Perched on a hillside 600 metres above the Val di Chiana (Chiana Valley) in the Tuscan countryside, the ancient town of Cortona has been the backdrop for one of the most extraordinary study abroad opportunities available to students at the University of Alberta over the last two decades.
The Faculty of Arts'School in Cortona opened its doors to its inaugural class of 11 students in May, 20 years ago. The director of the school,Helena Fracchia, Professor Emerita of Classics in the Department of History and Classics, was the driving force behind this initiative, and continues to be its guiding spirit.
On May 17, Fracchia, along with friends, family, donors, and alumni of the School in Cortona, gathered to celebrate and share memories of the program, which, as Faculty of Arts' Dean Lesley Cormack noted, has been a transformative experience for many in attendance.
"Cortona is where education is allowed to take wing in a place that is historically significant and intellectually rich," said Cormack at the event, adding that the impact of the program in students' lives could not be overstated.
Each year, students from across the University of Alberta travel to Cortona, Italy totake courses on a diverse range of topics such as Renaissance art, Roman civilization, archaeology, and the role of citizens in a democracy. However, in Cortona, the textbook serves only as a starting point. Led by UAlberta and local instructors, history is brought to life in the ancient streets of Tuscany and in the archaeological remains of places like Pompeii and Herculaneum. Students - in conversation with local residents and shopkeepers - practice their language skills and build new communities of learning.
As Cortona alumni Alex Migdal ('15 BA) noted in a Faculty of Arts'blogpost from 2015, the experience is unforgettable.
"I've pretty much thought about it every day since I left," he said. "I miss the eternally warm weather, the class field trips, the walks to the gelato shop, getting lost in the maze of alleyways, the food. I especially miss the people. They became like a second family. We laughed a lot, and we ate even more."
This sentiment was echoed by all at the anniversary celebration.
"It was fabulous," said Fracchia from her home in southern Italy, where in addition to her role as director, she continues to work as an archaeologist. "I was deeply moved. It was wonderful to see so many of the students from the past two decades, and so many supporters of the Cortona program. It's these people - the students, the staff, the colleagues and friends of Cortona - who have made the program such a success. Without them, the School in Italy would not have happened or continued for these 20 years!"
Dr. Helena Fracchia, Director of the School in Cortona
During the event, it was announced that two endowed scholarships had been established - the Fogolâr Furlan D'Edmonton Award and the Ernesto Rizzi Memorial Award - thanks to the passionate and generous community support for this program.
These awards are the first of their kind for students travelling to the School in Cortona.
Matthew Spinks, the first recipient of the Fogolar Furlan D'Edmonton Award who had travelled to Cortona for the first time this winter term, was in attendance, as wasZiwei Huang, the inaugural recipient of theErnesto Rizzi Memorial Award - set up by Ernesto's friends and family to honour the much-loved Cortona alumni, who sadly passed away in 2016.
Many of Ernesto's family members, including his parents and his brother and sisters were at the celebration to honour the memory of their son, brother and friend.
Family of Ernesto Rizzi, along with Ziwei Huang, the inaugural recipient of the Ernesto Rizzi Memorial Award
The final announcement of the night was the inaugural Dr. Helena Fracchia International Teaching Award, established to honour instructors like Fracchia who have employed internationally-engaged teaching pedagogies to foster student learning and global citizenship.
The first recipient was, of course, Dr. Helena Fracchia.
"The award was totally unexpected, but extremely appreciated," she says. "The 20 years of teaching that the international teaching award represents have been a real learning experience with many glorious moments, some very lonely moments, and a few very tough moments. If it were not for the vision of the Faculty of Arts over the last 20 years, none of this would have been possible.
"The award brings tears to my eyes every time I think of it, and it is a measure of the commitment of the Faculty to the international experience of both staff and students."
Related:
Cortona Celebration Facebook Photo Album
Cortona in photos (from UAlberta's The Quad)
School of Cortona Q&A with Ziwei Huang (Part 2)
School of Cortona Q&A with Ziwei Huang (Part 1)
Classmates Bid Farewell to Cortona Grad and Friend Ernesto Rizzi
Event photos: Liz Tan Photography/Photo of Cortona: Richard Siemens