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Italy: The Sights and Sounds of Italy - Language, Culture, and Travel Program

Program Overview

Benvenuti in Italia.
One student on his way to Italy asked, "How can I go to Italy? I don't even speak Italian." At the end of the summer, he came back with the answer: "In Italy, all you have to do is smile." Though he couldn't speak much Italian, and his host mother couldn't speak English, they became very close by sharing the incredible meals they prepared together. He learned and practiced Italian by cooking with her.

Orientation in Rome
Spend three days exploring Rome. Hike from the Forum to the Vatican to see the vivid scenes in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Stand in the Colosseum, imagining its dramatic history. Taste your first gelato at one of the cafés in Piazza Navona. By the time you leave Rome, you will be prepared to become fully immersed in Italian life and culture.

Language Training in Tuscany
From Rome, journey to Tuscany to learn about Italian language, history, art, and architecture. Tuscany and its rich culture have inspired visitors for centuries. Interactive language classes with friendly Italian teachers will keep you engaged while day trips to Florence and the coast allow you to practice your language skills and explore this historic region.

Sample language sites: Lucca, Cortona, Volterra

Homestay
With some Italian language under your belt, voyage to your host community to become part of a host family and embrace the life of an Italian town. Enjoy the passegiata, customary evening walks through the town square, share wonderful meals with your family, and take day trips.

Sample host communities: Cosenza, Desenzano del Gardo, Reggio Calabria, San Benedetto del Tronto, Taranto, Treviso

Sample activities: Boat to the beautiful Eolie Islands; explore local villages and beaches with your host family; take a day trip to Milan or the town of Brescia for some free time on the shores of Lago di Garda; sail on a private boat along the coast to the islands of Vulcano and Lipari; hike the Dolomites.

Travel
Your Italian adventure concludes with a whirlwind travel experience to bustling towns and cities. A few days in scenic Venice provide the backdrop for an incredible end to your Italian Experiment.

Sample activities: Explore the streets of Romeo and Juliet's Verona; trek the Cinque Terre through villages and vineyards perched high above the Mediterranean coast; tour historic Pompeii; create your own piece of Italian ceramic or attend a mosaic workshop in the town of Ravenna; visit a dairy farm that makes mozzarella cheese; ride the water taxis through the remarkable canals of Venice.

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