Italy: Viterbo - Intensive Italian Language, History, and the Arts

Attending USAC Viterbo for my junior year of college was by far the best decision of my college experience. The on-site staff are incredible--knowledgeable, helpful, caring, and always ready to go out of their way to help make this the best experience possible. The housing is lovely, the field trips are enriching and well planned, and Viterbo will feel like home sooner than you ever thought possible. I made friends here that I will have for the rest of my life and I have never felt more safe than I did walking through these medieval walls. You will never regret attending this program and all of the incredible memories made here.

Italy is perhaps my favorite country right now. The country, language, and culture are just so beautiful. This program did not offer any courses in my major but I chose Viterbo becuase I love history. Due to it's location, this is a great place to study abroad if you like history and learning about more of the lesser known facts about Italy.
The staff was great and USAC really cares about you as a student and making sure you have a safe enjoyable experience.

I studied in Viterbo for a semester in college, and wish I had stayed for the whole year. The USAC program director Stefano was incredible and ran a very strong program. The courses were interesting and relevant, and there were special arrangements made to take additional courses at a neighboring university, if you were motivated to do so. When I first started the semester, I was living in a dorm but really wanted to live with Italian students. I made some Italian friends who needed a roommate, and Stefano and the USAC team were very supportive in helping me change my accommodations. In my opinion, they went above and beyond (could have very easily told me no) to make sure I was happy with my living situation. This ended up defining my study abroad experience in an extremely positive way. My roomies welcomed me into their lives, introduced me to their friends, and included me in nightly family dinners -- which were to die for! My Italian improved quickly and I learned so much about Italian culture from that immersion. The town itself was very safe and charming. Each evening the town would do a passeggiata, where everyone would walk the central street in their best clothes “to see and been seen” on the town. The locals were very friendly, and since it was a smaller town they didn’t speak English- forcing study abroad students to implement their language skills out of the classroom. The friends that I made (both the Italians and Americans) are still very much a part of my life today, and I am forever grateful for the time spent in Viterbo and the role Stefano + the team played in inspiring that experience!

Grazie mille ragazzi :)

I loved Viterbo! It is such a cool city and it's nice to see the medieval history along with the modern twist. It was such a fun nightlife and the locals are great. Stefano and his staff are so helpful and I miss them like crazy. Just go, you will definitely not regret it!

After an unfortunate event in Napoli for the weekend we had to head back to Viterbo earlier than expected. We decided to take a certain train out, realizing we got back too later to make our connecting train. We decided that, in order to make the right connection we had to get on a different train. We didn't have to right ticket and were taking a gamble. We got off in a town called Orte and realized that there was no train connecting but a bus, that was about to leave in 3 minutes. We sprinted to the stop and realized that we wouldn't make it. Thankfully the bus broke down giving us plenty of time for the new one to arrive. The new bus was about half way to Viterbo when it started spewing black smoke. The driver didn't stop, and kept plucking along, we ended up with a line of angry drivers behind us. At one point the driver stopped and hit some things near the engine and started driving again. We finally made it back at almost 11:00pm. And the 6 of us got pizza and wine to celebrate our crazy, eventful day.

Italy is charming- it is a slower pace of life, the people are friendly, and the cobble stone streets make perfect Instagram pictures. I expected to travel Europe, but Italy left too much to see in 4 short months- though I left the country a few times, I just wanted to explore Italy. I could tell you about all the famous landmarks in Italy and what they looked like in person- Leaning Tower of Pisa really does lean, and nothing compares to the hillside towns of Cinque Terre.
Though the landmarks are stunning and the history unfathomable, Viterbo is all about culture. The food, the architecture, and the people are unmatched in Viterbo. If you want Italian Culture, go to Viterbo. Also, if you want the best gelato ever, go to Viterbo.

Viterbo might be a small city with few clubs, but it is full of delicious restaurants, friendly locals, and great shops. It is close to Rome and therefore easy to travel to and from, so you can cost effectively see all of Europe. The USAC staff was very friendly and helpful, but let us have a huge amount of independence. I made the friends of a lifetime in Viterbo and I would go back in a heartbeat.

This was the best decision I've ever made. First and foremost, Viterbo itself is such a great place. We were close enough to the big cities that it was easy for us to travel, yet we were far enough away that we weren't surrounded by tourists and over-priced coffee. It's a traditional Italian town, with everything you'd expect...family owned cafes and pizza restaurants, little markets where you can buy local breads, cheeses, wines, and meats, piazzas with buzzing crowds, historic and beautiful scenery, and welcoming Italians. Viterbo is an absolutely wonderful place. And, as far as the program itself, it's FIVE stars easily. I can't imagine a better staff than the small and tight-knit team that worked with us. There were about 40 students in our program and we had 4 advisors on site that were so dedicated and worked hard to ensure that we had the best experience possible (not to mention all of our teachers that were there for us too). We became our own little family. Overall, I would DEFINITELY recommend Viterbo to anyone who is interested. I became so close with other students in my program, as well as with the locals around town. It was truly an authentic Italian experience that changed my life.