Studying Art History at SRISA

Santa Reparata offers students the opportunity to study art history in a city that possesses an extraordinarily rich artistic heritage. The art history courses at Santa Reparata give students a strong understanding of the development of Western art, allowing students to study many of the most significant European works firsthand at world-renowned museums like the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti, as well as at the various churches and palazzi throughout the city. Students can also study the history of contemporary art and photography, making use of important collections of modern and contemporary art, photo archives and temporary exhibitions. Class sizes are small, and all courses are taught by accomplished and knowledgeable faculty who have extensive experience as both teachers and professionals in their fields.

Courses:

Students can take courses such as Early Gothic to High Renaissance, the Quattrocento, and the Cinquecento, which introduce students to art historical periods that were largely defined by the city of Florence.  The Survey of Italian Architecture examines the major architectural contributions made in Italy from antiquity to the twentieth century.  Finally, students interested in modern and contemporary art can choose from courses in the History of Photography, History of Contemporary Art, and Italian Art of the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries.  On occasion, students can also pursue specialized courses in such topics as museum studies, restoration or the history of the Venice Biennale.

Instruction & Class structure:

Illustrated classroom lectures are complemented by on-site lectures and field trips to museums, churches and palazzi.  Students further their study through assigned readings and research papers.

Facilities:

Art history courses are taught in lecture classrooms with slide and digital projectors, DVD, VCR and computer resources; but the chief resource is, of course, the city of Florence itself, with its nearly unparalleled concentration of historically important works of art.