A Taste of Umbria, Italia in Focus

Neysa Jin

Neysa Jin is a photographer born in Seoul and raised in the United States, holding degrees from New York University and Antioch College. Her interest in photography began at the age of 14, when she started developing and printing film for a local newspaper.

In 2010, together with Italian photographer Ivano Trabalza, she co-founded Trabalza/Jin s.a.s., a studio based in Umbria, Italy, specializing in fashion and cultural photography.

Their work spans contemporary fashion and cultural institutions, combining technical precision with a strong sensitivity to light, texture, and narrative. They have served as official photographers for the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi and have collaborated closely with the Fondazione Carla Fendi on long-term cultural projects and publications.

Their clients include Fabiana Filippi, Luisa Spagnoli, 1221, and Pietro Coricelli. Working from a renovated industrial studio in central Italy, they continue to explore photography as a balance between craftsmanship, creativity, and cultural dialogue

Details subject to change

• Day 1: Travel to Italy

• Day 2: Arrive in Italy | Spoleto - Begin your exploration of this enchanting hillside town with an afternoon walk through the Medieval streets of Spoleto. Discover Roman ruins and traditional local shops along the way. Start your culinary adventures off right with the best pistachio gelato in the world (literally) from Gelataria Crispini.

• Day 3: Siena - Visit Siena, one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, located in the heart of the Tuscan hills. Have lunch at a traditional trattoria like La Torre and experience Siena’s culinary tradition, rich with unique pasta and tasty long-stewed meats. Wander around Piazza del Campo, home of the Palio, and take in the beautiful frescoes in the Duomo and Palazzo Pubblico.

• Day 4: Olive Oil in the Spoletino Valley - Stroll through olive groves and learn about the growing and cultivation process. Then sample some of the freshest extra virgin olive oil you may ever taste. Spend the late afternoon in Spoleto, re-exploring your favorite jewels or finding new ones before dinner.

• Day 5: Perugia - Spend the day in Perugia, Italy’s capital of chocolate and home to the renowned Perugina Chocolate Factory. Taste the delicious Bacio Perugina as master chocolatiers guide you through the careful selection of cocoa beans and assist you in transforming these rich beans into authentic Perugina products. Spend time exploring the biggest city in Umbria, and home to one of the oldest universities in Europe. Perugia boasts a vast array of structures dating back to the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Uncover the secrets of the Rocca Paolina, a fortress built by Pope Paul III, and admire the paintings of Raphael and Perugino in the Galleria Nazionale.  

• Day 6: Truffles in Trevi - Enjoy a picturesque drive through olive groves to the mountaintop village of Trevi where you will be greeted by truffle hunters and their dogs, trained to sniff out Umbria’s greatest culinary treasure: truffles. Walk with these adept canines as they go to work, and learn about the land and why it makes Umbria the largest truffle producer in Italy. The magnificent view of the Umbrian valley unfolds below as you savor freshly grated truffles.

• Day 7: Italian Chefs - Spend a day in one of Spoleto’s finest restaurants that specializes in elevating classic Umbrian dishes. Cook a 6 six course meal from start to finish side-by-side with Italian chefs, and taste the fruits of your labor at a luxurious lunch.

• Day 8: Pizza in Spoleto - You can’t leave Italy without having some authentic pizza! Enjoy some of the many flavors of the region at a family-style pizza dinner.

• Day 9: Gelato - After days of tasting gelato, it’s time to make some! Learn the history of this oh-so-sweet treat, how it differs from its cousin (ice cream), and how the flavors are shaped by the local and seasonal foods in each Italian region.

• Day 10: Travel home - Depart Spoleto around 6:30 am for Fiumicino airport, arriving in Rome around 8:30 am. Flights home depart after 11 am.

All students live together in will be staying at the Palazzo Leti, a 13th Century Residenza d’epoca restored as a bed & breakfast. From the Italian-style garden, you can enjoy breathtaking views of some of Spoleto’s most iconic landmarks. It is only a short walk from the residence to classes, the main piazzas of town, and the restaurants where meals are served.

Students are supervised by faculty, staff, and resident advisors who live at the Palazzo with the students. Classes take place in beautiful buildings throughout the historic medieval section of town with abundant, luminous spaces for exploration.

Program Dates: July 17 - July 27, 2026
Total Cost: $5400

What’s Included

• Tuition for courses

• Meals

• Lodging in a gorgeous 13th-century bed & breakfast

• Entrance fees for group activities

• Field trip-related transportation within Italy

What’s Not Included

• Airfare

• Passport fees

• Travel or Medical Insurance

• Personal expenses

A $95 non-refundable fee is due upon application. Application fee will be waived for all received by 11:59pm on Nov 30.

Within 2 weeks of your acceptance into the program a non-refundable 50% deposit is due. The remaining 50% balance is by May 1, 2026.