Student Life

Living Learning Community Computers and Internet Activities Fiesole and Florence

Living Learning Community

Students who live at the Villa are placed in double or triple rooms, most of them with private bathrooms. All of the bedrooms are suitably appointed and overlook the Arno valley and the city or the gardens of the Villa. All meals are provided, with the exception of Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch. Meals are served buffet style and are an important part of the community life of the Villa. The Villa's two cooks provide a varied menu of Italian meals, and where possible will take into consideration dietary restrictions. Members of the faculty regularly join the students for the midday meal in order to continue the conversations of the classroom.

The Villa runs like a large household. The house and garden staff keep it and the gardens neat and clean, but students are responsible for the general welfare of the community. Much of the success of the programs at the Villa come from the students' willingness to contribute courteously and creatively to the life of the community.

Semester program participants

Extra-Curricular Activities

An important part of a student's experience at the Villa le Balze is the integration of the program of study with the many cultural and historic sites and activities in and around Florence. Each semester, instructors organize field trips for their students in Florence and other cities such as Venice, Rome, Naples, Mantua, Pisa, and Siena. These field trips, which usually take place on the weekends, are considered integral parts of the courses. Classes are also often held during the week at museums and monuments in Florence. Students and instructors have also, in past years, organized trips to the opera, to soccer games, and to local vineyards for wine tastings.

Students on a field trip to Venice

Due to the prevalence of English speaking tourists, students, and even residents in Florence, more common services are accessible in the city proper. Students can travel on a city bus from the main square in Fiesole to downtown Florence in about 20 minutes. The bus between Fiesole and Florence runs every 20 minutes between 6:00 am and 12:30 am.

Florence is a small city; the historic center can be traversed in less than half an hour. Located in the center are several banks, post offices, bookshops, (many of which sell English books), cinemas and theaters, gyms, travel agents, medical offices staffed by English speaking doctors, an American consulate, and, of course, a huge selection of stores, hotels, hostels, and restaurants.

Students on a class trip to Naples

One of the bedrooms in the Villa

Computer and Internet Facilities

Many students choose to bring their personal laptops to the Villa and are thus able to complete their written assignments on their own time. As of Summer 2007, our wireless internet network is up and running in the Villa main building and adjacent gardens. In order to access the system, students students must make sure they have 1) a wireless card standard 802.11G consistent with encryption code WPA and 2) an anitvirus program of any kind. Students may also use the four Windows compatible computers and the laser printer in the computer room in the Villino. These computers are available for students to use free of charge and provide access to the Internet, (students may not connect their personal computers to a Villa telephone line to gain access to the internet that way). Students may also access the Internet from the various centers located in Florence and Fiesole.

Students out at night

Fiesole and Florence

While both Fiesole and Florence are rich with history and offer the visitor many sites to explore, these two towns also provide fully modern services. In Fiesole, closest to the Villa, there are banks, a post office, a travel agent, a small supermarket, an appliance store, an optician, restaurants, hotels, churches, and a public library equipped with internet access. Some English is spoken by the owners of almost all of these places, so students manage quite easily in Fiesole, even if they are just learning Italian.