UGA Cortona Studies Abroad

New HotSeat content! This is part 1 of a special two-part episode. Part 2 will post the week after next. Jacob spent time in Cortona both as a student and then later working with the program. He has a bunch of great stories so we couldn't fit it into one video. See if you can spot the special guest star! The entire interview will drop with part 2. As always, visit www.Cortona.uga.edu for more info. And remember Alumni, we want to hear from you! It's your turn in the HotSeat. Click here for instructions: https://bit.ly/3fqfABM

Virtual open advising hours! Check it out on our website. Link in bio!

Not far from the Church of San Domenico, at the top of Via Gino Severini, is Piazza Garibaldi. This wide, circular open space bordered by a stone balustrade and shady linden trees is popular with Cortona’s residents and UGA Cortona students, as well as tourists, because of the spectacular view it provides of the Valdachiana. The piazza stands on the flat top of a rampart of packed earth that was, historically, a fortification near an old gate of the city. Native Cortonese... still refer to the site as Piazza Carbonaia, a name that derives from the defensive structure’s resemblance to carbonaie, the conical wood piles used to produce charcoal since ancient times. The modern name, Piazza Garibaldi, honors Guiseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882), the famous Italian general and patriot who is celebrated for his military leadership during the Second War of Italian Independence. The obelisk, commemorating both Garibaldi’s role in unifying Italy and Cortona’s Garibaldi soldiers, was erected in the piazza in 1894. Italian enthusiasm for obelisks like this one dates back to 30 BCE, when Romans first discovered the monumental form during their seizure of Egypt. Ancient Roman emperors transported Egyptian obelisks to Rome, and the fascination with the shape has endured for two millennia, including the erection of multiple obelisks in Rome by Pope Sixtus V (1521-1590). The obelisk in Piazza Garibaldi extends the tradition of using the shape for civic monuments and includes iconography to specifically honor its subject. Bronze medallions decorate the obelisk, depicting the rampant lion of Cortona’s civic crest as well as a heroic portrait of Garibaldi. Bronze implements of war, laid aside and strewn among the stones from which the monument rises, symbolize the peaceful unity that Garibaldi helped establish. Like so many places in Cortona, Piazza Garibaldi, with its proud obelisk and breathtaking view, offer UGA Cortona students a chance to simultaneously absorb the artistry, history, and natural beauty of Italy.

Enjoy these outtakes from our recent HotSeat episodes while we create more content for you. Keep your eyes on our feed for the next round of UGA Cortona HotSeat! Visit www.cortona.uga.edu for program info. UGA Cortona alumni, we need you. Click https://bit.ly/3fqfABM to take your turn in the HotSeat!

Fall 2021 early applications are due in a little less than a month. In the meantime, let's hear from our alumni. What are some of the best things you can do with a semester in Cortona?

Don’t forget about our upcoming deadlines!

We have shorter, cooler days in Cortona now, and some lovely autumn color around the Kehoe Center!

Una cartolina per Cortona: Ciao, Santa Maria Nuova ~ pianta a croce greca - segno di guarigione Sto mandando il mio affetto curativo, mi mancate! ... Conservo i miei ricordi della scoperta dell’Italia, dell'arte - i miei amici per sempre. Sempre Molly Summer / 1973 / Molly Palmer https://ciaouga.org/cartoline-per-cortona

Our program in Cortona is incredible, but you don't have to take our word for it. Take it from alumna Jesse Langdon: My time in Cortona is one that I will never forget. Cortona becomes home faster than you think. Eventually you feel like a local. You find your favorite place to get a pastry and coffee for breakfast, the one spot on the hill where a cat is always waiting to greet you on the way to and from town, and you start recognizing locals who welcome you to their home. I will never forget that summer and my little slice of Italian life.

We love seeing the Cortona-inspired artwork that our alumni make after they return from studying abroad with us. Surely many of our former students will recognize the subject of Spring 2020 alumna Katie Derreberry’s (on Instagram @thingskdpainted) new painting, A Meeting In Cortona (oil on canvas, 24 x 30)!

Una cartolina per Cortona: I came to Italy 50 years ago and my dream is to return in 2021. I have never forgotten all of my marvelous experiences there. I love Cortona Dr. Jontyle Theresa Robinson... I miss Cortona and the summer of 1970 https://ciaouga.org/cartoline-per-cortona

Summer program applications are due December 4th! Or if you already know you want to join us in Cortona next fall, apply early to our Fall 2021 program by November 27th!

One would think that the sunsets of Cortona must eventually repeat themselves; instead, every night is a new show. This evening’s was an autumnal doozy, featuring setting sun-kissed sheets of rain over Montepulciano, far away across the valley.

Don't forget to submit your early applications for Summer programs by October 9th!

Una cartolina per Cortona: Cortona e l’estate del 1978 sono stati così speciali per me! I miei ricordi di questa bella città e di tutti i nostri amici sono così speciali!... Catherine Toms Vinci Ciao Bei Ricordi!! https://ciaouga.org/cartoline-per-cortona

Thank you to everyone who applied to our Spring program; we look forward to reviewing your applications!For those who missed the deadline, it's not too late to plan your adventure in Cortona -- there's still time to apply to our May, June, orSummer programs. The early application deadline is this Friday, October 9th!

Jack Kehoe’s monument got some new plants and some TLC today, and is looking proudly over the Kehoe Center and the legacy he created. . . #ugacortona #studyabroad #studyabroaditaly #studyartinitaly #artschoolinitaly #uga #ugastudyabroad #artatuga #lamardoddschoolofart #cortona #cirivediamopresto