An immersive summer experience

I studied abroad in Viterbo as part of a six week program. My program had about 20 students from all across the US, most of whom did not know anyone else in the program. I think this allowed us all to get to know each other better and be more open to trying new things. Viterbo is a pretty small town in a rural part of the Lazio region and its downtown core is one of the most well-preserved medieval sections in all of Europe. Our apartment was inside the city walls and walkable to many restaurants, a small grocery store, a produce vendor, and the Corso Italia, which is the main drag for shopping in Viterbo. Overall, the apartment was nice and furnished well enough, but it did not have AC. This is standard for many residences in Italy, but it was rather hot while we were there and leaving the windows open did result in a lot of bug bites. The class schedule was a little unusual in that it was not the same every week, so one week you might have a class on Monday and Wednesday, and the next on Tuesday and Thursday. I took the photography class, the cuisine class, and intro to Italian. I would highly recommend taking the intro to Italian class if you are not familiar with the language as many of the shopkeepers and restauranteurs in Viterbo do not speak English, and knowing some Italian will make your interactions smoother. The cuisine class is a great way to learn more about Italian culture, and you do get copies of the recipes to make at home if you so choose. I really enjoyed the photography class, which is the one I needed for credit at my home university. Aside from the very good instruction in the mechanics of photography, I enjoyed how this class got us out into the city and seeing different parts. It was not listed in the class description and is not necessarily required, but it will be easier if you bring your own camera. In addition to the great experience in Viterbo, the town is accessible to both Rome and Florence by rail, and from there you can go onwards to Milan, Naples, etc. In the six weeks we were there, we had time on weekends to go to both Rome and Florence, as well as Positano on the Amalfi coast, and a beach in the nearby town of Tarquinia. I would also highly recommend going to Lago di Bolsena! The program also offered multiple field trips that students could go on to different lesser known places near Viterbo - the two I remember were Civita di Bagnoregio and Marmore Falls. Overall it was a really great experience during which I felt like I got a window into a realistic lifestyle in Italy while also getting to see many of the places I wanted to visit.