Brunnenburg Castle 2008 Geology, agroarchaeology, English, history, environmental studies Green Mountain College’s first international block course took students to Brunnenburg Castle in Dorf Tirol, Italy, to study how agriculture, geology and human history intersect in this autonomous province of northern Italy. Thirteen students – including one student from a GMC EcoLeague partner school – lived and studied at this 13th century castle from March until May 2008. The castle, a renowned study center operated by the family of poet Ezra Pound, is located above the Vinschgau Valley, a historic east-west route through the Alps. It is also close to the Brenner Pass, a primary north-south thoroughfare that places Brunnenburg at the intersection of Mediterranean and Central European cultures. The block course took advantage of this rich heritage by integrating many hands-on experiences with classroom lessons on agriculture, food production and consumption, natural sciences and literature. Prof. John Van Hoesen (geology) taught two courses: One explored how climate fluctuations influence societies throughout history, while the other focused on the region’s geologic history. Students also took an agroarchaeology course with Siegfried de Rachewiltz, Ezra Pound's grandson; a class on food, culture and land with Siegfried's wife, Brigitte, and a class on the life and work of Ezra Pound with Mary de Rachewiltz, Pound's daughter.
