Ciao Ragazzi!

Right now, (not really now, because I'm now back at CEFID, but earlier today) we have been given some time to explore Assisi and pick a spot to go and observe an area of Assisi.
I am (was) sitting in one of the main piazzas near a rather large building that I believe is a church that Francis of Assisi preached in front of. It is quite beautiful, just like everything else here. There is a huge mob of people standing under two of it's arches all anxiuosly holding cameras, waiting for the perfect shot. A small water fountain sits in the center sputtering to the pigeons and wide-eyed explorers. Small shops adn cafès border the piazza with their open doors.
The view from this place is captivating with it's eyes set on the landscape and small towns. The mountains create a lovely backdrop to the sprinkled trees amongst the clusters of buildings. Assisi gazes on this treasure from it's hilly home. This truly is a precious place.
Assisi, and just Italy in general, is already so different from the United States. There is so much history here and the new blends in with the old. Each building compliments the next and accentuates the beauty of our ancestors. The use of cars has dwindled due to the narrow roadways that are lucky to fit a mini cooper. Wherever you want to go is within walking distance. The size of everything seems smaller than in America, even if it is more crowded.
This is such a beautiful place and I am so blessed to be here. America does not compare. The history is deep and rich and probing. For example, today we visited the library in town (Biblioteca Sacroconvento) and we were able to look at some ancient documents ranging from the 6th century to the 14th century. They were written in Latin and had gold embedded in some of the pages. We saw a book that was an ancient copy of the book of Maccabees. Then we saw the room that all the library's ancient manuscripts were held and it was incredible to be in the same room as all these extremely old and beautiful books. There was an entire collection of the copies of the books of the Bible!
Italy has so much to offer and so much history that it is hard to imagine all that has already taken place in this country. America really is incredibly young. This trip makes me feel more and more proud of being an Italian-American. My family is from a place of great importance and of great culture. My mind is still spinning at how amazing this trip already is and all that I still have yet to discover!