A Shared Passion for Art: Connecting Through La Pieve in Arezzo
How a Student’s Art History Thesis Led to an Inspiring Exchange
The other day, I received an email from Sabrina, a passionate Art History student at the University of Vienna in Austria. She is currently working on her thesis about La Pieve di Santa Maria in Arezzo and reached out to ask if she could use a few of the photos I had taken of the church. Delighted that my images could contribute to her research, I happily agreed—but with one small request in return.
I asked Sabrina to share a few lines about why she chose to study Art History and what inspires her most about the field. Her response was truly lovely, offering a glimpse into the deep personal connection she has with art and history. Moments like these remind me how art has the power to connect us across borders, generations, and disciplines, sparking meaningful conversations and shared appreciation.
Sabrina’s Passion for Art History and Arezzo’s Oldest Church
Hi Melissa, As promised, my paragraphs for your site 🙂 I’m very happy to write a little guest post for your site. I’m studying art history at the University of Vienna in Austria. I discovered my love for art history by accident. I’ve got a degree from business school, but I always wanted to study art. Unfortunately, I was not accepted at Art school, so I decided to study art history. I became more and more interested in how the artists thought and how they saw the world. I wanted to know everything about the history of paintings and architecture. After my Bachelor’s degree, I decided to turn the pages and try something different- I specialize in architecture.
For example, I am writing my master’s thesis on the northern Italian influence on Austrian churches. In recent years I have also made it my business to visit more and more art historically valuable places. I love being in Rome but also in Venice and at the moment I am traveling all over Austria to see all kinds of Romanesque buildings. I’m literally in love with the romanesque architecture. Especially with the influence of the Magistri Comacini.
Unfortunately, due to the current situation, I am not able to leave the country. The reason why I’m so interested in the Pieve of Arezzo is, that I should have visited it in May this year. I was in a program from the University of Vienna, that was to send us to Italy to visit all the beautiful places around Arezzo.
I decided to research la Pieve because this building includes all the things that I love — beautiful architecture, stunning history, the wooden ceiling, the amazing portals… everything about this building is stunning. I was so sad when I got the message that we are not able to fly to Italy.
So we decided to write a little thesis any way about each Building – and that’s why I was reaching out to Melissa to ask her if she could provide some pictures.
In the end, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me write a few sentences about my passion. Let me finish this text with my favorite quote:
“Architecture begins where engineering ends.”
Walter Gropius
Thank you so much, Sabrina! Wishing you the best of luck with your thesis and continued success in your studies of art history and architecture. Your passion for the subject is truly inspiring!
If you’re an art student, an art historian, or an artist yourself, I’d love to hear your stories as well. What sparked your interest in art? What projects are you working on? Let’s celebrate the journey of discovering and creating art together!
