When in Florence, Italy

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Hi, I am Foy Renfro, owner of Journey To and Fro Travel in Atlanta and professional travel adviser. After graduating from Clemson in parks, recreation and tourism management in 1992, I have had the opportunity to visit several countries over the years, enjoying the wonderlust of travel!

Florence, Italy, is one of my favorite cities to visit, and I have been fortunate to find myself there a few times for both work and play. Located in Tuscany, Florence has the largest population in the region. Let me show you around:
 

Duomo di Firenze

Il Duomo di Firenze (Florence Cathedral), the Baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile (bell tower) are in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Florence’s historic district. Work on the cathedral began in 1296 and was completed when the iconic dome, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, was finished in 1436.
PRO TIP:
Purchase a 72-hour Duomo ticket that includes entry to the museum, the Baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile.
 

Ponte Vecchio and The Accademia

The Ponte Vecchio or “Old Bridge” is a medieval bridge that spans the Arno River — Florence’s only bridge to survive WWII. Located in the historic district, it connects the Pitti Palace to the Ufizzi Museum via a private corridor. Since 1593, the pedestrian bridge’s shops have only been occupied by jewelers, goldsmiths and silversmiths. The Accademia is also located nearby, which is home to Michealangelo’s David.
PRO TIP:
If you want to get a bird’s-eye view of Florence, make your way to Piazzale Michelangelo for a spectacular panorama of the city. It’s even better at sunset.
 

The Mercato Centrale
This expansive food hall, located behind the Basilica of St. Lorenzo, features many different culinary artisans of Tuscany. There is no need for reservations unless you want to eat in the restaurant, Tosca, or enroll in a cooking lesson. The stands offer pizza, pasta, fried fish, buffalo mozzarella and more — all fresh.
PRO TIP:
Taste the city’s signature Florentine Beefsteak or, if you have a sweet tooth, save room for gelato from Gelateria La Carraia or a sweet treat from Migone Confetti Firenze.
 

Santa Maria Novella Apothecary

Visit the Santa Maria Novella Apothecary on via della Scala, which operates in the historic area of the monastery built in 1221 by Dominican Friars, who created luxuriant perfumes, soaps, elixirs and more. Recipes are still used that date back to hundreds of years.
 

Day Trips
Florence is easily accessible by train, which makes it a good place to stay and take day trips from as well. Many, for example, visit nearby Chianti for lunch and wine tastings. The Castello di Verrazzano and Antinori nel Chianti Classico wineries are great for experiencing contrasting architecture styles.
 

Interested in sharing the best eats and secret spots of your own city with fellow Tigers? Email shutto@clemson.edu for more information.
 
 

Alumni Authors

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Charles A. Burden ’59
The Village and the Turnpike: A Whimsical Cedar Mountain Historical Adventure from Then to Now (Cedar Tracks Publishers) is a comprehensive whimsical history of a small community that lies between DuPont State Recreational Forest in North Carolina and Caesars Head in South Carolina.

 

Billy Cate ’66
The Farm – A Family’s Relationship with its Land (Congaree Land Trust) details the relationship Cate and his family have with the land that makes up their family farm, chronicling the landscape changes from the end of the Civil War to present day.

 

Liz Newall ’70
You Don’t Have to Tell Everything You Know (Dudley Court Press) centers on Isamar Woods Jones McGee, born one month after the Civil War ends, who tells her story about unsettling times, family dynamics and the human condition through journal entries.

 

Bobby Conrad ’80
John Fisher and Thomas More: Keeping Their Souls While Losing Their Heads (Tan Books) chronicles two sixteenth-century English figures who were executed by Henry VIII, incorporating elements of faith, law, politics and conscience.

 

Michael Puldy ’84
Himalaya Memories (Puldy Partners) is a hardbound, cloth-covered coffee table book containing a collection of photos taken by Puldy (a former TAPS and The Tiger editor and photographer) in 2012 and 2013, when he journeyed to Nepal and Bhutan in what became a physical and spiritual adventure.

 

Caryl Lynne Plasket Honea ’86
Mountain Mouse Makes a Difference (Balboa Press) welcomes children into the adventures of a mountain mouse and the lessons she learns along the way, including how she can make a difference and be kind. The adventures continue in I Am Counting at Cades Cove! and That’s Not a Mouse House!

 

Austin Bond ’99
Brookgreen Gardens (The University of South Carolina Press) is a coffee table book that celebrates the iconic gardens of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, featuring contributed photography by Bond and others that showcases Brookgreen’s stunning landscapes and works of art.

 

Antwan Eady ’12
Nigel and the Moon (HarperCollins/Tegen) is a picture book following a Black boy who, with the help of his parents, celebrates his dreams of the moon and discovers his voice in front of his peers.

 

Shelley Burchfield M ’14
The Earth Remains (TouchPoint Press) follows South Carolina farmer Polly Burgiss in her struggle to protect her land and slaves while grappling with the murders of her brothers and the evils of slavery, all in the shadow of the Civil War and its ugly aftermath.

 

David Van Lear, professor emeritus of forestry
Turning Points in the Life of a Fisherman (Amazon) is a Kindle book in which Van Lear reflects on his lifelong fishing journey alongside his career in higher education, using the sport as a coping mechanism for his self-diagnosed cyclothymia, a mild version of bipolar disorder.

 

The Wedding Gift

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The bride and groom had no direct connection with Clemson when they decided to use their wedding as a fundraiser for an endowment here. What the couple did have, however, was a powerful wish to contribute to the legacy of their late friend, Clemson alumnus Tyrone Gayle ’10, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 30.

Gayle launched an impressive career in politics that touched some of the most notable names in the Democratic Party. He logged thousands of miles as a driver and aide for Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. He was a spokesperson for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 run for the White House. It was during that campaign that Gayle was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. At the time of his death, he was press secretary for then-Sen. Kamala Harris. Gayle has been described as making a remarkable impact on the campaigns and causes he served during the eight years he spent in politics. Along the way, he made hundreds of loyal friends who supported him through his challenge. They are known as Gayle Nation.

To honor Gayle and continue his legacy, his family established the Tyrone Gayle Scholars Program at Clemson in Spring 2019. Upon learning of the opportunity to honor their friend’s memory in a meaningful way, Gayle Nation stepped up. The couple’s wedding gift idea was only one example. Their efforts have helped the program surpass its original five-year fundraising goal. So far, more than $200,000 has been raised.

The program creates pathways for underrepresented students to get their start in politics. Each year, two students are selected as Tyrone Gayle Scholars and receive a $3,500 stipend to pursue a summer internship in a political field. This could be on a local or national campaign, at an advocacy organization or in other government sectors. In addition to the stipend, students are matched with mentors from Tyrone Gayle’s network, who guide the students through the often-insular political world, help them make the most of their internships and help them build their own networks.

Tyrone Gayle’s life may have been short, but his influence and work will live on through his family, Gayle Nation and the Gayle Scholars.

 

Inspired to Lead

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Since 2014, Clemson has been home to a first-in-the-nation program offering a Bachelor of Arts in women’s leadership. While other top universities offer a major in women’s and gender studies or a certificate program in leadership, Clemson’s program combines these in an interdisciplinary degree program designed to close the leadership gap for women.

The program recently received a major boost through a $500,000 gift from Georgia A. Callahan ’73, M ’77, with intentions of making additional contributions to achieve a $1 million investment over the next decade. The initial funds will be used to establish an endowed professorship and an unrestricted endowment for excellence. The endowments will bear the name of the donor, whose trailblazing career in government and business began here in Clemson.

After becoming the City of Clemson’s first community development director while in graduate school, Callahan spent the next dozen years working in the newly formed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in D.C., a job that resulted from her acceptance into Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Management Intern program. Over the next 24 years, she worked for Texaco in New York and Chevron in California.  During her tenure in the energy industry, she rose to the top, becoming one of a handful of women to achieve the rank of vice president. Her work focused on legislative and regulatory affairs, global policy and strategy, and environment and climate change. During her career, Callahan traveled to more than 100 countries across the world.

“Having Georgia Callahan as a benefactor and mentor has been invaluable,” said Diane Perpich, director of the women’s leadership program. “In fact, lessons from Callahan’s experience with program management were important in the development of our program.”

The students who benefit from these endowments will not have to look very far to see an exemplary role model of women’s leadership and accomplishment.

 

They Found Their Passion

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The Stanzione family is a Clemson Family to the core. Robert J. “Bob” ’69 and Kaye Stanzione began their married life in Clemson housing, and all three of their children, Marie, Jennifer and Bobby, attended Clemson. But their passion for the University didn’t end with graduation.

The Stanziones have given back to Clemson for many years. Their most recent philanthropic endeavor is a $2.5 million gift to Clemson’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. The gift includes support for scholarships for CECAS students, unrestricted funds for the Dean’s Excellence Fund and faculty support to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The funds will be crucial for the department’s recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty and providing our students with unique experiences that will prepare them for their future.

Bob Stanzione put his own engineering degree to good use, eventually growing ARRIS International from a start-up company to the world market leader in cable networking products. He has an understanding and appreciation for the wide spectrum of career opportunities that mechanical engineering affords Clemson students. They create the products we use every day: automobiles, clothing, building products, aircraft and computers. Contributions from mechanical engineers benefit the world.

 

“We believe that education is the most powerful tool you can use to impact and transform your life.”

 

The couple’s support of Clemson includes Bob Stanzione’s role as a director of the Clemson University Foundation, including past-chair of the foundation’s investment committee, and his work as an ambassador for the foundation’s Order of the Oak. Kaye Stanzione is an active volunteer and serves on the ClemsonLIFE advisory board. In honor of their support to the College of Education and ClemsonLIFE, Bob and Kaye Stanzione were awarded the Distinguished Friends of the College Award in 2021 during the College of Education’s third annual awards celebration.

Kaye Stanzione says, “We really both strongly feel that education is so important. It’s not just what you learn in class. It’s what you learn about life. We believe that education is the most powerful tool you can use to impact and transform your life.”

The Stanziones’ support of Clemson, both to the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences and the College of Education, reflects their dedication and commitment to providing exceptional education and experiences to future generations. Bob Stanzione says, “I think we all share a belief that the investments we’re making in students and professors in the University facilities here are going to pay off in a multitude of ways.”

And the family tradition continues. This Fall, the Stanziones will have three grandchildren enrolled here at Clemson — Emma will be starting her senior year, and Owen and Alex will be first-year students.

 

Alumni Story: Alumni Spring Break

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We all know there’s something special about coming back to Clemson.

Sure, campus has changed. The Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business and the new Samuel J. Cadden Chapel are breathtaking. There are new athletic fields and facilities scattered across campus (and this Columbus resident particularly relishes a few of the Ohio State tombstones in the football “graveyard”). But when you get to experience moments with old friends in a place full of memories, time stands still, and your world does a little, too.

Enter Clemson Alumni Spring Break 2022. The weekend of March 25-27 was packed with campus tours, activities, a golf outing, and a concert that featured Clemson favorites Rough Mix and Cravin’ Melon. Alumni traveled from all over to take in the sights and the sounds of their favorite town and reminisce with old friends and classmates.

On Friday night, this Tiger walked into Tiger Town Tavern and found the same large friend group sitting in the same spot where we used to meet in 1985. Memories flow easily at an event like this. And from a distance, you’d think you were watching just a bunch of college kids enjoying a night on the town. You were, but the kids were a little older, their experiences a bit greater.

For a weekend, time turned back. Dear old Clemson greeted us with open arms and made us feel like we were home. It was a fantastic stroll down memory lane and a perfect three-day opportunity to meet up with old friends and make some really great new ones. You can bet I’ll be back next year and every single year after.