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6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad

6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad

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Art History Abroad
5 · 73 reviews
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Art History Abroad

 5 · 73 reviews
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Location
  • Italy
    • Venice
    • Bologna
    • Florence
    • Siena
    • Rome
    • Pompeii
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel Arts Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Language Immersion Post-High School Study Abroad
Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans
Health & Safety
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Program Details

Activities
City Exploring Sightseeing Wine Tasting
Timeframe
Academic Year Fall Spring Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Apartment Hotel
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
22

Pricing

$19,000
Price Details
Included: accommodation, breakfast, transport within Italy, tuition, site tickets, workshops and activities, private visits, events (opera, ballet, football), art materials, and curated reading, watching, music, and restaurant lists.

Not included: flights, lunch and dinner.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Some Meals Tour Guide Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Some Meals Travel Insurance
Feb 12, 2026
Mar 01, 2025
Wish List
263 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Art History Abroad’s 6-week gap year courses in Italy run each Autumn and Spring, taking students on an inspiring journey through Venice, Castelfranco, Bologna, Florence, Siena, and Rome. Students experience Italy’s extraordinary artistic heritage from the ancient world to the present day, with particular focus on the late 13th to 17th centuries.

All teaching takes place onsite in small seminar groups of no more than 10, allowing students to study masterpieces in the presence of the real thing. Beyond exploring renowned and secret sites, students participate in artist workshops and local activities such as cooking classes and marble sculpting. This course is interactive, social, and hands-on, going far beyond traditional classroom learning. Led by passionate young tutors whose friendly approach and captivating teaching have inspired students for 40 years, AHA offers a unique opportunity to explore, live, and learn in remarkable cities while forming lasting friendships.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This six-week program offers an immersive art history experience across Italy, combining expert, passionate tutors with visits to iconic and lesser-known sites. Participants appreciate the balance of structured learning and free time to explore, alongside opportunities to build lasting friendships and enjoy authentic local food and culture. While the daily walking can be demanding, the supportive community and engaging teaching make it a memorable and enriching gap year option.

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Program Highlights

  • Enthusiastic, friendly tutors who teach and inspire
  • Private access to Italy’s major sites, including the Sistine Chapel
  • Off-the-beaten-path excursions to discover authentic Italy
  • Hands-on workshops and activities, from cooking and sculpting to language
  • Build lasting friendships through unique shared experiences

Win our scholarship, worth $7,500!

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Video and Photos

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Gold leaf painting
San Donato's vines
Hercules Naples
Joe teaching
Pasta class
Duccio's Maestà Siena
Rowing in Venice
Private visit to Vatican Museum

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

AHA courses are open to all. We pride ourselves on creating a safe, inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can enjoy a life-changing travel experience.

At AHA, we believe culture builds confidence. Each course has two equal aims: to explore culture and to support the personal development of young people in a space where they feel secure, valued, and fully integrated.

We have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind on AHA.
AHA courses are open to all. We pride ourselves on creating a safe, inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can enjoy a life-changing travel experience.

At AHA, we believe culture builds confidence. Each course has two equal aims: to explore culture and to support the personal development of young people in a space where they feel secure, valued, and fully integrated.

We have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind on AHA.
AHA welcomes neurodivergent students, including those with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia.

With a small tutor-to-student ratio (1:9), we provide personalised support and a structured, flexible environment, helping students feel confident, included, and able to fully enjoy their course.
AHA has extensive experience supporting students with a wide range of disabilities, and we warmly encourage applications from everyone.

With a small tutor-to-student ratio (never more than 1:9), we provide individual support tailored to each student’s needs, ensuring excellent care throughout the course. We make thoughtful provisions and create an environment in which students with disabilities can travel safely and fully enjoy their experience.

Impact 🌎

Our programs are geared toward environmental education understood in relation to wider themes of history, society and culture.

During our courses we always encourage critical thinking and we take the time to explore the impact that travelling has both at an individual and organisational level. We are also committed to maximising the net positive impact while minimising the carbon footprint of every programme.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 73 reviews
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  • Housing 4.6
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 4.95
  • Benefits 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Facilities 5
  • Safety 5
Good for History Buffs, Students, Foodies
Showing 73 - 73 of 73 reviews
Sam
33
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best 6 weeks of my life!

Jun 17, 2014

The only downside to this trip, is the walking.. Every day you're out exploring an italian city, seeing masterpieces and learning history that was only ever taught to me through a text book, And after the first couple of weeks you really start to feel it in your legs, or atleast i did. I would recomend bringing some comfortable shoes!
There's really nothing about this trip that i would have them change, everyday you're surrounded by interesting kids from all different backrounds, some interested in an art field, like me, and some just interested in spending 6 weeks in Italy exploring the beautiful country and making friends along the way.
The tutors are awsome, ALL OF THEM, and they really get you involved and interested in the day-to-day lessons. Some of my best memories from the trip, came after the lessons, when the whole group is out for dinner engaged in discussions with some of the most lively people youl meet, the fun never stops when you take this trip, if i could do it again i would sign up in a heartbeat.

(Typed from my iphone, sorry for spelling mistakes)

What would you improve about this program?
If i could change one thing, i would make the "free day" that you have in naples, changed to a day trip to Capri. The free day is a cool idea, basically you can do whatever you want for one day, do laundry, go explore, chill out in the hotel and just relax.. But what i strongly recomend doing is changing that day into a trip out to this paradise island. Its only a 20 or so min. Walk from the hotel to the harbor, and from there a 30-45 min boat ride away, and once there youl know what beauty looks like, and although pretty much everything there is expensive, i say its worth every cent. Right after you get off the boat and step onto the island, there are signs for a tour of the Grotto Azurro, a trip i missed out on, but have been told by others is like no place else in the world. Strongly recomend going, if not just making the trip to Capri part of the AHA schedual.
118 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers

What is nice about the Colosseum?

Hi, thanks for stopping by! To get a feel for the experience you will have on this trip we recommend reading reviews! You can find a ton of helpful reviews and pictures at the bottom of this page to help you out: https://www.gooverseas.com/gap-year/italy/art-history-abroa….

By Go Overseas on July 24, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Alexa Lane

Program
6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad
Alexa's time with AHA motivated her to continue her study of art history, architecture, and economics at Middlebury College. She hopes to return to Europe as soon as possible to continue her studies!
Alexa poses with friends in front of a colorful backdrop

Why did you choose this program?

I chose Art History Abroad because I had never tried anything like it before. I'm a big believer of throwing yourself into the deep end and learning how to swim. So, I thought there couldn't be a better way to spend my gap semester than in a new country learning about a subject I had barely even heard of.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I did not go through a program provider or university to find AHA. I met the director, Nick, at a gap year fair at my high school during my senior year and figured out the rest on my own! The AHA team was incredibly flexible and responsive (despite the time difference), and I was able to sort everything out myself.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One piece of advice I would give to a new student would be to ask as their tutors as many questions as they can possibly think of. All of the AHA tutors are incredibly knowledgable and they want to cater the course to your needs and interests. They also have great stories to share. All you have to do is ask!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

I would say there isn't an average day in the sense that you are doing the same thing every day. However most days follow a similar structure. We would meet as a group at around 9 am every morning and head off to our first lesson of the day. The lessons varied in location from church, to museum, to a public square. Sometimes we would take a cooking class, a private tour of a collection or cathedral, or were taught how to make Venetian masks! Around noon we would break for lunch and meet up again around 1pm for another lecture. After that, we would be free until dinner when we would meet usually as a whole group and discuss the day! Unless we had a special event, we were free for the evening, but often I would find myself hanging out with the tutors and other group members all night.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was probably most nervous about being away from home for so long. My time with AHA was the longest I had ever been away from my friends and family and didn't know anyone else going on the program. But as soon as I met the tutors and some of the other students on the trip, I knew I was going to be completely fine. I think my views on homesickness changed because I no longer worry about being alone in the same way. Being away from home for some long allowed me to develop the confidence in myself to be able to chat with anyone or become friends with anyone.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Marie Naffah

Program
6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad
Job Title
Tutor
Marie was a student on a 6 week Gap Year Course when she decided that Italy felt like a second home to her. She stayed in Florence after the course, working as an intern in the curatorial department of Palazzo Strozzi. With a love for the 17th century Baroque greats such as Bernini and Caravaggio, she went on to study Art History at The Courtauld Institute of Art before joining us. A lover of all things creative, Marie is also a musician who was awarded MTV’s Unsigned Artist of the Year in 2014. She is a firm believer in the idea of teaching Art History in an accessible, fun and interactive manner.

What is your favorite travel memory?

About Art History Abroad

Art History Abroad (AHA) offers immersive courses across Europe, Italy, and India, bringing art, history, and culture to life in the places they happened. We believe learning should be enjoyable and that art and history are best taught in the presence of the real thing. On an AHA course, students explore renowned sites, take part in artist...

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  • Go Overseas Award