One of my favorite aspects of life in Italy is aperitivo culture. It is the perfect transition from a productive day to a social evening. This article outlines what aperitivo is, popular drinks, and where to find the best in Perugia.

Some history

Aperitivo became popular in 19th century Northern Italy, during a period of rapid industrialization. The alcohol industry was becoming increasingly important in this area, especially because of the medicinal properties associated with bitter drinks such as vermouth. At the same time, there was an increasing demand for pre-dinner drinks from workers who needed a space to decompress after long days. As a result, aperitivo was born. 

Today, Aperitivo is a time to decompress, socialize, and stimulate the appetite with a cocktail and some light snacks. While a number of unique and modern cocktails can be found today, I think it’s best to start with the basics. When in doubt, these are the drinks to order:

• Aperol spritz
  • This one you have likely heard of before. Refreshing and bittersweet, you can’t go wrong with this Italian classic. 
• Campari Spritz
  • If you are looking for something just as refreshing, but more bitter than an Aperol spritz, ask for a Campari Spritz. It has similar citrus notes as Aperol but is bolder, with more of an herbal flavor
• Hugo Spritz
  • The Hugo has the same base of prosecco as the Aperol and Campari Spritz, but uses elderflower syrup instead of a bitter. Garnished with fresh mint, the Hugo is light, floral, refreshing.
• Negroni
  • The Negroni is a very bitter, non-carbonated drink composed of Campari, vermouth, and gin. You can also ask for a Negroni Sbagliato, meaning “mistaken Negroni,” which substitutes prosecco for gin. 
• Non-Alcoholic
  • There are a number of non-alcoholic options available for aperitivo, normally carbonated and somewhat bitter. My favorite is Sanbitter, although Crodino is another popular brand.

Apertivo Spots Worth Trying

In Perugia, you can’t go far without passing a bar offering aperitivo. A couple of my favorite spots in the city center include:

• Cafe Vanucci
  • Great for outdoor seating near Piazza IV Novembre 
• Turan Cafe
  • Another spot close to the main Piazza.
• Caffè dal Perugino 
  • Great drinks, lively atmosphere, fair prices.
• Priori Secret Garden
  • For particularly good snacks.
• Punto di Vista
  • For an incredible view of the city.

The Italian aperitivo is more than just a pre-dinner drink.  It’s a chance to connect, be present, and decompress after the working day. I think that in the US it is common to struggle with finding time for socializing during the week, which can worsen daily stress and lead to burn out. The Italian Aperitivo serves as a model for how social connection can be included in daily routines. 

Tips on Learning and Using Italian During Your Time Abroad.

Embarrassment is an underexplored emotion, often because we are intent on avoiding it. It is uncomfortable and puts us in a vulnerable state. But I think that the concept of embarrassment has become oversaturated and has stunted our ability to express ourselves and grow as people. Confidence is something that requires practice, the progression of which is significantly hindered by our fear of embarrassment. An example of this that I’ve recently identified is learning a new language and using it. Being abroad, I’ve been given the opportunity to learn to speak Italian, but a limited vocabulary and a not-so-firm grasp of grammar mechanics does not inspire a lot of confidence when going to talk to a native speaker. After almost 4 months here in Italy, the only thing I’m fluent in is ordering a cup of coffee. But that doesn’t mean I’m not able to communicate effectively in other situations. In this article, I’m going to share my tips for learning Italian during your stay here in Perugia, and my tips for pushing through the fear of looking or sounding silly.  

Take Notes in Class 

The confidence in your ability to speak Italian starts in how you approach learning it. You’re given an exercise book upon starting your Italian language journey at Umbra, but I’ve found having your own notes on the class material to be very helpful. Aside from the numerous studies that have shown that handwriting notes can help with retention, I’ve found that handwritten notes allow me to put the concepts into my own words or create my own visual representations. Writing things down also prompts me to ask questions and get certain concepts clarified. So, when it comes time to review for exams, or even exercises in class, all the information I need is organized in a way that is ideal for me. Also, a small notebook with the essential information is a lot easier to pick up to study from than a big textbook, which if you’re anything like me is full of scribbled translations and doodles.  

Practice Outside of Class 

Having your Italian class four times a week is great, but it ultimately occupies a very small amount of your time. A great low-stakes way to practice outside of class is a language-learning app like Duolingo or Babbel. This is advice that you’ve likely heard many times. But I hope I can break it down for you. Daily practice is, of course, the most effective. But keeping a streak isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially among other class work, travel, and exploring the city. A lot of times there seems to be something better to do than open your language app. Personally, my streaks of practice have been spotty, but I truly have noticed progress in my comprehension, pronunciation, and confidence when I have been consistent. In many ways, whether with your app or not, you do practice to some degree every day being immersed in the Italian culture. The most important thing is to make an effort; it doesn’t have to be perfect! 

Be Patient with Yourself 

As a perfectionist, this is probably my biggest challenge when I learn something new. It is hard to accept being bad at something, even though it’s completely normal to struggle with new skills and knowledge. I’ve found that I’m especially self-conscious of my American accent. As a result, I default to English during interactions in restaurants and elsewhere to avoid the mere possibility of feeling embarrassed for my choppy Italian. But this robs me of the growth that comes from making mistakes. I know it’s annoying to hear, but it’s true. Making mistakes will help you to remember the proper word or pronunciation the next time you go to say it. It also robs you of that amazing feeling you get when an interaction goes well. Many times, the highlight of my day has been a flawless coffee order or being able to understand a new phrase perfectly. Also, sometimes I need to remind myself of the obvious, very few people speak a second language perfectly, and none without an accent of some sort. Your professors whose first language is Italian, they speak English with an Italian accent. It is nothing to be self-conscious of. Go forward with a positive attitude. Chances are the people you talk to are appreciative of your sincere effort.  

If Nothing Else, Try.  

All my tips can be synthesized into this one piece of advice. Try. 

Something that helps me do this is to pick one small challenge every day. This can look like going to the post office or tabaccheria to ask for stamps to mail a post card. Or ordering lunch entirely in Italian. Or stop by student services to say hello. The hard truth is that you have to be uncomfortable before you can be confident. The only thing in your way is your fear of feeling embarrassed. I think that in today’s world, we are afraid of showing genuine effort in case something goes wrong, especially when it comes to building connections with other people. But if a temporary moment of embarrassment is the only cost of having a real moment of connection with another person, don’t you think it’s worth it?  

Good luck on your semester here in Perugia!
Learning Italian may not be easy, but you’ve got this.
If nothing else, just try! 

The Challenges You Don’t See

In my time abroad in Italy, I’ve visited new countries and cities, all showing me new scenery, culture, and ways of life. While experiencing all of these new places was incredible, traveling can be hard, and tiring. Planning trips, lining up transportation, and maintaining relationships in your own home city, all while doing school can be stressful. At fi rst, at the beginning of the semester, I felt overwhelmed. I felt as though I kept making mistakes, and I wasn’t “doing enough,” all while trying to adapt and missing home. Missing home while missing trains, running through airports, it was a lot. However, there came a day not long after, when I embraced the challenge.

Trusting The Process

I had to remind myself that these feelings are all a part of the process – and that studying abroad is HARD. Not only do you do it to live in a new place overseas, but you do it to grow. Once I came to terms with this, it all suddenly became easier. I soon became a more spontaneous, relaxed person. I was shown that not everything needs to be immediately figured out, you don’t always have to have an answer, and that there’s beauty in taking your time and enjoying experiences. For example, aperitivo slowly became a part of my weekly ritual abroad in Perugia, and through aperitivo, hours of conversing and enjoying time with others, I learned that simple things are what matter most.

Practice in Patience

The sense of patience that I developed – I even had to practice it in the hardest of moments abroad, including those moments where I felt so extremely homesick, and couldn’t necessarily reach my family at my convenience. Calling family members at home back in the United States is like playing chess, especially with the time difference. The act of calling someone and talking to them on the phone while abroad is difficult – feeling so connected but SO disconnected at the same time. You may feel super connected with your new peers at your new school, but disconnected from what’s going on at home.

Confident, Content, and Capable

Being on my own for me. And only me, which was tough! Being on my own gave me a lot of clarity, and getting to have the experiences I had changed my life. With this growing sense of confi dence and independence came joy. The joys of waking up every morning to the sunshine beaming into my bedroom. Going to class and seeing friends that I’ve just met but somehow feel like I’ve known for a lifetime. Coffee in between classes, aperitivo and walks around the city to start the evening. Dinners and laughter. Late nights and funny stories. Crazy travel experiences, living out of a backpack. Thousands of photos. Three journals of memories to read back on. But this, this power, this fire I now have, is something that is now within me, a feeling that I’ve never had before and no one can take away from me. If I could sum up my study abroad experience in one sentence, it would literally just be “I can do this.” This time though, I can repeat this sentence over and over, and actually mean these words.

Alternative Food Production Models

The first stop on the trip was Il Grifo, a small scale pig farm near Reggio Emilia. What is unique about this farm is the fact that they complete all parts of the salami production process on the same property, from raising the pigs to curing the meat. Instead of being kept in large facilities and fed corn or other processed animal feed, the pigs at Il Grifo eat hay that is grown onsite. The farm aims to operate in an alternative way to intensive, large scale facilities by keeping production hyper local, and adhering to circular economy principles. Instead of focusing on producing a high quantity of meat for a low price, the farmers here are committed to creating comfortable and happy living conditions for their pigs. The farm serves as both a model for what livestock production looked like 70 years ago, and also what it could look like in a more sustainable future.

After a long lunch at Il Grifo we visited another farm, Azienda Agricola Capieste. This is a medium scale cow farm producing milk for parmigiano reggiano cheese. The cows here are Holsteins, which is a Dutch breed of cow introduced to Italy in the 1950s. While these cows are great at producing large quantities of milk, they are not the same as the Romagnola and Rossa Reggiana cow breeds that were historically used for parmigiano reggiano production. 

After spending the night in Modena, we started day 2 with a visit to a Parmigiano reggiano factory, 4 Madonne. The company is actually a cooperation of farmers in the region, owning 8 factories in total. We were able to see the process of making a wheel of parmigiano from start to finish, and even got to taste some cheese. While the main elements of this cheese production have largely remained the same, there are some huge differences in how the cheese is made today. Because the factory produces such a large quantity of cheese, parts of the process which were done by hand in the past are now produced using machines. After learning about the production of cheese itself, we talked about the requirements for parmigiano to have that name. Learning about DOP and IGP certifications was something I found interesting about the capstone trip as a whole. This level of regionality and cultural significance in relation to food is not something that exists in the United States, and it was really unique to hear about the efforts made to preserve regional food culture. 

After the visit to 4 Maddone, we paid a visit to Daniele Cazzolla’s red cows farm. While this farm also produces milk for making  parmigiano cheese, it provided a contrast to Azienda Agricola Capieste because of its extremely small scale. The red cow farm only raises traditional breeds from the region, not the Holsteins we saw at Azienda Agricola Capieste. It was clear from this visit that the cows were extremely well cared for, and that their wellbeing was at the forefront of the farm’s operations. Although the farms that we visited differed in size, they were both extremely small compared to the cow farms in the United States. For me, the visits to these two cow farms as well as the trip to Il Grifo served as a reminder for how important it is to buy ethically produced animal products. While it may cost less to buy mass produced animal products, there is a non-monetary, environmental cost that everyone in the world pays for.

Care and Culture in Food Production

Our next two visits provided another comparison between large and small scale food production. First we visited Acetum, the top producer of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI. Here, we learned about the history, methods, and sustainability related to balsamic vinegar production. Acetum produces both PGI and DOP protected Balsamic vinegar, which are both made using traditional methods but have different requirements surrounding aging. Another interesting aspect of this visit was the fact that Acetum is a B-corporation, meaning they adhere to a number of social and environmentally responsible practices. It was interesting to see what this certification looks like in practice, as we have discussed B-corp certification in my past environmental science classes.

Our second to last visit to Acetaia San Giacomo provided a huge contrast to this. This small-scale balsamic vinegar production is run by only 6 employees, producing DOP balsamic vinegar with historical methods. It was extremely insightful to compare this type of production with what we saw at Acetum. 

Takeaways

Overall, I thought this trip was the perfect culmination of everything we have learned in the Food and Environment Program. There is a huge difference between learning about food production in class and actually seeing how it is done in real life. This trip provided insight into how sustainability actually looks in food production through unique visits that would have been difficult to access if not for Umbra staff. 

Personally, this visit shifted the way I view both sustainability and tradition when it comes to food. It is easy to think that just because something is “traditional,” it must also be sustainable. This visit raised questions about what both of those words really mean. I am left wondering at what point a business becomes less about preserving culinary culture and more about profits.

Vintage in the Historic City Center

Revibë Store─ Via Alessi no.6

The first tip you should follow is to go to Via Alessi no.6 to the brand-new Revibë store.

This secondhand shop was opened by Red, a young student from Bologna who moved to Perugia to study at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Here, Red’s passion for fashion perfectly combines with love for reuse, which transforms into care and affection through the careful selection of clothes from private owners. 

The shop’s decor reflects Red’s personal taste and will transport you straight into the ‘80s and ‘90s.

You can find anything in his lovely shop, from elegant clothes —thanks to brands like Fendi— to beloved streetwear on the second floor of the building.

Inside this cozy space, you can find a wide range of pieces, with honest and student-friendly prices, it’s the perfect place to discover unique clothes with their own story.

Paleos Vintage & Second Hand─ Via Guglielmo Oberdan no.49

Going down to Via Guglielmo Oberdan 49, you will find the ultimate vintage and secondhand shop in Perugia, Paleos Vintage & Second Hand, run by the lovely Greek Mrs. Eleni and her son Alexandros.

The shop was born from Eleni’s passion for vintage markets and her desire to give beautiful clothes a second life.

If you are looking for something truly distinctive, this shop is definitely worth a visit: the owners personally select the clothes, entirely made of natural fabrics, that best communicate this quality, from fabric to cut to the most particular stitching.

Madame Dorè Boutique─ Corso Cavour no. 50/a 

Just a few steps from the Sant’Ercolano staircase, Madame Dorè Boutique welcomes its guests in a sophisticated lounge that will make you feel like you’re on the Bridgerton’s set.

Every detail, from the delicate scent that envelops the space to the warm, soft lighting, among the antique pink wallpaper, retro-framed mirrors, the soft carpet, and the comfortable sofa, contributes to creating a place where fashion becomes an intimate and refined experience.

Let yourself be guided by Giulia, the owner of Perugia’s timeless boutique, through colorful clothes, balancing quality, uniqueness, and sustainability, with prices reflecting the authentic value of each piece, promoting conscious consumption and circular fashion of high-quality clothes and artisanal items.

Perugia’s Saturday Thrift Market

If you are a lover of challenges and great deals, the stop you absolutely cannot miss is the Saturday Market at Pian di Massiano, the temple of thrifting in Perugia. Easily reachable by the legendary Minimetrò, without traffic and very fast, it takes only 12 minutes to cross seven stops (Pian di Massiano is, in fact, the seventh). The Minimetrò is the best friend of Perugia’s students, as well as a true cultural and identity symbol for the citizens who live in this city (for the ones who still don’t know it, I’ll leave you links to a Minimetrò guide written by previous students, don’t worry about it!).

A tip: going early is the wisest choice to secure the most “in” clothes of the week. It’s full of determined people trying to grab, among piles of secondhand clothes, the highest quality items at mind-blowing prices, often ranging between 1 and 5 euros.

Charity and Ethical Fashion

If, besides environmental sustainability, social justice is also close to your heart, you might want to check out the Charity Shop of the non-profit organization Italian Red Cross (CRI), located at Via Luigi Bonazzi no. 1. A brief clarification: from its motto, “An Italy that helps,” we can understand its main mission. The CRI is dedicated to helping people in emergency situations, such as natural disasters, health crises, or conflicts, offering medical assistance, rescue, and social support.

Here, an exhibition of donated clothes is organized by the CRI Perugia Committee to raise funds and financing aimed at social projects for vulnerable people.

Choosing to buy clothes from this shop therefore becomes a meaningful way to contribute concretely to community welfare.

Opening Hours, Charity Shop Perugia – Croce Rossa Italiana“ | Via Luigi Bonazzi

Designer Labels in Secondhand

If you are looking for  high quality and elevated clothes, you must pay a visit to  the Mercatino di Perugia in Via dei Filosofi 76/n: Here you’ll find secondhand designer clothes at affordable prices and great condition—from Brunello Cucinelli to Luisa Spagnoli. Although time wears out natural fabrics, higher quality grants better result than vast fashion over time

Check out Mercatino Perugia

Why Choose Secondhand?

If you’re still not convinced secondhand is the way to go, let me walk you through a few good reasons for going sustainable

• The quality is better:  Secondhand clothes from vintage boutiques are often made of better fabrics such as cotton, wool, and even silk, at competitive prices;
• You are doing the right thing: The planet will definitely thank you, as pre-owned clothing has an environmental impact up to 70 times lower than new clothing, according to a study conducted by EuRIC;
• Your outfit becomes unique: Unleash your creativity by inventing a look that truly expresses your identity, bringing home a piece of Italy, like a true perugino!

You will definitely find these websites useful to explore “fashionable Perugia”:

• A Guide to Creative Perugia – The Umbra Institute – Study Abroad in Italy
• How to Reach Pian di Massiano – Minimetrò Perugia
• Navigating the Minimetrò – The Umbra Institute – Study Abroad in Italy – Perugia

Learning from an Expert

Our experience started with a short lecture from Matteo Bartolini, truffle hunter and economist. He introduced us to the history and basic principles of truffle hunting, and discussed some of the contemporary issues in the field. It is clear that this practice is extremely important in Italian, and specifically Umbrian culture. 90% of the world’s truffles are produced in Italy, and of that number 98% are produced in Umbria. 

Tradition, Family, and Changing Dynamics

Bartolini explained how his father taught him how to hunt for truffles, and how he is now passing down the same knowledge to his son. While truffle hunting has served as an important source of community connection in the past, the culture has now shifted to become quite competitive. Economic and political motivations have caused tense relations between competing farms, creating a new set of challenges for farmers. 

Understanding Truffle Cultivation

We then moved to the field, joined by Bartolini’s dog, Luna, and his father. The farm itself was different from any other type of agriculture that I have seen. Bartolini’s land consists of many different plots of oak trees, with truffles growing on the roots. When deciding to start a farm, soil tests must be conducted to test if the land is suitable for truffle production. If it is, oak trees are planted and truffle growth is encouraged by pouring water with spores onto the roots of the trees. After some time, truffles will grow. 

When we walked out to the field, Luna was eager to start hunting. Bartolini had explained to us how the success of a hunt does not only depend on the dog’s natural ability to smell, but also on their training and eagerness to participate. After just a short time watching Luna, it was clear that she was a natural. She ran from tree to tree smelling for truffles, retrieving them from the ground and dutifully bringing them to Bartolini’s father in her mouth. In just a short time, Luna had found a handful of large truffles.

Tradition Meets Sustainability

What struck me the most about the trip to Bartolini’s property was the

connection between business, nature, and culture that is present in the process of truffle hunting. This type of cultivation is impossible to mass produce because of the equally necessary contributions needed from the land, animals, and people. While truffles are a highly lucrative business, they also represent cultural and historical ties between Umbrian land and people. I think that it is often easy for conversations about business and sustainability to become very technical, considering only how to maximize profits while minimizing environmental harm. Bartolini’s model for truffle cultivation demonstrates the importance of maintaining the human, cultural element within business, considering this alongside financial and sustainability goals.