March 25, 2016

Rome certainly wasn’t built in a day—which is why a new intensive study abroad course, Special Topics in Visual Studies: Recording Rome will last for two weeks this September, packing in experiences exploring the ancient city’s history, architecture, arts and contemporary vitality. Students will engage in a deep process of recording the city through photography, video/audio, sketching and journaling. The course, which runs between the summer and fall terms from September 4 through 17, is open to all students and counts as three credits. Art & Art history professor Blaise Tobia, an artist-photographer who has explored Rome extensively over the past twenty-five years and is a life-long student of Italian language and culture, will lead the trip.

In addition to lectures and visits to popular cultural/historical sites and art institutions in Rome, the course explores the city’s more nuanced urban fabric and diverse neighborhoods, with a lot of walking and use of Rome’s public transit system.

VSST T280: Special Topics in Visual Studies: Recording Rome does not require any pre-requisites, and graduate students may register for the trip under VSST T580. The course also satisfies humanities elective requirements and requirements for the Fine Art and Art History minors. Students will be asked about their desired medium of “recording” during the course registration interview process, and lectures in Philadelphia will take place prior to the trip.

Click here to learn more and apply for the course.