Location
  • Italy
    • Venice
    • Sicily
    • Rome
    • Naples
    • Florence
Length
2 - 4 weeks
Program Tags
Arts Cultural Immersion Post-High School Study Abroad
Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
City Exploring Sightseeing Snorkeling
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Hotel
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
23

Pricing

Starting Price
5260
Price Details
All fees include accommodation and breakfast in Italy, 70 hours of on site tuition in small groups of 9, all travel within Italy when connected with teaching, travel between cities, all museum entrance fees, notes and reading lists. See our website for details of the annual scholarship.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Some Equipment Some Meals Park Fees Tour Guide Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Some Meals Travel Insurance Visa
Mar 15, 2023
May 21, 2023
77 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

If you are between 17 and 22, AHA's 2-4 weeks courses are a brilliant way to pass some of the summer while doing something worthwhile and of real value. Study many of the greatest works of art on site while travelling through Italy. Carefully structured, this course is an excellent overview of art history for those new to the subject and particularly useful to those already studying it. There are two courses: Northern Italy, which travels to Venice, Florence & Rome, and then there is the adventurous Southern Italy Course which travels from Naples and Pompeii to Sicily.

We suggest to do the combined course of Northern + Southern where students get to stay in Italy for a month and discover the beauty, specialties and secret of this country in its entirety.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

AHA courses are open to all. We pride ourselves with creating a safe and inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds are able to enjoy a life changing travelling experience.

At AHA we know that culture leads to confidence, so every course has two aims: to discover and explore European culture and, in equal measure, the development of young people in a space where they feel secure and integrated.

Any form of discrimation is not accepted on AHA.

LGBTQIA+ Support

AHA courses are open to all. We pride ourselves with creating a safe and inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds are able to enjoy a life changing travelling experience.

At AHA we know that culture leads to confidence, so every course has two aims: to discover and explore European culture and, in equal measure, the development of young people in a space where they feel secure and integrated.

Further Italy and Europe in general are quite progressive with regards to LGBTQIA+ policy, lifestyle and any form of discrimation is not accepted on AHA.

Accessibility Support

AHA has a track record for taking students with varying kinds and levels of disabilities on courses, and we warmly encourage applications from all people.

Since our tutor to student ratio is very small (never more than 1 tutor to 9 students), AHA provides individual support shaped to the needs of each and every student, ensuring excellent care of young people. We therefore make provisions and organise an environment where people with disabilities can safely enjoy their travelling and make the most of their experience.

Impact

Sustainability

Our programs are geared toward environmental education understood in relation to wider themes of history, society and culture.

During our courses we always encourage critical thinking and we take the time to explore the impact that travelling has both at an individual and organisational level. We are also committed to maximising the net positive impact while minimising the carbon footprint of every program- Nick Ross, director of AHA, plants a tree for each flight that is being purchased to attend any of our programs to offset the carbon footprint of our courses.

Program Reviews

4.97 Rating
based on 30 reviews
  • 5 rating 96.67%
  • 4 rating 3.33%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.55
  • Support 5
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 5
  • Safety 4.85
  • Program Selection 5
  • Pre-departure Help 5
  • In-program Support 5
  • Impact on Student 5
  • Value 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 30 reviews
Default avatar
Isobel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing!!

I first travelled with AHA in 2020, having won a scholarship from their writing competition. Within the first few hours of meeting the students and tutors, we felt like a close-knit group of friends, excited to explore Italy together. AHA brings together kind, curious and creative people from all over the world. We learn from each other and challenge each other to see Italian culture in a new light. For instance, our head tutor Nick inspired us to sketch everything we saw, regardless of our artistic skill. The tutors are so knowledgeable and encouraging, so you never feel stupid asking questions. The highlight of every day is supper. The group gathers together to drink wine and enjoy Italy’s famous food. We freely drink and chat and laugh with tutors as well as students. I still keep in touch with many friends I met in Italy, through AHA. I left the trip feeling nourished by art history and confident in my academic potential. I hope you decide to go! I joined AHA again in 2020 and had an equally fun time with a different group.

Pros
  • Wonderful people to share experiences with
  • Excellent organisation and central hotels.
  • Knowledgable and engaging tutors who bring Italian culture to life
Cons
  • Very packed schedule- might get tired
  • Lunch/supper not included in AHA fee
33 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Once In A Lifetime Experience

Travelling to Italy for two weeks with Art History Abroad was one of the most exciting and inspiring experiences of my life. I knew so little about art history beforehand, but I learnt a phenomenal amount in such a short space of time and I am still now inspired by it!
The tutors were unbelievably enthusiastic about their subject and they made every ‘lesson’ so fascinating and always such fun. They were clearly enjoying themselves and this enthused us students all the more. There was quite literally not one single dull moment.
I made friends for life on the course. We ate, drank, laughed, danced, painted and sang our way through three fabulous cities and shared so many wonderful and unexpected experiences. Highlights ranged from a spontaneous silent disco in a beautiful square in Venice to a private opera performance from one of our tutors on one of the bridges and from ‘nun-splitting’ in the Vatican to devouring delicious pizza and gelato. Another amazing experience was watching the sunrise, with prosecco, over the roman forum on our last morning before our flight home. This trip really had it all.
I had never been to Italy before and to physically step into the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican and many wonderful churches and museums, rather than just looking at them in books, was unbelievable and I fell in love with it all. To learn by experiencing something first hand is unbeatable.
This trip really was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget and I honestly cannot recommend it enough.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Not knowing anyone one else going on the trip was scary and I was really nervous. However, everyone was so friendly and I had made good friends before we had even got on the plane. I also found that I had connections to multiple of the people on the trip, such as knowing the same friends outside of the course. Everyone is scared and nervous at the beginning but therefore everyone is really friendly.
121 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Anousha
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Southern 1

I had an amazing two weeks on the AHA southern course! We saw the beautiful Naples and ended up visiting many towns in Sicily, a poorer part of Italy yet still so stunning, and full of incredible architecture as well as some breathtaking Caravaggio paintings. The tutors were incredible - so much fun but also so passionate and knowledgeable, full of information and fun facts about the art! I learned a huge deal of fascinating things but also made some amazing friends! I love history of art but it’s not something I’m thinking of studying, nonetheless I would recommend this course for anyone because with the art comes friendships, happiness and the building of a group. Thank you so much to AHA for a truly unforgettable course.

Anousha O’Malley

119 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Oliver
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fit for Any Student

I went into this program having little to no knowledge and experience in art history; in fact, the only art related courses I had taken in school were the easiest ones I could find to fulfill my art requirements. But I am a fond believer in exploring outside your comfort zone, so I decided to give this course a shot, and I am so glad I did. The tutors are all so engaging and funny that even if would not normally be particularly interested in the subject that they are teaching about, you will still find yourself engaged in the lesson and enjoying every minute of it. Additionally, the tutors cover such a wide variety of topics and take the students on so many different activities, that you are bound to find things that truly interest you. The summer course is a very fast paced course and you are traveling around quite a bit, but as long as you utilize the free time provided to get any rest you may need, you should have no problem at all. And if there ever is any problem, the tutors are incredibly approachable and helpful, so if you ever, say, swap bags with someone at the London airport, they will do everything in their power to help you get the bag back and keep the mind off the fact you've been wearing the same pair of clothes for nearly a week! While the lessons and activities are a joy to partake in, the most valuable experiences for me were the relationships I had formed with the incredible tutors and fellow students. This group will become like a family abroad, with some pretty hip parents I might add, and if nothing else, you will have such a great time exploring the beautiful country of Italy with them.

124 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ben
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An absolutely amazing experience

I didn't know what to expect when I flew to Italy for AHA, but wow - it was a wonderful, life-changing trip. As I'd hoped, I learned so much about the world through art history during my time in Italy, but I also made some of the best friends I've ever met. How can I describe my tutors... words really wouldn't do justice to how much I enjoyed their company. I think it's so nice that I can stay in touch and go and visit them in the future. The same for my peers - we came from different places around the world, but everybody was friendly and open-minded. Our trip was the perfect balance of learning, laughing, and having fun. We saw the most beautiful art pieces of all time, we visited some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, and we shared some of the most beautiful conversations I've ever had (blackcurraant :).

I was quite unsure of what direction I wanted to take in life before this trip, but AHA helped me so much in figuring out what I want to do and the people I want to be with.
GRAZIE to all of my tutors, peers, and people who made this trip possible. I won't forget you!

124 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Omi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Looking back 3 years later, AHA was amongst the best things I did on my year out

I found AHA's program online and was keen on doing an art history course as I was going to study History at university but knew my course wouldn't extend too far into arts and wanted to do an academic course whilst having the fun of being in a group with people my age and to travel. AHA really hits the nail on the head with this combination - to learn about a painting, sculpture, or architecture and the history of a city/town whilst you're in it is entirely different to learning about it from a classroom. 3 years later I continue to look back at AHA fondly and wish I could do it all over again. I enjoyed the company of everyone on my course and keep in touch with many of my tutors and peers regularly.

129 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Henry
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Perfect balance of fun and learning

The weeks I spent with AHA were some of the best in my life. The learning experience was wonderfully led and there was a mutual respect between the tutors and the students which I haven't encountered yet. It was fascinating to learn about Southern Italy and it's extremely rich cultural history. There was a large spread of different sites and something to interest everyone. It was also very amazing being put with other people of your own age who share an interest in History of Art. I made some very good friends during the two short weeks.

What would you improve about this program?
I hate to quote someone who has left a review before me, but it was literally perfect.
131 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Yiwen
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Northern and Southern Italy Combination Course

I highly recommend the AHA combination course of Northern and Southern Italy. We went all the way from Venice to Sicily in four weeks, and enjoyed a lot of amazing art ranging from Greco-Roman ruins to Renaissance and Baroque paintings and some interesting art shows that juxtaposed ancient archeological finds with contemporary art. Sometimes the traveling schedule might be really intense, and socializing with a group of people all the time can be stressful. But on the other hand, this was also a life lesson for me to get out of my comfort zone. Overall, I feel that I have learnt in this course more than just the canonical art history, but moreover experienced different kinds of art and tried to think beyond the single narrative of art history. Definitely, Italy and this traveling course have made a precious mark on my life.

116 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers