Cross. These paintings lined the wall and ceiling behind the altar. The picture included on this post is a vertical panorama of the paintings. The layout of the story was both thematically and chronologically. It added to the artwork in a way that made it more detailed. The paintings and colors that surround the church really reflect Arezzo and the Renaissance style that invokes the individual and the particular. This is only the first lesson, but I’m already astounded by the amount of knowledge Kirk has over Art History. It makes the next few days without art lessons a little disappointing. However, I’m ready for pasta making and visiting the winery in the next couple of days. Until then, ciao!
Gelato Count: 3