Losing his passport on the plane was definitely not on the list of things to do while in Italy during the AP Art Trip, according to Levi DeMatteo when he left on March 17 on this year’s AP Art Trip to Florence.

On the Thursday before spring break, seven senior AP Art students: Levi DeMatteo, Isabella Yannuzzi, Nina Bethel, Alex Gluckman, Basia Van Buren, Dom Meneses, Erin Jung, Jason Traum, Lana Tager, and Stephanie Smith, accompanied by Art teachers Greg Cice and Mark Green and Biology teacher Amanda Esteves-Kraus, embarked on an exciting seven-day trip to visit Florence, Italy, otherwise known as the “Birthplace of the Renaissance.”

The trip was open to all AP Art students with no application requirement. When asked how Florence was chosen as the destination, Mr. Cice replied, “We usually let the students choose, so when we went the first year they wanted to go to Paris and then this year we decided to do another trip and the students wanted to go to Italy.”

The entirety of the trip was spent solely in the city of Florence, where the group explored many of the city’s famous museums, galleries, libraries, churches, and cathedrals. Personal favorites included: the Uffizi Gallery, the Laurentian Library, the Church of Santa Croce, the Academia, and the Florence Cathedral. “What was also so special about this trip was actually that we did not leave Florence, so the students really were able to ‘get to know’ Florence,” explained Ms. E-K.

While many enjoyed the work of world-renowned artists such as da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo and the architecturally significant “Brunelleschi’s Dome,” some students, like Isabella Yannuzzi, enjoyed learning about the lesser-known artists of the Renaissance.

“What’s amazing about Italy is that you are literally walking through history.” said Ms. E-K. Besides visiting art museums and galleries, the entire group was also able to explore the city of Florence itself. Mr. Cice added that, “In Italy, especially a place like Florence, the art is actually in as much of the museums as it is in the city.” From its busy covered markets and piazzas (public squares), beautiful Italian architecture, and even  its delicious, original, authentic gelato, Florence has a unique culture that can only experience by visiting yourself.

However, despite the overall positive experience, there were some changes suggested that could be applied if the trip ever happened again. Time was definitely a constraining factor during the trip as Cice explains that, “There was so much to see in Florence, that we didn’t even have enough time to see everything we wanted to see.” “I wish we had more time to sketch because we got to see a lot of amazing things. I anticipated more time for actually just sitting down and drawing,” Isabella commented. Levi, who had already visited Florence prior to this trip, said that if he went again, he would like to spend some time touring the Florentine countryside along with the city.

In the end, Levi recovered his passport and was able to return back to the U.S. and despite the ups and downs, everyone who went to Florence enthuistically recommended that anyone who loves art should consider taking AP Art and going on what they said was an amazing art trip.

Jason Traum