An Italy Study

Last year we were able to dabble in a study of Italy while we covered ancient history. It is one of those magical countries, that captures the imagination, and makes you want to visit, or at least revisit, a study of it. 

The Romans made such an impact on western culture, and the country still inspires, with innovators such as Carlo Petrini of The Slow Food movement, and Loris Malaguzzi who helped pioneer an educational movement called Reggio Emilia, that places a beautiful emphasis on environment and play.

This summer, we are studying cultures around the world, and loosely participating in a Read Aloud Revival book club called Give Your Child The World.  The book club has inspired us to do a few short unit studies on some of the countries and cultures that intrigued us last year during our ancient history studies. Italy is also a great country to study over the summer in preparation for our year of middle ages history that we are gearing up for.

There are many famous historical people of Italy that we are touching on during this study; Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo are just a few, and we are also highlighting some of the beautiful regions and products that are Italian.

   

No study is ever complete without a feast, and Italian food is a family favorite, so preparing for this part is pure fun. We could have gone to World Market to search out some imported Italian foods to add to this feast, but we were fortunate to find the Nonna Box, and had one shipped to us.

The Nonna Box was a very happy way to experience the foods of Italy. It included several delicious items, including the best strawberry jam and biscotti that I have every tasted, as well as a beautiful panforte full of delicious dried fruit.

We also traced maps, watched this adorable video, and looked up photos of Tuscan gardens. We also plan to try our hand at fermenting grapes and curing olives of produce grown on our land. We have the fruit, and will let you know about the results!

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting this blog by purchasing through my links!