Italy: Tuscania Summer

Lorenzo de' Medici – The Italian International Institute in Tuscania

Tuscania Program and Curriculum
Academic Programs: Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and two Summer Sessions (June & July).

The Lorenzo de' Medici Tuscania Campus offers courses to students from all over the world in Italian language, art, art history, archaeology, history, Italian culture, the culinary arts, and various other fields of study. No previous knowledge of Italian is required. The language of instruction is English, with the exception of the language classes. Classes are small, with strong emphasis placed on student-faculty interaction. Taking advantage of the local environment, many courses focus on the Etruscan civilization. 

A 2.75 GPA, official transcripts, one letter of recommendation, and a statement of purpose are necessary for admission to the program. In addition, students must be 18 years old.

The Tuscania Campus LdM program is based on a full immersion concept. Because of the town's small size and its geographic location, students live and study in a fully Italian and a more traditional small community-based environment. Integration in the community is fundamental to the program, encouraging students to create relationships in a cultural context.

Course Offerings

Students register for one or two 3- or 4-credit courses per Summer Session.

TUSCANIA ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL (July - Summer Session II ONLY)
Exclusively offered at LdM Tuscania, explore major features of Etruscan culture and the methodologies utilized in classical archaeology. Play a full role in the excavation of an Etruscan necropolis near Tuscania, currently in phase three of its exploration. Work under professional supervision and in collaboration with students from the University of Florence. By examining material evidence, so abundant in this region, you will learn about the lives of the ancient Etruscans from archaeological evidence and literary sources.

For a complete list of scheduled courses, please consult the following website:
www.lorenzodemedici.org/tuscania/

Subject areas are listed below:

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
The School of Arts and Sciences includes the following subject areas: Archaeology and Classical Studies, Music, Cinema and Theatre Studies, Sociology, and Writing.

SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS
The School of Creative Arts includes the following subject areas: Culinary and Nutritional Arts, Painting, Drawing, and Mixed Media, and Photography.

SCHOOL OF ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
The School of Italian Language and Culture includes the following subject areas: Italian Language and Culture and Italian Language (Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced).

Lorenzo de’ Medici is committed to helping students realize their potential, providing high quality education that will enable students to interact successfully with the community worldwide. - LdM Mission

 

Student Life

Lorenzo de' Medici offers a free time program covering various activities involving the discovery of the different aspects of the historical and cultural heritage of the area.

These include guided visits such as:

• Social activities (ex. Meeting with Italian students, attending local special events)
• Theatre
• Concerts
• Museum Visits
• Wine tasting & visiting vineyards
• Walking lectures to particular sites of interest
• Field trips & day excursions to places such as: Viterbo, Tarquinia and Vuleii, Bolsena Lake and Bisentina Island, Rome, Civita di Bagnoregio

Housing

Housing is not included in the Program cost. 

Student Apartment
LdM is pleased to facilitate students in making their housing arrangements for a spot in a double bedroom in a shared student apartment. Most apartments have one to three bedrooms. A very limited number have only one bedroom, and some may have more than three bedrooms. 2 to 4 (or more) students generally share an apartment.

Apartment Description:

• Apartments are furnished and equipped with: bed linens, basic pots and pans, kitchen utensils, washing machine and TV.
• Towels are generally not-included in the apartment and we recommend students to bring their own set of towels to Italy with them. Students can bring a few towels (not many) and buy them in Italy.
• The student shared apartments are usually suitable for minimum of 2 to a maximum of 6 persons.
• They are not all located in the same building, but within walking distance from the school facilities.
• Although apartments are of the same standard and have similar facilities, no two apartments are alike.

*For housing arranged by LdM, the housing coordinator in Florence assigns roommates based on the completed housing profile.  Students can request to room with a student they already know as long as both students make that request.

The cost per person in a double bedroom is: $720 / in a single bedroom is: $930. 

Please note: All prices are subject to change.

Alumni Feedback

"I would recommend this program.  If it not the typical study abroad experience in a big city with lots of other American students and a bustling nightlife.  This program suits students who want to learn about Italian small town culture, meet Italians, improve their language skills, and eat incredible food without tons of tourist traps."
- Lianna Gomori

"You cannot buy a refrigerator magnet that says Tuscania. As a matter of fact, you will not find a tourist trap in Tuscania. You will find a small town surrounded by small towns. You are only a 90 minute train ride to Rome, or take the train to Florence and you will see all the sights that an American wants to see. But you will literally see sheep grazing outside the wall of the old city of Tuscania. It was safe to walk at night, the people are friendly. The Staff at LDM was most helpful on issues regarding field trips to Tuscany and other places (Tuscany is about 30 minutes away by car and I will never forget my day trip to a family vineyard). The teachers were first rate professionals; you will get homework. I took the cooking class and beginning Italian . I realized that I can cook, and I make fresh pasta now. I will never be fluent in Italian, but the locals were always helpful. I hope that you will order an espresso and sit with the locals on a hot Saturday night, and just feel that for that moment you are an Italian. Yes the food was great! Tuscania was a wonderful experience."
- Dennis Gaffigan

"The Tuscania program is fantastic for anyone who truly wants a taste of la vita Italiana. It is full of history and warm people ready to feed you, chat with you, and kiss you on both cheeks. The town may seem small, but I would get lost for hours exploring and finding new fountains and beautiful views hidden in corners. I've never enjoyed doing homework so much as when I was sitting in the park looking out at the old Romanesque countryside and reading Dante's poetry. I really loved Tuscania and my experience."
- Lianna Gomori

 

Duration

Summer Session I: May 30 - June 28, 2013

Summer Session II: July 4 - August 2, 2013

Application Deadline(s)

APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Summer Programs:
March 1 for Session I (June)
March 15 Extended to April 1 for Session II (July)

TUITION PAYMENT DEADLINES:
For Summer Programs:
May 1 – Session I (June)
June 1 – Session II (July)

Eligibility Requirements

• 2.75 GPA or higher
• Official transcripts
• 1 academic reference for Summer
• Statement of purpose
• Students must be at least 18 years of age
• Minimum class standing - students must have completed at least one semester (minimum 12 semester credit hour) of college-level coursework at the time of application. 

Language

English with the exception of the Italian language classes.

Costs

Summer 2013 Costs:

4-week session (3 or 4 credits): $2,250
4-week session (combination of any two courses - 6 or 7 credits): $3,350

Tuscania Archaeology Field School
4-weeks session in July (6 credits): $5,400

Costs Included

Tuition and administrative fees, program related activities, orientation in US and Italy, sickness and accident insurance

Costs Not Included

Airfare ($1,100 approx.), books ($80 -$150 approx.), housing/double room ($720 approx.) - EXCEPTION: Archaeology Field School has housing included in the cost, meals ($700 approx.), personal costs ($700 approx.), Art equipment & supplies ($85-$200 approx.), and school of record fee - Non CUNY/CCIS if applicable.  

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.

Related Links

• Wikipedia - Tuscania

 

Submit Application Materials To:

College of Staten Island/CUNY
Center for International Service
Building 2A-Room 206
2800 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10314
(718) 982-2100
(718) 982-2108 (fax)
StudyAB@csi.cuny.edu
http://www.csi.cuny.edu/international

How do I apply?

Start the CCIS Study Abroad application process by downloading the forms. To download, right click on the application or recommendation form and click "save as", then save the form to your desktop or downloads. Once you have completed your form, SAVE IT FIRST!!!! DO NOT CLICK "SUBMIT" until you have SAVED your form or the recipient will receive a BLANK form. Once you have saved it, click "submit" and THEN email your completed form as an attachment to the contact email address associated with the program in which you are applying. If for some reason you do not see the email address pop up when you click "submit", then email the application to the program sponsor listed here on this page.

YOU MUST NOTIFY YOUR HOME INSTITUTIONS' STUDY ABROAD OFFICE OR ADVISOR OF YOUR INTENTIONS AND ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH A COPY OF YOUR APPLICATION. 

These PDF documents are viewed using Adobe's Acrobat Reader plug-in, which is available free. If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, click here.

CCIS Online Application & Instructions

CCIS Online Student Recommendation

(Students: DO NOT send the student recommendation form to your evaluators as an attachment. Please only send the page URL. The student recommendation form can be found under the "Apply Now" tab.) 

Application Deadlines:
Summer Programs:

Please note:
Academic Level: Undergraduate
No previous knowledge of Italian is required.

Note:
Students from CCIS member institutions apply through home campus; students from non-member institutions apply through Broome Community College/SUNY or other appropriate CCIS member institutions.

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.