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A coed, independent, Episcopal day school in Tampa, Florida, educating students in pre-k through twelfth grade

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Italy: Study Art in Florence

Wednesday, June 2 to Saturday, June 26, 2027

landscape photo of Italy.

Cost: $8,995 per student (based on 24 enrolled; a $250 supplement applies if fewer than 24 enroll)

 

Eligibility: Current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. A minimum of 18 participants is required for the program to run, with a maximum of 24 participants.

 

Course Credit: This course can serve as a second Visual and Performing Art credit but does not replace the one Visual and Performing Art credit required for graduation. The course can also serve as a choice elective credit and a Global Scholars elective credit.

BPS Crest

Tentative Itinerary:

 

Wednesday, June 2

  • Depart on your flight to Italy.

 

Thursday, June 3

  • Arrive in Rome, meet your tour manager, and check in to your hotel.

 

Friday, June 4

  • Trevi Fountain: See one of the most famous places in ancient and modern history. Experience the “scenes of Italy” as locals and tourists mix.
  • Vatican City and Museum: Take a guided tour through St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, and the Vatican Museum. View the legendary works of Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, and Raphael, and marvel at Michelangelo’s incredible detail in the Sistine Chapel.
  • Spanish Steps: Walk down these famous 135 steps connecting the Trinità dei Monti church to the Piazza di Spagna below, a historic center that attracted Renaissance masters.

 

Saturday, June 5

  • Trastevere: Explore the romantic, trendy neighborhood of cobblestone streets that served as a historic hub for Roman life, artists, and writers.
  • Ancient Rome: Take a guided tour of the Colosseum (the Flavian Amphitheater built between 70–80 AD that held up to 80,000 spectators for gladiatorial contests) and the Roman Forum, the bustling political and public epicenter of the Roman Empire.
  • The Pantheon and Piazza Navona: Marvel at the Pantheon’s massive 20-ton bronze doors and 142-foot dome oculus, which inspired Michelangelo’s design for St. Peter’s Basilica. Finish at Piazza Navona, built atop the ancient Stadium of Domitian (85 AD) and home to Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers.

 

Sunday, June 6

  • Board the train from Rome to Florence, unpack at your private apartments, and attend an orientation meeting at Centro Fiorenza.

 

Monday, June 7 – Friday, June 25

  • Spend three weeks participating in hands-on Drawing, Painting, and Photography classes at Italica Academy (*times to be confirmed). Planned excursions occur throughout:

    • Saturday, June 12: Visit Siena to tour the Gothic Duomo and Piazza del Campo (home of the Palio horse race), then travel to San Gimignano—the “Manhattan of Tuscany”—famous for its medieval sky-scraping towers.

    • Sunday, June 13 and Sunday, June 20: Enjoy structured leisure time and free exploration around Florence.

    • Friday, June 18: Explore the Uffizi Gallery, one of Europe’s oldest and most renowned art museums, featuring masterpieces by Botticelli, Giotto, Cimabue, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael.

    • Saturday, June 19: Travel by train and ferry/trail to Cinque Terre, a stunning, preserved coastal region of five cliffside villages, ending with free time on the beach in Monterosso.

 

Saturday, June 26

  • Check out of your apartments and transfer to Florence Airport for your return flight home.

Registration Details

You will need to register by Friday, October 16, 2026, to be eligible to participate.

 

To register:

 

  1. Visit the Educational Travel Adventures (ETA) website at: https://www.etadventures.com/. Click the green text in the top section of the screen that says “Customer Login.”
  2. Next, you will be prompted to enter your trip code which is berkeleyiceland26.
  3. On the next screen, choose the option to “Access Account.” You will be prompted to create an account using your email address or your personal Google account.
  4. If you have previously created an account with ETA, you may sign into your existing account to make a reservation and you will not need to create a new account.
  5. Once you are into your account, select “Add a New Trip,” and then enter berkeleyiceland26.
  6. You should see the trip details at this point. Select “Make a New Reservation” and complete ALL fields.
colosseum image

Program Cost Includes:

  • round-trip flights to your destination
  • professional tour guide while in Rome
  • airport transfer from Rome Airport to your Rome hotel
  • three nights of hotel accommodations in Rome at the Best Western Globus or similar
  • three-day Rome transportation pass (unlimited rides on bus, tram, and metro)
  • one-way rail ticket from Rome to Florence
  • luggage transfers from the train station in Florence to your apartments
  • twenty nights private apartment accommodations in Florence (5–6 students + 1 teacher)
  • bus transportation for a day trip from Florence to Siena & San Gimignano
  • roundtrip rail ticket from Florence to La Spezia for a day in the Cinque Terre
  • airport transfer to Florence Airport from your Florence apartments
  • three breakfasts
  • eight dinners
  • 30-euro museum admission budget (museums TBA)
  • visit to the Trevi Fountain
  • admission to the Vatican Museums
  • guided tour of Vatican City
  • visit to the Spanish Steps
  • visit to Trastevere neighborhood
  • guided tour of ancient Rome
  • admission to the Colosseum
  • visit to the Pantheon
  • visit to Piazza Navona
  • drawing, painting, and photography classes (two of the three) at Italica Academy (three-week program: five days per week/two classes per day)
  • two days of local guide in Florence: during your day trip to Siena and San Gimignano and during your day trip to the Cinque Terre
  • visit and admission to Siena Duomo
  • admission to the Uffizi Gallery
  • permit to walk the Cinque Terre Trail and rail card
  • trip delay and medical insurance coverage up to $100,000 per person
  • one free place in single occupancy for every 6 paying passengers