CEA CAPA captures the heart of Florence

Studying abroad in Florence would be a magical experience regardless of which program I chose, however, I am so glad I studied abroad with CEA CAPA because their classes infuse the spirit and contemporary culture of Florence into their curriculum. The "core class" that I took along with my other CEA CAPA classes was "Exploring and Analyzing the City of Florence". It not only educated me on the origins of Florence and its history but showed me the importance of urban analysis to create my own, personal image of contemporary Florence. I felt that I was truly able to explore the city and start to actually feel at home through this class. My other classes educated me on the feminist art history of Florence and also the contemporary cinema of Italy as a whole, which helped me to understand the differences in regions throughout Italy and how cinema plays a role in Italian culture. The program also provides lots of social opportunities and some cooking classes as well, and they really encourage students to engage in these activities. The housing is also really great, our apartment had old frescoes on the ceiling and was quite spacious, and maintenance was quick to make repairs or help us when issues arose. They also have a very helpful orientation to help alleviate culture shock and have many resources to help students acclimate to the new area they've thrown themselves into. Overall I really enjoyed my time in Florence with CEA CAPA and I don't think there is much I would change about my experience.