Student Life
The Cortona program is residential. Students in the Cortona Winter and Spring programs stay at the Hotel Italia, in single, double or multiple occupancy rooms (please see 'Fees and Funding' for accommodation costs). Accommodation fees include daily breakfast as well as dinners in a nearby restaurant from Monday to Thursdays. For lunch, students can indulge in local fare by purchasing food from the grocery store down the road or enjoying a panini from the coffee bar across the piazza.
Our Program and Residence Life Manager, Laura Santiccioli, is on hand at Cortona to help students navigate logistical challenges of daily life in Italy.
Classes are held in the picturesque St. Agostino building. Classes are held from Mondays to Thursday in the winter term with Fridays and Saturdays reserved for educational visits, talks by experts and field trips. Spring term classes are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays with field trips on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. This schedule leaves students with sufficient time to explore the beautiful Italian town and surrounding environment with their classmates on the weekends.
The Cortona experience provides students a unique opportunity to experience immersive learning that transcends the traditional classroom environment and is intended to foster a sense of community. Instructors often offer additional discussion sessions after classes in Bar Sport, on Piazza Signorelli. We strongly encourage students to take part in these gatherings.
For a quieter getaway, the Town Library is a wonderful resource and a great place to study. It has WiFi and a number of English language books in addition to Italian books.
All students have free access to the Museum of the Academia Etrusca where they have the opportunity to visit and explore an archaeological museum. For a nominal entry fee, students also have the opportunity to visit and explore the Diocesan Museum dedicated to Renaissance painters such as Luca Signorelli and Fra Angelico.
TESTIMONIAL
Read first-hand experiences from Cortona Study Abroad student, Ziwei Huang.