Trimester Study Abroad Programs in Italy

Art History Abroad was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience I’m so grateful to have had. In just six jam-packed weeks I traveled to Rome, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Castelfranco, and Venice with a group of like-minded gappers and tutors. Cultural activities included painting Venetian masks, witnessing glass-blowing on Murano island, cooking traditional Italian cuisine, and marbling paper. We explored the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Uffizi, Pompeii, Ravenna Mosaics, and Guggenheim. We studied the magnum opuses of Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, Bernini, and Botticelli, among countless others, in situ. We learned to recognize the tell-tale signs of Gothic art—gold leaf, pointed arches—as opposed to that of the High Renaissance—realist muscled figures in complicated compositions—which we in turn could differentiate from the chiaroscuro and dramatic motion of the Baroque. Perhaps most special was when we, still rubbing sleep dust from our eyes in the wee hours of morning before opening time, watched the sunrise over St. Peter’s basilica and took a guided tour of the expansive Vatican museums and fresco-filled Sistine Chapel.

I just wanted to thank you again for everything. Everything was great! I loved your organization, the intructors, and my host family. I am still not sure if I am coming again next Summer (I would love to), but if I do not, I will probably be there the following year. I miss you all and Florence very much. I still talk about my trip and look at my pictures a lot. I do not even know where to begin describing my trip to Florence because everything was unbelievable. The family I lived with was perfect: close location to everything I needed, amazing food, and very welcoming. The NECA faculty also helped us with whatever we needed. They showed us around the city as well as the other cities we visited as a group. Additionally, they took us out on evenings after school. I could not have asked for a more ideal trip than what I experienced during my four week stay, and hopefully I will be able to return soon.