Rome Institute of Liberal Arts

Our courses are academically rigorous and involve difficult texts in philosophy and literature, combine such study with excursions to art, architecture and history in Italy that students' readings help open up to them. Summer Program: we held our six week summer program in Rome. Our professors came from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, St. Mary's College of California as well as from the University of Texas at Austin. We had 30 very excited and capable students in our summer program. These students took part in classes focused either on readings in history and political theory, or in art and aesthetics, alongside regular excursions for the whole group together with their professors to see art and architecture in museums, churches, ancient monuments, renaissance palaces, and so on. A couple of our students changed their major as a result of taking our classes, and discovered new career paths in art history or ancient history. As in all our classes, the rigorous engagement with major texts from the past alongside excursions to explore art and architecture made these courses a fascinating and serious learning experience. And, of course, all of the students were broadened by the experience of being in Italy, and made better able to understand themselves and their own country by the experience of seeing another culture and another way of living. The friendships created in our programs continue today and will hopefully last a lifetime, and we hope to keep in contact with many of our students. New Venice Program: We took 17 students from St. Mary's College of California to Venice for four weeks to study the history and art of Venice along with readings in literature, history, and urban studies. As well, we went on daily trips around the city to museums, churches, and monuments to study the history and art first hand. Students developed a deep understanding of the importance of Venice in early modern history (and the influence of its political system on the American and French revolutions), as well as the role Venice played in the development of modern music and art. As well students reflected on the place of historical cities like Venice in terms of contemporary issues like gentrification, mass tourism, and environmental crisis. Providence College Maymester: a class from Providence College along with faculty came to study art, architecture, and history for two weeks in Rome through excursions supported by faculty led discussions and lectures.