Cultural Intro Italy

FUA’s popular Field Learning course, Cultural Introduction to Italy, consists of 1 week of travel through Italy with on-site field learning while earning 3 credits. This course is an optional add-on between the 3-week block course at FUA and the 11-week semester (as part of ASA’s Semester II program in Florence).

Cultural Introduction to Italy is a unique learning opportunity for students who want to experience the diversity of Italian culture first-hand. On-site learning includes lectures, visits to historic and contemporary sites, tastes of local gastronomy, expanded cultural horizons, and contact with local culture.


You’ll visit numerous different towns and sites during this course. In the Spring, students travel to Rome, Orvieto, and Perugia. In the Fall, students travel to Rome, the Tuscan coast, and Cinque Terre. The course always starts in Rome and ends in Florence.

The Field Learning Experience consists of 8 days of total cultural immersion in Italian history, society, art, and cuisine. Visits and lectures will reference different historical periods, moving forward and back through the centuries to better present you with the complexity of Italy’s cultural heritage. During the Field Learning experience, you will:

• Visit culturally relevant places to gain first-hand experience on Italian history, society, art, and cuisine. Some of the tours (especially in Rome) are up to 3 hours, so be prepared for extensive walking.

• Receive lectures from both the course instructor and professional tour guides about the area or monument you will be visiting.

• Be encouraged to connect the information acquired during each Field Learning experience with your pre-departure background reading and your personal impressions and opinions.

• Learn the basics of the Italian language.

A typical day starts with a morning meeting in the hotel lobby for the daily schedule, assignment, and instructions. You will then have two or three different Field Learning activities (consisting of walking tours, site visits, and lectures), one group lunch or dinner, and free time for the other meal. Each day you will also have some free time for independent field research and time to complete your daily assignment.

Please click here to request the Course Syllabus which has the detailed itinerary. For helpful info about pre-departure preparation, luggage, and travel.

What’s Included: 3 credits, academic coursework, accommodation, transportation starting in Rome and ending in Florence, daily breakfast + 7 meals.
Alternatively, Florence University of the Arts offers a Florence-based version of Cultural Introduction to Italy, without the travel component, that you can take during semester and summer terms alongside your other classes.

To view the ASA Florence program.