Hofstra University Students Take On Italy

This Spring, our students toured the Italian Peninsula as part of our Academic Field Trip programming. From the ruins of Pompeii to Venice’s Ex Saffa district, we toured through 5 major Italian cities and across 3 Italian regions. Over the 7-day tour, we learned about ancient urban planning, Renaissance architectural innovation, Medieval fortification, Baroque design, and modern-day repurposing and reutilization of historical buildings. Read to learn more about where we went and what we saw.

We visit the Castel Sant’Angelo with Connecticut College student Kaley Mendoza Pineda and Penn State University student John Murray. Touring the Castel, we learn all about the 2000-year history of the structure and it’s transformation from Hadrian’s mausoleum to papal fortress to state prison and finally it’s current identity as a national museum. During the visit, Kaley and John share their experience as young architects studying abroad at the Pantheon Institute and how Rome is impacting their perspective on design, culture, and where they want to go next in their careers.

This summer we spoke to Owen Petrucci, 4th-year architecture major at Carnegie Mellon University here in Rome studying at the Pantheon Institute during our 4-week summer program. Touring EUR, Owen discussed his experience in the Eternal City and what it has taught him urban design, culture, and finding your “home” in Rome.