Rome exhibits layers of history going back over two millennia—Etruscan tombs, Republican meeting rooms, imperial temples, early Christian churches, medieval bell towers, Renaissance palaces and baroque basilicas. In this city a phenomenal concentration of history, legend and monuments coexists with an equally phenomenal concentration of people busily going about their everyday life. While tourists visit the Vatican, the Forum Romanum and the Trevi Fountain, many visitors often miss the many other sights, which make the whole of Rome a museum—a living museum with a population of 3 million, with a vibrant culture.
The interdisciplinary Rome program utilizes the entire city as a classroom or studio. While the program is designed to immerse students fully in the experience of being in Rome, several excursions will provide students a wider perspective on the history, culture and daily life of Italy as a whole. Students will live in furnished flats to provide an opportunity to practice Italian language skills and experience Roman daily life. Students are affiliated with the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci (SLdV), one of the leading language and culture schools in Italy.
Students will take four courses while in Rome:
Italian Language and Culture (1 credit)
This course will build upon the foundation of Italian language study completed at HWS prior to the program. A variety of visits to local sites will complement in-class instruction and a series of "labs" will introduce students to various aspects of Italian culture and society. Students with more advanced Italian skills will be placed in an upper level class.
Rome: Visual Journal (1 credit)
An intensive sketchbook course on the architecture of Rome. Emphasis will be on diagrammatic analysis of buildings and developing graphic proficiency. The goal will be to develop an understanding of the role of drawing as an analytical method from the point of view of an architect, not just as a means of artistic representation. Thus, students will diagram specific buildings in order to discover underlying principles of order, organization, rhythm, and geometry. As a class, we will visit buildings and monuments throughout the city and the class will meet in the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci for group critiques.
Modern and Contemporary Italian Art (1 credit)
Using art in museums, galleries, and classroom, this class will explore Italian art of the 19th and 20th centuries. During the late 19th century, a group of Italian artists called the Macchiata developed new strategies of depicting modernity in their art. In the early twentieth-century, Italy was the site of one of the most radical movements of the period, Futurism. This group of artists were fans and supporters of Mussolini. The class will study the works of this group, and read
their manifestoes in light of the later speeches of Mussolini. Later in the century, Italy also hosted two other highly influential movements: Arte Povera (1960s) and New Expressionism (1980s). These groups developed styles particular to Italy but they were internationally successful as well. We will study the social and political impact of these and other Italian artists as well as their artistic influence.
The Art and Architecture of Italy (1 credit)
An overview of the art and architecture of Italy, from antiquity to the present day. The classroom will be the city of Rome, with possible excursions to Pompeii and Florence. The goal of this class is to understand Italian art and architecture within historical and environmental contexts, rather than as autonomous subjects. Too often, students learn about buildings and art out of context, without understanding the historical conditions of their production, nor their physical situation. For example, many famous paintings, located in palaces or churches, are routinely reproduced in art books without any reference to their setting or context. Students will understand works within their specific historical and environmental contexts, and develop an understanding of the symbiosis between art and architecture.
Although the Rome program can accommodate students of many academic disciplines, the course offerings are geared primarily to those studying art history, architectural studies, aesthetics, arts and education, European studies, modern languages, and studio art.
Open to all sophomores, juniors and seniors in good social and academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Students will be required to have successfully completed an intensive Italian language class along with a Reader’s College orientation course during the fall semester preceding the program. Due to the challenging nature of study abroad, student academic and disciplinary records will be carefully screened.
Students reside in independent apartments while in Rome and will stay in hotels or hostels during excursions.
Program-related excursions vary from year to year depending on the courses offered and the interests of the faculty director(s). The program typically includes a combination of overnight excursions outside Rome, designed to provide students insight into other areas of the country, and day trips to important sites in and around Rome.
Students will be charged standard HWS tuition and room fee and a $500 administrative fee. This will cover credit for a four-course semester, all course-related expenses (including excursions) and housing. Students should plan to bring their board fee to Rome to cover meals. Additional expenses not covered include airfare, books, visa, and personal expenses (laundry, entertainment, ground transportation and independent travel). We estimate airfare for this program at $700-$800 from the East Coast, visa at $25 and books at $200. It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of personal expenses because student spending habits differ considerably. We would suggest a minimum of $1500 above and beyond meal expenses. However, students on a tight budget should be able to manage with less. If you are concerned about finances, we strongly encourage you to talk to the CGE staff who can offer information and advice based on your specific situation.
NOTE: The information contained in this brochure is subject to change. Please see the CGE for more information.
