Three Cities Program

The Three Cities program immerses students in the special characteristics of three different Italian cities during a single semester. Tuscania, Rome and Venice each have a distinctive urban character, historical and artistic heritage, and role in today’s Italy. After living and studying in this changing landscape, Three Cities students come away with unique insights into the diversity and complexity of another culture. In program courses designed to foreground interesting issues that intersect with the broader experience, students will explore the beauty of the Italian language, the relations between cultures, ancient Rome as a source for later Italian society, Italian gastronomic geography and the ways writing can capture engagement with new places. Students spend a month at each location, moving from Tuscania, to Rome, to Venice. They follow a structured and integrated program of five 3-credit courses: two courses at each of the first two sites and one at the last site. Classes meet every day Monday through Thursday in Tuscania and Rome, and Monday to Friday in Venice, for a total of 45 contact hours per course. In the first center, Tuscania, students take an Italian language course (all levels available), and a nutrition course with hands-on learning that situates Italian cuisine in its geographical and social contexts. In the second center, Rome, students take a course on Intercultural Communication, and a course about Ancient Rome and its imprint on this city and on the nation of Italy. The Three Cities experience culminates in the third center, Venice, where students distill their experiences through a course on Travel Writing. Student life and learning at each of the three locations is closely supported by LdM’s expert and experienced team of advisors, support staff and faculty.