Life in Florence

Kent State Florence is a comprehensive academic and cultural program. In addition to completing a full course load, students have many opportunities to get acquainted with Florence and Italy. Open to all students are many activities introducing Italian life and culture, which could include:

  • A Night at the Opera: Enjoy a celebrated opera by one of the great Italian composers performed in beautiful St. Mark’s Church.
  • Kent State Cinema: Great Italian films shown with English subtitles, including classics like Fellini’s 8 1/2 and Rossellini’s Open City.
  • River Rafting: Admire the architectural beauty of Florence from a new perspective: a relaxing rafting trip down the Arno.
  • Volunteer: Through Caritas Diocesana Firenze, you can befriend neighborhood nonni, and keep Florence clean with Angeli del Bello.
  • Soccer Match: Join 40,000 Italians in going wild over their national sport as you wear purple and cheer on the Fiorentina.
  • Italian Cooking Class: Prepare classic Italian dishes under the guidance of trained chefs, and then enjoy every delicious bite!
  • Ferragamo & Gucci Museums: Florence and fashion are inseparable. Bask in the work of two geniuses of 20th-century Italian style.
  • Museum Pass: Semester-long access to Florence’s most extraordinary art and sculpture galleries, churches, museums and villas.

Student Experiences

History of Palazzo Vettori

Palazzo Vettori is a prestigious and ancient building located in the heart of Florence, at the corner of Via Cavour and Via Alfani, next to Piazza del Duomo. According to historian Guido Carocci, the fabric of the building started at the beginning of the 15th century. Its façade proclaims the new ideas of Renaissance architecture based on the use of rustication. Starting January 2016, Palazzo Vettori is the new home to the Kent State University Florence program.

Today, Palazzo Vettori receives approximately 200 Kent State students each term.