Welcome to the official blog of the Westminster College 2013 May Term Study Experience trip to Italy. Students in this course will begin their “viaggio musicale” (musical journey) on campus where they will spend two weeks studying conversational Italian language with professor Michael Chipman and Italian music history from the 15^th to the 17^th centuries, taught by Dr. Brandon Derfler. During the second half of the course, students will travel to Italy and spend two weeks touring Milan, Tuscany and Venice. During our week in Tuscany, we will stay in an “agriturismo” converted farmouse in the Tuscan countryside and take faculty-led day-trips to Florence, Siena, Pisa, Lucca and Ferrara, visiting the churches, museums and historical sites that were the birthplace of much of Western classical music. We will also explore the famous wineries, olive orchards and restaurants that make Tuscany so famous. We will attend operas at La Scala in Milan and at La Fenice in Venice. Coursework will include blog posts and a video journal that chronicles the students’ “viaggio musicale,” what they learned about Italian music history, language and culture, and how that learning experience broadened their global perspective. Feel free to follow this blog for frequent updates on students and professors' experiences on the trip.