Study Abroad | Rome

Housing

Apartment

All AIFS students studying in Rome have the option of living in program arranged apartments while studying abroad. Generally located in the central neighborhoods of Trastevere, Campo de’ Fiori, Prati or Monti, the apartments allow students to experience Rome as a local would do.

Distances to certain attractions and the AIFS Center vary depending on the neighborhood. Typical commute is 10-40 minutes walking distance, depending on apartment location.

Every apartment comes with its own sets of dishware, cooking supplies, beddings. Cleaning service comes biweekly.

Toiletries and cleaning products are not included.

ROOMMATES

• 2-3 students per room
• 4-8 students per apartment

AMENITIES

• Shared full kitchen
• Shared bathroom
• Bed linens included
• Internet access
• Washer only
• Central heating
• Fans provided

Meals

A unique meal plan to subsidize the cost of living abroad and to learn how people in Italy eat with fresh, local produce. Students receive grocery and meal vouchers to be used for one meal (lunch or dinner) five days per week for three weeks. The vouchers can be used in selected groceries, local restaurants, trattorias and pizzerias located near the apartments and the AIFS Center.

Students may opt out of the meal plan and pay a reduced program fee.

City Facts

History

Founded in 735 BC, Rome is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to the Vatican, an independent country within the city. With its unparalleled wealth of history, archeology, art, religion and religious culture and delicious food, Rome has more to offer than any other city in the world. The Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, its gardens, parks and art, the world-famous film industry make Rome a city that fascinates with its unique beauty and mesmerizing atmosphere.

Population

Rome, with its population of over 4,000,000, is the capital of Italy and the fourth most populous city in the European Union. The charming eclectic culture of modern Rome is a result of diverse cultures and people who have made this city their home for years. Rome is a modern city that thrives in its cosmopolitan culture but still has a deep reverence to its past.

Site Staff

AIFS in Rome Director, Summer Program

Rosanna Graziani
M.A. in Modern Languages from the University of Florence

Ciao! I grew up in a beautiful medieval town in central Italy, immersed in nature.

I earned my degree in Florence, where I joined AIFS in 1995 as a teacher of Italian L2.

When I moved to Rome in 2001, I immediately felt spellbound to the beauty, the wealth of art and history, the colors, the energy, and the climate of this extraordinary city.

I am passionate about international education and travelling; as a study abroad student myself, and through the many countries I visited, I learned how empowering and transformational learning about different people and cultures can be.

I am committed to providing a study abroad program of intensive engagement with Rome and Italy and I will support and advise you throughout your stay to ensure that you make the most of your Italian experience.

The Program Director provides academic advice, introduces you to the community and handles communication with the University.

Cultural Activities

Learning does not begin or end in the classroom. To help you get a true taste of Italian culture, a wealth of cultural activities and excursions are included in your program fee such as cooking and wine tasting classes and visits to some of the most famous museums, churches and palaces in and around Rome with professional art historians. Italian students from the University of Rome intern throughout the program as language and cultural peer mentors, participating in most program arranged curricular and extracurricular activities.

Past activities have included:

• Opera nights in the beautiful setting of Caracalla archaeological site
• Cooking and pasta classes
• Wine tastings
• Pizza tastings
• Gelato tastings
• Visit to the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum
• Cinema nights on Tiber Island
• Get togethers and dinners with Italian students
• Art and discovery tours
• Lectures and workshops
• Various exhibitions and concerts (jazz, rock, blues)
• Botanical Gardens
• Day trips around Rome (including the beach, Bracciano lake and hiking)
• “Underground” Rome
• Ballets/Musicals
• Handicraft market
• Food markets
• Visit to the zoo
• Group dinners
• Farewell dinner

Please note that students may pay a small additional fee for some of the activities above.

In addition, a Language Peer Mentoring Program as well as a conversation exchange program with Italian college students is available for all students.