Trip Summary
Get the in-depth experience of living in Tuscany during a three-week program in Florence. Shop in the local markets, linger over a glass of wine in a cafe and take evening strolls through Florence's charming piazze. Relish the flexibility to cook meals in your apartment or dine on authentic Tuscan cuisine in Florence's wonderful restaurants. Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, boasts spectacular architecture and art collections that changed the way the world viewed art. In addition to ample free time to explore all of this independently, join included excursions in Florence as well as Siena, Lucca and the Chianti wine region to help you get better acquainted with this iconic area of Italy. A special feature of this residential program is the opportunity to join three Optional Enrichment Tracks (at an additional cost). You can choose to study the Italian language, learn how to cook Italian cuisine and delve deeper into Tuscany's artistic legacy.
Event Itinerary
Day 1: Depart Gateway City
- Depart for Florence, Italy
Day 2: Florence
- Arrive at Florence Airport and transfer to PopArtment
- Meet the Travel Director and gather for a Welcome Reception and Dinner
Day 3: Florence
- Welcome briefing and introduction to Enrichment Tracks (Language, Cuisine, Art & Architecture)
- Optional Language Track: Placement test and first Italian lesson
- Walking tour of Florence including the Duomo, Baptistery, Ponte Vecchio, and Piazza della Signoria
- Group lunch at a local restaurant
- Evening at leisure
Day 4: Florence
- Optional Art & Architecture Track: Tour of the Cathedral, Baptistery, and Bargello Museum
- Visit Caffe Gilli for a coffee culture talk (Group 1)
- Group dinner at a local restaurant
Day 5: Florence
- Free morning for independent exploration
- Visit Caffe Gilli for a coffee culture talk (Group 2)
- Enjoy Florence’s aperitivo tradition in the evening
Day 6: Florence
- Free time to explore Florence or visit the Oltrarno neighborhood
- Enrichment lecture on Renaissance Art
- Group dinner at a local restaurant
Day 7: San Gimignano • Castellina • Monsanto
- Full-day excursion through the Chianti region
- Visit San Gimignano and Castellina, enjoy a cooking demonstration and lunch
- Wine tasting at Castello di Monsanto
- Return to Florence for an evening at leisure
Day 8: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Morning Italian lesson
- Optional Cuisine Track: Four-course traditional Italian dinner cooking class
- Free time to visit the Cascine Market or explore the city independently
Day 9: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Continue language classes
- Group lunch
- Visit the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s David and historic musical instruments
Day 10: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Language class continues
- Enrichment lecture on contemporary Italy
- Free time for museum visits or neighborhood strolls
Day 11: Florence
- Optional Art & Architecture Track: Visit Basilica of Santa Croce and Casa Buonarotti
- Guided visit to the Uffizi Gallery
- Group dinner at a local restaurant
Day 12: Cortona
- Full-day excursion to Cortona
- Walking tour including cathedral and Etruscan Museum
- Group lunch followed by free time before returning to Florence
Day 13: Florence
- Optional Art & Architecture Track: Visit Michelangelo Square and Archaeological Museum in Fiesole
- Lunch in Fiesole
- Free time for picnicking or park visits
Day 14: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Continue expanding Italian vocabulary
- Group dinner in Florence
Day 15: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Continue practicing Italian
- Optional Cuisine Track: Pasta and sauce-making class with dessert preparation and dinner in wine cellar
- Free time at the Mercato Centrale or for city exploration
Day 16: Colle di Val d’Elsa • Siena
- Visit Colle di Val d’Elsa for a glass factory demo and Old Town walk
- Lunch in Colle di Val d’Elsa
- Guided walking tour of Siena including the Piazza del Campo and Siena Cathedral
- Return to Florence
Day 17: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Continue with language lessons
- Group lunch
- Optional Art & Architecture Track: Visit Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens
Day 18: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Practice conversational Italian
- Free time to explore Florence or climb the Campanile
Day 19: Florence
- Optional Cuisine Track: Market walk with chef followed by cooking class and lunch
- Free time or day trip to Tuscany’s natural parks
Day 20: Lucca
- Afternoon visit to Lucca for a guided walking tour
- Visit cathedral and city walls; enjoy free time
- Group dinner in Lucca before returning to Florence
Day 21: Florence
- Optional Language Track: Final class and graduation ceremony
- Farewell Dinner celebrating the Italy residency experience
Day 22: Florence
- Free day for last-minute shopping, museum visits, or relaxation
- Farewell Reception with fellow travelers
Day 23: Depart for Gateway City
- Transfer to Florence Airport for return flights home
Meet Your Faculty Expert
Michael Mastanduno
Michael Mastanduno is the Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor of Government and from 2010 to 2017 served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. He has taught at Dartmouth since 1987, and his areas of research and teaching include international relations theory, U.S. foreign policy, and the politics of the world economy.
His current research concerns the rise of China and its implications for international economics and security. He is author or editor of numerous books including Economic Containment; Introduction to International Relations: Enduring Problems and Contemporary Perspectives; International Relations Theory and the Asia-Pacific; and International Relations Theory and the Consequences of Unipolarity. Professor Mastanduno lectures frequently in Europe and Asia and has been a guest faculty member at the University of Tokyo, the Graduate School of Economics and International Relations at Milan, and the Geneva Center for Security Policy, and, most recently, the London School of Economics.
He has been awarded fellowships from the Brookings Institution, the Salzburg Seminar, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the East-West Center. He served during sabbatical from Dartmouth as an assistant in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Phi Beta Kappa.
He also served as Director of Dartmouth’s John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, and is the recipient of Dartmouth’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarly Achievement.