Every summer Italian students studying in Orvieto 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 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
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
The Immersive Program
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!
This program is designed for intermediate and advanced students of Italian, and 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)
Program Details
This program is run through the UA Office of Study Abroad and Student Exchange.
Study Abroad Website & Application: Immersive Italian in Orvieto
Program Dates: July 1 - August 6, 2024
Application Deadline: February 25, 2024
Summer 2024 Program Information
FACULTY LEAD: Dr. Beppe Cavatorta
Professor & Director of Basic Languages
beppe@arizona.edu
Coursework: students take 2 ITAL courses for direct UA credit during this program, according to the track that best fits their previous Italian coursework. All courses count towards the minor and major in Italian.
Intermediate Italian Track
(for students who will complete ITAL 102 or 201 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 a local instructor.
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 Dr. Cavatorta.
Advanced Italian Track
(for students who will complete ITAL 202 before the start of the program)
ITAL 310 Italian Encounters: Spoken Italian in Context – Live, from Orvieto! (3 units) Prerequisite: ITAL 202. This course is an advanced Italian conversation workshop that focuses on Italian popular culture and current events as represented in different Italian media. While we will discuss a wide range of topics from politics, immigration, and history, to music, the arts, and food, we will also focus on news and events happening in Orvieto. You will explore Orvieto, engage in community-based excursions and encounters with local Orvietans, and report on your experiences to your peers. Through your hands-on experiences in the community, you will discover what makes Orvieto unique as you learn about its history, culture, and community. ITAL 310 may be taken twice for credit when course content is different. Taught by Dr. Cavatorta
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 Dr. Cavatorta
All excursions and field trips are conducted in Italian.