LAS SEMESTER IN
FLORENCE, ITALY
Location: Florence, Italy
Program Directors: Carl and Patricia Bleyle
Dates: September 1 – December 17, 2007
Credits: 12-20
Application Deadline: April 6, 2007
Number of Openings: 12
Program Fee: Approximately $9,300
E-mail: cobleyle@iastate.edu
www.GoFlorence.us
INVITATION: Spend a semester in the "city that invented
the Renaissance, which is the same as saying Florentines invented the modern
world." To this miracle of achievement is added the miracle of survival.
Almost everything of importance is still there in a compact area.
By day, study paintings and frescoes of Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Masaccio,
and Botticelli, sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo, and cathedrals and
palazzi designed by Brunelleschi and Michelozzo; wander through the streets
and countryside where Petrarch, Dante, Boccaccio, Galileo, and Lorenzo de' Medici
walked and wrote; see illuminated manuscripts at the Biblioteca Laurenziana;
or hear Gregorian Chant sung by the monks of San Miniato.
For evening, listen to opera in opulent halls and concerts in cathedrals; enjoy
the famous "cucina italiana" and Chianti Classico at outdoor cafés
bordering the city's colorful piazze, settings for scenes from movies such as
"Room with a View", "Tea with Mussolini," "Up at the
Villa," and "Hannibal;" enjoy a moment of silence in a cloister;
practice your "ciaos" and "buon giornos" in open-air markets;
or window shop on Via Tornabuoni at Ferragamo, Armani, Gucci and Versace.
For an occasion out of town, tour the working vineyard at Villa Calcinaia with
its present owner, Count Niccolò Capponi as guide.
Florence is a safe city, with a very low rate of crime. Florentines are friendly
to Americans and very patient with our attempts to speak the language of Dante.
Historic Florence is small enough to allow walking to most venues.
COURSES: Courses in Natural Sciences and Mathematical Disciplines,
Social Sciences, Applied Art, and Arts and Humanities have been designed specifically
for Iowa State University students. The entire curriculum will be integrated
and centered on persons and topics associated with Renaissance Florence and
Tuscany.
A four-credit Italian course will satisfy ISU's Verbal Communication requirement.
Students may take as many as 12 credits in Italian. In conjunction with the
student's advisor, independent study projects may also be taken. Many courses
are available for Honors Program credit. Class size is small, ranging from five
to twenty students per class. All course numbers are in the ISU catalog; they
do not need to be transferred to a student's record. All courses are 300 level
and above.
FACULTY: An outstanding faculty includes:
- Dr. Kevin Murphy (Renaissance Science through Art, Architecture and Artifacts:
Period Art History courses)
- Count/Dottore Niccolò Capponi (Political Science courses)
- Dr. Matteo Sansone: opera
- Francesca Boni: coordinator of Italian language courses
- Several of these teachers also have appointments at other major universities
in Florence
FACILITIES: Most courses are taught at The British Institute
of Florence, located in the Palazzo Lanfredini, on the south bank of the Arno,
close to the Ponte Vecchio. The Palazzo, which has been recently renovated,
contains several well-equipped classrooms, an air-conditioned reading room,
and wireless internet access that will be included in the course fee. The Institute
is also the site of a series of weekly lectures and film presentations.
The language division of The British Institute of Florence is located on the
Piazza Strozzi. It is equipped with a study center with computer-assisted language
learning facilities and also has wireless connections.
The political science course, taught by Dottore Niccolò Capponi, is held
in his residence, the historic 15th century Palazzo Capponi.
His palazzo was the site for the filming of the movie, Hannibal.
The 55,000-volume Harold Acton Library, with specialized holdings in the areas
of Italian studies, history of art, travel, music, the theatre, and English
literature, is the largest English library in Italy.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Students will be housed in apartments in the
Oltrarno area of Florence, close to both the Palazzo Lanfredini and Piazza Strozzi.
Apartments are furnished with a kitchen, dining area, laundry facilities, television,
bed linens and towels.
PROGRAM PRE-REQUISITES AND CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE
- sophomore standing or above at the time the program is offered
- completed application for the program
- two letters of recommendation from persons who can comment on the student's
ability to succeed in a foreign country and adjust to another culture
- consultation with the student's advisor
- an interview with the Program Directors
- a demonstrable desire to study in Florence
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: Although it would be beneficial to
have had some previous knowledge of Italian, this is not a requirement for acceptance
into the Program. A 4-credit course in Italian will be required as part of the
curriculum.
The Semester is open to university students of any age in any discipline. The
ideal mix will include students (traditional and non-traditional) representing
a wide variety of colleges and disciplines. Students from six different ISU
colleges are enrolled in the fall 2006 semester.
The program fee includes tuition, lodging and utilities, guest lecture fees,
museum entrance fees for courses, as well as tickets to an opera performance
and a Renaissance dinner in the Palazzo Borghese.
Scholarships and Financial Aid: Students eligible for financial
aid should contact the financial aid office to make the necessary arrangements.
In most cases, students will be able to apply their ISU scholarships and financial
aid to their study abroad studies. Scholarships are also available.
For more information please contact Dr. Carl Bleyle:
cobleyle@iastate.edu
515-294-2966
Application Information is available from:
Study Abroad Resource Center
3224 Memorial Union
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-1182
Tel: (515) 294-6792
e-mail: studyabroad@iastate.edu
www.studyabroad.iastate.edu
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