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ASA Program in Florence, Italy

Host Institution: The Institute at Palazzo Rucellai
click here for course offerings

The Institute at Palazzo Rucellai is a study abroad center committed to providing quality international educational opportunities for students from North American colleges and universities. In support of this mission, the Institute offers a study abroad program firmly rooted in the American liberal arts and tradition.
The Institute is located in the historic Palazzo Rucellai, designed in the fifteenth century by Leon Battista Alberti, Renaissance humanist and architect. Participants take courses in a variety of disciplines while immersed in the artistic and architectural riches of a unique urban complex.

Classrooms
The Institute occupies two floors of Palazzo Rucellai including the piano nobile. The stately rooms, many ornately decorated, have been adapted for academic purposes. Classrooms are specially illuminated and furnished with comfortable tables and chairs, and are well equipped for learning with blackboards, overhead and slide projectors, multimedia display and cinema equipment.

Library and Computer Lab
The library holds a growing collection of books and periodicals selected to support the needs of the academic program. In addition, Internet access to electronic databases and libraries is available on all computers. An Ethernet port system and a wireless network with coverage throughout most of the Institute provide convenient access for personal laptops. Students may also join the nearby British Institute Library and other city libraries whose holdings include numbers of relevant titles in English.

Student Lounge
The mezzanine area of the piano nobile has been designated as a student lounge, where students can gather, have lunch, or simply relax and enjoy their free time.

Faculty
The Institute at Palazzo Rucellai boasts an exceptional international faculty drawn from academic communities in Italy, the European Union and North America. The instructors are accomplished scholars in their fields and most doctoral degrees. They distinguish themselves with their commitment to international education and their ability to bring years of firsthand experience in Italy to the classroom.

Site Visits
Academic Site Visits and cultural activities are an important part of the academic program, since most courses include required academic field trips. In addition, optional trips are available during which faculty and staff accompany students to cities such as Pisa, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, and to other destinations of particular interest to the academic program, such as Venice and Rome.