Nestled on a hilltop between the Chienti and Potenza rivers, the medieval walled city of Macerata sits on the eastern edge of Italy, thirty minutes from the Adriatic Sea and one hour from the enchanting Sibillini Mountains. Originally a Roman settlement, Macerata is the perfect location to experience Romanesque, Renaissance, and Baroque art and architecture, and the Italian culture.
Macerata, a provincial capital with a population of 50,000, is four hours from Florence and three and a half hours from Rome. It has excellent bus and train service to several other destinations such as Ravenna, Venezia, Assisi, Spoleto, Perugia, Ancona, Urbino, San Marino, and Rimini, which are all within a few hours travel time. Considering the hilltop location, the climate is surprisingly mild year-round.
The many surrounding small regional towns and villages offer students ample opportunity for exploration and exposure to all periods of art and architecture from Roman to Baroque. There is a noted outdoor theater of the nineteenth century called Sferisterio where operas are performed in the summer. Close by are good skiing resorts, natural thermal baths, newly discovered underground caverns, beaches, and mountain areas for hiking.
Macerata is an excellent destination for students wishing to learn or improve their Italian language skills, as there are very few English-speaking visitors in the area.
The program in Macerata offers students the opportunity to experience Italy to the fullest – from its people to its culture. Field trips and academic excursions allow students to experience Italy beyond the pages of their textbooks. Courses are tailored to American students and are designed to take advantage of the Macerata locale. Students learn about language and customs through the experience of attending language classes on the campus of the Università degli Studi di Macerata and studio art at the Accademia di Belle Arti.