This introductory course offers a survey of major Florentine and Italian works of art, providing an overview of the art historical periods, with an emphasis on the Renaissance. A field study to Rome and Siena is an integral feature of the course.

Students will pay a course fee for the overnight field study trips to Rome and a day trip to Siena, and local site visits in Florence. This fee will be billed in Syracuse after registration.

The Italian Mafia
(HST/ SOC 300, 3 credits, undergraduate)

After the capture of the Mafia boss Provenzano in May 2006, the Mafia has sparked a renewed interest in Italian society, with political leaders and academic institutions addressing the theme in conferences, interviews, and meetings. The course addresses this topic, focusing on the Sicilian and American Mafia, and analyzing this phenomenon from a historical, social, and cultural perspective. A field study to Sicily is a feature of the course.

Students will pay a course fee for the trip to Sicily. This fee will be billed in Syracuse after registration.

Italy and the Italians: A Cross- Cultural Study
(PSY 400, 3 credits undergraduate)

This course will expose students to the field of cross-cultural studies with a focus on a specific country and its inhabitants: Italy. Interdisciplinary aspects of cross-cultural analysis from the fields of psychology and sociology (as well as anthropology, biology and ecology) will be discussed including cultural influence on human behavior, attitudes, values, communication and societal organization. Special topics of ethnocentrism, individual vs. collective societies, plural societies, cultural views on mental health, and intercultural communication are highlighted. Methodological issues of cross-cultural research will be reviewed, and students will have the opportunity to conduct a cross-cultural interview and be participant-observers of their own experience here in Italy. The city of Florence and its inhabitants become the classroom through various excursions and local guest lecturers. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own cultural origins as well as their acculturation experiences while studying in Italy.

There is no course fee for this course.

Leonardo Da Vinci
(FIA 300, 3 credits undergraduate)

Leonardo da Vinci, a self-proclaimed “man without letters,” was acclaimed in his own time and has been become renowned in the modern age for his innovative, and, at times idiosyncratic, approach to his work. Artist, scientist, engineer, and architect, he represents a fundamental figure in the intellectual and cultural history of the West.

This course is intended as an introduction to the wide-ranging works of Leonardo da Vinci, placed within the artistic, historic, and religious contexts of his time. As this is a class in Art History, we will focus primarily on Leonardo’s artistic production, however, in order to more fully understand the man and his oeuvre, we will also look at his work as a scientist and engineer. As we examine his multi-disciplinary activities, we will attempt to come to a clearer understanding of the historical Leonardo and his achievements.

Students will be a course fee for the trips. This fee will be billed in Syracuse after registration.

Metalsmithing
(MET 280, 3 credits, undergraduate)

Students in this class will work directly with artists in Florentine studios on the design and fabrication of jewelry. Craftsmanship and the jewelry-making craft as a fundamental art experience. Basic bending and forming, soldering technology, finishing and stone setting.

Students will pay a course fee of $195 for supplies provided by the Florentine studio. This fee will be billed in Syracuse after registration. Students will also need to buy a tool kit upon arrival in Florence. The cost of the tool kit is not covered by the course fee.

Food. Wine, Culture & Health: The Mediterranean Diet
(NHM 400, 3 credits, undergraduate)

Examine the production practices, health benefits and culinary pleasures of this specific cultural diet that features a fresh, local sustainable food supply.

Students pay a course fee for the field studies. This fee will be billed in Syracuse after registration.

The Constructed Photograph: Creating Events from Everyday Life in Florence
(APH 300, 3 credits, undergraduate)

Florence is a city that is larger than life. The people here are more beautiful, the quality of light is unsurpassed, the art is the finest in the world. This can be intimidating to a photographer. How does one meet the visual challanges provided by Florence? How does one photographically represent the place? This course uses the techniques of tableaux and commercial photography to imbue everyday moments with a sense of grandeur normally found in Florence's art historical masterpieces. Students will work in the studio and on location, making use of the myriad of public events and festivals in the city, from Florence Fashion Week to Calcio in Constume. Using a range of camera and studio equipment, students will light and art direct scenes to produce images that capture the essence of Florence.

Experimental Printmaking and the Artist's Book
(PRT 300, 3 credits, undergraduate)

This is a hands-on studio for art students interested in exploring new ways of image-making through experimental methods of printmaking and the artist's book. Demonstrations include: monotype, collagraph, photo-collagraph, Pronto plates, gum printing, chine colle, eastern and western bookbinding, and marbleizing paper. Studio work is complemented with field trips to the Uffizi Gallery and area artisans working in book arts, printmaking, and fine art papers.

Italian Hill Town: Sustainable or Nostalgic Architecture and Urban Design
(ARC, FIA, 3 credits, undergraduate)

The course investigates the Italian hill town as forms of sustainable architectural and urban design. Individual sites are studied in three frameworks: their historical origins, the environmental and social/political sustainability of the original designs, and the viability of the towns today. Topics include fortification design; typologies of street and piazza layouts; housing and small-industrial architecture; civic and religious architecture, spaces, and rituals; markets in plan, section, and economy; water supply; lighting; waste removal; city/countryside relations; pilgrimage, tourism, and contemporary culture; and the position of individual sites in relation to larger regional and global politics and economics.

Experience Credit (PSC 470/FIA 470/ IPA 470, 1-3 credits undergraduate)

This course provides internships in a variety of settings, such as museums, cultural centers, NGO’s, local businesses, companies, and political organizations. Matchs are made in Florence, and are based on the organization’s needs and requirements as well as the student’s qualifications. A basic knowledge of Italian is very helpful. Only a limited number of internships are available, where Italian is not required.

Faculty

The faculty selected to teach in Florence are carefully chosen for their scholarship as well as their reputations for excellence in teaching. Most have taught for Syracuse University for many years.

The resident director and her staff are committed to engaging students in all aspects of life in Florence. Their goal is to provide a challenging and memorable experience that changes the way students see Italy and themselves.