Program Description

Offered through the University of Michigan, this six-week summer program in Florence is co-sponsored by UW-Madison. Study various topics on Italian culture, art and history with other U.S. students in the Villa Corsi-Salviati in Sesto Fiorentino. Sesto is located six miles from the center of Florence, approximately a forty-five minute ride by city bus. The location in Sesto allows students to easily explore the surrounding Tuscany countryside as well as Florence itself. A flourishing city with half a million people, Florence offers an array of enjoyable cultural opportunities throughout the year. This program is ideal for students interested in studying the humanities or social sciences that also have an interest in learning about the Italian culture through coursework in English.

Students live, eat, and take courses at the villa, which has been extensively renovated for the program. The villa’s history, the history of its owners, and the history of Florence have been inextricably linked from the sixteenth century to the present. The plan and decoration of the villa, with its high frescoed ceilings, interior courtyards, and statuary, are largely Baroque. Elaborate formal gardens, restored earlier in this century, appear much as they did in the eighteenth century. In addition to faculty and student accommodation, the villa contains a large lecture hall, seminar rooms, a library, computer lab, studio, and study space. The former limonaia, where potted lemon trees were once stored over the winter, serves as the dining hall.

Academics

Course offerings change each summer, although some courses, such as Renaissance art history, classical and modern architecture, and beginning Italian language, are offered every year. Classes focus on Italy from the Renaissance to the modern era, and the courses are designed to take advantage of the program’s location on the outskirts of Florence. Students choose two courses from among six courses offered and earn a total of six credits. Visits to Florence artistic sites and a weekend excursion to Rome supplement the academic offerings.

An experienced Resident Director and faculty, as well as local staff, are available throughout the program for academic advising and assistance.

Housing

The Florence program is unusual in that it is, in essence, a living-and-learning community, with students, faculty, and director all living at the Villa Corsi-Salviati. Student rooms are mostly doubles and triples, with a few singles and quads. Meals, which are included in the program fee, are taken in the limonaia, the room where lemon trees were once stored in winter.

The villa houses volleyball and tennis courts as well as a recreation room with a TV, novels, travel guides, board games, and more. Nearby, one can find parks for walking, jogging, or cycling while they enjoy panoramic views of Sesto and Florence.

Excursions and Activities

Each term the program begins with an orientation for students designed to provide students with an introduction to the academic program and schedule and life at the Villa. The orientation will include a tour of the Villa and gardens, a tour of Sesto and a tour of Florence. The program will include information designed to help you begin to understand the culture and life in Italy as well as group events led by the program faculty.

The program also takes advantage of the resources of Florence and Italy by combining classroom instruction with onsite lectures in Florence and excursions to various Italian cities. There will also be one required academic trip as well as optional trips. Potential locations include Rome, Cinque Terre, and Venice.