research camps in italy

Starting with the 2022 Castle in Tuscany Project, Dr. Serra and Dr. Pettener invite a limited number of students and friends of the FAU Italian program to participate in their Professors' research. The FAU Italian Program offers not-for-credit research camps in different locations in Italy, hosted by local institutions and entities. Research assistantships are available.

Locations: Castiglione del Terziere in Tuscany, Ormea in Piedmont, Cibiana in Veneto.

Ormea, Piedmont

Guests of the Mayor of Ormea, Giorgio Ferraris, the research group explored the nature and history and culture of this border town between two regions, Liguria and Piedmont, and two countries, Italy and France. The group produced a short bi-lingual booklet of information and impressions to be published by a local press.

Discovering the fortifications

Discovering the flora

Discovering the food (mushrooms)

Castle in Tuscany Project: The First Experience

In June 2022, students and professors were hosted in the medieval castle of Castiglione del Terziere, in Lunigiana, the hilly northern part of Tuscany. The castle was the home of Loris Jacopo Bononi, M.D., poet and mecenate of the arts, and it houses a unique collection of first printed editions of Italian literature.

Thanks to the friendship of the castle owner, Raffaella Paoletti, we offered two  Poetry and Creative Writing Camps. Watch Dr. Paoletti's invitation. 

The 2023 Research Camp: June 16 to June 18, 2023. The topic was free as students came from all backgrounds. Alessio Giovene worked on an original autograph letter by Giacomo Leopardi; Barbara Salani worked on the opera "Amalia e Carlo," her dissertation topic; Architecture students, Marianna Moricci and Alessio MacPherson, worked on the renovation of the castle windows and the castle crest; Orianna Soublette and Lea Lavandel worked on a XVII century hand-written Titolario belonging to the Duchess of Tuscany; Zoey Wychert described the castle's views; Ilaria Serra furthered her research on Bononi's poetry, topic of her forthcoming article. Alumnus Federico Tiberini also joined the working group.

FAU participates in the condolences for Raffaella's sudden passing, on September 20, 2023.

2023 group on the castle terrace. Click on the picture for the final video

 

The 2022 Research Camp: June 26 to June 30, 2022. The participants were undegraduate students, Allison Acosta, Francesca Cocilovo and Laura Possu-Zapatoski; graduate students Barbara Salani and Manuela Filomena; alumni Cat Coule and Zachary Scalzo. The camp was directed by Prof. Ilaria Serra and Dr. Emanuele Pettener. Watch Dr. Serra's invitation.

A study moment under the pergola. Click on the picture to view Francesca Cocilovo's description of the study area, 2022

 

Dressed for the opera reading of "Amalia e Carlo." Click on the picture to view Barbara Salani's description of the camp, 2022

 

The study group with Raffaella Paoletti. Click on the picture to view Dr. Pettener's description of the poetry camp from the terrace, 2022.