The Circolo la Navicella, a student led academic society at the Notre Dame Rome Global Gateway
The Rome Global Gateway launches the first student-led academic society open to all Notre Dame students studying in Rome and, for specific initiatives, to students enrolled in partner universities and academic institutions in the city as well.
The mission of the Circolo is that of strengthening, in students and faculty involved in its initiatives, the sense of belonging to a learning community and providing an international, free, creative and welcoming place for students to associate, propose, organize and lead extra curricular cultural and experiential learning experiences while studying in Rome.
"The choice of the name of the Circolo reflects its being rooted in the Caelian neighborhood, one of the historical hearts of the city of Rome" says Prof. Sbordoni, faculty coordinator of the Circolo.
"The choice of the name of the Circolo reflects its being rooted in the Caelian neighborhood, one of the historical hearts of the city of Rome."
"The name derives from the marble statue of a small Roman ship (navicella) situated in front of the church of Santa Maria in Domnica. The statue is one of the symbols of the Caelian neighborhood, beloved by Romans who currently refer to the church as La Navicella. Pope Leo X Medici had it made at the beginning of the 1500s to replace a more ancient marble ship which was found on the site. The Circolo has also a motto taken from Dante: Per correr miglior acque alza le vele /omai la navicella del mio ingegno (Dante, Purgatorio I 1-2) [To course across more kindly waters now / my talent's little vessel lifts her sails]. The first two lines of Dante's Purgatorio announce, with a maritime metaphor, the subject matter of the second cantica of the Commedia: the liberating ascension of the mountain of Purgatory towards spiritual elevation and salvation."
On the first meeting of the circolo students appointed Jake Gillespie, undergraduate student of the School of Architecture, as the President of the Circolo, who, together with Yunyi Bai (RIS), Zoey Hart (Gen Ed), August Bonacci (RIS), and John Kochevar (AME) are already at work: among the initiatives are a logo campaign among students, an Italian and North American music playlist and a walking tour.
Other ideas that will be developed in the near future are study groups, roundtables on critical issues, visits to neighborhoods of Rome, museums, exhibits, archaeological sites, and monuments in Rome as well as other Italian cities; attendance at opera, concerts, cinema and theatre performances, as well as conferences on cultural and academic topics in all fields. The Circolo, in fact, supports a special Excellence in study abroad track and students willing to pursue it. It also supports academic initiatives in connection with academic programs at Notre Dame promoting synchronic events paired up in video conferencing, to encourage students in both Rome and South Bend to feel part of a global and evolving academic community, with strong roots both at home and overseas.
"One initiative is a language exchange with Italian university students," continues Chiara. "We have organized a series of five meet ups in which students will talk about a theme, for instance their travels or what they are reading or studying, etc. Half the time will be spent speaking English and half the time Italian."
"One initiative is a language exchange with Italian university students, we have organized a series of five meet ups in which students will talk about a theme, for instance their travels or what they are reading or studying, etc. Half the time will be spent speaking English and half the time Italian."
Click here to download the full poster Circolo La Navicella Poster