Italy: Viterbo - Intensive Italian Language, History, and the Arts

I studied 4 years ago in Viterbo. The town is beautiful and charming and I always felt incredibly safe. The staff is helpful to find you volunteer opportunities or anything that suits your interests. The optional tours are a must! I felt like I got to see almost everything I wanted. The classes are heavily art or international relations based, but I took the opportunity to get in touch with my artistic side. The food will change your life.

Studying abroad in Viterbo was the best decision I could have ever made. If you are someone who is looking for the traditional Italian experience, this is the place for you. Everything about it is so authentically Italian that, at times you think it's cheesy, but then you realize that you are actually in Italy and not some American resort desperately trying to be Italian. Everything about this place like the cobble stone streets, the flower boxes on every window, the fact that hardly anyone speaks English, the outdoor market, the medieval cathedrals around every corner, the incredibly generous and welcoming locals, the USAC staff, the beautiful fountains, the always entertaining nightlife, the wine guy, the food, the hot springs and the bright red poppies that grow like weeds make it the most magical place you could ever dream of calling home for a semester. Yes, Rome and Florence are wonderful, but don't sell yourself short- if you want to live in an authentic Italian city that is relatively untouched by westernization- choose Viterbo.

I loved being able to immerse myself in a smaller community and get to know the locals. While studying in Rome or Florence would have been fun I would have been one of many Americans. The best part about Viterbo was that the only Americans in the city were our classmates. No part of the city was Americanized and I felt extremely safe within the comforting walls of the city. If you're looking for an authentic study abroad experience in Italy, go to Viterbo!!!!!!

My summer abroad experience in Viterbo italy, summer session 1, 2013 was the most amazing experience of my life. The program was just structured enough to keep us busy but gave us enough free time to experience the Italian culture and travel elsewhere. The classes would challenge our american culture and way of thinking, they would teach us Italian ways, culture and history. The program leaders were so helpful and friendly. They would go out of their way to make sure we feel comfortable. I felt very safe and connected to the usac community.

Viterbo was a perfect pick for me! It gives you a chance to truly emerse yourself into the small town Italy culture and lifestyle, and only a short train ride to Rome. Viterbo is a smaller town and makes you really connect to the people and culture. It's abosolutely beautiful. Viterbo has the perfect amount of disconnect and connectionedness to the rest of the world.

USAC Program brought us on many day trips through the different classes they offered. My personal favorite experience was the south of Italy trip. We stayed in an amazing hotel with a breath taking view of the Mediterranean sea. We had freedom to explore and also have planned tours to enrich our time spent there.

I appreciate everything usac did for me and the experiences I gained through them. I strongly recommend this program!!

Viterbo was the most beautiful town. It felt like home by the end of my program and I still feel homesickness for Viterbo. The program staff were the most helpful people in everything from academics, personal problems, and weekend trip planning. If i could go back I would do it in a heartbeat.

The Dorms that USAC used were outside of the city walls and it was a walk to get back into the city. Though, once you get used to it, it was really enjoyable. I LOVED this city! I'm so glad i got to study there for a semester!

I can't wait to go back with my husband and enjoy the wonderful food and people!! If you want a real taste of Italy, Viterbo is the town!

I initially decided to study abroad in Italy for two reasons. The first was to see the homeland, the country where my parents were born and raised, while the second was to improve my fluency of the language. I could not have made a better decision than attending the Università degli Studi della Tuscia and going to Viterbo. If you want to experience a real Italian life, Viterbo is where you want to choose. You can go to the other much larger and more famous cities, but then you'd also be getting an Americanized version of Italy, the one created for tourists. If that's what you want, you might as well visit any Little Italy that you can find in various cities across the U.S. and save yourself the airfare. Viterbo has everything that you could ever want from excellent and personalized education to caring and helpful USAC staff to a true experience of living in a medieval Italian town. I still remember waking up in the morning and getting ready to start the day while listening Italian life happening outside my window. But then the most wonderful thing happened: the moment I stepped outside my door, I became part of that Italian life. I walked the historic streets, visited the same cafés and restaurants, bought fresh and local food from the daily market, interacted with the locals, never missed a town festival, and most importantly, I made friends with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Our group shared a bond that summer in Viterbo that no one else knows or can attain. You can have the same thing when you decide to go and I can guarantee that you won't regret it. If I could redo my study abroad choice for that summer, I would choose Viterto all over again, every single time.