Art History Courses

I never thought I could have such an incredible experience with a short program (2 months). The shoemaking class was everything I could ever ask for and more. I made some of my best friends and truly never really had a bad day. The teacher was not only a great instructor but also a real Italian gentleman. Without all of the people I have met throughout the semester and everything I learned because of them, would not have been possible without this entire program.

I attended a 3-month shoemaking short course taught my a great teacher but also a great person Mr. Angelo. Everybody knows him here in Italy, as he's considered one of the best artisanal shoemakers. I really hope I can join another short program this winter...

I am a person that had always wanted to travel and study abroad, but I am also the person that was so homesick I couldn't eat for 3 days after going to college. So making the final decision to go to Italy was scary for me but one of the best ones I had ever made. I completely fell in love with everything about Accademia Riaci and the shoemaking program, and of course I fell in love with Florence. The assistants and the teacher, Mr. Angelo, were so helpful and very patient to teach me all the steps to create my first pair of handmade shoes. Looking forward to coming back next summer!!!

To me, studying shoemaking in Florence has always been a dream. I had to wait such a long time to be admitted into a course, as all classes were fully booked for more than a year. The teacher, Angelo, is a kind of "god" for the local shoemakers, but he was very patient to teach me the entire shoe construction process. I'm still getting a lot of practice here in my town, but what I got from this course totally changed my idea of shoemaking.

The school and the laboratory are pretty small, but, as far as I know, they don't accept more than 8 students per class and this is great to practice and talk to the shoemaking instructor. Keep in mind that the cost of the tools and the material is not included. Anyway, I could take my tools home right after the course. I would recommend this course.

I truly loved every minute of this course. I took a short course, for a total of 8 weeks. I felt the the course was challenging but it worth it. The prof is really a master craftsman and I really wanted to extend my program but the next class was already fully booked. I would absolutely recommend this Shoe Making course.

The shoemaking teacher Mr. Angelo was really amazing. We studied in a small group so I could ask several questions to the teacher. Furthermore, the school is located in an excellent location near the Duomo of Florence. Although the course was not really cheap, I would highly recommend this class if you have an interest in learning the traditional Italian shoemaking process. Totally worth it!!!