By day, you can study paintings and frescoes of Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Masaccio and Botticelli, sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo, and cathedrals and palazzi designed by Brunelleschi and Michelozzo, or wander through the streets and countryside where Petrarch, Dante, Boccaccio, Galileo and Lorenzo de’ Medici walked and wrote; see illuminated manuscripts of the Biblioteca Laurenziana, hear Gregorian Chant sung by the monks of San Miniato.

For evening, listen to opera in opulent halls and concerts in cathedrals. Enjoy the famous “cucina italiana” and Chianti Classico at outdoor cafés bordering the city’s colorful piazze, settings of scenes from movies such as Room with a View, Tea with Mussolini, Hannibal, and Up at the Villa. Meditate in the cloisters. Practice your ciaos and buon giornos in open-air markets, or window shop on Via Tornabuoni at Ferragamo, Armani, Gucci, and Versace.

Dr. (Count) Niccolò Capponi will present a lecture/tour of historic Florence, and then take participants to his 15th century palazzo to show documents such as letters from Henry VIII and Mussolini, as well as his priceless collection of Pontormo paintings. Students will also visit his family’s vineyard, Villa Calcinaia, in Greve in Chianti for a wine tasting.

Florence is a safe city with a very low rate of crime. Florentines are friendly to Americans and very patient with our attempts to speak the language of Dante. Historic Florence is small enough to allow walking to most venues.

Program Description
This program is divided into two parts: a one-hour spring (2008) semester course and a 14-day field study program in Florence (May, 2008). The spring meetings will provide an orientation to Florence, its customs, culture, people and language, and a study of Renaissance literary and artistic works that illustrate the concepts of humanism. For those participants not living on campus, the spring course may be taken through the Internet.

The field trips will be organized as follows. Each day will concentrate on works and sites associated with a single Florentine. Class members will select these from a list that includes Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, Brunelleschi, Alberti, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Fra Angelico, Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, et al. A day trip to neighboring Siena is optional, as are weedend excursions to Rome, Venice, Siena, Cinque Terre, San Geminiano.

Program Fee
The program fee (about $1,700) includes a 90% rebate of ISU summer tuition, lodging, utilities (except telephone), local transportation, guest lecture fees, museum and concert entrance fees, and a Renaissance Dinner in the Palazzo Borghese (Estimated Total Cost: $3,300.00). Scholarships and Financial Aid are available.

Criteria
This course is open to all registered ISU students and faculty. The ideal mix will include students (traditional and non-traditional) representing a wide variety of colleges and disciplines. A rudimentary knowledge of Italian is desirable but not mandatory.

• sophomore standing at the time the program is offered
• completed application for the program
• two letters of recommendation from persons who can comment on the student's ability to succeed in a foreign country and adjust to another culture
• consultation with the student’s advisor
• an interview with the program directors
• a demonstrable passion for studying in Florence

Director
Dr. Bleyle is professor emeritus of music, having served on the ISU faculty since 1962. He has taught courses in music theory and history and directs Musica Antiqua, an ensemble that specializes in music and dance of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. He has traveled extensively in Scotland, England, Italy and southern France. The Tones of Florence Study Abroad Program has been offered annually since 1998.

Assistant Director
Patricia Edwards Bleyle has taught courses in developmental and abnormal psychology. She has an undergraduate degree in modern foreign languages and advanced degrees in Higher Education and Psychology. Patricia serves as non-academic advisor to students. She has traveled extensively throughout Western Europe.
 

The Tones of Florence is open to university students of any age in any discipline. An interview with the course instructor and two letters of recommendation are required.  Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 318 Beardshear Hall, 515-294-7612