Written by Laura Segura (University of Virginia), Student Correspondent for CET Siena, Summer 2026
Culture shocks are very natural to experience when you travel to other continents or countries and even within your country. I knew that living in Siena for two months would definitely push me outside of my comfort zone, and I was ready for it. Here are five culture shocks that I’ve experienced or been told about since I arrived.
1. Politics in Everyday Conversation
I learned very quickly since getting to Siena that politics dominates a lot of conversations in Siena. The people in Italy are more politically active than from what I’ve seen in the US. My second dinner with my home stay family I was asked what I thought about Trump. I was immediately taken aback because politics in the US right now is very divisive so it wouldn’t be something that’s brought up right away when getting to know someone. After a week of dinners, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable having these conversations with my home stay family and even began asking them about their thoughts on Italian and world politics. It’s resulted in me learning a lot about how Italian politics works and especially helped me practice my Italian.
2. Importance of Recycling
Recycling in Siena is taken very seriously and is mandatory. Here, they separate their trash into categories including, paper, plastic, glass, organic waste, and everything else. I always saw myself as a recycler, but I guess I haven’t been as committed as the Italians because I combine paper, plastic and glass into one. I’ve seen places in the US that have these different categories in a trash area but then if you look underneath they all lead to the same trash can. After a little trial and error, I’ve learned quickly what qualifies as what and consider myself a master recycler!
3. Smiling at Strangers is Weird
During our CET orientation, we were warned that smiling at strangers is seen as weird and maybe even flirty. I immediately gasped because I had been smiling at everyone on my walk that morning. Barely anyone smiled back, but I did think back to the one old man who smiled back. Did I accidentally flirt with him? Since learning this, I’ve had to stop myself from smiling at random strangers on the street and especially ones with dogs. This isn’t a strict rule at all and if you wanna keep smiling I say keep smiling!
4. Coffee Rules
I knew already before coming to Italy that coffee was a big part of the culture here but nothing more than that. So here are some quick tips about getting coffee. Coffee is enjoyed at all times of the day even at 10pm. Here, iced coffee is not a thing and you might get some stares if you try to order it. Also, if you ask for a latte, they will just give you milk because latte in Italian means milk. The number one rule would be no cappuccino after 11am because it’s considered a heavy breakfast meal, but some more touristy places might still let you get cappuccino if you really want it.
5. Palio Cannot Be Compared
I’m scared to try and put Palio into words just because of how serious and part of the Sienese people’s DNA it is. BUT if I had to, Palio is a centuries old horse racing event where 10 of the 17 contrades (neighborhoods or districts) fight for victory. This year the official Palio is on July 2nd and August 16th, but that doesn’t mean the rivalries haven’t started yet.
When my classmates and I were trying to understand how serious it is, we asked the locals if it was like how intense Philadelphians are with the Eagles. They responded by saying that you shouldn’t ever try to compare it with a sport. It’s something that as a foreigner we won’t ever be able to fully understand. I feel really lucky to be here during the July 2nd Palio so that I can fully immerse myself in what it means to be Sienese!