My Study Abroad Summer: Shakespeare in Italy Part 1

When I attended the first interest meeting for Oberlin’s “Shakespeare in Italy,” it immediately felt as if the program had been designed for me specifically. Led by Wendy Hyman, Oberlin’s wonderful professor of English and Comparative Literature, this course was taught abroad in Italy and centered on two major interests of mine, Shakespeare and the Renaissance period (as well as niche areas of history I had been fascinated with such as anatomy theaters and saint relics). I could feel myself getting giddy with excitement as I pored over the syllabus and kept whispering to my friend different variations of: Oh my gosh, wow, that would be incredible, I’ve always wanted to see that! Later, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a second round of interviews where I essentially babbled on about my favorite Shakespeare plays and Renaissance medical history (at last–those late night research rabbit-holes came in handy). When the final acceptance email popped up in my inbox, I proceeded to immediately call my mom and squeal with delight. 

This past June was an absolute dream come true for me and I am truly thrilled to share my experiences here so that you might get better acquainted with Oberlin’s summer study abroad options! 

When in Rome…

We began our journey in Rome, arriving at the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport where I immediately bought a cappuccino from the nearest coffee stand I could find. It was an excellent cappuccino. I had watched two Sofia Coppola movies and fallen in and out of sleep on the eight-hour flight over, so it’s safe to say I was pretty jet-lagged. The airplane food had been surprisingly good, though. 

Out of everywhere we visited in Italy (Padua, Venice, Florence…) we spent the most time in Rome, so by the end of the trip, it had started to feel a bit like home. The first day, since everybody was arriving at varying times, I explored the city with some classmates. We visited a beautiful church just a few blocks away from the hotel, which was the start of an unexpected interest in churches throughout the trip. I had never been particularly interested in religious art till I was actually able to see the scale of it in-person. Even in smaller chapels, anywhere that I turned my gaze, I was always met with something new and equally as elaborate as the last. Italy is a largely Catholic country and the art it has spawned is extraordinary. I’m talking intricate statues protruding from the walls, gilded altars, jeweled reliquaries and oh… the ceilings! My neck was constantly sore from staring up at this incredible artwork.

Naturally, we hit up all of the hotspots in Rome: the Pantheon, Domus Romani, Trevi fountain, the Roman forum, and the Colosseum, just to name a few. Even just wandering the streets was an experience, as much of the old architecture is preserved. The cobblestone streets and foliage dripping from windows made it feel as if I was walking through a fairy tale (cheesy, I know). Other highlights included attending an opera, various pigeons, my friend performing a monologue from Julius Caesar in the Castel Sant’Angelo, and a truly incredible prosciutto sandwich. 

Venetian Views

The next city we explored was Venice, and it was just as extraordinary as I had imagined — all winding canals and maze-like streets. We stayed at a hotel in Padua instead and took the train to Venice in the morning. Traveling by water taxi in Venice was, oddly enough, one of my favorite parts of the city. Looking out at the water and old buildings stretching above the canals made the entire experience feel like a painting. 

Daytime was beautiful but Venice especially shined at night—literally— with all the lights reflecting off the water. Wandering the backstreets or Rialto Bridge was incredibly peaceful and serene. I would recommend doing it at least once to anyone who visits, it’s very safe as well! 

Admittedly, the Italian heat was quite unforgiving in general but Venice felt especially humid. I often found myself wondering if a dip in the canal wouldn’t be a bad idea. It was all right though, as I almost always had a gelato in hand while touring the Floating City. I actually had my favorite gelato in Venice: lavender-flavored! This was a particular highlight for me because I’d had lavender ice cream once, years ago, and had been searching for it again ever since. For a fun side-journey our group visited Libreria Acqua Alta, a stunning bookstore filled to the brim with huge stacks of books, magazines, and trinkets. The shop contains a gondola full of books, a staircase made of old books, and adorable cats slinking amongst the shelves. St. Mark’s Square is nearby the bookstore, a transition from towers of books to towers of palaces and churches. There is an incredible gold and blue astronomical clocktower in the piazza as well. Going inside St. Mark’s Basilica, we were greeted with glittering floor-to-ceiling mosaics. The elaborate ceilings appeared once again! It’s opulent, it’s over-the-top, and I think I realized that I just really like sparkly things.

Well, that’s all for part one of my Italy experience! So much happened within these first weeks that I couldn’t possibly cover it all here. We did have sit-down discussions about the various plays we read, but most of the lectures occurred while we were traveling. Several times, we had incredibly knowledgeable tour guides providing historical background, but in general, Shakespeare and our own historical connections flowed very naturally into conversation as we explored the cities. Stay tuned for a part two where I’ll discuss the rest of my experience!