Program Highlights

Program Dates

May 13 – June 19, 2022

Faculty Director

Dr. Lucia Binotti, Department of Romance Studies

Program Highlights

Rome is a palimpsest of millenary history, a privileged place where Etruscan tombs, Imperial temples, early Christian churches, medieval bell towers, Renaissance palaces, and Baroque basilicas layer the landscape in spectacular harmony. It is hard to determine what you will enjoy most in Rome – the artistic splendor of the Vatican, the timeless grandeur of the Forum, the refined elegance of Italian fashion, the warm aromas of the trattorias, or the joyful din of people singing and chatting in the streets.

Renaissance Rome will serve as the focus for this program. We will study major works in the art and literature of the 15th – 17th centuries, and explore the city of Rome as the setting for some of the towering masterpieces of Renaissance art, and as the international crossroads where the achievements of Renaissance humanism were channeled in the service of a renovated institutional church. Our goal will be to achieve a deep understanding of the cultural significance of Renaissance Rome. At the same time, we will daily experience today’s Rome, the vibrant, sophisticated capital of a prosperous European democracy.

In addition to visiting the major museums in Rome and Vatican City, you will have ample time to discover Rome on your own. You may want to take advantage of Rome’s thriving cultural life by going to the opera or taking in one of the Santa Cecilia concerts or even a Sunday soccer match. You may also want to take a stroll to Piazza Navona, where you can sit in awe before a beautiful statue while enjoying one or both of Italy’s greatest achievements: gelato and cappuccino. Or you may want to chat with the warm Romans in the stores or take a walk in Villa Pamphili, a short walk from campus, or to Villa Borghese, one of the greatest parks in the world.