On May 19th, our students embarked upon their journey. They traveled from their various hometowns to converge at one of the most beautiful and historic countries in the world: Italy. Some landed in Florence while others landed in Rome. Our Program Assistant, Nina Perdomo, landed safely in Rome [a]. From there, she boarded a train destined for Montevarchi, which is where she would meet our program director, Doctor Nancy De Grummond. They hopped in a car and drove to Radda in Chianti and awaited the arrival of the other students. Those students did eventually arrive safely. They unloaded their bags and suitcases and relished in the opportunity to partake in some much needed rest and relaxation.

On May 20th, the students toured the lab area that they will be working in over the summer [b]. Ceil Bare, Ph.D. in Art History from FSU, is in charge of our lab. As part of orientation she will soon show us and discuss  with us all the types of pottery she keeps in the lab, and that we expect (hope!) to find at Cetamura. Afterward, they toured the Cetamura del Chianti site. The students then enjoyed more leisure time before preparing for the orientation dinner hosted by Doctor Nancy De Grummond and other Cetamura staff. A new gazebo was erected on the terrace for this event [c]. The students enjoyed their fantastic meals and mingled amongst each other all while taking in the awe-inspiring scenery surrounding Radda.