"Overall, my full-immersion experience was invaluable. Not only did I learn to speak and understand Italian, I learned a lot about what I am capable of doing."
- Rachele, Carlton College
Located about one hour from Florence and three hours from Rome, this small but vivacious city provides a perfect home base for exploring the rest of Italy. Its two large universities keep things lively during the academic year with many cultural events, theaters, and concerts. During the summer, things heat up with the world renowned Palio, a horse race dating back to 1656, that takes place in the central square. The town itself is your classroom, as you navigate and gain familiarity with the local fruit and vegetable market, bakery, and gelateria, and absorb the Italian voices drifting in your window from the street. The countryside surrounding the city is home to producers of the famous Chianti and Brunello wines as well as some of the most sought after olive oil in the world. The province, with its rolling hills and cypress trees, is rich with hill towns, hot springs and Etruscan ruins waiting to be explored.
You will live in a homestay with a local host family. The homestay is an integral part of the program, giving you the opportunity to make life-long friends, reinforce the language skills acquired during daily lessons, and experience modern Italian culture from "the inside." Host families are carefully selected, experienced with hosting students, and view the experience as a form of cultural exchange.
