Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy - Students in UT’s Learning Tuscany program
live and work in Santa Chiara, a restored convent situated in the old
medieval city of Castiglion Fiorentino. This picturesque Tuscan town is
located along the main train line between Rome and Florence, and it is
adjacent to the wellknown art cities of Cortona and Arezzo. Castiglion
Fiorentino takes its name from its role during the Renaissance as a
territorial outpost of the Republic of Florence, but the town’s origins far
predate this role. The hilltop location made the site attractive to both
Etruscans and medieval warlords—indeed, art, architecture and antiquities
from both of these periods are well represented in the town’s churches,
museums and streets. The town’s Renaissance role can be seen in the 16th
century loggia in the main square, as well as in the striking octagonal,
Bramantesque Madonna della Consolazione, perched along the south slope of
the town.
Santa Chiara - This faculty-led program is based at Santa Chiara, an old
Franciscan convent; it subsequently became a girl’s school and now hosts
students from a number of institutions across the United States. This
facility is located in the heart of the old city, adjacent to the
Collegiata, a Neoclassical collegiate church filled with art and graced by a
striking campanile. From Santa Chiara, it is but a brief stroll up to the
main piazza with its medieval tower, Renaissance loggia, cafés and stores.
Santa Chiara has numerous classrooms, studios, reading and recreational
areas and an old theater. Students reside in the former dormitory rooms, and
they take their meals in the beautiful refectory that opens up to a spacious
central courtyard. From this courtyard, students can read, sketch or take in
views toward the eastern hills that separate Tuscany from the equally
interesting region of Umbria.
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