Lorenzo Ciccarelli was born and raised in Florence and is half Italian and half Swiss. His mother tongue is Italian, though he is fluent in German, English, French and Spanish. After attending high school in Florence, Lorenzo moved to Lucerne, Switzerland where he obtained his degree in Hotel Management. Lorenzo became a part of the CAPA Florence Center team in 2000. Prior to joining CAPA, Lorenzo worked in the Hotel Business for several years in various countries in Europe and South America.
Study Abroad with CAPA International Education
Discover Your World
Florence
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You are about to embark on the educational and cultural experience of a lifetime in the Renaissance city of Florence, Italy. Renowned for its magnificent architecture, world-class art museums, and flair for creating the latest trends in fashion, Florence offers students a unique learning environment that is contemporary and historical.
Apply for Summer 2010 and Fall 2010 programs. Our MyCAPA enrollment system is easy to use, safe and secure.
The Florence Experience
Ciao Firenze, and welcome to one of the most unique cultures in the world where history abounds as you meander through the city's streets.
The CAPA Florence Program offers the opportunity of a lifetime to immerse yourself academically and socially in the local culture. The city is quietly enchanting, with museums hidden around every corner and buildings left unchanged for centuries, and CAPA brings you the best Florence has to offer.
Regardless of your major, our academic courses keep you on track while you soak up regional history and culture. Study abroad options include local visits, fine arts courses that take advantage of the visually stunning streets and buildings, and special lectures. Everything is designed to engage you in critical thinking and challenge you to comprehensively pursue subjects through academic and field research.
CAPA also offers qualified students the option of doing an internship in Italian, or participating in an Advanced Track Italian Language and Internship Program. With an extensive network of internship sites, we feature opportunities in many businesses, nonprofits, and nongovernmental organizations. Work with local people while speaking Italian! Enhance your resume! CAPA's internship program will help you build professional skills and gain perspective as you engage a network of international contacts in your field.
Related materials:
Florence Program Center
CAPA Florence is a lively place with a strong sense of community, housed in the Palazzo Galli-Tassi.
The Palazzo, formerly the Palazzo Valori, dates from 1400 and was once owned by Filippo Valori, rector of the University of Pisa and close friend of Lorenzo de Medici. Between 1865 and 1871, when Florence was the capital of Italy, the head office of the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry were housed here. The Palazzo is located in the Santa Croce area in the center of the traditional artisans' quarter. The church of Santa Croce contains the tombs and monuments of many great Florentines and the surrounding streets have a lively and attractive sense of community. It is here that you will find distinctive neighborhood shops and restoration workshops where specialists continue to repair the many books and works of art damaged in the 1966 floods.
Regular activities through the My Education (ME) program encourage interaction between students from the many institutions represented. These include outings to museums, local markets, and lectures, as well as special events such as social dinners with other international students, hikes in Tuscany, sports activities and walking tours covering lesser-known parts of the city as well as other Italian destinations.
The Florence Center has fully equipped classrooms, fine arts facilities, a faculty office, a multifunctional media room, wireless Internet access and a computer laboratory. Students live within commuting distance of the Center either in homestays with local families, in shared apartments, or in dormitories.
Common Questions About the Florence Center
- Where is the CAPA Florence Center?
- The CAPA Florence Center is located in an historic 15th century palazzo. It is situated in the very center of the city, just minutes from the Duomo.
- Who is the local staff?
- CAPA’s International Program Services Team staffs the CAPA center in Florence. They are true experts in their field, and you’ll find them to be a great resource on many local topics from the best place for a gelato, to the directions to the closest bus station.
- Are there Internet facilities? Should I bring my laptop?
- There are computer facilities with wireless Internet access at the CAPA center. There are many Internet cafes throughout the city. Either of these options should suffice to keep you in touch with friends and family at home. Wireless Internet access is rarely available within students’ housing. Please be advised that the computers at the CAPA center as well as at many Internet cafes are set up for basic web surfing and may be a bit slower than what you’re used to.
- Bringing a laptop is a personal decision. CAPA does not require the use of a laptop for anything. If you choose to bring one, you may want to purchase additional insurance in the event that it breaks or is stolen as lost or stolen items are only covered up to a maximum of $250 with the CAPA included insurance.
Resident Director, The Florence Center
Lorenzo Ciccarelli
Click on a course name below for a brief description and example syllabus.
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Italian Language 1 (FLOR 1001)
The course provides a formative program and it is designed for students with no prior experience of Italian Language. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises (through the listening of music and videos among others) to correct pronunciation.
Download sample syllabus -
Italian Language 2 (FLOR 1002)
The object of this class is to develop students’ skills in understanding and speaking everyday Italian in different common situations, giving the students all the instruments to speak, understand, write, and read simple Italian, especially in practical situations. Authentic materials, such as ads, brochures, videos, songs, magazine articles, films and a short book are used extensively to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills are integrated into all activities.
Download sample syllabus -
Italian Language 3 (FLOR 1003)
This is an intermediate proficiency based course designed for students who have already taken Italian 1 and 2 (1 year of Italian). It is divided into units, which consist of approximately 6-8 hours, aimed at refining previously acquired linguistic skills and at the analyses of the usage of new grammar structures. The object of this course is to develop students’ skills in understanding and speaking everyday Italian in different common situations providing them with all the required linguistic skills to speak, understand, write, and read simple Italian, especially in practical situations. The approach adopted relates to the general view of language use and learning provided by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment and it is an “action-oriented” approach insofar as it views language learners primarily as members of society interacting and accomplishing their tasks in a given set of circumstances and environments.
Download sample syllabus -
Italian Language 4 (FLOR 1004)
This is a course designed for students who have already taken Italian level 1, 2 and 3 so that are already in possession of some elementary notions of the Italian language. In the course will be covered the following: pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, vocabulary. The object of this class is to develop students’ skills in understanding and speaking Italian language in different situations giving to the students all the instruments to speak, understand, write, and read Italian. Authentic materials, such as ads, brochures, videos, songs, magazine articles, films and a short book are used extensively to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills are integrated into all activities.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Composition Drawing (FLOR 1101)
A studio arts drawing course for beginning and intermediate students that explores an essential aspect of artistic self-expression and the techniques necessary to learn to draw what you see. The course will examine Florentine artists’ drawing techniques that raised the level of this medium during the Renaissance period from preliminary studies to that of true works of art. Visual perception is a way of seeing that differs from our typical way of seeing. The objective is that of teaching students how to transmit what they see, an artistic perception which will permit them to explore their personal mode of expression. The course will concentrate upon the component parts of drawing, the necessary aspects self-awareness and general creativity, learning to draw what is out there and self expression.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Watercolor (FLOR 1102)
An introductory studio course for beginning and intermediate students aimed at exposing individuals to this particular painting technique. Studio work concentrates on building strong perceptual and compositional skills, the use of color and various techniques that are characteristic of this painting method enriched by the exploration of Florentine subject matter. The final objective is the creation of a unique, visual journal of one’s personal experience in this marvellous Italian city.
Download sample syllabus
Note: The course will be modified to meet the needs of students on an advanced level of study. -
Beginning Figurative Sculpture (FLOR 1301)
Figurative sculpture is a basic studio course designed for beginners and intermediate students. It explores the skills and techniques necessary to approach clay modelling. Students are invited to take advantage of class activities as much as possible since it is through constant commitment and exercise that they will achieve the technical mastery of the medium. At the same time, it is necessary for students to acquire a certain theoretical awareness. Stimuli provided by projections, workshop and site visits to the most important sculptures in Florence are integral to the course. Students will visit these works during the week. Students will have a sketchbook in order to document at least one work per visit.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Oil Painting (FLOR 1302)
Investigate concepts of color, form, line, composition, volume, space, and the use of oil paint as a medium. Beginning or intermediate levels accepted. This course is structured to introduce oil painting starting from the basic techniques and introducing new approaches and ideas. Students should take advantage of “open studio hours” to complete their assignments. At the beginning of each new topic and project students will be asked to list the techniques acquired in the previous lessons before moving on to a new exercise. Students will be expected to complete at least 4 paintings to successfully complete the course in addition to completing the weekly assignments.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Life Drawing (FLOR 1303)
The goal of this course is to give you the ability to reproduce “reality” (objects, human figures etc.).
Download sample syllabus
The aim of the course is to become familiar with the main bone structures of the human figure and certain objects. It is particularly important that you learn to observe and in order to do so, you will be taught how to develop your concentration when you look at nature. It is important that you draw your attention away from “symbols” and from the familiar mental images that surround us daily; stereotypes that appear when we are drawing. The course is structured to introduce drawing starting from the basic techniques to reach more sensible approaches and ideas. The topics will be divided in weeks so that every two lessons you will be introduced to a new subject or technique. -
International Business (FLOR 3040)
This course introduces students to international economy and business. It starts with a wide comparison between the first and the second periods of globalization, as it developed at the end of XIX° century, and examines how in the present day it is considered as the “prevalent economic system”, even though this is debated by people of all continents. The importance of the Bretton Woods system will be clearly underlined in order to understand the events of the second part of the XX° century. The creation of the international economic institutions – International Monetary Fund, World Bank and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and others – constitutes a pillar on which the development of the international economy is largely based in a context in which protectionism is banned. The role of international trade in the global era has never declined; free trade and market economy are still representing the most relevant economic orientation at an international scale. During the ‘80s the international framework was changing, due to the progressive decline and consequential death of Fordism, and the uprising new industrial processes. International finance was influenced by the development of the information technology revolution, the global economy after “September 11th” has changed its shape, but it was never interrupted, according to the most persuasive opinions of major economists. The course will also approach the current financial global crisis.
Download sample syllabus -
Medieval and Renaissance Italian Literature (FLOR 3212)
The course will introduce students to the history of Italian Literature, focusing on great masterpieces (in English translation) from the 14th to the 16th century. A multidisciplinary approach, dealing with social, political, historical and philosophical implications will provide further understanding by placing literary works in a comprehensive cultural context. Special emphasis will be placed on the impact of Italian literature in European culture in pre-modern age, stressing the broad influence of Dante's Comedy, Boccaccio's Decameron and Ariosto's Orlando Enraged. Students will be provided with the basic operational tools to help them recognize different literary genres and understand why certain forms of artistic expression are peculiar to certain ages, at times to the exclusion of others. Literary issues such as the great divide between high and low literature, the question of language, the relation between classical, Christian and chivalric epics, the concept of originality in the Middle Ages, the circulation of books and the development of a reading public will be thoroughly investigated. Students will be able to follow the formation and the evolution of the mainstream literary tradition, and appreciate the innovative charge, both in form and content, of the works selected. They will also learn to practice a close reading of the texts, and will be encouraged to form their own critical opinion on the writings analyzed for their oral presentations. The first lessons will be devoted to a general overview of the 13th and the 14th centuries both from a historical and a more specifically literary perspective. Then the focus will shift onto the role of Dante in shaping the vernacular literature as a means to bridge the gap between academic and popular culture, to Boccaccio’s ground-breaking work in restyling storytelling into an art of conversation and therefore a collective enterprise, and finally to Ariosto’s humorous contemplation of human vanity and foolishness. Each lecture introducing a new author will be preceded by a brief outline of his life and literary output, and will then proceed with the description and analysis of his major work.
Download sample syllabus -
History of Italian Art from the Renaissance to the 20th Century (FLOR 3214)
The first unit of the course introduces students to a broad range of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence during the Renaissance. Discussion centers on how works of art were made, their style, and how they communicate intellectual meaning. To take full advantage of the opportunities available for the study of art in Florence, many classes are held in museums, churches, and piazzas. Florence is our classroom. The second unit of the course traces the trajectory of the history of art from the Baroque to the early years of the twentieth-century avant-gardes. Sections include discussions of the Neoclassical, Macchiaioli, and Futurist movements in Florence and Italy.
Download sample syllabus -
Contemporary Italian Cinema (FLOR 3215)
The objective of this course is to give students the opportunity to comprehend contemporary Italian society through the screen images that Italian filmmakers have presented of the cultural, political and working environment they live in. Using a multidisciplinary approach for history, film theory, and social contextualization, this course will explore how contemporary Italian cinema has followed, mirrored, and sometimes even anticipated cultural and social transformations in Italian society. Up to twenty Italian films released between the late ‘90 to the present will be examined from the point of view of 20th and 21st Century Italian social, political, and cultural history in order to understand the various social and ethical concerns exemplified by the movies.
Download sample syllabus -
Area Studies: Anthropological Perspectives on Contemporary Italy (FLOR 3332)
This course presents a survey of contemporary Italy from an anthropological perspective, which is to say with a systematic and informed focus on the role of culture in contemporary Italian society. For anthropology, culture is the concept which describes the networks of shared meanings and values that underlie social practices and create distinct group identities. With this in mind, the course examines the operation of such universal cultural features as identity, social and political organization, gender, and religion in contemporary Italy, as well as considering local issues of healthcare, immigration and internal migration, and Italian and Florentine “cultural heritage.” The course requires an ethnographic engagement with Florentine society, which provides an opportunity to recognize and apply anthropological concepts in a practical fashion outside of the classroom. Although this course will be conducted principally in English for reasons of comprehension, the instructor will incorporate Italian and Italian cultural resources as much as possible in order to give students maximum exposure to the Italian language.
Download sample syllabus -
Political and Economic History of Europe in the 20th Century (FLOR 3333)
This course offers a general survey of the History of Europe in the twentieth century, focusing on major political and economic processes and events. It also considers the correlated national and international environments. It will shed light on the way in which European development influenced the national and international contexts and, inversely, document how national and international factors conditioned European dynamics. The analysis highlights the dynamics of European history from a world-scale perspective. The beginning of the twentieth century marked the crisis of empires and colonial powers. A second significant shift occurred after the Second World War with the emergence of a bi-polar world order, and the subsequent division of power between the USA and USSR. The third was registered in 1989-91, when, with the fall of the Soviet bloc, conditions for an American hegemony were eventually created (a mono-polar order was established). Attempts are now under way to open avenues to a functional global order.
Download sample syllabus -
Cross Cultural Psychology (FLOR 3335)
This course will introduce and explore the field of cross-cultural psychology through a focus on a specific country and its inhabitants: Italy. Aspects of cross-cultural analysis from the field of cross-cultural psychology (as well as interdisciplinary elements from sociology, anthropology, biology and ecology) will be discussed, including: cultural influence on human behavior, attitudes, values, communication and societal organization. Special topics of ethnocentrism, individual vs. collective societies, plural societies, cultural views on mental health, and intercultural communication are highlighted. Methodological issues of cross-cultural research will be reviewed, and students will have the opportunity to conduct a cross-cultural interview and be participant-observers of their own experience here in Italy. The city of Florence and its inhabitants become the classroom through various excursions and field work. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own cultural origins in regards to behaviors, communication, attitudes and values, as well as their acculturation experiences while studying in Italy.
Download sample syllabus
Click on a course name below for a brief description and example syllabus.
-
Italian Language 1 (FLOR 1001)
The course provides a formative program and it is designed for students with no prior experience of Italian Language. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises (through the listening of music and videos among others) to correct pronunciation.
Download sample syllabus -
Italian Language 2 (FLOR 1002)
The object of this class is to develop students’ skills in understanding and speaking everyday Italian in different common situations, giving the students all the instruments to speak, understand, write, and read simple Italian, especially in practical situations. Authentic materials, such as ads, brochures, videos, songs, magazine articles, films and a short book are used extensively to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills are integrated into all activities.
Download sample syllabus -
Italian Language 3 (FLOR 1003)
This is an intermediate proficiency based course designed for students who have already taken Italian 1 and 2 (1 year of Italian). It is divided into units, which consist of approximately 6-8 hours, aimed at refining previously acquired linguistic skills and at the analyses of the usage of new grammar structures. The object of this course is to develop students’ skills in understanding and speaking everyday Italian in different common situations providing them with all the required linguistic skills to speak, understand, write, and read simple Italian, especially in practical situations. The approach adopted relates to the general view of language use and learning provided by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment and it is an “action-oriented” approach insofar as it views language learners primarily as members of society interacting and accomplishing their tasks in a given set of circumstances and environments.
Download sample syllabus -
Italian Language 4 (FLOR 1004)
This is a course designed for students who have already taken Italian level 1, 2 and 3 so that are already in possession of some elementary notions of the Italian language. In the course will be covered the following: pronunciation, grammar and communicative functions, vocabulary. The object of this class is to develop students’ skills in understanding and speaking Italian language in different situations giving to the students all the instruments to speak, understand, write, and read Italian. Authentic materials, such as ads, brochures, videos, songs, magazine articles, films and a short book are used extensively to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills are integrated into all activities.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Composition Drawing (FLOR 1101)
A studio arts drawing course for beginning and intermediate students that explores an essential aspect of artistic self-expression and the techniques necessary to learn to draw what you see. The course will examine Florentine artists’ drawing techniques that raised the level of this medium during the Renaissance period from preliminary studies to that of true works of art. Visual perception is a way of seeing that differs from our typical way of seeing. The objective is that of teaching students how to transmit what they see, an artistic perception which will permit them to explore their personal mode of expression. The course will concentrate upon the component parts of drawing, the necessary aspects self-awareness and general creativity, learning to draw what is out there and self expression.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Watercolor (FLOR 1102)
An introductory studio course for beginning and intermediate students aimed at exposing individuals to this particular painting technique. Studio work concentrates on building strong perceptual and compositional skills, the use of color and various techniques that are characteristic of this painting method enriched by the exploration of Florentine subject matter. The final objective is the creation of a unique, visual journal of one’s personal experience in this marvellous Italian city.
Download sample syllabus
Note: The course will be modified to meet the needs of students on an advanced level of study. -
Beginning Figurative Sculpture (FLOR 1301)
Figurative sculpture is a basic studio course designed for beginners and intermediate students. It explores the skills and techniques necessary to approach clay modelling. Students are invited to take advantage of class activities as much as possible since it is through constant commitment and exercise that they will achieve the technical mastery of the medium. At the same time, it is necessary for students to acquire a certain theoretical awareness. Stimuli provided by projections, workshop and site visits to the most important sculptures in Florence are integral to the course. Students will visit these works during the week. Students will have a sketchbook in order to document at least one work per visit.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Oil Painting (FLOR 1302)
Investigate concepts of color, form, line, composition, volume, space, and the use of oil paint as a medium. Beginning or intermediate levels accepted. This course is structured to introduce oil painting starting from the basic techniques and introducing new approaches and ideas. Students should take advantage of “open studio hours” to complete their assignments. At the beginning of each new topic and project students will be asked to list the techniques acquired in the previous lessons before moving on to a new exercise. Students will be expected to complete at least 4 paintings to successfully complete the course in addition to completing the weekly assignments.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Life Drawing (FLOR 1303)
The goal of this course is to give you the ability to reproduce “reality” (objects, human figures etc.).
Download sample syllabus
The aim of the course is to become familiar with the main bone structures of the human figure and certain objects. It is particularly important that you learn to observe and in order to do so, you will be taught how to develop your concentration when you look at nature. It is important that you draw your attention away from “symbols” and from the familiar mental images that surround us daily; stereotypes that appear when we are drawing. The course is structured to introduce drawing starting from the basic techniques to reach more sensible approaches and ideas. The topics will be divided in weeks so that every two lessons you will be introduced to a new subject or technique. -
International Business (FLOR 3040)
This course introduces students to international economy and business. It starts with a wide comparison between the first and the second periods of globalization, as it developed at the end of XIX° century, and examines how in the present day it is considered as the “prevalent economic system”, even though this is debated by people of all continents. The importance of the Bretton Woods system will be clearly underlined in order to understand the events of the second part of the XX° century. The creation of the international economic institutions – International Monetary Fund, World Bank and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and others – constitutes a pillar on which the development of the international economy is largely based in a context in which protectionism is banned. The role of international trade in the global era has never declined; free trade and market economy are still representing the most relevant economic orientation at an international scale. During the ‘80s the international framework was changing, due to the progressive decline and consequential death of Fordism, and the uprising new industrial processes. International finance was influenced by the development of the information technology revolution, the global economy after “September 11th” has changed its shape, but it was never interrupted, according to the most persuasive opinions of major economists. The course will also approach the current financial global crisis.
Download sample syllabus -
Renaissance Art History (FLOR 3210)
This course introduces students to painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence in the Renaissance. Beginning with the great projects of the Middle Ages that defined the religious and political centers of the city, attention focuses on major monuments of the Renaissance. Discussion will center on how works of art were made, their style, and how they communicate intellectual meaning. Sub-themes that intersect with the most recent research in the field of art history are interwoven into each class period. Topics for discussion include the cross-cultural fertilization of artistic ideas, how women, the poor, and children were depicted in Renaissance art, conflicting ideas regarding patronage, and how works of art construct religious, political, gender, and class identities. This course analyzes the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society. In other words, students must understand a work of art in the social, artistic, and historical context of medieval and renaissance Florence.
Download sample syllabus -
Contemporary Italian Literature: Self, Memory And Expression (FLOR 3211)
The course will introduce students to a number of the most significant 20th century Italian novels dealing with the rhetoric of self-expression, the role of tradition in the construction of a sense of self, the psychology of identity, individual and collective memory, remembrance and memorialization. As this is a clearly thematic approach, focus will be placed on the most prominent narrative devices employed to bring out these issues in what can be certainly described as life-writing, but that in this period tends to cluster around the feeling of alienation from middle-class values and society (Pirandello’s The Late Mattia Pascal, Svevo’s Zeno’s Conscience), and the Italian memorialization of the catastrophe of World War II (Calvino’s The Path to the Spiders’ Nest, Levi’s Surviving Auschwitz). Therefore, the first lessons of the course will be devoted to a survey of the main tenets of narratological theory and to the pivotal questions debated in autobiographical studies. Students will be provided with the basic operational tools to help them recognize how identity is questioned and constructed in Svevo’s and Pirandello’s works, and how individual and collective memory of the horrors of war are expressed in Calvino’s and Levi’s choral narratives. Special emphasis will be placed on the crucial distinction between possessive and relational self, and its consequence for literary practice. Students will learn to practice a close narratological reading of the texts, and will be encouraged to form their own critical opinion on the writings analyzed for their oral presentations
Download sample syllabus -
History of Italian Art from Antiquity to the Baroque (FLOR 3213)
The course is conceived as a survey of Italian from antiquity to the sixteenth century. Students will be introduced to the transformations that occurred in Italy and Europe, from the end of the Roman Empire to the “melting pot” period preceding the Age of Italian communes. We will examine the works of art from a variety of perspectives. While we will look at the works in terms of their aesthetic and stylistic qualities, we will also pay special attention to issues of social, political and economic context, as well as to function, which was integral to artistic production of the period. As the works we will study are often still in their original physical settings, we will also have a unique opportunity to experience the works as their original viewers did and as their creators intended. Throughout the semester we will be specifically focusing on the sociological and philosophical values of the image in Western society, starting with Byzantine icons and ending with the late Renaissance. To take full advantage of the opportunities available for the study of art in Florence, many of our classes will be held in museums, churches, and piazzas throughout the city. The underlining objective of this course is to analyze the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society.
Download sample syllabus -
Contemporary Italian Cinema (FLOR 3215)
The objective of this course is to give students the opportunity to comprehend contemporary Italian society through the screen images that Italian filmmakers have presented of the cultural, political and working environment they live in. Using a multidisciplinary approach for history, film theory, and social contextualization, this course will explore how contemporary Italian cinema has followed, mirrored, and sometimes even anticipated cultural and social transformations in Italian society. Up to twenty Italian films released between the late ‘90 to the present will be examined from the point of view of 20th and 21st Century Italian social, political, and cultural history in order to understand the various social and ethical concerns exemplified by the movies.
Download sample syllabus -
Area Studies: Anthropological Perspectives on Contemporary Italy (FLOR 3332)
This course presents a survey of contemporary Italy from an anthropological perspective, which is to say with a systematic and informed focus on the role of culture in contemporary Italian society. For anthropology, culture is the concept which describes the networks of shared meanings and values that underlie social practices and create distinct group identities. With this in mind, the course examines the operation of such universal cultural features as identity, social and political organization, gender, and religion in contemporary Italy, as well as considering local issues of healthcare, immigration and internal migration, and Italian and Florentine “cultural heritage.” The course requires an ethnographic engagement with Florentine society, which provides an opportunity to recognize and apply anthropological concepts in a practical fashion outside of the classroom. Although this course will be conducted principally in English for reasons of comprehension, the instructor will incorporate Italian and Italian cultural resources as much as possible in order to give students maximum exposure to the Italian language.
Download sample syllabus -
Political and Economic History of Europe in the 20th Century (FLOR 3333)
This course offers a general survey of the History of Europe in the twentieth century, focusing on major political and economic processes and events. It also considers the correlated national and international environments. It will shed light on the way in which European development influenced the national and international contexts and, inversely, document how national and international factors conditioned European dynamics. The analysis highlights the dynamics of European history from a world-scale perspective. The beginning of the twentieth century marked the crisis of empires and colonial powers. A second significant shift occurred after the Second World War with the emergence of a bi-polar world order, and the subsequent division of power between the USA and USSR. The third was registered in 1989-91, when, with the fall of the Soviet bloc, conditions for an American hegemony were eventually created (a mono-polar order was established). Attempts are now under way to open avenues to a functional global order.
Download sample syllabus -
Cross Cultural Psychology (FLOR 3335)
This course will introduce and explore the field of cross-cultural psychology through a focus on a specific country and its inhabitants: Italy. Aspects of cross-cultural analysis from the field of cross-cultural psychology (as well as interdisciplinary elements from sociology, anthropology, biology and ecology) will be discussed, including: cultural influence on human behavior, attitudes, values, communication and societal organization. Special topics of ethnocentrism, individual vs. collective societies, plural societies, cultural views on mental health, and intercultural communication are highlighted. Methodological issues of cross-cultural research will be reviewed, and students will have the opportunity to conduct a cross-cultural interview and be participant-observers of their own experience here in Italy. The city of Florence and its inhabitants become the classroom through various excursions and field work. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own cultural origins in regards to behaviors, communication, attitudes and values, as well as their acculturation experiences while studying in Italy.
Download sample syllabus
Click on a course name below for a brief description and example syllabus.
-
Italian Language 1 (FLOR 1001)
The course provides a formative program and it is designed for students with no prior experience of Italian Language. The teacher will explain the fundamental knowledge of grammar, phonetics, morphology and syntax using a functional-situational approach (to learn a rule beginning from its location in a text or context). A part of the lesson will be dedicated to real situation exercises, grammar drills, consolidation of the material, deepening of concepts through readings, conversations, role games and listening exercises (through the listening of music and videos among others) to correct pronunciation.
Download sample syllabus -
Italian Language 2 (FLOR 1002)
The object of this class is to develop students’ skills in understanding and speaking everyday Italian in different common situations, giving the students all the instruments to speak, understand, write, and read simple Italian, especially in practical situations. Authentic materials, such as ads, brochures, videos, songs, magazine articles, films and a short book are used extensively to expose students to contemporary Italian language and culture. Listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills are integrated into all activities.
Download sample syllabus -
Beginning Composition Drawing (FLOR 1101)
A studio arts drawing course for beginning and intermediate students that explores an essential aspect of artistic self-expression and the techniques necessary to learn to draw what you see. The course will examine Florentine artists’ drawing techniques that raised the level of this medium during the Renaissance period from preliminary studies to that of true works of art. Visual perception is a way of seeing that differs from our typical way of seeing. The objective is that of teaching students how to transmit what they see, an artistic perception which will permit them to explore their personal mode of expression. The course will concentrate upon the component parts of drawing, the necessary aspects self-awareness and general creativity, learning to draw what is out there and self expression.
Download sample syllabus -
International Business (FLOR 3040)
This course introduces students to international economy and business. It starts with a wide comparison between the first and the second periods of globalization, as it developed at the end of XIX° century, and examines how in the present day it is considered as the “prevalent economic system”, even though this is debated by people of all continents. The importance of the Bretton Woods system will be clearly underlined in order to understand the events of the second part of the XX° century. The creation of the international economic institutions – International Monetary Fund, World Bank and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and others – constitutes a pillar on which the development of the international economy is largely based in a context in which protectionism is banned. The role of international trade in the global era has never declined; free trade and market economy are still representing the most relevant economic orientation at an international scale. During the ‘80s the international framework was changing, due to the progressive decline and consequential death of Fordism, and the uprising new industrial processes. International finance was influenced by the development of the information technology revolution, the global economy after “September 11th” has changed its shape, but it was never interrupted, according to the most persuasive opinions of major economists. The course will also approach the current financial global crisis.
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Renaissance Art History (FLOR 3210)
This course introduces students to painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence in the Renaissance. Beginning with the great projects of the Middle Ages that defined the religious and political centers of the city, attention focuses on major monuments of the Renaissance. Discussion will center on how works of art were made, their style, and how they communicate intellectual meaning. Sub-themes that intersect with the most recent research in the field of art history are interwoven into each class period. Topics for discussion include the cross-cultural fertilization of artistic ideas, how women, the poor, and children were depicted in Renaissance art, conflicting ideas regarding patronage, and how works of art construct religious, political, gender, and class identities. This course analyzes the interrelationship between people’s creative achievements and their society. In other words, students must understand a work of art in the social, artistic, and historical context of medieval and renaissance Florence.
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Area Studies: Anthropological Perspectives on Contemporary Italy (FLOR 3332)
This course presents a survey of contemporary Italy from an anthropological perspective, which is to say with a systematic and informed focus on the role of culture in contemporary Italian society. For anthropology, culture is the concept which describes the networks of shared meanings and values that underlie social practices and create distinct group identities. With this in mind, the course examines the operation of such universal cultural features as identity, social and political organization, gender, and religion in contemporary Italy, as well as considering local issues of healthcare, immigration and internal migration, and Italian and Florentine “cultural heritage.” The course requires an ethnographic engagement with Florentine society, which provides an opportunity to recognize and apply anthropological concepts in a practical fashion outside of the classroom. Although this course will be conducted principally in English for reasons of comprehension, the instructor will incorporate Italian and Italian cultural resources as much as possible in order to give students maximum exposure to the Italian language.
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Cross Cultural Psychology (FLOR 3335)
This course will introduce and explore the field of cross-cultural psychology through a focus on a specific country and its inhabitants: Italy. Aspects of cross-cultural analysis from the field of cross-cultural psychology (as well as interdisciplinary elements from sociology, anthropology, biology and ecology) will be discussed, including: cultural influence on human behavior, attitudes, values, communication and societal organization. Special topics of ethnocentrism, individual vs. collective societies, plural societies, cultural views on mental health, and intercultural communication are highlighted. Methodological issues of cross-cultural research will be reviewed, and students will have the opportunity to conduct a cross-cultural interview and be participant-observers of their own experience here in Italy. The city of Florence and its inhabitants become the classroom through various excursions and field work. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own cultural origins in regards to behaviors, communication, attitudes and values, as well as their acculturation experiences while studying in Italy.
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Live. Explore. Create. Discover. LEARN in Florence
Florence is your Classroom!
Courses & Internships
No matter your major, CAPA has the courses and internships to keep you on track while studying in Florence.
- Italian Language
- Studio Art
- Art History
- History
- Political Science
- Economics
- Literature
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- English
- International Relations
- Psychology
Academic and Internship Credits
All CAPA students receive full credit for courses and internships completed. Credits are issued through the University of Minnesota CAPA School of Record Agreement.
Advanced Italian Track (AIT)
CAPA’s Advanced Italian Language and Internship Program has been designed for Italian language majors or students who have a high level of competency in Italian with at least 4 semesters of Italian language completed. This program offers a blend of academic courses in Italian, advanced Italian language courses, fine arts courses and an internship in your chosen field.
Common Questions about Academics in Florence
- What are the admission requirements for the CAPA Florence Program?
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- You must be at least 18 years of age and it is recommended that participants are the equivalent of a 2nd semester sophomore.
- You must have a minimum GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale)
- You must be in good standing with your home institution. You will be required to present two recommendations with your application.
- When do I need to turn in my CAPA Florence Program application?
- Please refer to the Dates and Pricing tab for Florence. These deadlines are set at 85 days prior to the start of the program.
- How will I know if I have been accepted on the CAPA Florence Program?
- If your application is approved, you will receive a welcome pack approximately 70 days prior to your departure from the United States. If you have any questions regarding your application, please call the CAPA student services line at 1-800-793-0334. If the CAPA admissions team has any concerns regarding your application, you will be contacted immediately upon receipt of your application.
- What courses are offered for the CAPA Florence Program?
- The CAPA Florence Program offers a wide variety of language, art, and contextual courses as well as opportunities to participate in an internship for academic credit. Please return to the top of this page to see the available courses offered on the CAPA Florence Program. Please note that a few of the courses are not offered during the summer session.
- How many credits are earned per course?
- Each course is worth 3 credits. During the Fall and Spring semester, you may choose to take 12 – 18 credits. During the Summer session, you must take at least 6 credits.
- Will my courses be taught in Italian?
- Only the Italian language courses will be taught in Italian. The art and contextual courses will be taught in English by Italian adjunct professors.
- Can I take any courses I choose?
- Before signing up for a specific course, you will need to check with your home institution to make sure they will approve the transfer credit provided for a specific course. If you are having difficulties getting a specific course approved, please call the CAPA student services line at 1-800-793-0334 and they will contact your university on your behalf. On your application you will be ask to list several course choices. On rare occasions there may be schedule or enrollment conflicts. If this occurs, you will be notified and ask to choose a second or third choice.
- Where will my classes be held?
- Your classes will be held at the CAPA Florence Study Center. The CAPA Florence Center is located in a historic 15th century palazzo. It is situated in the very center of the city, just minutes from the Duomo. The Palazzo, formerly the Palazzo Valori, dates back to the 1400s and was once owned by Filippo Valori, the rector of the University of Pisa and close friend of Lorenzo de Medici. Between 1865 and 1871 when Florence was the capital of Italy, the head office of the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry was housed here.
- Do I have to participate in an internship?
- No, it is up to you whether or not you participate in an internship during your time in Florence. You can also choose to take a full load of art, language, or contextual Courses.
- Do I need to be fluent in Italian in order to take part in an internship?
- You will not need to be fluent but you will need to have completed at least 4 semesters of college level Italian. Some placement areas may require more advanced Italian. Note that your internship placement may wish for you to help them complete tasks in English such as answering emails or speaking on the phone to English speaking international clientele. However, you will always have access to Italian speakers in order to expand your language skills.
- How many credits will I earn by participating in an internship?
- You will earn a total of 3 credits for both the internship and internship course. Students electing to do an internship will also be required to take an intensive Italian language course for 4 credits.
- If I choose to participate in an internship as part of my program, when will I receive my placement information?
- As long as you have completed your internship application in full by the 85 days prior to departure deadline you should expect to receive your internship placement description fourteen days prior to your departure from the US. Please refer to the following link for more information regarding CAPA internships.
- What are the steps I need to take to ensure that I will receive credit for the program through my home institution?
- There are three important steps to successfully obtaining Transfer Credit through your home institution:
- Obtain written pre-approval of your courses as well as for alternate course choices. CAPA can provide you with the needed course descriptions and syllabi to help with the approval process prior to applying for the program.
- Achieve good grades in your classes while studying abroad.
- You will need to complete a University of Minnesota Learning Abroad application as well as a transcript request form that CAPA will provide in your welcome pack once your application is received.
- When can I expect to have my transcripts sent to my home institution?
- Your University of Minnesota transcript will be sent to your home institution approximately four weeks after your return to the United States. If you have further questions, please contact the CAPA student services line at 1-800-793-0334
Director of Academic Affairs, The Florence Center
Guido Reverdito
As Director of Academic Affairs of the CAPA Florence Center, Guido Reverdito is responsible for the local management of CAPA faculty and general supervision of the CAPA academic standards and procedures in Florence. He acts as a link between CAPA staff, Florence faculty and the student body, and reports directly to Dr. Sarah McKenzie, the Chief Academic Officer in London.
After having completed his B.A. in Classics at the University of Genova (Italy) and then achieved a M.A. in Teaching Italian as a second language, he has been teaching Italian and Italian Literature at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the University ELTE in Budapest, and the University of Kent in Canterbury.
Since 1989 Guido has been a film critic for the Italian national spreadsheet La Repubblica, for which he currently writes weekly film reviews.
Guido’s areas of research and teaching interest include Italian as a second language, Late Republican and Imperial Latin Literature, Translations from Latin Classics, Contemporary Italian Films, Film Criticism and adaptations of novels to the screen.
Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Sarah McKenzie
Dr McKenzie is the Chief Academic Officer of CAPA International Education. She manages the faculty world-wide, and oversees the academic policies and educational planning. She completed her B.A. in English and American Literature in the University of Kent in Canterbury, before going to the University of Warwick where she achieved her M.A. (specialising in Feminist Literary Theory, Victorian Literature, Critical Theory and Seventeenth-Century poetry) and her Ph.D on ‘Death and Inheritance in Seventeenth-Century Literature’ in 2003.
Sarah has over thirteen years teaching experience, eight of which have been teaching and working in the field of Study Abroad, at CAPA International Education, at Harlaxton College where she was the Chair of British Studies, and at the University of Evansville in the US where she was an Assistant Professor of English Literature.
Sarah’s areas of research and teaching interest include Shakespeare, British History and Identity, Early Modern Literature, Women's Literature, and 19th to 21st Century British novels and poetry.
Dates and prices are per session.
Fall 2010
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Arrive in destination
Friday, September 3, 2010 -
Depart from destination
Saturday, December 11, 2010 -
Fee (including tuition)
$12,899 -
Application deadline
Friday, July 9, 2010
*Plus $150 housing deposit for students living in apartment housing. Homestay supplement is $2,414 and includes breakfasts and dinners.
Spring 2011
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Arrive in destination
Friday, January 14, 2011 -
Depart from destination
Saturday, April 23, 2011 -
Fee (including tuition)
$12,899 -
Application deadline
Friday, October 29, 2010
*Plus $150 housing deposit for students living in apartment housing. Homestay supplement is $2414 and includes breakfasts and dinners.
Spring 2011 Advanced Italian Track
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Arrive in destination
Friday, January 14, 2011 -
Depart from destination
Saturday, April 23, 2011 -
Fee (including tuition)
$14,699 -
Application deadline
Friday, October 29, 2010
Includes the required internship and homestay fee with 2 meals per day (breakfast and dinners)
Summer 2011
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Arrive in destination
Thursday, May 19, 2011 -
Depart from destination
Thursday, June 30, 2011 -
Fee (including tuition)
$6,299 -
Application deadline
Friday, February 25, 2011
*Plus $150 housing deposit for students living in apartment housing
Florence is your Classroom! CAPA delivers academic excellence along with a complete cultural experience at an affordable price.
Tuition
Semester programs earn 12 to 18 credits (maximum 3 credits for the Advanced Italian Track internship and regular internships). Summer sessions earn 6 academic credits. Internships are not available on the summer program.
Housing and Meals
Students live within commuting distance of the CAPA Florence Center in homestays or shared apartments. Homestays are available on semester programs only; an additional homestay supplement of $2,414 will be applied to the program fee. Homestays include breakfast and dinner. Apartments have cooking facilities.
My Education Florence
My Education is CAPA’s unique learning immersion program, which blends local culture and top-notch academics into the experience of a lifetime for our students. A proven education program that combines theme based learning with unique cultural experiences turning Florence into your classroom.
CAPA Services and Support
The CAPA Florence team is available throughout your program to assist and support you. Students can also contact the 24-hour emergency cell phone for any urgent situations outside of office hours.
Internship Placement
3-credit internships are available for all semester only students who qualify. Internship applicants must have completed 4 semesters of Italian or the equivalent. Click on the internship tab for a sample list of CAPA placements. There is an additional fee of $1,000 for internship placements made outside the Advanced Italian Track. No homestay is required.
Advanced Italian Track (AIT)
Internships for 3 credits are available for all semester only students who qualify for the Advanced Italian Track. Internship applicants must have completed 4 semesters of Italian or the equivalent. Visit the AIT page for more details about this option. The program fee for the AIT is $14,699. The AIT includes the additional homestay fee.
Other Inclusions
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Excursions
Full day excursion to Siena and San Gimignano.
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Insurance
Medical, travel and accident insurance.
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Local transportation
Florence bus pass.
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British Institute's Library and Cultural Center
A pass and library privileges for their 50,000 English-volume library.
Live. Explore. Create. Discover. LEARN in Florence
Florence is your Student's Classroom!
Reputation
Since 1972 CAPA has stood for excellence in academics and cultural immersion. Over 50,000 students have participated in CAPA programs spanning the globe. CAPA programs weave academics and experiential learning together with internships, co-curricular activities, and unique educational methods to create a holistic study abroad experience for your student.
Safety
Your student’s safety while studying in Florence is CAPA’s top priority. From the moment your child gets off the plane, the CAPA Florence Team is there to assist them by offering guidance and support in a number of primary areas including cultural adjustment, medical needs, and life in the city. A 24-hour emergency number is given to students for any urgent situation that may arise outside of regular office hours.
My Education
My Education is CAPA’s unique learning immersion program, which blends local culture and top-notch academics into the experience of a lifetime for our students. A proven education program that combines theme based learning with unique cultural experience turning Florence into your student’s classroom.
Courses/Internships/Credits
No matter your student’s major, CAPA has the courses and internships to keep them on track while studying in Florence.
Art History • History • Marketing • Political Science • Communications • Theater
Economics • Literature • Social Science • Journalism • Business • Sociology
Anthropology • English • International Relations • Psychology • Education
Price/Value/Inclusions
CAPA delivers academic excellence along with a complete cultural experiences at an affordable price. Combine that with the program unique inclusions like local transportation, excursions, insurance (medical, travel, and accident) and no other program will compare.
Our enrollment system is easy to use, safe, and secure.
You can also download a printed application and mail it to us.
