Study in Florence in 2024

Resistance, Innovation and Rebirth 

“This is the fairest picture on our planet, the most enchanting to look upon, the most satisfying to the eye and the spirit. To see the sun sink down, drowned on his pink and purple and golden floods, and overwhelm Florence with tides of color that make all the sharp lines dim and faint and turn the solid city to a city of dreams, is a sight to stir the coldest nature, and make a sympathetic one drunk with ecstasy.” – Mark Twain

Important Update

The Florence trip is now filled for 2024 and we are no longer adding students from the waiting list. But space is still available in this year's trip to the Philippines on July 1-26 – along with a $500 scholarship, which brings the cost of the Philippines trip down to just $1,700 plus airfare and class registration fees.

Read the Letter from Professor Caparas

March 2024

Dear Potential Study Abroad Student,

Greetings from Manila! This is Chesa Caparas, one of the instructors for the Philippines Study Abroad program.

This year's Florence Study Abroad trip is now filled, and we are no longer adding students from the waiting list. If you didn't get on the list for Florence, Professor Mae Lee and I would like to personally invite you to join us in the Philippines from July 1-26.

We will start the first week at De Anza and then fly to Manila where we will be hosted by Far Eastern University (FEU). We’ll spend the first week in Manila then travel to other provinces such as Cavite and Pampanga. You will interact with FEU students at various locations, visit museums, go on food tours and interact with the local communities. There will also be workshops on Philippine martial arts, cooking, and kulintang, which is a traditional Filipino instrument.

At the end of the program, you may return to the US, stay in PI, or travel to other parts of Asia, and you will have two weeks to turn your papers in. Courses offered will include ASAM 11, ASAM 13, ASAM 30, EWRT 1A, EWRT 2, ELIT 21, ELIT 22 and ELIT 24. Most of these courses fulfill GE requirements. You must take at least two courses but you may take up to three. 

The great news is the low cost of this great program. Normally it would be $2200 but we will award all additional students a $500 scholarship compliments of a wonderful donor, Ms. Karen Rudolph. So the cost of your trip will be only $1700 plus airfare and registering for your classes. There is a $200 administrative fee to get you started and included in the program. We will ask you to write a thank you note to Ms. Rudolph – a fair ask for a $500 scholarship.

As mentioned earlier, I’m writing this letter from Manila where I’ve visited the hotel where we’ll be staying for the first week. It’s fabulous – walking distance to shopping areas and public transit, and full of amenities like a pool table and gym. 

Please consider joining us for Study Abroad in the Philippines this summer. We hope to see you there!

Learn More

Florence: City of Lillies

Florence skylineFlorence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, beckons you to step into a world of wonder. Welcome to the splendor of the "City of Lillies," where the legacy of the past intertwines with the vibrancy of the present. Prepare to be swept away by the beauty of Tuscany, where even the air is charged with history and the tales of cultural and sociopolitical dynamism. 

Program dates: July 1-3 at De Anza College, followed by July 8-29 in Florence.

With your fellow De Anza students and instructors, you will

  • Embark on a journey through art history, where a fascinating narrative unfolds and unravels a competitive art culture fueled by wealthy patrons, elevating art from mere creation to transcendent masterpiece.
  • Witness the innovative architecture including the majestic Duomo and iconic structures that adorn Florence and beyond. We will traverse the bridges that span the River Arno, such as the famed Ponte Vecchio, and see the fusion of human ingenuity and natural beauty before our eyes.
  • Explore how many forms of craftsmanship, including food and fashion, flourish in this region, delighting all the senses and drawing people from all over the world to come experience and contribute to it
  • Compare and contrast the ways in which Florentine culture, patrons, and artists pushed for innovation and used art to communicate symbolic meaning to the ways in which creators and funders push for innovations and use art  to communicate now.

Florence streetLearn and Explore With Us!  

This study abroad experience will include:

  • Florence walking tours and local city excursions
  • Reserved entrance with guided tour to the Duomo and its monuments, Bargello Museum, Accademia Gallery, Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace
  • A traditional Italian cooking class
  • A full-day excursion to Siena and San Gimignano
  • A full-day excursion to Pisa and Lucca
  • A two-day, one-night excursion to Rome including reserved entrance to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Vatican Museums

With the hills of Tuscany as the backdrop, courses in this program will focus on painting, sculpture, and architecture as well as articles, films and books about past and present Florence and Italy.


Meet Your Instructors

Karen Chow

Karen Chow

I am an English faculty member at De Anza who also teaches Women’s Studies and Asian American Studies. I enjoy traveling, eating and cooking a variety of cuisines, and I'm happiest when engaged in a positive collaboration or conversation, or petting a willing dog.

I co-led a De Anza-Foothill study abroad trip to Florence in 2008, and I'm excited to experience Florence and learn with you in 2024!

Deborah Pasturel

Deborah Pasturel

I am an Art History faculty member and also teach in the LinC (Learning in Communities) program. I have been traveling abroad since the age of 8, and my parents dragged me to museums all over Europe. Little did I know then how much I would grow to love art and museums!

I love to cook and garden, and can’t wait to eat amazing Italian food. I'm thrilled that we'll be  exploring the birthplace of the Renaissance together!


Classes Include

  • EWRT 1A: Composition and Reading
  • EWRT 1B: Reading, Writing and Research
  • EWRT 1C: Literature and Composition
  • EWRT 2: Critical Reading, Writing and Thinking
  • ELIT 10: Introduction to Fiction
  • ELIT 21: Women in Literature
  • ARTS 1A: Introduction to the Visual Arts
  • ARTS 1B: Architecture Past and Present
  • ARTS 2A: History of Ancient Art in Europe
  • ARTS 2B: History of Art: Europe During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
  • ARTS 2C: History of Art: Europe from the Baroque Period through Impressionism
  • ARTS 2D: History of Art: Europe from Post-Impressionism to the Present

The Study Abroad program is also organizing a trip to the Philippines this year.

Florence Trip Contacts

Karen Chow

Karen Chow

English Instructor


Deborah Pasturel

Deborah Pasturel

Art History Instructor

Leah Riley

Administrative Contact

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