Yale Summer Session in Siena: Intermediate Italian I & II + Culture

Description

Participants on this program will live and study in the Tuscan city of Siena, engaging in travel and cultural encounters in Tuscany and Rome. Known as the cradle of Italian language, Tuscany has always wielded a powerful influence on the imagination of artists, writers, poets, historians, scientists, and bankers well beyond its own regionality.

Through intensive intermediate language and culture courses, students on this program will critically discuss Tuscan imagery, as expressed in literature, history, art, architecture, science, and folklore, with a special focus on Siena. The study material will include literary and historical readings, cinematic representations of Tuscany, in-depth tours of the city’s monuments and museums, as well as field trips to Florence, San Gimignano, and Livorno. Through a close analysis of different kinds of genres and authors, from poems to satirical magazines, from Giovanni Boccaccio to Dino Campana, the course will explore the richness of the Tuscan cultural history and its influence on the Italian culture tout court, as well as the emergence of the Tuscan language as the standard language of Italy.

Courses & Credits

ITAL S130 & S140: Intermediate Italian I & II (3 credits)

ITAL S235: Tuscany between Past and Present: A Literary, Historical, Cultural, and Geographical Journey in Tuscany (1 credit)

Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad are intensive, highly structured academic programs led by Yale instructors. 

Instructors

Deborah Pellegrino, Lector, Department of Italian Studies, Yale University

Deborah Pellegrino received her PhD in Italian Studies from New York University in 2018. She holds a BA (cum laude) in Comparative Literature from the University of Florence and a MA in Italian Literature from Boston College. Deborah also holds the DITALS Certification to teach Italian as a second language and is the recipient of the 2012 Boston College Donald J. White award for excellence in teaching. Her current research interests include medieval and early modern Italian literature, history, and gender studies with a specific focus on the letters, account books, and memoirs kept by women from the mercantile class in Renaissance Florence. Deborah recently co-edited, with Simona Lorenzini, a volume entitled Women’s Agency and Self-fashioning in Early Modern Tuscany, 1300-1600 (Viella Kent State University European Studies Series). Additionally, she is currently completing the monograph entitled Women’s Ricordanze and Account Books in the Renaissance Florentine Mercantile Household.

Simona Lorenzini, Senior Lector I, Department of Italian Studies, Yale University (History, Culture, and Film in Tuscany)

Simona Lorenzini graduated cum laude from the University of Pisa in 2003 with a thesis in Modern Italian Literature. She received a PhD in Humanist and Renaissance Civilization from the Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento (Florence, 2008), where her dissertation focused on the Latin bucolic poetry of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio and its connections with the classical and medieval pastoral tradition. This research culminated in a book published in 2011: La corrispondenza bucolica tra Giovanni Boccaccio e Checco di Meletto Rossi e L’egloga di Giovanni del Virgilio ad Albertino Mussato. After moving to the USA in 2009, Simona completed her PhD in Italian and Renaissance Studies at Yale University in 2016 with a dissertation entitled “Questioning the Utopian Myth in Renaissance Pastoral Drama: From Politian to Guarini, "written under the direction of Professor Giuseppe Mazzotta. Simona has published on Boccaccio and Medieval literature, on Isabella Andreini, on contemporary Italian experimental writings, and on language pedagogy. She recently co-edited, with Deborah Pellegrino, the volume Women’s Agency and Self-fashioning in Early Modern Tuscany (1300-1600) (Viella Kent State University European Studies Series).

The language courses (Intermediate Italian I & II) for this program will be co-taught by Deborah Pellegrino and a co-instructor; the cultural course (Tuscany between Past and Present) will be instructed by Simona Lorenzini.

Class Times 

Language classes will take place from Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

ITALS235: Tuscany between Past and Present: A Literary, Historical, Cultural, and Geographical Journey in Tuscany, will meet from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., but there may be times when formal Friday classes are cancelled in favor of an excursion.

Participants should expect about 2 hours of work daily outside of the classroom as well as program excursions and activities.

Class times may be subject to change with notice from the instructors.

Classroom Location

All classes will be held at the University of Siena.

Money & Budgeting

Many participants find a combination of credit and debit cards to be the most convenient way of accessing money while abroad. It’s important to have a backup option as well in case of emergency.

Participants are strongly advised to bring a moderate amount (about $100 or so) of cash that they can easily exchange for Euros in many places in case that their ATM or credit cards do not initially work. Please note that participants likely will need more than $100 for out-of-pocket expenses throughout the entire duration of the program. Students are also strongly encouraged to alert their banks or credit card companies of their travel plans before arriving in Italy.

Participants should not change funds on arrival at the airport, because the exchange rate is usually lower at exchange offices in Siena.

While it would be much more comfortable to just carry around a plastic card, participants should remember that some stores, restaurants, and hotels in other countries do not accept credit cards, especially for small purchases like coffee. Student should try not to use credit or debit cards unless necessary.

Participants should be mindful that although tipping is not required at restaurants in Italy, bread, or “coperto,” fee is always included in the bill. Also, water is not usually free.

Participants should expect out-of-pocket costs not billed by Yale, including but not limited to class materials, coffee, snacks, and transportation to and from the classroom.

Program Cost & Funding

Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad costs are updated annually and include the administrative fee and program deposit, program fee, tuition, and international housing charge.  

Budget

Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad updates program budgets in late January. Please note the year listed on the button below.

Summer 2025 Budget

Trips and Activities

On every Yale Summer Session Program Abroad, learning extends outside of the classroom. Participants can expect a variety of integrated activities and excursions that enhance the academic goals of the program. Trips and activities listed below are included as examples only and are subject to change. 

All required activities and excursion include transportation (when outside of the host city), entrance fees, and most meals. 

Students on this program will not only visit cultural sites in and around Siena, but will also visit other cities in Italy, which in the past have included Florence, Pienza, Livorno, Pisa, and Rome.

In Siena, possible activities may include visits to the Contrada Museum, Duomo, Baptistery, Museo dell’Opera and Facciatone, Palazzo Pubblico, a synagogue tour, and Stanze della Memoria. Participants will also attend the Palio di Siena, a horse race that is held twice each year with bare back riders who represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards.

This list is not necessarily inclusive of all activities, and excursion plans are subject to change at any time. Entrance fees are included in the cost of the program.

Places to Visit in Siena:

• The Piazza del Campo, the unique shell-shaped piazza at the center of the city, and twice a year the racetrack for the Palio.
• The Palazzo Pubblico, Siena's City Hall for almost 800 years, contains the famous frescos depicting allegories of good and bad government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, frescoes by Simone Martini and Duccio, and access to the Torre di Mangia, from whose summit you can view a beautiful panorama of the Sienese countryside.
• The Duomo, Siena's magnificent black and white cathedral.

Must-See Events:

• Il Palio - the 17 contrade of Siena compete for glory in a horse race like no other.
• Classical concerts during the summer at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, and at various locations in the city during the Settimana Musicale Sienese.

Helpful Resources:

• Il Comune di Siena
• Discover Tuscany

Housing

All participants are required to live in program-provided housing while abroad and are not permitted to arrange housing independently. International housing is guaranteed from the first day of the program until the official end date.

 Students will live with carefully-selected host families in Siena. Homestays are an integral part of this program. The living arrangements provide participants with the opportunity to learn more about the host culture, increase language proficiency, and form meaningful connections in the community. Students admitted into the program are expected to spend time getting to know their homestay families and be mindful of the need to balance time spent at home with time exploring the city or going out with friends. If participants have any questions about living with a homestay family, they are encouraged to reach out to the program director. 

Note: The distance from different host families’ homes to where classes will be held will vary considerably. Walking distances can be anywhere from 8 to 30 minutes.

Participants must depart housing on the last day of the program.

Helpful Tips for Staying with an Italian Host Family

Hospitality

Participants usually find local families to be very welcoming. The Sienese are very proud of their city and its history and are very excited to share it with their host students. Past students have found their homestays to be one of best parts of their experience in Siena.

Italians have a long tradition of hospitality and, when participants visit someone’s home, they may find that their hosts will offer them a cup of freshly made espresso, a glass of local wine, or fruit juice. If none of these options are appealing, participants may always ask for a glass of water, as turning down their hospitality altogether can be considered rude.

Bathroom Etiquette

Due to the limited size of hot water tanks, every participant should be prepared to find an arrangement with their host family on the length and number of hot showers they may take.

Meals

Host families will provide participants with breakfast and dinner each day. Students will be responsible for their own lunches except for special group meals.
There are many inexpensive lunch options in the city and at the University. It is important to note that, in Italy, people plan out meals and food shopping very carefully. As a result, participants should not ever go into their host family’s refrigerator looking for snacks unless they are explicitly permitted to do so, as they might be eating an important part of dinner.

It is important (and polite) that participants let their host families know if they are not going to be home for one of the provided meals.

Gift Custom

A small gift makes a good impression on arrival. An inexpensive token from the participant's university or hometown, such as a magnet or a mug, is a nice gesture for the hosts.

Notes

Climate

Generally speaking, the Siena summer is hot (85-95 degrees) and sunny. Being located on a hill has a mitigating effect on Siena’s weather, though the sun remains strong. Temperatures can reach the 100degree Fahrenheit mark in Florence and Rome. Long periods of rain are unusual, though sudden summer downpours or thunderstorms are not.

Packing Considerations

1. Pack light! Participants will be able to do laundry and will likely return home with new items from the host country. Participants should expect the possibility of carrying their bags on several modes of transportation and up several flights of stairs alone.

2. Keep all essential items in a carry-on bag (e.g., passport and medications). 

Clothing

Participants should bring at least one “dressy” outfit: dress pants and a button-down shirt (consider bringing a sports coat) and/or dressy skirt and blouse or a dress, plus appropriate shoes. There may be occasions when such an outfit is required. In general, Italians wear stylish clothing. “Short” shorts are not common, nor are flip-flops or gym shoes or athletic wear worn as street clothes. Cropped or Capri pants can be a good substitute for shorts, and casual skirts are another option.

When the program travels and goes on site visits, participants' shoulders and knees must be covered to enter many of Italy’s churches. Participants will be required to dress accordingly on these occasions.

Participants should bring comfortable shoes that they can walk in. Siena is hilly and has cobbled streets, and shoes with heels are unadvisable.

Participants may also want to consider bringing books, their laptops, any medication they might need (including contact lens solution), a bathing suit, a backpack for overnight or weekend trips (it will be inconvenient to lug around a full-sized suitcase for a short trip), and any preferred toiletries. 

Electricity Adapters

Italy uses type C, type F, and type L plugs. Inexpensive adapters can be purchased easily online or in many brick-and-mortar stores. Participants may want to bring a current converter, but should not need it for their phones, laptops, or other larger electronics. Participants are advised not to bring hairdryers or straighteners, as American hairdryers and straighteners won’t work in Italy, even with adapters. Participants can purchase them if their host families do not have them available for use.

Identification

Students will be required to show a valid form of government ID for the following transactions (and others):

• checking into a hotel (passport)
• using a computer at an Internet café.

They may also be required to show ID for the following transactions (and others):

• purchasing a train or bus ticket
• using a credit card

Paticipants should keep in mind that their Yale ID does not constitute valid identification in Italy. A U.S. driver’s license may or may not be accepted, but a student's passport is their surest form of ID. Students should consider photocopying their passports and leaving the copy in a safe place when using their passport for ID, as a photocopy will not be sufficient for activities such as checking into a hotel. If a student's passport is lost of stolen, having a photocopy can help to expedite the replacement process.

Afternoon Siesta

The tradition of closing stores for lunch and the afternoon siesta is still alive in many towns, and participants should expect many Siena shops to close between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Questions

For general program questions, contact studyabroad@yale.edu.

Important Information Before Applying

• All YSS Programs Abroad are intensive, highly structured academic programs for Yale credit and grades.
• Students may only apply to one YSS Program Abroad per summer.
• Admission is not guaranteed. Applicants should anticipate that more students will apply than there are spots available, and Yale College students should apply to a backup Non-Yale Summer Abroad opportunity.
• Ensure that your transcript reflects how you have met the pre-requisite, if applicable, prior to applying.
• Participants must commit to the full program dates. Late arrivals and early departures are not permitted.
• Participants are required to be enrolled in all program courses.
• Participants should expect evening and weekend requirements. Students who have questions about religious observance during a YSS Program Abroad are encouraged to Meet with an Adviser.
• Program-arranged housing is required for all YSS Programs Abroad. Students are not permitted to secure independent housing. Students who have housing-related questions about placements, allergies, religious observance, or disability-related access are encouraged to Meet with an Adviser.

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