Dates
May 18 - June 15, 2027Subjects
Art History, Architecture, Legal Studies, Anthropology, Cuisine & Culture, Philosophy, HonorsDeadlines
Dec. 1: Apply Early & Save $100Feb. 5: Regular Deadline
Program Overview
The KIIS summer program in Italy begins in the Oltrarno quarter of Florence with an exploration of the Renaissance city’s world-class art and architecture and surroundings. It then moves to Siena, where students wander the enchanting medieval streets and alleyways. The program then moves to the Trastevere district of the ancient and modern capital of Rome, visiting museums, classical ruins, historic churches, palaces and other destinations. By investigating Italian art and history and taking part in the local culture, students become acquainted with the Italian people, their culture and their way of life.
Note: Studying abroad likely is more physically strenuous than you are used to at home. KIIS study abroad programs typically involve approx. 5-10 miles of walking (approx. 10,000-20,000 steps) or the like in a day, including the possibility of walking, hiking, and climbing stairs in heat and humidity, over elevations at higher altitudes, and over rocky terrain. See Health & Wellness for more information.
Program Director
Anthony Cashio is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Philosophy from Southern Illinois University and his B.A. from Birmingham-Southern College. His teaching and research focus on ethics, value systems, social justice, and environmental philosophy. While new to KIIS he has been leading and participating in study abroad programs since 2016 and he is excited to help students engage directly with Italy’s rich history, culture, art, and intellectual traditions while cultivating a deeper global perspective.Dr. Anthony Cashio
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Courses
All courses are taught in English and are 3 credit hours. You may enroll in 1-2 courses. Courses are divided into 2 time-blocks. You cannot select 2 courses in the same time block.
This course introduces students to Italian culture, both its contemporary iterations and its historical trajectory. We will explore the contributions Italy has made to art, religion, politics, and intellectual culture throughout the centuries. We will investigate major expressions of Italian culture from power and religious faith to intellectual achievement and artisanal craft, tracing how history continues to shape everyday life in Italy still today.
What does it mean for a dish to be "authentically” Italian? Who gets to decide? This course uses food as a lens to explore Italian national and regional identity, immigration and diaspora, colonialism, tourism, and the changing landscape of Italy today. Through stories, movies, street markets, local foods, cooking techniques, and museums, we will investigate how Italian cuisine became one of the world's most recognized and mythologized cuisines.
This class is designed as an introduction to the history of thought and ideas as they developed on the Italian peninsula. We will familiarize ourselves with some classics of Western thought that were developed and written in Italy. We will also take the opportunity to think about how specific places, cultures, and historical moments can affect the development of philosophical concepts.
This course will use the perspectives and tools of anthropology to explore how varied and sometimes conflicting legal systems operate within diverse cultural, political, and social contexts, asking what constitutes “law” in these varied contexts. Focusing in part on the relationship between international and national legal systems, this course will explore the ways in which law and culture intersect within complex legal contexts.
This course will explore how economic, political, cultural, and ideological globalized processes are articulated within Italian localities and influence people's daily lives. Relying on anthropological theories and methods of analysis, we will investigate how the local and global are mutually defined within the contexts of regions and cities in Italy, Italy on the national scale, and Europe more generally.
This course examines the art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance in Rome and Florence, with particular attention to the values and philosophies that shaped artistic production. Students will study both canonical works and a broader range of visual culture, situating them within the intellectual framework of humanism, religion and evolving approaches to knowledge that defined the period.
This course surveys Italian art and architecture from antiquity to the modern era, tracing visual culture across political, religious, and intellectual periods. It examines how classical vocabulary and architecture shaped later art, then follows stylistic developments through medieval, Renaissance, and post-Renaissance Italy, focusing on continuity and change over time.
All KIIS course credit is awarded by Western Kentucky University. Prior to your KIIS program, please speak with your home campus academic advisor and/or study abroad office to determine course equivalencies. Grades will be transferred to your home institution in mid-August after the completion of the program. Course offerings are subject to change according to enrollment. For more information, visit Transcripts & Grades.
Program Excursions
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Venice (Independent)
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Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica
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Fiesole Etruscan Ruins
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Florence Cathedral Dome
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Uffizi & Accademia Galleries
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Roman Forum & the Colosseum
Group Flight
ESTIMATED COST $2,200 - $2,300
The KIIS Italy program offers a group flight option where you can travel to/from Italy with other students and faculty. If you choose this option, KIIS will purchase a round-trip flight ticket for you. The flight cost will be added to your final program fee on April 1. The group flight will depart from Cincinnati or Louisville.
If not selecting the group flight, you are responsible to purchase your own round trip (multi-city) airfare.
The flight to Florence, Italy is overnight, arriving the following morning. On the return, the flight from Rome, Italy to the USA departs and arrives on the same day. Visit Flights and Passports & Visas for more information.