IES Abroad Siena – Study in Tuscany

Of all the things I did while abroad, my favorites times were probably spent in Siena. Just meeting the locals and Italian and foreign students was amazing. Exploring the city and making it feel like home instead of just a city I leave every weekend. I wanted to learn Italian and Siena was recommended as the best city in Italy to do so. I would have to agree. My italian improved drastically. I lived in a 2 floor 2 bathroom 3 bedroom apartment right in the city center with 3 other guys on the program. I loved it. It was great to have somewhere to relax so close to all the events in Siena and for the people in the program to hang out.

Oddly enough, my favorite memory is from the last week I was living in Siena. Siena has a large tour in the middle of the main square (Piazza del Campo) that you can climb. My roommate and I had never climbed the tour, so on the last Monday of the program, right before one of our last classes, we climbed up it. It was incredible--we could see all of Siena, laid at our feet--the beautiful winding roads and the rolling hills of Tuscany beyond Siena's walls. The structure of the city final made complete sense to us, and we were able to reflect over all the wonderful memories of the semester, pointing out our favorite views, restaurants, and other sites! I wanted to live in the Italian culture, while having the opportunity to learn Italian and see as much art as possible. That's exactly what I got out of Siena! I chose a smaller city so I would have to speak Italian and could really get to know the city. I also chose Siena due to its proximity to Florence. I chose IES due to its great reputation. I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with 1 American and 2 Italians. One of the Italians worked with IES, and the other was a student at the University. We had a big bathroom, entry hall, living room, and large kitchen with dining table. We also had Wi-fi. We lived 2 blocks from the main piazza--in a perfect location!

Everything that I ever expected to get out of a study abroad experience I received and so much more. My time living in Siena was remarkably unforgettable.