Module 2
"Verso il Sud"
INTRODUCTION BY MIKE HERRERA
(A student of the University of Texas who attended their ROME STUDY PROGRAM in 2012):
We all know that Italy is a country that enjoys a tremendous amount of tourism every year. Nonetheless, most tourists that visit Italy tend to go to cities such as Firenze, Venezia, Milano, and Roma, small beautiful Italian villages such as le Cinque Terre; places that are mostly found in the northern part of the country. What most of these tourists are missing is the opportunity to uncover the esoteric, scenic regions that can only be found in southern Italy.
Southern cities- such as Napoli- are also graced with incredible palaces, churches, monuments, and amazing museums that house important art work from iconic Italian artists such as Caravaggio and Raffaello. The food found in the south is also some of the best in the entire world. Have you ever heard of PIZZA? It was invented in Campania and the original flavor cannot be found in any other place. That is because of the unique, rich, fertile land where the ingredients come from. In the South you can also find incredible places that are like nothing you have ever seen. Matera, for example, is a beautiful city that connects the present to the prehistoric era and demonstrates that ancient ways of living can be as effective as our contemporary ones. Castellabate, a Jewel in Italy, is perfect for those tourists that love stunning beaches and enjoy historic and archaeological sites.
Southern Italy and the southern United States are perceived fairly similarly. When foreigners mention coming to the U.S., they mention cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco and Washington D.C.; nonetheless, Texas has its own hidden treasures that many northerners and foreigners have not heard of, yet are special to us Texans. When a foreigner comes to Texas, we give them that southern hospitality and make sure they have an amazing time visiting this state we all love. You will find the exact same hospitality when you visit southern Italy.
How about you?
Have you been to Southern Italy? Share your pics and experiences in the comment section below!!
