Geography, Living Abroad, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog

Introduction: My Year in Italy

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living-in-italy
Symbol of Italy with its traditional green, white, and red stripes with the outline of Italy in the front.

My family and I spent a year in Italy when I was eleven years old. Airplane travel was still extremely expensive. Travel by ocean liner was actually more affordable, comfortable, and leisurely. So we opted for a nine day transatlantic voyage.

In fact, it was great fun. While living in Rome, we occupied a nine room apartment. Our education was at the Overseas School of Rome, a converted Roman Villa located outside the central city in the countryside.
This whole experience is probably the most memorable one of my entire seventy five year life. In fact I am writing this story now while I remember it and before I forget.

TITLE: MY YEAR IN ITALY

PART ONE: THE BEGINNING

Chapter One: Moving to Italy
My family and I spent a year living in Italy when I was eleven years old. Because airplane travel was still extremely expensive, we actually traveled by ocean liner. It was a nine day transatlantic voyage that was great fun. While living in Rome, we occupied a nine room apartment.
Chapter Two: Our Atlantic Crossing
Our transatlantic voyage took place three years after Grace Kelly traveled on the SS Constitution for her nuptial voyage to Monaco in 1956. Three years later in 1959 we sailed on the SS Constitution to Naples, Italy.

PART TWO: LIFE IN ITALY

Chapter Three: Settling Into Our Roman Home
My family and I spent a year living in Italy when I was eleven years old. Because airplane travel was still extremely expensive, we actually traveled by ocean liner. It was a nine day transatlantic voyage that was great fun. While living in Rome, we occupied a nine room apartment.


Our apartment in Rome that we occupied from Sept 1959 to June 1960 was on the second floor of a six story building. It contained nine marble floored rooms, was spacious enough for a foyer, a living room, a sitting room, a dining room, and a kitchen situated from the left end of the apartment to the grand entryway.

Chapter Four: School Days
School days at the (American) Overseas School of Rome still consist first of our bus adventure out of the town center. In our day, that was a trip into and home from the countryside. Although we all in different grades, we all took the same bus to the same rural campus.
Chapter Five: Daily Life
Daily Life in Rome was similar to and different from Long Island life. The differences made daily life in Rome much more fun.
Chapter Six: Popular American Movies Made in Rome
There were several popular American movies made in Rome around the time that we were living in Italy. Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, and Eddie Albert was the first. The screen play was written by Dalton Trumbo but published under a pseudonym due to his blacklisted status.

PART THREE: SPECIAL TIMES

Chapter Seven: Christmas Season in Rome
Roman Holiday Celebrations were much more extravagant as I remember. The two most outstanding were Christmas Season and New Years Eve.

PART FOUR: GOING HOME

Chapter Eight: Our Conclusion to Living in Rome
All too soon this story ends and we return to New York again by ship on the SS Constitution.
FOUR PART STORY WITH CHAPTER LINKS
PART ONE: THE BEGINNING
INTRODUCTION: My Year in Italy
1. Moving to Italy
2. Our Atlantic Crossing
3. Settling Into Our Roman Home

PART TWO: LIFE IN ITALY
4. School Days
5. Daily Life
6. Popular American Movies Made in Italy

PART THREE: SPECIAL TIMES
7. Christmas Season in Rome
PART FOUR: GOING HOME
8. Conclusion to Living in Rome

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Geography, Living Abroad, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog

Chapter Five: School Days in Rome

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AOSR-logo
The AOSR logo.

Roman school days at the (American) Overseas School of Rome consist firstly with our lengthy bus trip out of the developed part of Rome. In those days, this is a trip to and from the countryside. Although we are all in different grades, all three of us take the same bus trip to the same rural campus.

At the time of our attendance, I’m in 6th grade, my sister is in 4th grade, and my brother is in 1st grade. In 1959-1960 the school’s name is the International Overseas School of Rome. Today it is the prestigious American Overseas School of Rome, home to an international student body of around 600 students. To be exact, approximately one-third are from the United States, one-third are from Italy, and the remaining third are from 50 different countries.(1)
The Bus Ride to School
Actually there are days that I clearly remember having to stop in the midst of our morning commute along the Via Cassia to allow the farmers’ sheep to cross the road. From the map I have locating that route to school, the area no longer shares the road with the sheep because the school environs are no longer the countryside. The geography has become more urban.
road to the American Overseas School of Rome on google maps
Here’s a map showing the road to school. Actually it is no longer countryside.

THE CAMPUS

It is almost 65 years since our attendance at the International Overseas School of Rome. Over this period of time so much is different there now. Once countryside surrounding the original main building is now a full modern campus. The vintage edifice originally the only existing building with some classrooms and possibly the cafeteria is dwarfed by a modern campus. The villa is partly surrounded by one or two story school class buildings. Besides that, at one end or campus are outdoor sports facilities including an up-to-date-running track.
American-Overseas-School
The original Roman school days building as I remember it in 1959 is now surrounded by a very full campus of additional buildings and other facilities.
OSR-villa-1947
The original villa that became OSR.
After School Activity For two years previous to living in Italy, I study painting in a gifted children’s after school program. My desire to continue art classes in Rome requires switching to sculpting. In fact that is because it is the only children’s English speaking class available in Rome.

Coincidently, it is in the ‘artists’ section of Rome which is similar to Manhattan’s ‘Greenwich Village’. In addition, my class is in the villa of a German sculptress who we call ‘Aunt Helen’. As a matter of fact this is a creative, cultural, and charming experience. There are children from others schools who speak other languages. In addition we always stop our artwork for tea time, tea and cake. As my memory serves me, Aunt Helen is a German artist of some note. She loves teaching children as well. Unfortunately I do not remember her last name.

TRIP TO FLORENCE

Our Roman school days are not limited to Roman classrooms. In fact, our most exciting time is the weekend class trip to the art capital of Italy, the city of Florence. Instead of viewing world famous historical art in text books, we are able to view the real thing in person. This is something I will never forget.
ponte-vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio from en.wikipedia.png
The Ponte Vecchio My favorite attraction was not a museum or piece of art. Actually it was a bridge called the Ponte Vecchio. It was a bridge across the river in Florence. In fact, what makes it so special are the retail stalls lining the bridge with access only from the bridge. There’s nothing in the states that I think could compare with this experience as a weekend school trip.

SOURCES & RESOURCES

Wikipedia-AOSR
American Overseas School of Rome on Wikipedia.com

(1)Wikipedia-American Overseas School of Rome

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