European Cultural History Tour-Summer Program

  Italy

• Florence: 
Florence
• Rome: 
Roma (Rome)
• Venice: 
Venice
• All Other Areas in Italy: 
Pisa,  Naples,  Pompeii

Term: Spring, Summer 

Description: The European Cultural History Tours are 35 and 70 day tours. There are several options: a tour beginning in London and ending in Munich, one that begins in Zurich and ends in Athens, and a tour that combines both sections. These tours are a completely unique approach to university study abroad which combine visits to major cultural and historical sites with intense academic study of the culture and history being experienced. They are an ideal learning environment because they integrate reading and writing with direct involvement to give a richer understanding of the subject than book learning alone could possibly provide. Travel with experienced faculty and visit more than 20 destinations in England, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Greece while earning 6-12 hours of college credit in art and history.

Visit London, Paris, Versailles, Chartres, Bacharach, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Brindisi, Delphi, Meteora, Thessaloniki, Athens, Mycenae, Olympia, Nafplion, and Crete.

Highlights: VENICE, our first view of the city called "the bride of the sea" will be as we exit the train station and stand at the edge of the Grand Canal. On a walking tour, we will cross a few of the more than 200 bridges that connect the archipelago of small islands that form the city. We will visit the Piazza San Marco, called by Napoleon "The most beautiful drawing room in the world."

We will tour the Basilica, the Ducal Palace and see the 10th century Bell Tower. Our art profesor will guide us through the Galleria dell Accademia, with its rich collection of Venetian paintings, including Bellini's "Madonna," Giorgione's "Tempest" and Tintoretto's magnificent cycle depicting the life of St. Mark. Nearby, we will see the Scuola San Rocco with Tintoretto's masterpieces.

We will also visit the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim, a magnificent canal-side palazzo which houses outstanding works by many modern masters including Max Ernst, Salvador Dali, Constantin Brancusi, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack. Evenings will be spent at leisure, exploring the hidden treasures of the city as twilight edges into darkness, or just sitting at a cafe along the Canal watching gondolas glide by.

FLORENCE, the cradle of the Renaissance, is an essential component of our study tour. Located in the center of Tuscany, it offers art lovers a unique opportunity to study the accomplishments of an age within the geographical confines where they were produced. Our art professor will guide us through the Uffizi, which includes the best of the Italian Renaissance: Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Michelangelo, da Vinci and Titian, along with some superb examples of Northern art.

We will visit the Duomo and have an opportunity to climb up Brunelleschi's structure for a panoramic view of the city. We will visit the Baptistery and see Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise," and the Museo Nazionale, the Bargello, with its magnificent collection of Florentine sculpture including works by Donatello, Verrocchio, Michelangelo and Cellini.

On our arrival in ROME, we will go on a walking tour of the ancient city. Among the many sites of Rome, we will view; the Castel Sant' Angelo, the Pantheon, Trajan's Column, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, and the Roman Forum. In the ruins of the Forum our historian will deliver a lecture on the history of Ancient Rome.

We plan to visit the Vatican Museum with its famous sculptures such as the "Laocoon Group" and the "Apollo Belvedere," the great Egyptian Art Collection, the Raphael Rooms, the Greek Vase Collection, the Chapel of Nicolas V with frescos by Beato Angelico, and the Sistine Chapel, the jewel of Renaissance art in the heart of the Vatican. Of course we will visit Saint Peter's Basilica with Michelangelo's famous "Pieta" and Bernini's "Baldacchino."

Cost in US$: 8600

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to World Wide Participants.

Participants Travel to Italy in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 25

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Resume
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad

Eastern Michigan University's Mission Statement: Eastern Michigan University is committed to excellence in teaching, the extension of knowledge through basic and applied research, and creative and artistic expression. Eastern Michigan University offers a variety of study abroad programs including Cultural History Tours, travel and study tours, direct exchanges, intensive language and winter break programs. Most programs are open to students from any college or university. EMU students can apply financial aid awards toward the programs. We also provide advising and information about study abroad opportunities available through other universities, work or volunteer opportunities abroad and budget travel.

Year Founded: 1849