Month: August 2008

A new class of students will depart this Saturday for Italy to begin the Fall 2008 semester at the Umbra Institute. 

A few helpful tips to students before departure: 
1. Read the pre-departure handbook (again!) 
2. Call your bank to notify them of foreign charges
3. Charge your iPod, select a great book, and prepare for the long flight. 
4. Pack your suitcases, then leave half of the items in the US! 
5. Clear your mind for a semester of life-changing experiences. 

We are looking forward to welcoming each student to Perugia this weekend – safe travels!

Located just behind Perugia’s cathedral, Umbra’s newest building in Via Bartolo is open and ready for students. A full 7,000 square feet, the Via Bartolo Building occupies what in Italy is called the “piano nobile,” the floor where the nobles who owned the huge building would have lived. Located here are five classrooms, a brand-new digital photography lab, the Umbra library, a multimedia center, lounges for students and faculty, and a number of administrative offices. The only thing missing…is the student body – see you Sunday!

In the photo: Umbra’s flag flying in front of the Via Bartolo Building, with Perugia’s cathedral in the background.

The Umbra Institute has acquired a new facility for the Fall 2008 semester. The new facility is located on Via Bartolo – one of Perugia’s central thoroughfares – located directly behind the main duomo. Literally within steps from the palazzo’s doors, students will find the main cathedral of Perugia (duomo), an Etruscan well, a location mentioned in Dante’s Divine Comedy, a Roman-era aqueduct, and plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants. 

The Via Bartolo facility includes 7 classrooms (including space for new studio art courses: a digital photography lab and buon fresco classroom/studio), an expanded library and study rooms, faculty and staff offices, and student lounge space. The entire building has wireless internet access for student use. 

The Via Bartolo facility is the second location for the Umbra Institute. Umbra students will also have access to the main facility located on Via dei Priori.

In photos: (top left) a view of the palazzo, at right, and the main duomo on Via Bartolo; the view of Piazza Danti from a Via Bartolo classroom. 

The Fall 2008 semester begins in less than one month. As staff members prepare for students’ arrival – ordering textbooks, planning excursions, finalizing housing assignments – students are preparing for a semester abroad in Perugia, Italy. We suggest students review the following links as they prepare for the Fall 2008 semester: 

Make plans according to the calendar for the fall semester. Review the calendar of important dates by clicking here. Please note that students will be informed of course-related excursions once they arrive in Perugia and are advised not to make plans before they learn of these mandatory dates. 

Watch UmbraViews on YouTube – videos of academic programs and student life at the Institute. Access the UmbraViews page by clicking here. 

Thinking about participating in the Optional Trip to Siena? If so, you may learn more and sign up for the trip by clicking here. 

If you have additional questions, please contact the Umbra Institute staff by emailing: [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming students to Perugia soon!