The Department of French & Italian Studies would like to announce a new study abroad program. Italian Studies Perugia: Art & Food in the Green Heart of Italy will run during Summer A-Term during the Summer of 2024. This program has a prerequisite of ITAL 101 or equivalent. This program will require you to walk through a medieval city set up on hills, which often involves cobblestone, stairs, and uphill walks. However, there are no excessively long walks or hikes planned for this trip.
Program Information
Nestled around a medieval piazza perched on the green hills of Umbria, Perugia is the region’s capital city boasting a rich history and a vibrant present. One of the twelve confederate cities of the ancient Etruscans, Perugia later became a center for Renaissance art where Raphael spent his formative years. Today, it is a lively university city, home to our host institution, the Università per Stranieri. Equidistant from both Florence and Rome, Perugia is well connected to all that Italy has to offer without being overwhelmed by summer tourism, offering us a culturally rich setting as well as many opportunities to engage with locals in Italian.
You will take two 5-credit courses in the Università’s eighteenth-century palazzo situated at the foot of the millennia-old Etruscan Arch. The first (ITAL 199 / ITAL 299), offered by the Università, will be an Italian language course on the theme of Italian food. The class will feature readings and conversations on the theme of Italian cuisine tailored to students who have completed ITAL 101, 102, 103, or equivalent. On Fridays, the group will attend field trips where you will have the opportunity to meet chefs and local farmers.
The second course (ITAL 399), led by the UW Program Director in English, will take you from the classroom and across the city to introduce you to Italian art and architecture. Class will often take place outside, in museums and city streets. Together, we will discuss how ancient Rome expanded its rule over the Italian peninsula before Perugia's ancient defensive walls and will gather around the artworks of Giotto, Raphael, Piero della Francesca and others to grasp what constituted the artistic revolution of the Renaissance.
The second half of our program will coincide with one of the most important jazz festivals in the world, Umbria Jazz, which has electrified Perugia since 1973 and attracted artists like Miles Davis, Lady Gaga, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
For further information regarding this program, visit the study abroad website or contact the program director Irina Markina at imarkina@uw.edu.
Information Sessions
Information sessions will be announced in late Autumn quarter. Keep an eye out for more information on this page or sign up to be on our email list!