Program dates: 01/13/2015 – 04/21/2015
In this program, 22 students explore Italy through the study of its language, history, literature, and art, focusing on Siena. The majority of the semester is spent in Siena with excursions to regional areas of interest, such as the Tuscan hills towns, Florence, and a week in Rome that includes a walking tour of major sites with an art historian. Topics in Italian art history as well as modern Italian social, political and economic history are the focus.
Recent posts [display all posts]
Public Events, Sienese Style - The Piazza comes alive in Siena, especially when it’s occupied by special events. Living close to Piazza del Campo has been such a blessing, but I will say it stays pretty lively some nights. Recently, the artisan chocolate festival was in town, so lucky me–I walked past temptation every day, several times a day, for […]
A Scavenger Hunt for Art - Living in Italy, and particularly in Siena, is like a giant scavenger hunt for art. Whether it is jovial graffiti, pastel sidewalk portraits, or hidden frescos, it seems as though I discover something new everyday. Within the first week of being in Siena I came across a partly worn away, beautiful, pastel portrait of a […]
Venezia, Veneto, Italia - Two weeks ago we had our first “free weekend” of the semester. Most weekends are packed full of things that SIS plans for us like trips to museums, churches, chocolate factories, cities in Italy, and Carnevale events. The free weekend was a long weekend which was just that, free of anything planned specifically by SIS. […]
Life in the Piazza - My apartment sits right above the Piazza del Campo, the huge open-air public square that serves as the civic and social center of the city. The piazza’s been called Siena’s living room, and for good reason, since at nearly all hours, I can see in the piazza high-school kids, families, old couples, tour groups, dog […]
The Haunted House - Some hundred years ago in the Tuscan countryside, a farmhouse was built by an Italian family. For reasons unknown to us, they have parted from the place. History has already forgotten the name of the household, but traces of their presence linger. The children’s bed frames remain, dreaming of older days. Rainwater has collected in […]
My Morning Walk - My morning walk from the 13th century building on Vicolo del Sasso that I currently live in to Fontebranda, where my Italian classes are currently held, would take me ten minutes to complete. But that is when I walk like myself, quickly and with purpose, watching the street signs to make sure that I’m headed […]
And after a month… - Well here I am about a month after arriving in Italy, finally writing my first blog post. I don’t know what to say and I have no idea where to start but I guess I can begin with how I just realised that an entire month has gone by and I have been living in a different […]
People Watching in Siena - After the first month in Siena, I finally feel comfortable in my host family’s home and as a resident of Siena. I love this city and I am constantly in awe that this is happening, yet recently I’ve been more able to focus in on the details about life here, especially the people here. One […]
No Internet ≠ No Fun - “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” –Galileo Galilei Before embarking on this journey abroad, we were all informed of the very real possibility that we would not be able to do our usual Netflix watching, facebook checking, and keeping in constant contact with the virtual […]
Wealth in Happiness. - As I sit in a nearby caffe’ bar, within these medieval walls and aside appreciative locals adorned in furs and joy, I contemplate my living abroad experience thus far. The Italian life is unique in that living is simple, relationships are at the center of everything, and happiness is a given. Having transitioned from American […]