Date: July 12, 2024
Location: Assisi
Blogger: Daniel Cochran ‘28
Hometown: College Station, Texas
After two days in Rome, we packed up and left for an afternoon in Perugia, some distinguished gentlemen donning their “Ciaowdy” shirts. On the bus ride, we discussed possibilities for our nation going forward. There were many creative ideas, and the future of our nation is without a doubt in good hands.
After arriving and walking through a medieval fort as a group, we split up and broke out for lunch. Some of us enjoyed pizza, while others tried more exotic dishes like escargot. With plenty of time to walk around, the differences between Rome and Perugia, a much smaller town, became apparent. While Rome was exciting and had many opportunities, Perugia had a relaxing, laid-back aura that was refreshing to many of us.
We met up for a tour later in the afternoon. Our tour guide was excellent and offered fascinating insights into the history of Perugia. The town’s people have a tradition of not salting their bread, which stems from the town’s unique history.
During the 16th century, the pope levied a heavy tax on salt on the town’s residents. When the town refused to pay the tax, the pope retaliated by leveling several major towers in the city. The citizens were then forced to pay the tax, and the aftermath left many unable to afford salt. In remembrance of this event and the remaining displeasure with the pope and papal system, the townsfolk do not eat salt with their bread.
At the end of the tour, we stopped to see the stunning Perugia Cathedral. The stained glass, the pillars with tree supports, and the perfect geometry of the ceiling made the visit unforgettable. We departed Perugia and finished the day in Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis and a city with a sprawling countryside and rolling hills.
As the day concludes, we remember the importance of cathedrals and great buildings of the past. As people shaped by history, remembering what came before us is integral to a proper, grounded view of the world.
But on those occasisons like today when we are struck with a recognition of beauty, we are once again reminded what we live for. To quote the inspiring professor John Keating portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie “Dead Poets Society”: “[M]edicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Many of us on this trip will be engineers. Some of us wish to be lawyers, doctors, or businessmen. As we enter a crucial phase in our lives, this trip as a whole and the cathedral specifically remind us that life is not solely about our profession. To be lived to the fullest, life must be experienced with an eye toward poetry, literature, culture, and all that is artistic. Surely there is no better way to gain that perspective than through study abroad.