Celebrating 20 Years in Cortona

20 years ago this month, the Cortona campus opened its doors to its inaugural class of 11 students. The Tuscan town has since been visited…

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All photos by Richard SiemensRichard Siemens.

20 years ago this month, the Cortona campus opened its doors to its inaugural class of 11 students. The Tuscan town has since been visited by hundreds of U of A students, and today we take a moment to reflect on some of their experiences.

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“It was a pretty amazing experience. It was truly remarkable to have had the opportunity to study subjects such as Roman art and architecture and Etruscan history right in Italy, but what made the experience extra-special was the opportunity to absorb the local culture and get acquainted with the people. We’re living here, as opposed to being tourists. Because there are only about 1,800 people living within Cortona’s old city walls, it was possible to feel right at home, People wave at you when you walk down the street. I even wave at the mayor.”

— Horeczy, Cortona Student, 1999

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I remember taking some personal quiet time to go enjoy a glass of wine and do some journaling at a jazz club in Cortona. I was there for a while and eventually the table beside me was occupied by two men from a nearby town. I had been taking Italian lessons and by this time could understand them. At one point I stopped writing and said “I know you are talking about me. I am a student from Canada.”

That broke the ice and we spent many many hours in conversation. They were from a nearby town and their family made red wine. We ordered a bottle of their family wine and chunks of Parmesan cheese and olives to share. In my journal, we drew pictures of our countries and shared details about Canadian and Italian history. We talked about swear words and about fascism. They drew me a cartoon of Mussolini climbing the Italian flag pole. Turns out they were fascists so that was an interesting perspective for me to learn about. I still have that journal with those notes and drawings.

— Cynthia, Cortona Student, 2002

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The town of Cortona was the epitome of an inviting community, and although I may have come away with only approximately four lasting Italian words that I learned, I also came away with countless memories and lifelong friends. My favourite part of studying in Cortona was the commitment of Sergio and the hostel staff to ensure that we always felt at home, between “family” meals every night (along with bottles of wine) and Sergio offering any students studying in the common room leftover tiramisu.

— Lauren, Cortona Student, 2014

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The first night we arrived the sun was setting over the Tuscan hills and I knew I would never forget that hilltop town. Not only did I get to study in the most beautiful location and eat pizza and pasta for every meal, but I also got to hang out with 19 of the best people I have ever met. Two years later and they are still some of the best friendships I’ve ever had.

— Katrina, Cortona Student, 2017

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Photos by Richard Siemens.Richard Siemens.