There may be no better place in Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance, to study art, language, literature, and history than La Pietra. Courses include intensive study of Italian at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, fine arts, contemporary culture, and literature. In this atmosphere of unparalleled beauty, learning is personal, meaningful, and enduring. Sample courses include the Sir Harold Acton Seminar, which focuses on the issues related to a unified Europe; a Renaissance humanities course, which draws on the vast resources of the city of Florence; Masters and Monuments, a course that focuses on art and architecture of the Renaissance; Dante and his World; Italian Cinema and Literature; Modern Italy Since 1815; Masterpieces in Italian Literature; Family and Gender in Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Italy; and Photography. Additional courses in various disciplines are also offered.
Academic Year
Students can study for the fall or spring semester as well as for the full academic year. A full course load is usually four courses per semester, 16-18 points, or 32-36 points for the academic year. While most courses are taught in English, NYU in Florence is also proud to offer a new Italian Immersion Program for majors and minors in Italian, as well as those whose language abilities are sufficiently advanced. Students are eligible to take upper-level content courses in Italian, taught at the Villa, as well as courses at the Università di Firenze. They may live at the Casa Fiorentina, a residence in centro for Italian-speaking only that offers special events and trips for students. Or they may choose to live with a family. They may also wish to become involved in one of the many internship possibilities offered either for or without credit: working in a school, a museum, or with the elderly in a “meals on wheels” program.
