Faces of Italia

During my trip throughout Italy, I have been able to meet so many wonderful locals! I wanted to make a blog post special for them as it is the people who have made this trip so memorable. As I am taking an Italian culture class, we have been constantly discussing what it means to “be Italian.” In order to help gain insight on this question, I wanted to ask the source themselves…Italians!

Italy is a place of community, and I feel that all of these individuals helped to make this sense of togetherness happen. Whether they were someone I only met briefly or got to know throughout my trip! Enjoy some of the faces that make the beauty of southern Italy even prettier!

Antonella was my plane partner who told me all about her experience living in Campania. Her love for her country was wonderful to listen to, but her love for her family was even greater. She gave me wonderful advice, taught me some basic Italian words, and recommended different foods and wines to try that were local to the area I would be in.

Dominico is an Italian Professor at Sant’Anna institute who strives to be everyone’s friend. He works hard to make class fun and engaging all while teaching content effortlessly. He was born and raised in the southern Italy Campania region and enjoys the slow life here with his wife.

Raffaele is a man who puts others before himself. He has decided his life to teach study abroad students about Italy and where he grew up all while implementing service opportunities to help his community. 

 

Fortuna is a marine biologist and diver who moved back to Italy to be closer to her family. She loves to teach people about the ocean she grew up around and has worked to continue oceanic research when not giving tours.

Moira is a professor who teaches the language she grew up speaking. Every year for the past 20 years, she has brought her students to Italy to learn and appreciate the culture, beauty, and lifestyle that Italy has to offer. 

Simona is a street artist who sells his intricate watercolor masterpieces to tourists passing through the city. He does a magnificent job capturing the beauty of Sorrento and nearby cities for those to bring back home with them.

Alessandro is a tour guide who has spent his time after graduating from Naples to share the beauty of his country. His insight and knowledge about the places he guides are impeccable and the love for his job and coworkers is very apparent. 

Paolo is from southern Italy and does poetry on the street for tips. He loves the food, architecture, and hospitality of his region. Paolo is in Sorrento because he loves the area and the beauty of the city. He brings joy to people’s days by expressing himself through poetry.

Francisco was born and raised in Sorrento and went to university in Napoli (Naples) for language, studying English, French, German, and Italian! He has now been a tour guide for 7 years and loves his job as it is different every day. He loves the trust and low crime in Sorrento, however there are less opportunities than the city.

Anna is a chef who was born and Naples and moved to Sorrento at a young age. In 2019, she opened a cooking school with her grandmother’s recipe to teach others about the diverse and delicious cuisine of southern Italy.

Noemi is the care coordinator and educator that works with adults with special needs. She has a heart of gold and a brain of languages as she can communicate in numerous! Noemi has such a welcoming presences and truly loves anyone with open arms.

Mr. Stinga is a woodworker in a family business that has been running for generations. He works alongside his father and uses an inlaid wood technique that Sorrento is famous for in order to intricately craft works of art out of natural wood! Each piece can take a few weeks to months to make!