A chat with Abigail Rupp

A chat with Abigail Rupp

Photos by Marco Badiani Before the holiday season got underway, The Florentine paid a visit to the recently renovated Palazzo Canevaro to chat with U.S. Consul General Abigail Rupp about life in Florence, the work of the U.S. Consulate and the weirdest thing she has seen in the

bookmark
Thu 15 Jan 2015 1:00 AM

Photos by Marco Badiani

Before the holiday season got underway, The Florentine paid a visit to the recently renovated Palazzo Canevaro to chat with U.S. Consul General Abigail Rupp about life in Florence, the work of the U.S. Consulate and the weirdest thing she has seen in the city to date (it involves Santas on roller skates).

 

abigailrupp

 

 

Helen Farrell: You began your assignment in Florence in July 2014. What was your first impression of the city back then?

Abigail Rupp: It felt a familiar impression. I know I’m not the only American who’s had a honeymoon in Florence, but Florence was also the first ever place I visited outside of the United States when I was in high school. I won’t do the math of how many years ago that was, but the city had a very strong impression on me back then. I was so excited to come back after so many years. It wasn’t a sense of newness; it was more of a sense of familiarity.

 

HF: What have you found to be the most challenging aspects of settling into life in Italy?

AR: Well, I think that one of the challenges that newcomers face is making sure that our pants continue to fit after a few months of Tuscan food. [Everyone in the room laughs.] Another challenge has been that this is the first time my husband and I have lived overseas with children. We’ve been with the State Department for about 20 years, so we’ve both traveled a lot, but being away from our family is a challenge, although it’s made easier thanks to Skype, email and Facebook. 

 

HF: And the most enjoyable parts?

AR: I already mentioned the food, but also being able to get to know Florence as a resident rather than a tourist. It’s an important international city that’s also a small town. It’s been really neat to start being part of that community.

 

HF: In your career in the Foreign Service to date, you’ve served overseas in Eastern Europe and Africa. How does a Western European posting in a city like Florence compare to your previous experiences?

AR: The interesting part of our line of work is that the challenges and priorities change with each assignment as our relationship with that country is different. For my last overseas assignment in Ethiopia, some of the bilateral priorities were things like food security, agriculture and human rights. So we had a different set of priorities. Living in Italy and representing the government here is more of a partnership. We get to focus on things like supporting international efforts in Syria and global warming. We’re in the process of negotiating a bilateral trade treaty. The issues are different.

 

HF: What role does the U.S. Consulate play with its mission in Florence?

AR: One of our most important roles here is to protect the American citizens who are traveling through or who are living here. That includes our rather large student community; it’s a major responsibility. Some of the other roles played in this consular district, which covers Tuscany, most of Emilia-Romagna and the Republic of San Marino, include supporting Italy’s continued efforts to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in business. Our Consulate holds events that are American themed or that highlight the connections between the U.S. and Italy.

 

HF: What are your goals as Consul General in Florence?

AR: I tend to be a relatively practical person, and so what I’ve been trying to think about in these first few months here is where can we make an impact. One of my goals for our mission is to make some real steps forward in improving the difficulties in student safety. Working with the City and the Region, the universities and the program administrators, and with the students, to think about how we can make sure that the nearly 50 study-abroad programs in this region are ensuring that the students are having the kind of experience that we all want them to have while having fun at the same time.

 

HF: What advice do you have for American study-abroad students who have just arrived in Florence?

AR: Immerse yourselves in Italian culture: make Italian friends, spend time with the professors, enjoy the culture, and maybe make a promise to yourself that you’ll speak only Italian for a certain number of hours a day. But also be safe, be aware and stick together.

 

HF: The words on everyone’s lips at the moment are Expo 2015. What opportunities does the World’s Fair hold for Tuscany?

AR: The theme of Expo is pertinent to our consular district and certainly to Italy and the U.S. particularly, the focus on food, and not just the wonderful food that we all love to eat, but the idea of food security. We live in a world of more than seven billion people, eleven billion people in the next 50 years. So it’s important to plan and work together to feed that number. Tuscany and Emilia, with their richness in agriculture and quality food production and in the manufacturing sector, can really be a part of that discussion.

 

FLORENCE QUICKFIRE

 

Best restaurant or place for bistecca fiorentina in Florence?

Ask me again in a year, as I’m busy researching that at present. I haven’t picked a favorite yet.

 

One place in Florence that makes you happy or inspires you.

I always feel happy when I’m able to look at water, so being by the Arno and all the history that is connected to that river makes me happy and inspires me.

 

The biggest difference between Italians and Americans?

The coffee.

 

Best day trip in Tuscany?

That’s a hard one because I’ve had planned day trips and accidental ones. I’ve spent a lovely weekend in Siena, for example. Also, just close your eyes and pick a winery.

 

Favourite artwork in Florence?

The David. It’s the first piece of artwork I saw in Florence and it’s stuck with me.

 

Favourite Florentine, past or present?

I was a public policy and political science major, so I have to pick Machiavelli.

 

Where would you take a guest who isn’t into art?

The Santa Maria Novella pharmacy. It balances history and the need for modernized commercial operation.

 

Strangest thing you’ve seen in the city.

A group of 30 people in Santa suits roller skating along the lungarno. 

Related articles

COMMUNITY

Shaped by spring: Editor’s letter

Spring brings a flurry of art shows, flower picking opportunities and creative possibilities.

COMMUNITY

Biblioteca dei Ragazzi children’s library reopens

The Biblioteca dei Ragazzi returns with books, workshops and readings to delight children of all ages.

COMMUNITY

Creative People in Florence opens a community space

The centre on Via dei Serragli will host talks, workshops, temporary exhibitions and much more.

LIGHT MODE
DARK MODE