Florence: A Trip to Remember

By Roberta '23
Florence, or Firenze in Italian, is a city located in central Italy, in the region of Tuscany that we had the opportunity to visit this past weekend. It is renowned for its deep cultural legacy, art, and history, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world as it served as a focus throughout the Renaissance. During our trip we were fortunate enough to see some of the most well-known attractions including The Uffizi Gallery; which houses a vast collection of Renaissance masterpieces, including works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli, The Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore; which featured the famous dome designed by Brunelleschi that many architects still study and attempt to replicate, and of course the famous Michelangelo statue of David. We were also lucky enough to have our hotel located right off of The Ponte Vecchio: A historic bridge over the Arno River, that is famous for its rows of shops selling gold and jewelry (which posed a very shiny distraction for all of us as one can imagine).

One of the highlights from this trip was trying Florence’s famous gelato. Breanna and I made it our personal mission to find the best gelateria in Florence. It took us a full day of gelato tasting-however, we did end up finding one that we believed to be the best, and before we knew it we had a flock of NJC students lined up to try it. Given the amount of history contained in just one city, I can't help but feel tremendously fortunate to have taken this journey there. This trip was among the most significant to me in particular because as someone who has studied the renaissance in art history and analyzed many of the most famous frescos and statues, I already had a very high respect for these pieces of art. Seeing them in real life is an experience that I will never forget.
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Neuchâtel Junior College offers the unique opportunity to study Canadian curriculum abroad. While living in Switzerland in a French community, students enjoy an international education through travel and experiential learning in Europe. Gap year and Grade 12  high school students gain international experience and develop independence and life skills that prepare them for university and the global workplace.

A Canadian high school in Switzerland | Grade 12 & Gap