International Programs

A provincial capital with a population of 50,000, Macerata is four hours from Florence by bus, and three and a half hours from Rome. There is excellent bus and train service to several other destinations such as Ravenna, Venezia, Assisi, Spoleto, Ancona, Urbino, San Marino, and Rimini, which are all within a few hours travel time. Considering the hilltop location of Macerata, the climate is surprisingly mild year-round. The many surrounding small regional towns and villages offer students ample opportunity for exploration and exposure to all periods of art and architecture from Roman to Baroque. The Sferisterio is a noted outdoor theater of the nineteenth century where operas are performed during the summer. Skiing resorts, natural thermal baths, newly discovered underground caverns, beaches, and mountain areas for hiking are nearby.

The beautiful Renaissance city of Ferrara is close to Bologna, mid-way between Venice and Florence, yet it is relatively unknown to tourists. Shaped over the centuries by the River Po, Ferrara was one of the centers of the Italian Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries, as the Dukedom of Ferrara. Today, the perfectly preserved city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can walk the city walls that surround Ferrara, ride a bicycle to class just like the locals, and visit Ferrara's outstanding museums. The city is extremely safe, clean, and accessible, with small-town feel yet boasts world-class art treasures and exhibits.