UW Summer Launch in Italy: Da Vinci, Man & Myth

Location

See Florence on a map

Florence, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is a treasure trove of Renaissance art and architecture. It contains more great artworks per square foot than any other city in the world. The city is renowned for its stunning cathedral, the Duomo, with its iconic terracotta-tiled dome, and the Galleria dell’Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s David. The Uffizi Gallery showcases works from Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and other master artists. Florence is considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It has been a major center for the arts, literature, and scholarship since the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Florence has a center population of around 370,000, but a small-city feel as you can walk across the city's historic center (closed to traffic) in 20 minutes. Those who visit Florence - even for short periods - are exposed to as diverse and exciting array of cultural opportunities as those in far larger cities.

Cost of living varies widely by location. Be sure to consult a variety of resources when researching cost of living.

Housing

UW-Madison students are required to live in CIEE provided housing for the duration of their program. Program participants will be housed together in shared hotel rooms.

Students under the age of 18 during the time of participation will be housed with other program participants under the age of 18.

We typically place students in rooms with others of the same sex. In some locations, this is necessary for legal or cultural reasons.  We understand that not all students may identify as female or male, and we want to create a welcoming environment for you while you are abroad.  We are happy to work with students who identify as transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, and/or non-binary regarding life abroad.  If you have questions or concerns regarding housing as it relates to your gender identity, please contact your Study Abroad Advisor.

Program Considerations

In a physical sense, the on-site experience may be very different from life on the UW campus. You may walk or take public transportation more than you are used to in Madison. The physical activity level will vary by program, but in general you should be prepared for extended periods of time walking, potentially on uneven terrain.

For many students, discovering and experiencing new foods is a part of the experience. It is important to consider any dietary restrictions, whether they are due to health conditions, religious beliefs, or individual needs, and look into whether you can get the foods you need locally.

How you identify yourself in Madison may differ from how people will view you on-site. Consider exploring our Identity Resources to reflect on how your identities may impact your experience. Students with disabilities should keep in mind that attitudes and laws related to disabilities vary by country, and these differences may impact the level of accommodation available in a particular location. More details are available on our page on Study Abroad for Students with Disabilities.

We encourage you to contact your Study Abroad Advisor and share your accommodation needs with us as early as possible. This will allow us to help you explore your options in advance.

Excursions and Activities

Complementing the course will be an overnight excursion to Milan and a series of excursions to various sites in and around Florence, which will likely include: 

Florence 

• the Accademia
• the Uffizi Gallery
• visit to Museum of Sculpture Bargello
• the Convent of San Marco
• Tour of Last Supper Frescoes
• Cooking Class (The Group will make an appetizer, pizza, and dessert)
• the churches of Santa Croce, Santa Maria del Fiore, Santa Maria Novella, and San Miniato al Monte

Milan

• Tour of churches designed by Leonardo DaVinci
• the Fresco of the Last Supper
• the Sforza Castle
• Santa Maria delle Grazie tour
• Santa Maria del satiro
• the Duomo church and rooftop

On-Site Support

The UW-Madison Program Leader, Professor Ernesto Livorni, will be available for on-site assistance. The CIEE Resident Director and other CIEE staff will also be available to support you for the duration of the program.

Handbooks

Use the links below to find out more information on academics, daily life and student impressions for this program.
2026 Summer Launch in Italy Handbook (2026)

Orientation

IAP expects you to be an active participant in preparing yourself for your study abroad experience. As a participant on an IAP program, you will receive a pre-departure orientation, both in-person and online. Information about these orientations will be provided to you upon acceptance to the program.

If you have already signed up for a SOAR session, keep the registration as long as it is before the program start date. Participants on this program are required to attend any SOAR session before the program start date.

Visa

A visa is not required for US citizens for this program. US citizens must have a US passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the program. Non-US Passport holders may have different visa requirements. You will be asked to provide your passport information to IAP shortly after your acceptance to the program. Ask your Study Abroad Advisor if you have any questions.

Getting to Your Program

You will be traveling on a group flight for the program. Because of the duration of the program and pre-program activities, travel on the roundtrip group flight is required. More details about the flight and confirming your reservation will be shared with program participants after acceptance. Roundtrip airport transfer between Madison and Chicago O’Hare International Airport will be provided. In Italy, transfers between the airport and housing upon arrival and departure will also be provided.

Insurance

You will be enrolled in the UW System required health insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and the cost of the insurance coverage is included in program fees. 

Additionally, you will be enrolled in iNext insurance through our program provider, CIEE. Both policies are required coverage. 

If you are a citizen of a country other than the United States and will remain/study in, or travel to your country of record (the location of your permanent residence), the insurance provided for you is the same as the “study away” insurance provided to U.S. citizens studying on domestic U.S. programs. You may want to explore alternative or additional international health and medical insurance that will cover your needs both while in and during any period of transit to/from your country of record. This may include participation in a national healthcare plan or coverage provided under a personal healthcare plan in your country of record.  If you have questions about the coverage of the “study away” plan, please speak with your Study Abroad Advisor.

All other students participating on an international program will automatically be enrolled in Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), the university's international health, medical and repatriation insurance policy.

Program cost information includes program fees, as well as out-of-pocket expenses with notes to help explain costs. Program fees are estimated and can be adjusted at any time. Once accepted, you will receive a cost sheet that includes confirmed program fees and additional out-of-pocket expenses. "The IAP Program Fee" and all processes and policies stated on this cost sheet apply to all participants on programs managed by International Academic Programs (IAP) and in partnership with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the College of Engineering, and Wisconsin School of Business.  All students participating on approved programs are all eligible to apply for scholarships administered through IAP when they meet the scholarship eligibility and selection criteria.

Summer 2026 Cost Details

Financial Aid

Sources of available funding for study abroad include scholarships, grants and loans. To increase your chances of receiving financial aid, we recommend filling out your FAFSA to begin the financial planning process early.

For detailed information on financial resources, visit our Funding Study Abroad.

Scholarships

This scholarship list includes scholarships we know are relevant to this program. It is not an exhaustive list of all available scholarship opportunities for study abroad. Although we make our best effort to ensure the list is up-to-date, this information changes frequently, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to verify information. For additional scholarship information, please visit our scholarship page.

IAP Administered
IAP WISc Scholarship

Featured Scholarships

Participants on this program will receive a $3,000 IAP scholarship posted to their student account. 

Please note that financial aid cannot be used for this program.

Returned Student Network

View the Returned Student Network to contact a returned student

Student Quotes

Photos

Program photo album

How to Apply

You can apply to this program as soon as you have applied to UW-Madison.  You do not need to wait for your UW-Madison admissions decision, but you must apply to UW-Madison before applying to this program.  

1. After you have applied to UW-Madison, you will receive a campus ID number. 
2. Use the campus ID number to activate your NetID.
3. Using your newly created UW-Madison NetID and password, log into our application system and apply to this program.

Use the UW-Madison Students login to apply to this program! Do not use the "Non UW-Madison Students" login.  This program is only open to incoming first-year UW-Madison students. You will need to use the UW-Madison Students login and your UW-Madison NetID to apply.

After the Deadline

IAP completes a review of all applications to determine if students meet minimum eligibility requirements.

Disclosure

Students Requiring Accommodations: Consult and register with the McBurney Disability Resource Center McBurney Services if you will need academic, housing, and/or other disability-related accommodations or services abroad.

International Students: Talk with International Student Services about your visa status and study abroad.

Military-Connected Students with Veteran’s Benefits: Talk with University Veteran Services about how your benefits can be used for study abroad.

This program is offered by International Academic Programs.  We have a team that works with each program.  Each member of this program team is able to help students with different kinds of questions. Visit the advising webpage to learn how to schedule an appointment.

Enrollment Manager

For questions on application advising, program eligibility, course equivalency request process, grade processing.

Joanna Poinsatte (Make an appointment with Joanna Poinsatte, or email joanna.poinsatte@wisc.edu)

Study Abroad Advisor

For questions on program experience, academics, housing, visa, health safety, student identity, funding and scholarships, returned student resources.

Carmen Pitz (Make an appointment with Carmen Pitz, or email carmen.pitz@wisc.edu)

Financial Specialist

For questions on billing, funding and scholarships, financial policies.

Judy Humphrey (judy.humphrey@wisc.edu)