Faculty Blog: La Magia di Firenze
April 10, 2025 Written by Lillyrose Veneziano Broccia
My first visit to Florence in 1996 was as a study abroad student. Stepping off the train, swept up in the energy of travel, my classmates and I followed our professor through the bustling streets. But it was one turn—coming face to face with Santa Maria Novella Church—that changed everything for me. Why did it feel like destiny, its façade enchanting me so? It was love at first sight—a “colpo di fulmine” rooted in the timeless beauty of “Firenze.”
Once back home, I applied to a yearlong graduate program—in Florence. As the final months of the 20th century dawned, I immersed myself in an Italy of the “lira,” landlines and handwritten essays. In the years that followed, I returned whenever I could, lingering as long as possible. With each visit, my love deepened. I shared it through stories of winding walks, exquisite cuisine, hidden “piazze” and the lyrical cadence of Florentine speech. Later, as a professor of Italian, I continued to pass on my passion—not just for the language and culture, but for Florence herself.
In winter 2025, I served as the faculty director of the inaugural winter session in Florence for the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Delaware. I had the privilege of living as a Florentine alongside an extraordinary group of students. We learned our neighborhoods, markets and “trattorie,” immersing ourselves in the rhythms of daily life. We spent mornings in Italian language classes and afternoons exploring palaces, museums and gardens. Through their eyes, I saw the Florence that first captivated me—blue skies against terracotta rooftops, rolling Tuscan hills framing a city that breathes history while inviting you into its unfolding story. I watched as they gifted pieces of themselves to Florence and, in return, experienced moments that will accompany them forever.
The magic of Florence isn’t just in its twisting streets, its flavors or the music of its language. It’s in the people you travel with and those you meet along the way—those who become family. It’s in the shared moments that linger long after you leave. Each of my tearful departures is met with the same loving reassurance from my chosen “famiglia”—“Firenze sarà qui, aspettandoti.”—“Florence will be here, awaiting your return.” Now, I pass those words on to my own students, who have also fallen in love with this city, and with the parts of themselves they discovered there. I joyfully look forward to guiding future students through Florentine life and learning anew what they see, hear and cherish in this magical city.
Through study abroad, you discover new landscapes—in the world and within yourself. It is a lifelong gift, a treasure that blooms endlessly in the memories and stories you carry forward. It teaches you to find beauty—even in the most challenging times—and to embrace the wonders that surround you and shape who you are.
— Lillyrose Veneziano Broccia, assistant professor of Italian and director of DLLC’s new winter travel study program in Florence
