Delphisms and Dragons: Professor Ronald Delph’s Study Abroad Course in Rome and Florence

By Deborah Fagan

Deborah Fagan with Professor

Ronald Delph

“I’m invoking life lesson number 3!” “Grab a slab!” “This is a glorious note-taking opportunity!” These phrases may seem incongruous, but they were often heard one right after the other during Professor Ronald Delph’s study abroad course: “Power, Place, and Image in Late Medieval and Renaissance Florence and Rome” in Winter 2024. Referred to by the class as “Delphisms,” these idioms were the backbone of our time in Italy. Life lesson number three meant that we would be stopping for a restroom break and that the opportunity to do so would not be presented again for…quite a long time. When Delph would gesture broadly to the middle of a piazza, or if we were lucky, rainy stone steps outside of the Uffizi, it meant that we were likely in for a glorious note-taking opportunity. 

These “Delphisms” only enriched our experience in Italy. Every day we’d wake up, grab some breakfast, and begin our day which typically consisted of lots of walking and note-taking opportunities. We had both across Rome and Florence: at the Temple of the Vestal Virgins in the Roman Forum, in front of a stunning painting by Titian at the Villa Borghese, or in front of Brunelleschi’s doors in the shadow of the beautiful Santa Maria del Fiore. Delph also never missed the chance to show us dragon-related sculptures, some of his favorite things on the trip.

While examining all of the monuments and art of Rome and Florence, Professor Delph also showed us the more mundane beauties of the city such as the best gelateria in Rome, hole-in-the-wall pizza spots, the perfect place to eat so one wouldn’t be attacked by pigeons, and some of the best food in Florence. These may be all food-related, but I promise it is because the food was one of the best parts of the trip.

Professor Ronald Delph (right) and students of “Power, Place, and Image in Late Medieval and Renaissance Florence and Rome” at a gelateria 

Every day we had the opportunity to learn something new. We were encouraged to ask questions and formulate our own thoughts. It was not only glorious notetaking; it was also connecting the obelisks of Pope Sixtus V across Rome, reading the architecture of a classical Roman inspired façade, viewing the evolution of the city of Rome through the “de-towering” of Medieval Roman feudal lords (many now converted into apartments), and climbing Brunelleschi’s dome to admire the incredible feat of engineering as well as the panoramic view of Florence.

This trip was the experience of a lifetime, not only because we were in Italy, but because we had Professor Delph leading our journey. He is a wealth of knowledge, and he brought an undercurrent of life to his lectures. They were rich and textured, giving you the feeling of walking alongside the people he was talking about. There was a spirit of gaiety alongside the learning. I can say without a doubt that this experience has enriched my life for the better. Delph’s life lesson number one is, “In life, as in cheese, you get what you pay for.” If this experience was cheese, I undoubtedly did not pay enough.