A Semester in Review: Classes In NYU Florence

I still vividly remember sitting in a class with my laptop open as my finger hovered over the trackpad, awaiting my class registration time. While I had obsessively checked Rate My Professor, any syllabus available online, and reached out to various NYU Florence students, I still didn’t feel like I had a comprehensive grasp of what classes at NYU Florence would be like. 

Sitting in Villa Natalia, the main building on the NYU Florence campus, as I prepare for finals, I have a moment of self-reflection, and I realize how lucky I have been to have taken the classes I did. To help out any other potential study abroad students, here is a list of the courses I’ve taken here and my main takeaways. 

Renaissance Art with Silvia Giorgi 

While this was not a class that was originally in my schedule, I can’t imagine my experience in Florence without the deep appreciation and understanding of Renaissance Art that I’ve gained. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be an Art History fanatic, this course gives students access to amazing art museums and gardens around Florence for free and provides great insight into Florentine culture and pride. Almost every week, you will meet in the city center to visit a new museum, palace, or other important areas of art in Florence. If you need to fulfill Expressive Culture for Steinhardt or have an elective space open, this is an amazing class to take. 

Highlights: 

• One of the field trips of the class is to the Vatican. Being able to see the Sistine Chapel while the amazing Professor Giorgi explains the rich history of the space, artists, and works of art is a once in a lifetime experience. 

• The Uffizi Gallery houses various masterpieces by Michelangelo, Rafael, and Botticelli. One of my favorite site visits was the day we thoroughly analyzed Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. We learned about the patronage of the painting (the Medici Family), the process of creating the “perfect” figure (by piecing together the best body features from 30 different women), and the intricate story behind the style of painting (the use of 3D and 2D to differentiate the representation of humans and gods). 

• When discussing art in Florence, it is impossible to leave out Michelangelo’s David. This majestic sculpture was formed from humble beginnings - a slab of marble that no one wanted. Now it is celebrated around the world and it is especially treasured by the Florentine community. 

Elementary Italian I with Professor Massimo Avuri 

At NYU Florence, everyone is required to take Italian. Coming into this semester with very limited knowledge of any romance language, it took a couple of weeks to warm up to a completely new language structure. However, my professor (shoutout to Massimo!) created a very fun and relaxed atmosphere which helped to learn Italian without stress. 

Highlights: 

• Professor Massimo Avuri is one of the best professors I’ve been able to take classes from and if at all possible, definitely try to get into his class. 

Modern Italy with Professor Davide Lombardo 

While I enrolled in this class originally just to fulfill the Texts and Ideas requirement, I was surprised by my interest in the material covered in the class. Being able to view the history of the two World Wars as well as general European politics outside of the frame of the United States was eye-opening for me. Before this course, I had never had an in-depth understanding of Italian politics or history, especially without the overarching frame of how the United States fit into the picture. 

Highlights: 

• We had two site visits for places within the city - Santa Croce Church and Piazza Michelangelo. Being able to understand the physical monuments and remembrances of the war in the context of the Florence city center was so intriguing. There is such rich history that surrounds me on a daily basis and knowing the stories behind the spaces really lent itself to a better semester experience. 

Italian Sketchbook with Professor Scott Palmer 

If you need a creative outlet, this is the perfect class to add on, since it’s only 2 credits. You will test your creative bounds and be able to self reflect on your travels and time abroad. This was one of my favorite classes here - a sentiment echoed by many of my classmates. 

Highlights: 

• The field trip to Naples was one of the most transformative travel experiences I’ve had abroad. We were able to go deeper (literally) into the heart of Naples as we did an underground aqueduct tour. Learning about the history of the Naples aqueducts and being able to experience the dark, humid, and interesting space was really incredible. Another aspect of the Naples trip was going to two art studios which are on the same street. Sergio and Teresa, who are a married couple, own studios right next to each other but that is where the similarities end. Their creative expression is so evident in their own individual spaces. 

• Another field trip we took was to Orsigna, a small city in Pistoia. Being able to stroll in complete silence, visiting a mountain with stacked stones and a tree memorial, and eating local specialty chestnut dishes was a peek into a non-tourist space in Italy. 

• As a final project, we are able to explore and question conceptual ideas and integrate them into a tangible media object by the end of the semester. While challenging, I felt myself grow both personally and creatively and cannot think of a better class to take here. 

Statistics for Social Research with Professor Carla Rampichini 

I’m not a fan of math and probably never will be but if you need to take your Quantitative Reasoning, you might as well take it here. In hindsight, while I would have liked to have taken an elective rather than this class so I didn’t have to stress as much while being abroad, it was still much less pressure than taking any math class back in New York City. 

Highlights: 

• My class size is extremely small as there are only four other students. This means the Professor is extremely open to meeting after class or during office hours, and you get as much help as you need. 

• Professor Rampichini is extremely helpful in making sure you understand concepts. I’ve met with her after class many times and she is very willing to make time for all her students.