Italy Summer Program

DEADLINE – DECEMBER 3, 2025

The Italy Summer Program in Arezzo: Explorations in Art History and Historic Preservation will give students the opportunity to explore significant art collections, foundations, and archives in Central Italy while also focusing on art history and Italian language.

For WU applicants: Take a look at the tips on the How to Apply page for links to the online study abroad application which is due by DECEMBER 3, 2025. Qualified WU students (Salem and PNCA) are given priority for this program.

For NON-WU applicants: Portal will open in October for space-available applications. While you're waiting, please work to get people to serve as your recommenders: academic advisor, faculty, and personal. Non-WU students must also have an official transcript sent to Willamette (900 State Street OIE, Salem, OR 97301). Deadline is the same for WU and non-WU applicants.

Summer programs are an opportunity to study abroad outside of the academic year. All offer credit, however each program is structured differently and planned by individual faculty members. The Willamette University Italy summer program is an exciting opportunity to experience Italian language, art history, and historic preservation in one program.

This program is open to WU students and, as space is available, to non-WU students from other universities

This summer course will give students the opportunity to attentively explore some of the most significant art collections, foundations, and archives in Central Italy, studying the monuments located in places such as Rome, Florence, and Arezzo. At the same time, they will be introduced to critical methods of analysis and exposed to important matters regarding art conservation and restoration processes, as well as notions associated with Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism.

Classes in Art History and Italian language will be taught respectively by Prof. Ricardo De Mambro Santos and Prof. Alessandra Baroni, according to the program described below. Many of the visits will be led by the very directors of the institutions we will be going to visit, from the Vatican Museum in Rome to the House of Giorgio Vasari in Arezzo.

In this way, students will have the unique possibility of establishing connections with internationally known experts in our field. Moreover, students will have access to collections or parts of collections and archives usually closed for non-professionals.

Prof. De Mambro Santos (Willamette, Art History) is an internationally known scholar in the areas of Renaissance and early modern art. After having taught for several years at the University of Rome, La Sapienza, and at the University of Washington in Seattle, he is now teaching courses in Art History, Art Criticism, and Film Studies at Willamette University. In the past decades, he has led several studies abroad initiatives, including the Honors Program for the University of Washington. He has curated many exhibitions in the United States, Europe, and South America, and published several scholarly essays mainly in Art History and Criticism.

Prof. Baroni is an acclaimed scholar whose work focuses mainly on Renaissance art and theory, with particular attention to the presence of Flemish artists in Italy. She is also a highly regarded member of the Academy of the Drawing (Accademia del Disegno) in Florence, founded by Giorgio Vasari in 1563. A very respected expert in the areas of Cultural Heritage and Historical Preservation, Prof. Baroni teaches also at the School of Medals in Rome and has been recently appointed as the Director of Short Programs at the prestigious Longhi Foundation in Florence.

Professors De Mambro Santos and Baroni have collaborated on other projects, including summer Art History programs in Arezzo as well as conferences and exhibitions at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. They are currently working on an important Giorgio Vasari project, with the organization of exhibitions and publications. Both are working to create a safe experience for students while living and studying in Italy.

Special Considerations

Applicants for this summer program should understand that the program provides physical and emotional challenges common to the experience of studying abroad and some unique to Italy. The safety of our participants is our top priority.

Walking and Risk of Petty Theft: Excursions on the program should expect a fair amount of walking as part of the program. As students are out-and-about both on program activities and during free time, they should take care to pay attention to their belongings, especially while traveling on public transportation where pick pocketing can occur. The group will use a "buddy system" to increase the safety of all participants.
Social Demands: Students and faculty will be located in the same hotels at most locations and most days will be spent in community. Faculty will work with students to develop "community standards" for living together and sharing responsibility for meals, cleaning, etc. Even during free time, participants will be encouraged to follow behavioral expectations including sharing cell phone contact information and traveling with "buddies" at all times.
Group Dynamics: The group will live together for the duration of the course, forming a temporary community that shares space, meals, dialogue, and learning. Students should be prepared to resolve differences through respectful communication with the support of accompanying faculty as needed.
Food: Some food will be provided at hotels/restaurants, but some meals will need to be organized by faculty and students on the program. Responsibilities in this area will be shared among all participants. There will be some free time where students will make their own arrangements (including payment) for food and other free-time activities, especially on weekends and during other free, unplanned evenings.

Program Details

Location	The program will be based primarily in Arezzo, Italy. Excursions are tentatively planned for Sansepolcro, Florence, and Pisa.
Professors	Prof. Ricardo De Mambro Santos (Art History) Locally: Prof. Alessandra Baroni
Credits	This program is open to students from ALL majors but will be especially useful to students with interest in or background in Art History or Archive Studies ARTH 372-Independent Study in Art History (3.0 credits) OR ARTH 394 Internship in Art History (3.0 credits) Students will need to select their credit option PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
Grading	CR/NC. The course is a combination of class instruction in Art History or Italian, workshops at various locations, and program-related excursions to museums and important sites. Students will be assessed primarily based on written individual assignments and oral presentations.
Dates	2026 Dates: Tentatively May 31- June 26, 2026. Final dates will be set at acceptance. Arrival date: Accepted students will receive specific dates and arrival instructions at the pre-departure meeting during spring semester. Please DO NOT book travel until instructed by the OIE staff.
Costs	Program requires a minimum of 8 students to operate. Maximum is 15 students. 2026 cost: Tentatively set for $5,200 for WU students ($5,400 for non-WU students) based on 8 people. Cost can increase if we do not meet our minimum participation of 10 students. FINAL price will be set at acceptance. The program cost includes WU tuition, transportation within Italy, planned excursion and activity fees, housing in shared accommodations, most meals/food, insurance and program-related materials. All pedagogical materials and readings will be offered to students in digital format at the beginning of the course. Students must pay their own airfare to and from Italy. For uncovered meals, it is encouraged that students bring $150 along with them to Italy. Students are also encouraged to plan for other expenses during free evenings/days, such as activities or excursions that are not planned and covered by the program. Faculty will provide activity ideas at different price points before departure.
Scholarships	Art History majors should contact the Art History Department about Pegasus travel grants. They are limited so take action now! Students are eligible to apply for several scholarships coordinated by the OIE. Applicants will be invited to apply for scholarship consideration after the application deadline passes.

Application

To Apply: Current Willamette students will use the Willamette study abroad application portal. The program's name is Summer Italy. The deadline is December 3, 2025 for summer 2026 participation.

For any questions or if you experience problems, please email oieadvising@willamette.edu.

All applicants can view general information about the Application Content and the Selection Criteria on the OIE website.

Information Session: Please see the events page for a list of study abroad information sessions.

For more information, email oieadvising@willamette.edu.

Non-Willamette Students

Non-Willamette students of all majors are welcome to apply.

Students from other universities (not Willamette) should use the "Non-WU Students - Apply" button. Specific questions about the program or the application? Email the Office of International Education at oieadvising@willamette.edu.

Since space is limited, priority is given to qualified WU students. We expect that non-WU students will be able to participate in the program each summer. Non-WU students are strongly encouraged to apply.