Stacy Pollard

Of Birds, Brothers and Beginnings: The Birth of Rome

Rome celebrates its birthday on April 21, and today marks its 2,773rd year. How did a flock of birds influence the birth of Rome?

The Meaning of a Morning

When in a strange city I have always been in the habit of roaming its streets in the early morning and watching it wake up. I like to be out before the dust-bins have been emptied and the blinds pulled up, to watch the street cleaners and caretakers arrive, and to see the first wave…

A Wander Through Venice

It is with a bit of a sheepish and heavy heart that I offer sincere apologies to all of those whom I have possibly influenced not to visit Venice. (Younger Son, I’m especially looking at you.) Last summer, after four visits to Italy which deliberately did not include Venice (my first trip there left me…

These 14 Universities in Italy Have Welcomed Students Since the 1400s — or Earlier

As roughly 207 million college students worldwide begin their new fall term, many will attend universities which have been in operation since the 1400s — some since the 1200s. Being a passionate armchair historian, I find that information very enticing. The university as we regard it today — an educational institution designed for instruction, examination, or…

The Oldest Universities in Italy: A Sneak Peek

Not only is Italy home to the oldest university in all of Europe and nearly the oldest in the world, il bel paese is also home to multiple universities which have been in continual operation for several centuries. Where might one find these educational treasures? And how many might there be still in operation? Here’s…

The Birth of the University: An Italian Story

This fall roughly 207 million college students will converge at universities across the world to learn, study, gather and debate with like-minded individuals in the name of higher education. As they select roommates, buy books and balance the demands of a new schedule, it understandable that many may not have medieval Europe on their minds….

Cheers to all: Cin Cin a tutti!

I never really thought about why we “toast” with our drinks when gathered with others, I just accepted it as a time-honored tradition. But the armchair historian in me was amused to discover recently, while browsing one of my Italian texts, that we have the ancients to thank for this one. This sparked my interest,…

7 Reasons to Love Italian

We study Italian because we want to, not because we need to. Because the music of the language moves us to learn it, to engage in this “impracticality”, to throw some of our precious time to the wind and do something simple for the pleasure of being able to pronounce words like piacere. –From “Why…

Seaside

What a luxury to take a break from steamy sightseeing to enjoy one of the many beach clubs dotting the Italian shoreline. This one is in Puglia, where many Italians head for ferie in agosto — August holidays. The soft, clear waters of the Adriatic Sea kiss the craggy shoreline, and at this beach club, many…

Snapshots from Italy, Framed

Above and below: Beloved Florence, Italy, as framed from the inside of the Duomo, during a climb to the very top of the cupola. Above: The river Arno framed by the Ponte Vecchio’s architecture. Below: Beautiful Verona. Finding inspiration inside the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence For the coming months, while crafting new content, Prayers and Piazzas will…