Immersive Italian in Orvieto is the only UA Italian faculty-led program that offers intermediate and advanced students of Italian a 100% total immersion experience.
The Immersive summer curriculum is founded on experiential, hands-on learning and community-based experiences that provide students the opportunity to use their Italian communication skills in real-life situations and to engage with the local community. The city of Orvieto is more than a beautiful backdrop to your studies: it will be your classroom and point of entry to Italian culture and everyday life. Scholarships available here!
See more photos from summers in Orvieto
Program Details
This program is run through the UA Office of Study Abroad and Student Exchange and is designed for intermediate and advanced students of Italian. All courses count towards the minor and major in Italian. Students who have previously studied Italian are eligible to apply to one of two tracks:
- Intermediate Track (ITAL 102 or ITAL 201 completed before the start of the program)
- Advanced Track (ITAL 202 completed before the start of the program)
Study Abroad Website & Application: Immersive Italian in Orvieto
Program Dates: early July - early August 2026 (5 weeks)
Application Deadline: Coming soon!
Summer 2026 Program Information
FACULTY LEAD: Prof. Maria Rita Meli
mmeli@arizona.edu
Coursework: Students take 2 ITAL courses in Orvieto for direct UA credit towards the minor and major in Italian, and 1 hybrid pre-departure seminar (1 unit) in Spring 2026, 7W2. After the commitment date, we will enroll you in the seminar and schedule 3 in-person workshops (2 hours each) according to the availability of students in the 2026 co-hort.
Students apply to one of two tracks, depending on their prior studies in Italian before the start of the program:
ITAL 202z: Intensive Intermediate Italian (Prerequisite: ITAL 102 or ITAL 201). This is an accelerated Italian language course covering the material of both ITAL 201 and 202. In this course you will continue to develop your Italian language skills and cultural knowledge through hands-on experiences in the classroom, local excursions, interactions with the community Orvieto, and field trips. Students who have taken ITAL 201 are eligible to take this class. Taught by UA Prof. Maria Rita Meli.
ITAL 496A: Topics in Advanced Italian Studies: Italian Fashion, Food, and Wine (3 units). This course explores the history, lived (Italian) reality, and exportation of Made in Italy (fashion & design), the Slow Food Movement, and the protected status of Italian wine (DOC, DOP, IGT). We will consider how these movements have affected the construction and representation of “Italianness” both in Italy and abroad. We will also explore how our host city Orvieto – the international headquarters of Cittaslow, and famed producer of the Orvieto Classico white wine and ceramics – embodies and keeps alive these internationally recognized movements. Community-based activities include cooking lessons, trips to the weekly farmer’s market, wine tasting, meetings with local artisans, chefs, and business owners, and other local excursions integrated into the curriculum. This course is conducted in Italian, with some readings in English, and will include students from both the Intermediate and Advanced tracks. Taught by local Prof. Claudio Bizzarri.
Prior to departure, all students, regardless of track, will complete the following Spring 7W2 course:
ITAL 195 Study Abroad Seminar for Immersive Italian in Orvieto (1 unit): Hybrid (asynchronous online + 3 in-person workshops). In this pre-departure seminar, you and your Immersive Italian in Orvieto cohort will embark on an exciting journey together to prepare you for your study abroad adventure, where you will not only learn about new cultures but also about yourself. We will take a deep dive into key topics like understanding cultural values, managing stereotypes and biases, and building connections with new communities, including your study-abroad cohort and the ones you will engage with in Italy. We will use a mix of hands-on activities, virtual-reality experiences, and thought-provoking discussions in our Forum Theater to help you reflect on your own identity and prepare you for the challenges and rewards of living abroad. Together, we will explore how culture shapes our values, identities, and behaviors. By the end of this course, you will leave with a toolbox for navigating cultural differences with confidence and curiosity. Taught by Prof. Borbala Gaspar (bgaspar@arizona.edu).
ITAL 310 Italian Encounters: Spoken Italian in Context – Let's Travel Italy! (3 units) Prerequisite: ITAL 202. In this course, you will explore the different regions of Italy, both in the classroom and through various field trips. With your own hands-on experience, you will discover what makes each place truly unique as you learn about history, culture, and geography. This course emphasizes advanced verbal language structures as found in Italian culture and counts towards the minor and major in Italian. ITAL 310 may be taken twice for credit when course content is different. Taught by UA Prof. Maria Rita Meli.
ITAL 496A: Topics in Advanced Italian Studies: Italian Fashion, Food, and Wine (3 units) This course explores the history, lived (Italian) reality, and exportation of Made in Italy (fashion & design), the Slow Food Movement, and the protected status of Italian wine (DOC, DOP, IGT). We will consider how these movements have affected the construction and representation of “Italianness” both in Italy and abroad. We will also explore how our host city Orvieto – the international headquarters of Cittaslow, and famed producer of the Orvieto Classico white wine and ceramics – embodies and keeps alive these internationally recognized movements. Community-based activities include cooking lessons, trips to the weekly farmer’s market, wine tasting, meetings with local artisans, chefs, and business owners, and other local excursions integrated into the curriculum. This course is conducted in Italian, with some readings in English, and will include students from both the Intermediate and Advanced tracks. Taught by local Prof. Claudio Bizzarri.
Prior to departure, all students, regardless of track, will complete the following Spring 7W2 course:
ITAL 195 Study Abroad Seminar for Immersive Italian in Orvieto (1 unit): Hybrid (asynchronous online + 3 in-person workshops). In this pre-departure seminar, you and your Immersive Italian in Orvieto cohort will embark on an exciting journey together to prepare you for your study abroad adventure, where you will not only learn about new cultures but also about yourself. We will take a deep dive into key topics like understanding cultural values, managing stereotypes and biases, and building connections with new communities, including your study-abroad cohort and the ones you will engage with in Italy. We will use a mix of hands-on activities, virtual-reality experiences, and thought-provoking discussions in our Forum Theater to help you reflect on your own identity and prepare you for the challenges and rewards of living abroad. Together, we will explore how culture shapes our values, identities, and behaviors. By the end of this course, you will leave with a toolbox for navigating cultural differences with confidence and curiosity. Taught by Prof. Borbala Gaspar (bgaspar@arizona.edu).
Immersive Italian Video Winners
Every summer, Immersive Italian students create videos to document their experiences being immersed in the Italian language and culture. From these videos, one is awarded a prize and highlighted on our website.
Summer 2025 Winner
"I am a senior at the University of Arizona, double majoring in Italian and Computer Science with a minor in Game Development and Design. Before my study abroad in Orvieto, I worried about loneliness and not belonging, but the experience surprised me in every way. I found a community of classmates and locals who welcomed me, inspired me, and helped me see light during a dark time in my life. My professors and peers guided me to reflect on who I am and who I want to become, and I returned home more confident in myself and my place in the world. The inspiration for my video comes from this transformation: moving on from loss, finding friendship and belonging, and embracing the beauty of Orvieto as the backdrop for rediscovering strength and purpose."
– Eric Romero, Italian major, Computer Science major
Summer 2024 Winner
"As a now senior studying Physiology and Medical Sciences as well as Italian, I never thought I would have the chance to study abroad, but my experience with the Immersive Italian in Orvieto program made me so glad that I did. Studying abroad in Italy was my unforgettable dream experience that changed my life in so many ways. I had the opportunity to visit the most beautiful and breathtaking sights, I learned so much about Italian language and culture, and I met so many wonderful people. I wanted to create a video that was a recollection of all the beautiful aspects of my time in Italy, and which captured the love and appreciation I will forever have for Orvieto and for Italy as a whole."
– Daniela Lopez, Italian major, Physiology & Medical Sciences major
Summer 2023 Winner
"Studying abroad in Orvieto, Italy is an experience I will remember forever. I learned so much about Italian culture and language, met amazing people, and traveled to some of the most beautiful places that the world has to offer. As a junior studying Film and Television with a minor in Italian, I wanted to make a video that captured my time in Orvieto, Italy through a cinematic lens. This video represents the deep love that I now hold for Italy, along with the relationships that defined my experience abroad."
– Allie Cincera, Film & Television major, Italian minor
Summer 2022 Winner
"I’m a senior studying Italian and Political Science. My experience in Orvieto taught me so much about Italian culture and language, but also about my perspective on the world. Coming from America, Italy is such a strange and beautiful place, and the inspiration for my video was to show the curiosity, wonder, and love I felt for this country."
– Natasha Sutter, BA in Political Science, minor in Italian, class of December 2022