Florence, Italy Assignment #6

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Florence, Italy Assignment #6

Jo Ann Smith



Volunteering is an important community service that the Italian people are known for, like when the Arno River flooded in 1966 that damaged and destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare book. Volunteers from all over Italy and around the world came to help save the fine works of art. They became known as angeli del fango (Mud Angels).



We also had a great opportunity to give back to this beautiful city that we have called home for the past week. We spent a beautiful sunny afternoon doing volunteering work with Angeli del Bello (Angels of Beauty) an organization founded in 2010 by Quadrifoglio and Partners Association Plaazzo Strozzi that works with residents, students and visitors to help in the cleanup of the parks and other areas around the city, to paint over the graffiti on walls, park benches and work in the gardens. We took a bus to a park in a newer part of Florence. It was nice to see some green space because the old part of Florence, where we are staying has plazas made of large stones. The park had a river with sidewalks on both sides, there was a man fishing, people walking their dogs and riding bicycles. It so peaceful and it was like looked at a painting. I can not imagine that someone would want to destroy this beautiful setting with graffiti. We painted over graffiti on the back brick walls of two benches. It felt good to know we helped to contribute a small part in this wonderful organization.



The second part of this assignment was about a lecture on the Italian family. I was unable to attend the lecture due to illness. The doctor said it is just a cold but with my history of bronchitis, she gave me medicine and said to stay in for two days. But she would not give me cough syrup with codeine to help me sleep, like the doctors at home do. My poor roommates have to hear me cough all night.

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