A Taste of Umbria: The Essence of Italian Living
July 16 - July 27, 2025
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
All applications received by 11:59pm on Nov 30 will waive the $95 application fee.
PROGRAM Highlights
This 10-day cultural immersion program in Central Italy focuses on typical and traditional Italian culture through the lens of its history and cuisine. Get a taste of both the region’s culinary treasures, as well as its historic and cultural significance. Students will travel to surrounding Umbrian towns to experience firsthand the traditions that have been part of the region for generations. Excursions will be hands-on, and of course, students will taste the many foods they are learning about. In addition to the food, students will learn about the significance of the place in which they are exploring, taking in the history, culture, and surrounding beauty of each place. Reflection will be a part of the process, and students will collaborate with one another and their instructors to create a culminating showcase of what they have learned over the course of the program.
Italia In Focus: Taste of Umbria Photography Supplement
You will advance your photography skills through storytelling, and create a professional portfolio of your experience, all while immersing yourself in Italian Cuisine! Certain to be a transformative experience, you will blend the art of photography with the culinary traditions of Umbria and foster a deeper connection to the ethos of Italy.
Each day you will enjoy hands-on culinary workshops and food tastings that explore the deep traditions of this region of Italy while synchronously developing a strong understanding of how to use photography as a medium for storytelling.
You will learn how to craft a compelling narrative with a series of images, emphasizing the emotional and thematic connections, of your experience. Through peer collaboration and instructor feedback, you will leave the workshop with a photography portfolio and a taste of the culture, food, and natural beauty of Umbria in a meaningful and personal way.
SAMPLE Itinerary
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 and the final Showcase - 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 before the final showcase to your peers. Take the time on this final day to do some last-minute shopping, say goodbye to your favorite places and people in town, and do a few last laps around La Rocca.
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.
AcCOMMODATIONS
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.
TUITION
Program Dates: July 16 - July 27, 2025
Total Cost: $3975
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. Applications received by 11:59pm on Nov 30 will waive the application fee. Within 2 weeks of your acceptance into the program a non-refundable 50% deposit is due. The remaining 50% balance is by May 1, 2025.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
All applications received by 11:59pm on Nov 30 will waive the $95 application fee.