For our group’s final day in Milan, we travelled to LineaPelle and we were given a presentation as to how different types of leather is produced, the different steps in the tanning process and just an overall look into the industry. LineaPelle is a member of UNIC (roughly 200 members total) and represents many of…

On our group’s first day back in Milan, we listened to a comprehensive presentation from Bottega Velasca which is an 100% Italian shoe producer. Velasca was established in 2013 and prides itself on high quality. All of the shoes they produce are handmade and take roughly four full weeks to produce one pair. Furthermore, Velasca…

Today our group said goodbye to Verona and we did two site visits on our way back to Milano. The first company that we visited was Sartoria Cavour Tailoring Company located on the outskirts of Verona. The company was started 30 years ago by two tailors looking for a venture investment and to utilize their…

On our group’s first full day in Verona, we went to visit the Consorzio Della Moda (Mozzecane Fashion Consortium). Upon arriving at the information session, our group was informed of a variety of statistics that gave us a much better understanding of the fashion industry of Veneto and Italy as a whole. Specifically, 25% of…

To cap off our first full week in Italy, our group took a day trip to Venice. We left for Venice by train and arrived in shortly over an hour. Venice is unlike any other city in the world, giving that it was built on a series of connected islands. Specifically, the city is a…

After two fantastic days in Florence, our group took the three hour bus ride over to the much smaller city of Verona. The city was founded by the Romans and has roughly 260,000 residents today. Nevertheless, Verona attracts millions of tourists from the across the globe each year with its historical architecture and connection to…

On our group’s first full day in Florence, we traveled to the Scuola del Cuoio (Leather School of Florence) and we were able to observe local artisans execute their craft right before our eyes. Our guide explained many unique aspects of the leather school which impressed me, the first being that the school actually began…

On our group’s fifth day of the trip, we traveled out of Milan and over to the wonderful city of Florence. During the drive, our group stopped at a rest-stop to purchase snacks for the rest of our ride and I was able to try Italian wafers and chocolate espresso! After our group arrived at…

On our group’s fourth day in Milan, we travelled to the small city of Como, nestled at the foothills of the Swiss Alps. Before arriving in Como, our group toured the Mantero Spa. This Spa is not what you would think of when one hears the word spa. Established in 1902, Mantero Spa is in…

On our group’s third day in Milan, we traveled to the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit in the National Museum of Science and Technology. In particular, this exhibit emphasized the wide variety of focuses that Leonardo achieved during his career and specifically his time in Milan. One of the first achievements that was emphasized was Leonardo’s…

For our second day in Milan, our group voyaged to the Duomo and explored the surrounding neighborhoods and shopping centers. Next to the large church was an iconic part of Milan, known as the Galleria. This shopping area has a focus on Italian luxury brands including the likes of Gucci, Prada, Versace, and Armani. Obviously,…

After boarding my flight from Newark to Milan, my mind was still not fully grasping the scope of the journey that I was about to take on. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30 (Newark time) but unfortunately our plane’s takeoff got delayed due to, as the captain himself put it, “projectile vomit”. This…

Hello world! My name is Matthew Hoover and I’m a freshman marketing major at the University of Pittsburgh. I’m originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio but will be spending nearly three full weeks in Italy during the month of May! I’m thrilled to be participating in the Plus3 Italy program and cannot wait to set out…