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Italian Language and Culture Immersion in Florence

by: Abbey Road Programs

4.51 (35)VerifiedSince 2000

Our Florence program is one of Abbey Road's most popular study abroad programs for nearly twenty years running. Our students benefit from the residential living experience in the heart of Florence and 24/7 support from our program staff of professional artists, chefs, photographers, and art historians. From daily classes in Italian Language, Photography, Studio Art, Tuscan Cuisine, and Art History to activities ranging from museum visits to Top Chef, we challenge our students daily to try new interests, expand their horizons, and make the most of this exceptional summer opportunity. We give our students fresh, high-quality food from local markets. Our culinary staff members shop for our students, they conduct Tuscan cuisine workshops where students learn to make some of the Florentine delicacies. We cook together one or two nights per week, on some nights we go out for group dinners at trendy local restaurants. Some nights we have catered meals. In any case, our students eat authentic, quality food, as opposed to fast food or tourist meals. Abbey Road’s teaching method emphasizes active, hands-on learning, and cultural immersion.

Program Highlights

Enjoy trips to Venice, Verona, Bologna, Siena, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Viareggio, and more.

Live in modern, air-conditioned, centrally located apartments in the historical center of Florence.

Learn in a fun, interactive way outside of the classroom.

Be a savvy, sophisticated traveler and make unforgettable memories and new friends from all over the world.

Enjoy fresh authentic Italian food prepared by local chefs.

Quick Details

Locations:
  • Venice, Italy
Availability
Terms Available:
  • Summer
Age Requirement: 14-17
Types & Subjects
Adventure Types:
  • Photography
  • Student Tours
  • Summer Camp
  • Tours
Subjects & Courses:
  • Art & Fine Arts
  • Art History
  • Arts
  • Culinary Arts
  • Culture
  • Fashion Design & Merchandising
  • Foreign Language
  • History
  • Italian
Focus Areas:
  • Experiential Learning
  • Language Immersion
  • Outdoor Education
Languages:
  • Italian
Guidelines:
  • All Nationalities
See all program details
Last Updated: Nov 26, 2025

Awards

Top Rated High School Abroad Organization 2022

Program Reviews

Hear what past participants have to say about the programs

Overall Rating

4.51

Total Reviews

35

Thank you Abbey Road team!

October 15, 2024by: Elijah Walker - United States
5

Thank you Abbey Road team for such a wonderful experience. My daughter had an incredible time. She made great friends and says she gives it five stars! She is sad it is already over, some tears here too. She made great friends and hope that they stay in touch and see each other again.

Wonderful experience

October 15, 2024by: Lala Muller - United States
5

Just wanted to say thank you for everything and this wonderful opportunity. My daughter has loved this experience and we are very grateful for the many hands involved in making this a positive experience for these youth! To all the parents: - she made the best of friends that will be cherished forever!❤️Thank you! To the leaders: - you have an inspired program that truly changes lives. ?

Amazing trip and experience

October 01, 2024by: Barbara Sopher - United States
4

Our daughter had a fantastic experience. The staff were responsible and the other students were friendly and a lot of fun. She learned a lot about Italian art and gelato! She made great friends and wishes she could do it all again!

Best study abroad program in Florence!

August 04, 2024by: Ali Wenzke - United States
5

My three teenage kids just finished a two week program in Florence with Abbey Road and it was fantastic. They took different classes - studio art, art history, Italian language, Italian cuisine, and fashion design - and all of them had wonderful experiences. The teachers were terrific, the food was delicious, and the accommodations were ideal. They made great friends and loved traveling around Italy. My only complaint is that they don’t have a separate program for the parents, so we could enjoy studying abroad, too! Highly recommend!

amazing time in florence (2024)

July 31, 2024by: jane simkin - United States
4

i stayed 4 weeks in florence so i got to meet two sections of students. many types of people were drawn to the program and i found that this was a great opportunity for me to become more comfortable with people with very different life experiences. as far as studying, i found that my teachers were all genuinely passionate about their subjects and their students. i studied art history and italian, and was even able to try out studio art for a couple days. socially, i found the program very welcoming. of course some students were closer than others, but all were friendly. during the evening free time we would often get together in large groups and play games or go out on walks to see the city. the leaders were all incredibly accommodating and trusting. pros: amazing food passionate teachers chance to safely practice independence cons: lack of communication about plans for the day/week hot weather (be prepared)

Great Florence Trip

July 27, 2024by: Elliot Song - United States
5

Being apart of the Abbey Road Florence program this summer was one of the best experiences in my life. I stayed 3 weeks with the program learning Art history, Cooking, and Photography from very helpful and approachable teachers. All the teachers/chaperones on the program went above and beyond in making sure students needs were met so we could have a more enjoyable trip. I am extremely grateful to have been apart of this program and can only wish to have stayed longer.

Amazing Taste of Italy

July 23, 2024by: Ari Cohen - United States
5

Abbey Road’s Florence Program was amazing. The two classes I took, Italian Language and Art History, were taught by two extremely knowledgeable and approachable teachers. Everyone on this program was so kind and wanted to make sure we had the best experience possible. I am so grateful to this program for making it the best summer ever. Thank you so much!!

Amazing Taste of Italy

July 23, 2024by: Ari Cohen - United States
5

Abbey Road’s Florence Program was amazing. The two classes I took, Italian Language and Art History, were taught by two extremely knowledgeable and approachable teachers. Everyone on this program was so kind and wanted to make sure we had the best experience possible. I am so grateful to this program for making it the best summer ever. Thank you so much!!

Meaningful Life Experience for Teens!

July 17, 2024by: Hania Ansari - Pakistan
5

My younger sister joined the Florence Summer Program in 2024. She enjoyed the trip, and as a guardian, my perspective is that the program is a great way to expose young teens to new experiences, challenge them, and have them discover more about the world and themselves. The chaperones of the program are responsive, helpful, and proactive. They went above and beyond to accommodate special requests and understand each child's unique situation. If you have a shy kid, this is a great way to bring them out of their comfort zone, both the kids and chaperones are very kind and friendly. Thank you Abbey Road for providing a really important life experience to my younger sister!

Amazing summer in Florence

August 01, 2022by: Meredith McDonald - United States
4

I had an amazing time in Florence. The program provided us with enough freedom to truly explore the city and understand the culture. Our day trips were great, and we were also given free time to explore those cities. The staff members were extremely helpful and tried very hard to make sure we had the best experience possible. I appreciated how the program was flexible, which again helped make the experience more genuine and enjoyable. I will say that if you're looking for a program with strong academics, the classes weren't very intense, and weren't as informative as they could've been. However, I did really enjoy my time in Florence and still feel that I got a lot out of the program from exploring the city and interacting with other students. Everyone was so nice, and I know that we'll keep in touch. All in all I'd recommend the program and I believe that it made a big impact on my life.

Fun Firenze

July 28, 2022by: Orrie Berman - United States
4

Great balance between learning, fun, and free time. Lots of fun activities are offered. Awsome day trips including the beach days.

Fun times in Firenze

July 28, 2022by: Avery Reiman - United States
4

These were the best, yet the fastest, 4 weeks of my life. At first I was a little nervous with all the usual anxiety: being away from home in a foreign country for an entire month, with a huge time difference and a bunch of people I haven’t met. Actually, it took most of the first week to get over this. But once I accepted where I was (Florence!) and got to know the incredible people around me, my mindset immediately changed. Now, looking back on this trip, I have no regrets whatsoever. I learned more than I could have possibly imagined, met such amazing people that I know I will remember forever, and was independent in a way I have never experienced before. Abbey Road organized this trip in a way that perfectly balanced structure and organization with freedom and independence. I was skeptical when I signed up for a program with no prerequisite from anyone I knew personally. But this program was so safe and well conducted, and I’ve heard the same from every city (not just Florence). I wish I had found out about this program earlier, because I would do this again without a second thought.

Santa Maria deal Fiore

I had a time of my life!

July 28, 2022by: Olivia Silva - United States
5

I could not have asked for a better experience here in Florence. The housing, food, students, teachers, activities, and vibes were immaculate. This will be in my memories forever. Thank you Abbey Road!

I don't know heheh

July 28, 2022by: Valery Leo - Israel
4

I had a lot of fun. I saw new things and learned new things. The stuff was amazing, funny and took care of us))) The apartment in Florence was excellent. We did many things together, sometimes it was funny and amazing but sometimes I preferred to do things by my self with my groop of friends.

Different in a good way

July 28, 2022by: Maddy Christensen - United States
4

Everything about Italy pushed me out of my comfort zone, from the people, to the food I was was constantly pushing and expanding my comfort zone. I’ve gained skills that I couldn’t get in any other way and experienced things that will carry with me for the rest of my life. I’ve met lots of different kinda people and was “forced to get to know them” Therefore I have gotten to know and bond with lots of different kinds of people. Italy it’s self was completely different, seeing the way people lived and the way everything was built and how the city was laid out. Overall I’ve enjoyed Italy very much and have grown so much in the past 4 weeks

Sunset in Piazzale Michelangelo

It's been fun

July 28, 2022by: Aerin Kelly - United States
4

I think its can be a little unorganized but overall is fun. We really only find out what we're doing a few hours before but the mystery is thrilling. I do find it anxiety inducing at times. Everyone has been nice and has overall been a very pleasant experience of the Tuscan region of italy.

Best time ever!

July 28, 2022by: Arielle Chan - United States
5

Super fun and got to experience a new culture. I got to eat authentic food and was given many choices. I also got covid and it was handled very well. My roommate and I were taken care. Even thought we were sick, we had a fun time.

Fun times!

July 28, 2022by: Tatiana Loo - United States
4

I had a great time in the program and learned a lot of the Italian culture. I felt what it was like to live abroad and explored the entirety of Florence. The food and experiences like museums and group dinners were great.

Loved it

July 28, 2022by: Kara Burns - United States
4

Great housing, teachers, and immersion in cultural. The housing was really nice I had my own bed the bathroom was nice. They gave us time for free time so we could go shopping and explore Florence. We had classes that were engaging and fun. The counselors were amazing and were the kindest people ever.

So fun

July 28, 2022by: Emi Palazzuoli - United Kingdom
4

I really recommend this trip to 16 year olds as there are lessons but they aren’t long most of the day is spent touring or walking and it’s so enjoyable for that age group. The electives were also so fun i loved photography because we were given free time to walk around Florence and take photos which was nice. The weather is beautiful and we went to the beach which was so fun. As much as supervision we had it didn’t feel like school or strict it was like an organised holiday.

Program Details

Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know

Locations

  • Venice, Italy

Types and Subjects

  • Adventure Types
  • Photography
  • Student Tours
  • Summer Camp
  • Tours
  • Subjects & Courses
  • Art & Fine Arts
  • Art History
  • Arts
  • Culinary Arts
  • Culture
  • Fashion Design & Merchandising
  • Foreign Language
  • History
  • Italian
  • Focus Areas
  • Experiential Learning
  • Language Immersion
  • Outdoor Education
  • Languages
  • Italian

Availability

Terms Available:
  • Summer
Duration:
  • 1-2 Weeks
  • 2-4 Weeks
  • Summer

Age Requirement

14-17

Guidelines

All Nationalities

This Program is also open to Solo, Group

Accommodation Options

  • Apartment/Flat

Qualifications & Experience

      Accepted Education Levels

    • Any/All Education Levels Accepted

    Application Procedures

    • Online Application
    • Transcript
    • Physical Exam/Health Records

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