Venice and Trieste, Italy: Italian Language and Culture

Summary

*** VIRTUAL Info session March 5, 2025 from 1 - 2 p.m. Please click here to register.*** 

This intensive summer program will spend three weeks in Trieste, a scenic, vibrant and off the beaten path seaside city in Northern Italy, and three weeks amongst the canals and sights of Venice, often recognized as one of Europeʻs most beautiful cities.

This program is an immersion in Italian language study and is open to all levels from true beginners to advanced learners. As part of the program, students will take one Italian language immersion course, taught in a local language school, alongside Italian language learners from all over the world. In addition to an Italian language course, you will study Italy’s crucial historical and social position in the Mediterranean as a place of intercultural exchange with UC Berkeley Professors and co-Program Directors Giuliana Perco and Christina Farronato. The program will explore topics of identity- national, ethnic, cultural. Learn about the extensive Venetian colonization in the Mediterranean, about the persistent multicultural nature of Italian society, and the historical and social scars left on this area by World War I and World War II. The program will also discuss current-day migrations into Italy and the complex nature of Italian identity today. By the end of the course, you will have developed a greater knowledge and deeper understanding of Italian history, society, and culture from a different perspective, to which you’ll be able to add your personal experience. 

Highlights include:

• Build fluency in Italian through language immersion and progress through the Italian major/minor (program open to all majors and all levels from beginner to advanced)
• Spend six weeks living in and exploring the beautiful seaside cities of Trieste and Venice. (Three weeks in each location.) 
• Field trips to historic and scenic places across Italy including the castles at Miramar & San Giusto in Trieste, as well as the town of Gorizia, the frescoes at Padova, and day trips to the beautiful cities of Bassano del Grappa and Marostica.

Dates:

Program dates: May 27 - July 5, 2025

All dates are subject to change.

Courses:

Students have the choice of the following two tracks:

• Beginner Track: Italian Studies  11 (3 credits) + Italian Studies N160 (3 credits)  = 6 credits
• Intermediate/Advanced Track: Italian Studies  N12 (3 credits) + Italian Studies N160 (3 credits)  = 6 credits

Total Units: 6

Language of Instruction: English

Requirements Satisfied through this Program:

• International Studies L&S Breadth
• Additionally, students can use the program to satisfy either Historical Studies or  Social Behavioral Studies L&S Breadth
• Consult with your college/major advisor to see which additional degree requirements this course may fulfill.

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Eligibility:

• At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
• 2.0 GPA or higher
• Must be 18+ years old at the time of application
• May not be on academic probation or under censure for student misconduct at any point from application review to the end of your program.

Housing:

• Students will be provided housing as part of the program for the duration of the program dates.
•  In Trieste, students will live in double rooms in apartments that accommodate up to four people. Apartments are fully furnished and offer weekly clearing and change of bed linens and towels. 
• In Venice, students will live in double rooms in student housing with a private bathroom. The housing includes a lounge, shared kitchen, gym, eating area, reception café, and laundry services. 
• Please note that gender inclusive housing options are available. Reach out to summerabroad@berkeley.edu if you have questions.

Food:

• While in Trieste, daily meals are not provided on the program but there is a kitchen in each student apartment. Students will be oriented first week to affordable food and grocery options in the area.
• While in Venice, Breakfast is provided daily. For other meals students will be oriented first week to food options in the area.
• Also note that full lunch will be provided on all field trips outside of the main locations of the program. 

Application:

• Application opens February 5, 2025
• Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply early!
• Deadline to apply is March 12, 2025

Courses

Students have the choice of applying to either of the following two tracks. If accepted, you will be automatically enrolled to take two courses for a total of six UC Berkeley units. Note, all students will be enrolled in Italian Studies N160. See details below.

• Beginner Track: Italian Studies  11 (3 credits) + Italian Studies N160 (3 credits)  = 6 credits
• Intermediate/Advanced Track: Italian Studies  N12 (3 credits) + Italian Studies N160 (3 credits)  = 6 credits

Course: Italian 11

Title: Italian Conversation I

Instructors: Taught in Local Language School by Local Instructors

Prerequisites: None

Units: 3 units

The aim of this course is to develop and enhance oral communication skills in students who begin to study Italian or have learned the basics of Italian grammar in Italian 1. Through this course students will enrich their listening and speaking skills through the acquisition of new vocabulary, conversational practice, oral reports, discussions, and collaborative projects.

Course: Italian 12

Title: Italian Conversation II

Instructor: Taught in Local Language School by Local Instructors

Prerequisites:  Italian 2 or equivalent (one full year of Italian at college level). If you haven't taken Italian 2 at UC Berkeley or have questions about your language level please email gperco@berkeley.edu and cfarronato@berkeley.edu

Units: 3 units

Description: This course is designed to develop and enhance oral communication skills at an intermediate and advanced level, by means of conversational practice, discussion of readings, students' presentations on original material, and use of audio-visual materials and realia. Students will take a language exam to be placed into appropriate intermediate to advanced groups at the local language school.
 

Course: Italian N160

Title: Italy and the Mediterranean: Studies in the history, society, and politics of the Italian Peninsula

Instructor: Giuliana Perco and Cristina Farronato

Units: 3 units

Description: This intensive summer course introduces students to the study of Italy and its crucial historical and  social position in the Mediterranean as a place of intercultural exchange. The content of the course  will revolve around the topic of “identity" be it national, ethnic, cultural. We will learn about the  extensive Venetian colonization in the Mediterranean, about the persistent presence of foreign  cultures in Italian society, as well as about the historical and social scars left on this area by World War  I and World War II. The course will end with an analysis on current day migrations into Italy and into  this area and current challenges posed by climate change and rising sea levels. Several field/study trips will accompany the lectures to give you a direct experience and a better understanding of the historical period studied. Readings will include historical accounts and literary  works from different cultures. 
By the end of the course, you will have developed a greater knowledge and deeper understanding of  Italian history,society and culture from a different perspective, to which you’ll be able to add your personal experience.  The course is taught in English with readings in English.
 

Requirements Satisfied through this Program:

• International Studies L&S Breadth
• Additionally, students can use the program to satisfy either Historical Studies or  Social Behavioral Studies L&S Breadth
• Consult with your college/major advisor to see which additional degree requirements this course may fulfill.

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Course Enrollment:

Summer Abroad staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

Costs

The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

Fees are subject to change. All non-Berkeley students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $71.

Estimated Out-Of-Pocket Expenses

In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated amounts for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary travel documentation for your program destination (i.e. passport, visa, etc). This may require you to pay fees of up to a few hundred dollars depending on the type of paperwork required.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer. Students can request a financial aid package estimate to understand what their individual financial aid package will look like. We recommend all financial aid eligible students request a financial aid estimate.

​​Requesting a financial aid package estimate: If you wish to receive a financial aid package estimate, please fill out this form (CalNet Authentication required). You will receive an email with your financial aid estimate (please allow a minimum of one week for response).

If you have a specific question about a study abroad financial aid issue you are encountering, please email TravelAid@berkeley.edu. Please do not email to request a financial aid estimate, these requests should be made using the form above. 

All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

Explanation of Fees

Tuition is based on a per unit cost:

• The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit
• The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $615 per unit

The program fee includes the following items:

• Student housing in Italy (see summary tab for more details)
• Excursions including entry fees to local museums, historic sites, etc.
• On-site orientation activities, excursions, guest speakers, etc.
• Travel insurance, including accident/sickness medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, and other travel assistance services
• Other program-related costs
• The $300 deposit. If accepted to the program, the $300 deposit will be applied towards your program fee. If you are waitlisted or denied admission to the program, your deposit will be refunded. If you request to withdraw your application prior to an admission decision being issued, or cancel your participation after being accepted to the program, the deposit remains charged to your account. 

*Please note that the list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

The following items are excluded from the program fee and included in the Out of Pocket expenses estimate:

• International airfare
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, routine medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)
• Course materials (textbooks and readers) if applicable. You can contact the instructor of the course to clarify.
• Other travel expenses (passport, visa, etc.)
• Additional meals

Timeline

* The pre-departure orientation is mandatory and takes place on the UC Berkeley campus. If you are not on campus during this time, we will schedule a meeting via phone or Zoom.

† Students are expected to check into program housing in Trieste, Italy on May 27, 2025. Note the program moves to Venice mid program and students are expected to check out of program housing on July 5, 2025 in Venice, Italy. Students who arrive in-country early or depart after the last day may do so, but they are responsible for arranging their own accommodations outside of the program dates.

All dates are subject to change.

Instructors

Co-Program Director: Dr. Giuliana Perco

Email: gperco@berkeley.edu

Dr. Perco holds a doctorate in Comparative Literature and is a Continuing Lecturer in Italian Studies at UC Berkeley. Before beginning to teach at Berkeley, Dr. Perco taught at various colleges and universities on the East Coast, such as Duke University, Bryn Mawr College, William and Mary College and Penn State.  She has been at UC Berkeley since 2013, where she has taught intermediate and advanced language classes as well as several advanced culture and literature courses, both in English and in Italian on various topics, for example on literary interpretations of WWI; Italy and the Mediterranean; Multiculturalism in Italy; Migrations; Food, design and fashion in Italy; Environment, sustainability and climate change; Italian society after 1946; Italian protest songs; Italian literary detective fiction. In 2015, she developed the Summer program abroad at Trieste, later expanded to include Venice. Her main literary field of interest is 20th and 21st century narrative from a comparative perspective; she worked on the role of the reader, metafiction, parody, and intertextuality. She is also  interested in ecocriticism and animal studies.

Co-Program Director: Cristina Farronato

Email: cfarronato@berkeley.edu

Cristina Farronato is a Lecturer and Language Program Coordinator in the Department of Italian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests are in second language pedagogy, translation, the semiotics of film, and contemporary Italian literature and culture. 

She holds a Laurea in Foreign Languages and Literatures from the Università di Venezia, Ca’ Foscari, and a PhD in Literature from the University of California, San Diego. She was Assistant Professor at Colgate University, at the University of Southern California, and at the University of San Francisco. She has taught Italian language and literature courses, language pedagogy, Italian cinema, and Core Curriculum classes on the making of the modern world and the challenges of modernity.

She is the author of Eco’s Chaosmos: From the Middle Ages to Postmodernity about the Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco, and she has published articles on Umberto Eco, semiotics, language pedagogy, Italian fiction, film, and the visual arts.