Italian culture is incredibly interesting when viewed through the lens of American culture, as it has blended into our culture through its food, history, architecture, and so many other ways. This September, Athens Academy has been blessed with the honor of hosting 17 Italian Exchange students and two teachers from Liceo Corso to tour our school and the state of Georgia. They arrived on September 14th and left on the 24th.
On this exchange, they experience touring the city of Savannah, the University of Georgia, going to Six Flags Amusement Park, watching college and high school football games, eating American, Mexican, and other types of food, and much more.
As a host student myself (hosting Jacopo Pratissoli) I shared with him my favorite restaurants like Waffle House and Taqueria La Parilla, my cross country workouts, my academic subjects, and my love of college football (among other things).
Mrs. Bursi, one of the Italian teachers, when talking about surprising things about the United States, said that “something I was astonished at was the countryside,” which she remarked was a stark contrast between Italy and the United States. She remarked “our nature is somewhat lost,” comparing the landscapes of Italy and the United States. We also discussed the cultural differences and similarities, and how our two cultures have exchanged cultures.
Mrs. Bursi stated that “it’s blending in…we are a country full of history, full of art, I don’t think that this type of culture or food will ever get lost,” later stating that “I think this is a good thing.” She later talked on the topic that “Italian culture is becoming more American…because American culture is probably stronger, and so we are just moving into your culture.” Italian and American cultures are more similar than we realize, as dishes like spaghetti, pizza, and lasagna are commonplace, and things like fast food are shared across the two countries.
My exchange student was able to share a dish called carbonara with us, making it for our family, which was a wonderful experience, and I hope to repay the gesture when I travel to Italy. Pratissolio told me that he was surprised by “high school, because I’ve never seen it before… particularly from your neighborhood because all of the houses are similar.”
When interviewing Sumit Alexander, a fellow host student, we discussed food and its role in spreading culture, and he expressed that “food’s just one of the best ways to express food and community in any given area.”
Overall, the Italians have had a great time staying in the United States, and in March of 2025 we hope to go visit Liceo Corso and Italy. The international exchange program is important at Athens Academy as it provides opportunities to travel and partake in other cultures, learning about other ways of life.
