NAU in Italy: Art and Life in Tuscany

​​​​​​​Upcoming Information Sessions - Blome Conference Room

Session #1: Thursday, January 23, 4-5 pm, in the Blome (CIE) Conference Room
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Session #2: Monday, January 27, 5-6 pm, on Zoom: https://nau.zoom.us/j/87871322816?pwd=OO9RxGySekrUakCxxYb49omcK8Uvci.1 (Meeting ID: 878 7132 2816; Password: 561871)

Go to Italy May 19 - June 28, 2025

This program represents an immersion experience in the heart of Tuscany and is centered in the beautiful medieval city of Siena. You will take a 3-credit class on “Art and Life in Tuscany” in conjunction with a 3-credit class entitled “Italian Culture: Language, Food, and History.” Being in Tuscany will allow you to gain numerous insights into Italian art and culture through course instruction, cross-cultural activities, and excursions. “Art and Life in Tuscany” focuses on Etruscan, Medieval, and Renaissance art now housed in the museums and churches of Castellina-in-Chianti, Florence, Lucca, Murlo, Pisa, Pienza, Rome and San Gimignano as well as Siena itself. In “Italian Culture: Language, Food, and History,” you will be introduced to the Italian language, learn the basics about Italian history and the Sienese Palio, and find out how modern Italian identity is related to food. Many Italian staples from pasta to olive oil, from gelato to wine, from pizza to panforte, have backstories that give insights into Italian culture and Italian history. The focus, in particular, will be on the cuisine of Tuscany and, especially, the city of Siena, as compared to Florence. You will apply and build upon your developing knowledge of Tuscan art and culture through excursions to a local Contrada, a panforte factory, a gelateria, a working farm, pecorino cheese shops, and wineries, as well as through a cooking lesson at the Fontegiusta Scuola di Cucina and an overnight stay at a pilgrim’s dormitory along the Via Francigena.

Alumna Maddie Merritt: "I had never been overseas before and didn't know anyone else in the group.  However, right when I got in Rome, I knew that one month in Italy would not be enough.  As an art and history major, being able to learn about my favorite things in such a hands-on environment was amazing. Dr. Carpino was the perfect professor to have gone with because she is so knowledgeable about everything relating to Italian history, art, and culture. I was able to not only grow my cultural awareness and knowledge of art history, but I also grew as a person"

Alumna Nelly Rosiles: "I found the program very transformative. It shaped who I am today in ways I never expected, personally and academically. Despite my major being Justice Studies, I felt that at the end of the program, I had become art and history efficient. I was deeply captivated by the churches, art, historical sites, museums we visited, and the delicious Tuscan cuisine.  Professor David Walthall's Italian lessons were extremely helpful, aiding daily interactions in Siena.  Dr. Carpino ensured our comfort abroad by cultivating a supportive environment. I will never forget how this program built a new version of me with heightened strength, compassion, and capability. As a first-generation student abroad, I will cherish these moments and reminisce about them when thinking of my time at NAU.  Dr. Carpino's expertise and professionalism shine through this program, making this journey unforgettable.  I am incredibly thankful to have been part of a program that cares deeply about student's learning experiences."

Alexandra Carpino is a Professor of Art History with a specialization in Etruscan and Roman art and culture. She teaches courses on all aspects of ancient Mediterranean art, from the survey, ARH 141 (Greek to Gothic), to upper division courses on art and empire, the Greek world, and Etruria. Her research centers more specifically on the Etruscans’ engraved bronze mirrors, specifically their subject matter and what these tell us about myths, mothers, parents, heroes, and deities. Professor Carpino is the author of a book about the Etruscans’ relief mirrors, and co-editor and contributor to A Companion to the Etruscans (2016). She has also served her profession through her past work as editor-in-chief of Etruscan and Italic Studies and chair of the Etruscan Interest Group sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America.

Professor Carpino ran her first study abroad program in Siena, Italy, during the Fall of 2011, after which she developed her summer course, NAU in Italy: Art and Life in Tuscany, which she leads bi-annually. She studied in Rome during her junior year in college, a transformative experience that she conveys to current NAU students through the programming and experiential learning she incorporates into her NAU in Italy courses.