Shakespeare’s Italy I:

Florence, Verona, Venice

April - May, 2027

Immerse yourself in some of the most beloved literature in the Western world, on the page and in person. In Shakespeare’s Italy I, we’ll dive into three of the Bard’s most famous Italian plays, plus a selection of other poems and texts. Learn how the rich literary culture of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, spread throughout western Europe and England, giving rise to many of the works we still discuss today—and even influencing Shakespeare to set one-third of his plays in Italy and create the feuding families, love-soaked soliloquies, and star-crossed lovers we know so well. Then travel to the cities where these works are set, visiting the places that inspired this unique literary moment and tracing the footsteps of Shakespeare’s characters—and perhaps even the author himself.  

While you may have been to these cities before, we promise you haven’t visited them like this. Our itinerary is built around exclusive experiences we’ve designed with local Italian colleagues, friends, and other experts. You’ll go behind the scenes at sites you may have heard of and visit others you almost certainly haven’t. Alongside, we’ve built in ample time for sightseeing, enjoying local food and wine, and other non-academic pursuits.

Learn more at our next online info session on Thursday, 2/26 at 8PM Eastern/5PM Pacific - click here to RSVP!

Program Highlights

  • Engaging, Expert-Led Classes

    The centerpiece of the program is the academic course, designed and led by professors who are experts not only in their fields, but also in teaching interesting, engaging classes for students at all levels. The instructors will be your personal guides from start to finish, helping you to unlock our famous, sometimes daunting texts, and to learn how literature can make travel—and even the whole world around you—more meaningful.

  • Unique, Private Excursions

    Our 10 days in Italy are planned around a series of exclusive activities designed to connect our readings and classes to the places we visit. We’ll have behind-the-scenes tours of Shakespearean locales and visits to other literature lover must-sees you didn’t even realize were hidden in these world-class cities. In between our excursions, you’ll have enough free time to hit the big attractions and find your own new favorite places,

  • Luxe Accommodations and Travel

    Enjoy 4-star accommodations in our three different cities—because you can’t study the beauty of the Renaissance without similarly stylish lodgings. We’ll handle all the logistics and make moving among cities, hotels, and excursion sites smooth and carefree. Leave the planning to us while you relax. We’ll even take an artsy photo of you on a private water taxi in Venice with the wind in your hair.

  • Concierge-Style Service

    One of the best things about our Adult Study Abroad Programs is that we limit registration to 8 students, so we can provide you with one-on-one assistance from the day you register to the day you fly home. Need help choosing travel insurance? Planning a couple extra days in the Veneto after the end of the trip? Deciding whether Franco Zeffirelli’s film of Romeo and Juliet is superior to Baz Luhrman’s version? We’re always just an email or a phone call away.  

  • La Dolce Vita

    It wouldn’t be an Italian getaway without time to relax and experience the good life—and we have plenty of recommendations for where and how to do that, including the most helpful Italian phrases to use to feel veramente italiani. Plus, reward yourself for your hard work and experience a classic Italian tradition with our group aperitivos, when we treat you to our favorite local haunts, snacks, and drinks (wine, cocktails, and/or nonalcoholic choices).

  • Intellectual Community

    It’s not always easy to make time for the life of the mind, let alone find a group of people to enjoy it with—especially once you leave college behind. Give yourself the gift of joining a community of others who want to dive into classic literature, complex ideas, and beautiful language. Luxuriate in learning and travel like you never have before in a small group of like-minded, well-read travelers.  

Classes

For six glorious weeks, we’ll explore Shakespeare’s northern Italian plays and the places and culture that inspired them. Together, we’ll discover why these texts are so important and influential, even 400 years later, and how Shakespeare—a man who supposedly never set foot in Italy—came to write so many works set in that country, with such peculiarly accurate descriptions. Whether you’re a Shakespeare aficionado or a novice, whether you love him or fear him, this class is for you. We’ll walk you through everything you need to understand these plays, to unlock the secrets of Shakespeare and see what all the fuss is about. We’ll even send you all the books you need. Trust us—it’s worth it!

Class Syllabus
(subject to change)

Week 1: The Renaissance in Italy and England

Week 2: Sonnets, Shakespeare, and Petrarch

Week 3: Romeo and Juliet

Week 4: The Taming of the Shrew; women writers
of the Italian Renaissance

Week 5: The Merchant of Venice and Othello

Week 6: The places of Shakespeare’s Italy
& Shakespeare’s afterlife

Each week we’ll have a two-hour online seminar focused on one of Shakespeare’s plays and other related texts. Most weeks there will also be an extra, optional session dedicated to more in-depth discussion of our class material, or to a topic such as helpful Italian phrases for traveling or a modern television or film adaptation of one of our literary works. All classes will be recorded for anyone who’s unable to attend live.

Travel Itinerary

Day 1: Florence
Arrive in Florence. Meet for a welcome aperitivo and our first on-the-ground lesson on the Renaissance culture that inspired Shakespeare and so many others.

Day 2: Florence
Visit a private 14th-century villa just outside the city center for a taste of Renaissance Italy and a lively lesson on Shakespeare’s green worlds, then enjoy an afternoon and evening to yourelf to explore the city.

Day 3: Florence
Spend the morning on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of a textile workshop that dates back to the Renaissance and learn about how these fabrics can help unlock more secrets of Renaissance poetry. Relax on your own in the afternoon before we enjoy a farewell-to-Florence dinner as a group.

Day 4: Florence—Venice
Enjoy a leisurely final breakfast in Florence before boarding our private coach to Venice. Wander this watery dreamscape of a city on your own until we meet for aperitivo and adiscussion of The Merchant of Venice.

Day 5: Venice
Take a walking tour of the Cannaregio neighborhood of Venice, setting for much of Merchant and today a vibrant neighborhood filled with food, wine, and music. After lunch together, enjoy the afternoon and evening on your own.

Day 6: Venice
Visit Venice’s beautiful Marciana Library for a private tour and talk with a librarian about the rich history of Venice’s book trade and a look at some of the rare and beautiful pieces in the Marciana collection. After an afternoon of free time, take a glamorous private water taxi to our farewell-to-Venice dinner.

Day 7: Venice—Verona
Toast Venice with a final cappuccino before the short private coach ride to Verona. Spend the afternoon getting acquanted with this charming city, then meet up for an aperitivo and introduction to Montague-Capulet territory.

Day 8: Verona
See Verona on an exclusive walking tour and performance led by local Shakespearean actors. Visit the city’s attractions or relax on your own in the afternoon, then dine together at a private cooking class at the home of a local chef.

Day 9: Day trip to Vicenza
Go even further off the beaten path on a day trip to the nearby city of Vicenza, home of the Teatro Olimpico, one of only three Renaissance theaters still in existence. After lunch, return to Verona and explore the city’s culture, restaurants, or burgeoning nightlife scene on your own.

Day 10: Verona
Explore the further reaches of Verona on a tour of some of the beautiful natural spaces that may have inspired Romeoand Juliet and its fascinating cousin, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. After an afternoon on your own, meet for our final group dinner at an upscale restaurant in the heart of the centro storico, the historic center of Verona.

Day 11: Farewell
Say a final farewell over breakfast at our hotel before heading home—or extending your travels!

Hotels

Each of our hotels is a four-star stunner, located in a quiet corner of the city but still only steps from the heart of the action.

Florence: Ad Astra Hotel (left)
An antique palazzo decorated in impeccable style, located in our favorite neighborhood in Florence, the Oltrarno, so called because of its location on the southern side of the Arno River.

Venice: Il Palazzo Experimental (center)
This breathtaking hotel embodies all of the magic and elegance of Venice, fill with art and exceptional food and drink and overlooking the Giudecca canal, giving the perfect sense of a city at the crossroads of many worlds.

Verona: Palazzo Verona (right)
A gorgeous restored 14th century building that’s been beautifully updated to feature every modern convenience. If you don’t trust us, trust the Michelin guide, which praises the Palazzo Verona’s mix of old and new as “perfectly Italian.”

Program Costs

Total Program Cost: $7600

  • Includes $300 deposit due at registration, refundable for 48 hours

  • Price reflects double occupancy; additional fee of $1800 for single occupancy accommodations

    • If you’d like to inquire about other room configurations or the possibility of room shares, please indicate that on the registration page

  • Payment plans are available

What’s Included

Trip preparation

  • 2 pre-trip meetings to get to know the rest of the group

  • One-on-one consultations and recommendations to help you plan your travel and make the most of your free time

  • Detailed guides on travel tips, packing suggestions, selecting travel insurance, and other trip logistics

  • Extensive local recommendation lists covering experiences, food and drink, and shopping in each of our cities

Seminars

  • Six weekly, 2-hour, interactive seminars before the trip, led by a team of experts on Shakespeare, Italy, theater, and Renaissance literature

  • 5 lessons in Italy to connect our activities to our readings (in addition to the activities led by our local experts)

  • All books and other course materials

  • Bonus lessons on Italian language and optional readings

Travel

  • Accommodations at 4-star hotels

  • All transportation between cities and to/from our excursions

  • Tickets for group trips to museums and other attractions

  • All fees for expert-led tours and talks

  • Daily breakfast at our hotels

  • 2 group lunches

  • 3 group aperitivos

  • 4 group dinners

Add-ons (for an additional charge)

  • Airport transfer from Florence Peretola airport (FLR) to our hotel, Ad Astra, at the start of the trip

  • Airport transfer from Verona to either Florence Peretola airport (FLR) or Venice Marco Polo airport (VCE) at the end of the trip

  • Custom-designed excursions for your free time

What’s Not Included

  • Airfare to/from Italy

  • Travel insurance for yourelf (required)

  • All lunches and dinners not specifically listed on the itinerary above

  • Costs for any optional activities during your free time

  • Incidentals