Art History Abroad | Summer Gap Courses in Europe and Italy

It was a really amazing experience. Every day we were looking at different pieces of art in their locations. The tutors were so knowledgable and obviously had passion for the subject. They were also loads of fun to be around and didn't take anything too seriously. In Italy, the food was so good and we had great weather. One of the best experiences! Made some best friends. Would definitely recommend to anyone who even has a vague interest in Art History.

I was lucky enough to be awarded the Sir Trenchard Cox Scholarship after submitting two short essays arguing my stance on one piece of art/architecture/sculpture which I love (David’s ‘The Death of Marat’), and one which I loathe (The Shard). The generous prize of a place on the Northern Italy course ended up being two of the most exciting weeks of not just learning, but fun, imaginable.
As someone who would never have been able to attend the course without the generous prize, I cannot recommend entering two essays discussing art you feel passionately about enough, nor applying for any of the courses offered, regardless of whether you are successful or not.
Although our group began the trip as an incoherent group of individuals, we all left as friends bonded by the truly unforgettable experience we shared in Italy while learning from the brilliant, engaging and knowledgeable tutors in an intellectually and socially stimulating environment. Each day flew by with a schedule packed full of visits to galleries filled with influential art and buildings characterised by their incredible architecture, most of which I had only ever read about. The opportunity to engage with art work discussing contemporary society on a global scale, such as at the Venice Biennale and Damien Hirst’s ‘Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable’, was second only to being immersed in the deeply-woven sense of history ubiquitous in the cities we visited. For me, a memorable moment was feeling as though we were literally stepping back in time as we explored the various levels and former functions of the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome.
Altogether the trip was the perfect introduction to the culture, art and even language of Italy; although it has definitely set the bar high for the rest of my gap year, I am now more excited than ever to begin studying History of Art and Italian at university next year. My only regret is that the course was not longer!

Our excellent and friendly tour guides impressed on us that we were seeing unique works. Nowhere else could we see a Caravaggio alone. They took us to the best places explained just how interesting everything was. At the same time those who wanted to could go further with an emphasis on thinking for ourselves, while others sat back and enjoyed the ride.

The atmosphere of the cities was fatanstic. It was very relaxed but never boringly touristy. Naples is an acquired taste but we quickly found our confidence within the group. It was hugely fun to be there.

To top it all off the tour included great non art history activities. We went snorkelling on top of submerged roman ruins; went on a boat trip to beautiful islands; and had a fantastic meal every night. It was very well rounded and never boring experience that I would definitely recommend.

My daughter went on the Northern Italy trip this summer. She had the best time of her life. She was so excited to be able to see in person the monuments and arts pieces she had studied during her Art History class in high school. In her own words, Tom, Fania and Frankie made "Art History come to life". As a mom and a teacher, I was very impressed by the entire program: the Info session in Dallas, the registration process, the flexibility of the program, the knowledge of the tutors. My daughter has made friends and memories for life. I highly recommend this program.

I heard about AHA completely by chance after striking up conversation on a train with a college student who was going home for winter break. At that point, I had decided I wanted to take a gap year before college and she recommended some programs to look into. She said that one of her friends had spent a semester in Italy studying art history with AHA and described it as one of the best experiences she ever had. After that glowing report and some superficial online research, I decided to take the 4 week summer course.

I was a four sport varsity letter winner in high school, so from the age of twelve onwards, I spent the entirety of my summers training, practicing, and competing on playing fields. I had always wanted to take summer courses or go abroad during the summer but knew it wouldn’t be logistically possible. After spending four weeks studying art history with AHA, I am so happy that I decided to try something different (and can’t believe I spent all those years sweating on a field in New Jersey when I could have been studying Michelangelo and Caravaggio!)

The course was the perfect way to cap off my senior year of high school due to the passionate tutors, the sights we saw, and the people I met. I hadn’t taken an art history course before the trip but quickly learned that it wasn’t necessary as the tutors used concise yet evocative and thought-provoking language to describe not only individual paintings but entire time periods. The art and architecture we saw gave a whole new dimension to the European history I learned in school; it is undoubtedly worth seeing in person. To top it off, I was traveling with an intelligent, diverse and fun group of peers. The first two weeks I was with a majority of girls and the second two weeks there were six boys and two girls including myself. I had a fantastic time with both groups and made friends that I still keep in contact with and hope to keep in contact with longterm. Overall, my experience with AHA was intellectually and socially enervating and fantastic.

I cannot recommend AHA more highly and wish I had discovered it earlier! I know that what I learned about the canon of western thought as well as how to be a responsible and curious traveler will serve me well in college and beyond.

As a mathematician I never thought that I would find myself on an amazing two week course, meeting new people and seeing the best of Italian art. But thanks to the Trenchard Cox Scholarship and the amazing AHA program that is exactly what I did. The art and architcture I saw was mind blowing but it is the little details like the evening picnics looking over Florence and the Gondola trips through Venice that make it truly special. Also to anyone not so inclined to art I would highly advice you to take a look, as the trip is so much more than just looking at pictures.

When the 'review section' suggest me to share a story, I didn't know where to start. There are so many memories, and they played in my mind just like a movie. Indeed - It is too good to be true, and let me tell you why:
The tutors in the program are all brilliant and extremely experienced. They use simple language and a sense of humour to make hundreds of years' history vivid and exciting. Therefore, if you think that you've never done Art History before and know nothing about it, it shouldn't be the reason to hesitate. It is true that the teachers are trying to give you a lot of knowledge and information throughout the program, but they will make sure that you understand even you started from zero. On the other hand, if you have learned Art history before, that is great! You will be amazed how much more you could learn about that particular area during the trip. For instance, during my two weeks in Northern Italy, I learned things about Renaissance and Baroque that I haven't or couldn't come across in school lessons. It saved me a lot of time and stimulated my interest in this period.
Another point is, being in Italy, having pizza and gelato, enjoying the sunshine while learning the history and art of this country is a whole new level of experience. Trust me it is totally different from sitting down and reading a book about Renaissance! In this trip, you will get to walk around the streets and interact with local people. It will give you a better understanding of why this kind of history happened in that particular place. The tutors will make sure that the amount of studying are balanced out with fun and pleasure. So they will give you free time to explore Italy after a few days of intense academic enrichment. Hanging out with people that you share the interests with while in this romantic country, will be one of the best parts that you have if you go on this trip. You will immerse yourself in this culture and environment.
The most important part of the journey is you will get to see artworks first-handed, also understand them through the language of art. Personally, my favourite theme in Renaissance is the 'Venus'. The moment I see Birth of Venus and Venus of Urbino in Uffizi Museum, I was so emotionally moved by their presence. I've seen so many copies of them, but the real one is so grand and an incarnation of perfection. The feeling is the same as you meeting up with an old friend. You already know so much and heard a lot about them, but seldom get to see them.
Trust me; there are so much more that I want to share with you and tell you how happy I was because of this trip. It's worth it, and you need to explore this. It will not let you down and surely become the highlight of your summer.

My four weeks in Italy this summer were among the best weeks of my life, and by far the best summer I’ve spent abroad. As an international student living in Tokyo, my summers typically consist of quite lengthy trips, and wanting to get the most out of a very long (12 hour) trip to Italy, I took part in the combined Northern and Southern Italy courses, spending two weeks in each respectively, and a grand total of just under four weeks.

As a senior in high school, the trips I’ve participated in in the past have clearly catered to a more ‘high school’ group of students. AHA, on the other hand, is another story completely. I was initially nervous knowing that I would inevitably end up being one of the youngest of the group, as well as being American/Japanese among what would most likely be a group largely consisting of U.K. students. However, age was practically irrelevant and I got on well with everyone in both the Northern and Southern courses. Many of the close friends I made on the trip were also international students, hailing from around the world. AHA attracts a very diverse crowd; something that definitely adds to the experience of studying abroad.

The first two weeks in Northern Italy began in the canals of Venice, stopping in the crowded streets of Florence before ending in the ancient ruins of Rome. A typical day consisted of roughly four coffee breaks, hours on end perusing the paintings decorating halls of museums, eating the most amazing food, fervently discussing an artist’s work, and stopping for a spritz before laughing while you get lost in the tiny side streets of Venice, or stumbling upon the Pantheon on your way back to the hotel. I can’t even describe the certain feeling you get as you wander through each city; it’s just the dream of being in Italy. And the art is incomparable to anything I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience. From Medieval art influenced by the Byzantine empire to the Berninis adorning the rooms of the Galleria Borghese, Northern Italy is just brimming with the most incredible art. Though I may not have any significant authority on the subject, any history of art student has not been truly fulfilled before seeing the art that is readily available in Venice, Florence and Rome.

My third and fourth week in Southern Italy took me to Sicily, where I travelled with a different group from Palermo all the way back to Naples on the mainland. The south of Italy had a completely different vibe from the north, and the food, people, architecture, and art contrasted drastically to what I had experienced in the first two weeks. Day to day, we would leisurely roam the tiny street markets, drop by small churches hidden in deserted alleyways, satisfy our many mandatory coffee breaks, eat food that could give the North a run for its money, and sip bellinis while the sea breeze and the salt caught in our hair. Among the beautiful places we visited on the Southern trip, I will never forget the night we spent in Porto Palo, where we stayed in an amazing hotel by our own private beach. Some of the other students and I stargazed that night, before coming down in the morning and watching the sun rise over the mountains in the east, Michelangelo and Bernina (we named the hotel’s dogs) sitting beside us in the sand. With the South comes yet another feeling I can’t describe, much like the North, and both are feelings I don’t think I’ll be able to replicate without being in Italy with people I am easily able to call close friends.

The tutors on both the trips constitute a highlight themselves; I can’t stress how essential they were to making this trip as amazing as it was. Every single one of them loves art history, loves Italy, and loves what they do. I honestly think this was a large reason for the extent to which I enjoyed the trip, and I would be lying if I said that the ‘learning part’ of the trip wasn’t another highlight. I remember discussing art pieces with them, chatting over dinner, having celebratory drinks after a transportation mishap coming back from Lago Bracciano. The tutors were absolutely incredible, and I owe them a lot for making this trip what it was: a life-changing experience.

I’d only ever studied art history in relation to my own art, and I’m still unsure about whether it’s a path I want to take in the future, but that definitely did not hinder my time in Italy. I’ve come out of this trip knowing terms and facts I never thought I would know, and yet if asked, I would never say that I endured a draining academic summer.

If I was back at Christmas time last year, deciding what to do for the upcoming summer, I wouldn’t only not change my choice, I would be insisting that I go on this course. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.