Ciao Italy!...I will be back :)

So I have to say that I have a bitter sweet feeling right now. This experience has been one of a kind and truly amazing. I have gained a lot from this trip and feel so thankful to have been given the opportunity to have this experience. Being on this trip has allowed me to grow so much as a person in many different ways.

Learning about the history of art and philosophy in class allows you to receive only an idea of what the masterpieces are like over here. Seeing works of art like the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the David were such an awesome experience. The pictures of these simply do not grasp the beauty of these pieces. I have a whole new level of appreciation for artists. It has been such a cool feeling to think that I have been in the same building as Michelangelo.

Besides the amazing history that lies within Italy that has allowed me to grow as a person, so has the culture. Being in a foreign country is a completely different experience than traveling around the United States. I have experienced trying to communicate with people who have no idea what I am saying to them, and to also try and understand what they are saying to me. Being in Italy has made me reflect even more on my life. I have experienced parts of a different culture that I do and do not like, which has allowed me to realize what I want more of in my life and what I also appreciate in my life. The beauty of Italy has helped me to grow in my faith even more. I am so thankful for having this experience, and even more thankful to have been lucky enough to experience it with such a wonderful group of people. I have made more friends than I had before, and have grown in relationships that I already had formed.

Thank you so much to Dr. Mills and Dr. Johnson for setting up this trip, and traveling around Italy with the class. Your guidance and friendships have been so awesome!
Thank you also to my family and boyfriend for the support and help, so I was able to come! :)

I am so excited to go home and share all of my pictures and stories with people....and to plan my next trip back!!! :)

Ciao Italy, see you soon!!

Kailee

Last night in Florence

Today was a rainy day in Florence, but the museums that we visited were really interesting. We visited the Uffizi and the Academia, which housed 100s of paintings and scuptures. Seeing the David in person was probably my favorite part. The detail that you can see on the sculpture is amazing. It was awesome to have the opportunity to experience this piece of work in person.
Tonight is our last night in Florence, and it ended great. Most of us in the group went out to dinner together at an awesome restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was great. After this a few of us went to get some gelato at Dr. MIlls' favorte place! While walking back we stopped to listen to music being played by a great musician that was sitting outside of the Uffizi...it really was a wonderful way to end the week here!
Tomorrow we will be heading to Venice! I heard it is cold and rainy there, but I am hoping for better weather!! I will update once I make it there.

Kailee :)

Hello from florence!!

So much has happened since my last blog. First off, Assisi was amazing, so far it is my most favorite place. It was beautiful there and we were very lucky to have a sunny day. Florence has been awesome as well. I really like the feel of the city here...its not as busy and easier to get around in.
Today we went to Cortona for our group day trip. Andrea, Olivia, Melissa, and I all went together. Cortona reminded me of Assisi because it was a smaller hilltop town, which we found out was actually right near Assisi. The view here was beautiful and I loved walking around the small little streets. This trip was even more interesting because not as many people spoke english so it was a little more challenging, but it went really well. A lot of the shops were closed during certain parts of the day, but one shop that we found open was a hand crafted ceramic shop. The pieces that we saw were beautiful, and the woman working in the shop was very nice and told us all about the process of making the pieces. All in all today was a wonderful experience and I really enjoyed being able to go off on our own.
I am looking forward to tomorrow becauase we may be taking another day trip to a different city.

that's all for now.

Ciao!
Kailee

P.s. and hello to my family and Logan...I miss you guys and love you!!! i hope you are enjoying the lovely weather in ohio!! :)

I'm In ITALY!!

So it's day 2 in Italy! The trip has been amazing so far, just as I had expected. We have already seen so much in Rome so far...well what seems like a lot I know there is MUCH more to see! I'd have to say St. Peters Cathedral was probably my favorite...we climbed to the very tip top of it. The view from the top was absolutely amazing!! It overlooked all of Rome it was such a great experience. Anyway, I have to get going because we are about to go climb the Spanish Steps! Tomorrow morning we leave for Florence and stop by Assisi...I'm super excited!!

P.s. The drivers here are INSANE..
P.S.s The gelato was very good!!

Okay talk to everyone soon!

Ciao!
Kailee

Annotated bibliography-Kailee Miller-San Miniato

1) Aitelli, Glenn, and Jeanne Aitelli. "San Miniato." Travel-To-Florence.com. Glenn Aitelli, 2009. Web. 7 Nov 2010.

<http://www.travel-to-florence.com/San-Miniato.html>.

This website gives a brief, yet detailed summary of the history of the San Miniato. This website provides great descriptions about the inside of the church. There are also pictures on this website for the viewer to see. It is a great source for someone us without becoming too overwhelmed.

2) Facaros, Dana, and Michael Pauls. Tuscany. New Holland Publishers, 2006. 174-177. Print.

This book has a few pages in it that not only gives a history of the San Miniato, but also an overview of the different artworks that lie within the church. This would be a great source to start with, and then research further if one would like more information. Pictures are also provided of the church and of a few of the different artworks.

3) Hidden Italy, . "San Miniato al Monte." Hidden Italy 1997: Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/san_miniato.html>.

This website provides a source of information about the church of San Miniato. Pictures are provided with descriptions under each one. Enough information is given on this site that the reader would have an understanding of how the church was built and for whom.

Horn, Walter. "Romanesque Churches in Florence: A study in their chronology and stylistic development." Art Bulletin 25.2 (1943): 112-131. Web. 1 Nov 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3046874>.

This journal article goes into depth about the construction of the church and the style that

was used for it. This is a great resource for someone interested in the Romanesque style

of architecture in particular. This article discusses how the researchers discovered the

layout of the church and the order that it was constructed in. The researchers discovered

these findings by examining the architecture and particular areas of it, since these were

unknown.

5) Howard, Saalaman. "Paolo Uccello at San Miniato." Burlington Magazine, Ltd. 106.741 (1964): 558-563. Web. 5 Nov 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/874506>.

This article discusses the fresco paintings that were discovered in the cloister of San Miniato. These frescos were created by Paolo Uccello. Details are discussed about when the frescos were created and the significance that they played with the San Miniato.

6) Mack, Charles. "The Building Programme of the Cloister of San Miniato." Burlington Magazine Publications, Ltd. 115.844 (1973): 447-448+450-452. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/pss/877356>.

This article supplies the reader with information about the uprising of the San Miniato al Monte, who it was created for, the design, and the architecture itself. Charles Mack found this information through his own personal research and by studying older articles and pieces left behind. Although this article is brief, it still gives a good insight into the basis of the church. Charles Mack does not go into as much detail about the frescos that are in the church, which may be of interest to someone going to see this church. Pictures are provided of the church.

7) Paoletti, John, and Gary Radke. Art in Renaissance Italy. 3rd. London, United Kingdom: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. 2005, 2005. 170. Print.

This book is not entirely about the San Miniato, but on page 170 it does provide

information about some of the frescos in it. It provides the reader also with pictures of

some of the frescos that are within the church walls. This page is a great reference source,

and is easy to follow.

8) "Romanesque architecture." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 08 Nov. 2010 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1384996/Romanesque-architecture>.

By viewing this information in the Encyclopedia Britannica about Romanesque art and

architecture one will receive an informative overview of what this style of architecture

consisted of. This article provides dates and descriptions of this ancient style of work that

are easy for the reader to follow and understand.

High Renaissance vs. Mannerism

Art during the High Renaissance is that which was focused on human beings and portraying them naturally. Artists during this time began to use linear perspective by making their creations look 3-Dimensional on a 2-Dimensional surface. They were focused on the content and context of what they were creating because they wanted their work to appear as natural and real to what they were trying to depict. One piece of work that we can see this effort to create a realistic look is Michelangelo's, David. For this piece Michelangelo thought that this sculpture was going to be placed above everyone who observed it, so when he created the hand he made it bigger than normal, so that when those who looked up at the sculpture would see the hand as of normal proportion to the body. The reason that Michelangelo created the hand like that was so the body would be proportional to the rest of the body, and so the sculpture would seem natural. This is opposite of how Mannerism art worked.

Mannerism art was not always proportional. We can identify Mannerism in the Madonna of Long Neck by Mary's long neck and extra wide hips. Jesus also looks very unrealistic and un-proportional. Jesus, painted on Mary's lap, is much larger looking than an infant. Mannerism pieces seemed to go over the top of what was typical. Artists of this time would take what was normal and expected and push the limits just a little further. For example, in the Madonna of Long Neck, there is an "angel" with much of her leg exposed, which was very revealing for that time.

Mannerism works seem to be a little more exaggerated with the human body and it's positions especially. Michelangelo's art work during the Renaissance time also began to exaggerate some of the human body (especially the muscles). It wasn't until the time of Mannerism though, that Michelangelo really exaggerated the muscles of the human body.

Contemporary art vs. Renaissance art

I think that it is somewhat difficult to compare the art of today, to the art of the renaissance. In my opinion, art of the renaissance set the standard and basics for what art should mean and even how it is made. I think that European art and artists during the renaissance are like the "founding fathers" of art and architecture. The artists of the renaissance brought to life different paintings by creating/discovering things like illusionism, shadowing, and linear perspective. These artists pushed the boundaries sometimes of what was acceptable and what was not. Art and architecture during the renaissance often represented a person's status and rank in society. For one to have a pictured painted or drawn of him or her meant that he or she were of a higher status in society. This is still somewhat equivalent of how it is today, only because it can sometimes be pricey. Although, in the United States it is not as difficult as it would have been to receive this treatment during renaissance times.

Architecture during the renaissance also represented a lot of different things for the culture and individually. For an individual to create or have created a large piece of work, often meant that that person had power. Today, buildings and architecture in the United States seem to more often be created for a particular city, rather than for that individual. Or at least the creator is not as well recognized as some of the emperors of the renaissance.

I do not feel that I am all that knowledgeable of art of this time in the United States as some people, but I also do not think that I am much different from the general public. I think that in the United States, art and architecture is not as widely know to the general population as it was during the renaissance. The art during the renaissance would very often have symbolic meanings behind them, whereas, today the art of the United States seems to fall short of how much art meant to those during the renaissance. I believe that art and architecture of the United States still has meaning and value behind it, but just not as much as art during the renaissance. Sometimes I feel that art during the renaissance is more real that contemporary art because artists long ago had less to work with, but yet they set such a high standard for those to follow after them. Artists like Leonard da Vinci will forever be known to most people, whereas, it would be very difficult for me to name a contemporary artist in the United States at this time. I do not have anything against contemporary artists, or think that they do not create good quality work, I just think that they are not as widely publicized as some artists like musicians.

Travel

Travel:

I think that traveling is very important for all people to experience. Traveling gives you a chance to branch out into unfamiliar places that you may have never knew existed, or knew the beauty of. During travel you are given the opportunity to learn more about the culture, and the places around you. These places that you visit, can either be two hours away from you, or all the way across the world. Where ever your travels take you, the main goal should be that you gain new experiences, memories, and possibly discover something new about yourself and of course the place you are visiting. I think that when you travel, it is best that you travel in a smaller number, so that you have more of a chance to express your own ideas and thoughts. As well as traveling in a smaller group, I think it is also important to sometimes branch off into pairs or alone at times, like we will do in Italy. Truly experiencing a culture or new environment means that you must engage in it and interact with the people of that place. In order to achieve the goal of travel, we must first make traveling a priority to ourselves. Sometimes traveling can be very expensive, so we may not always get to travel everywhere we want to, but there are still ways that we can cheaply explore and visit new places. Another thing we must do to achieve the goal of travel is to make sure that we make sure to relax and embrace our surroundings.

A) http://www.tripbase.com/blog/7-travel-goals-for-you-to-conquer-in-2010/

The link that I chose actually goes to another person's blog post. The title of this post is, "7 Travel Goals for You to Conquer in 2010." In this post the writer talks about 7 different goals that he would like to accomplish in traveling and explains each one and why...his goals are-Visit a new continent, Go on a Solo Trip, Learn a New Language, Get published, Take a Trip Within Your Borders, Photography, and Up the Ante with your favorite hobby. Some of the goals that he set may not be ones that you would like to obtain, but I think that it is important to set goals like these for yourself, and to truly try to achieve them. I really liked that one of his goals is to travel more inside your own borders. I have started to realize how little I have really even traveled around the state of Ohio--I think it is important to really experience and understand your own place first. He also talks about getting into photography. I think that it is really important to document your experience of travel. Pictures help to refresh the memories that you have made and the sites that you have experienced.

B) The picture that I chose was from one of my own personal travels. This picture was taken in New York City on top of the Rockefeller Center, over looking Central Park. This is one of my favorite pictures that I have from this trip and from all of my trips. I think it is really important to have pictures like these. I look forward to taking more photos like this one while in ITALY!! :)

Seneca Essays

The first essay that I read was "Self-Control"- CXVI. This essay mainly focused on self control of indulging in our emotions and personal desires like wealth. Many people want to obtain wealth and a high status, but the stoics believe that this will not bring a person happiness. One quote from the essay says, "We are endowed by Nature with an interest in our own well-being; but this very interest, when overindulged, becomes a vice." The writer of the essay talks about how it is very important to at first resist and avoid any temptations of over indulging because it will almost always be easier to avoid them, than to rid yourself of the habit. The more temptations that we give in to will only lead to an unhappier life. The stoics believe that we should live a normal life, which would consist of normal-average daily living even if you have enough wealth to buy more expensive things. This way of living uses the philosophical technique dichotomy of control. When practicing dichotomy of self-control, a person must set the goal to not give in to ones personal desires. We have the ability to control things like our personality, values, and goals. The stoic of this essay says that many people make up excuses for not controlling their personal desires because they love those vices and are unwilling to practice control.

The second essay I chose was "On Values" XLII. This essay is also about having self-control. It talks about valuing ones self by not over indulging because when we over indulge in objects sometimes we ended paying for them more that we actually thought we would. Material things do not add much value to our lives and the feeling that they give us will eventually fade, so it is important to have the self-control not to indulge in these things. One quote from this essay that makes a good point is, "We are eager to attain them at the cost of anxiety, of danger, and of lost honour, personal freedom, and time; so true is it that each man regards nothing as cheaper than himself." We must own ourselves before we focus on owning other things.

Kailee Miller

Kailee Miller- Response to 1.B

Hi Everyone,

The list of World Heritage sites in Italy consists of a wide variety of different places and objects. They are all uniquely different, but some what the same because they all have some historical importance.

The first, World Heritage site that I chose was the Villa Adriana (Tivoli). This monument is important to a universal cultural heritage because it is a complex piece of work containing components from three popular countries- Egypt, Greece and Rome. This piece was created in 2nd Century a.d. by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and played an important role in the rediscovery of classical pieces of work. I think this piece is important because when people go to visit this monument they not only get to view something from Rome, but also Greece and Egypt.

The second, World Heritage site that I chose was the Val d'Orcia. The Val d'Orcia is a beautiful Renaissance agricultural landscape with towns, farm houses and well managed lands. It provides us with an example of what the landscape used to be like in Renaissance time. The people of this land have a great respect for nature and the earth, which gives us all something to follow. I think that it is an important Universal World Heritage site because it takes us back in time to what the landscape used to be like in the Renaissance time.

Kailee Miller

Buon Pomeriggio, from Kailee!

Hi Everyone! This is Kailee Miller. I am a Junior here at Otterbein and I am EXTREMELY excited to go to Italy! I am a Health Promotion and Fitness major, minoring in Health Education, Psychology, and Nutrition. I am looking forward to spending this quarter with all of you, and to travel to Italy. I really, really wanted to travel abroad, and I thought there would be no better time to go than now while in school. Anyway, that's all I have for now, so I will see you all in class on Wednesday!

Kailee