Architecture in Italy

Students will make the most of the city and learn about its greatest artistic achievements. See the Duomo's stunning exterior, skip the lines to visit Leonardo's Last Supper, and explore the Sforzesco Castle gardens.

It stands as a powerful symbol of post-war Milan’s resurgence and one of the most iconic architectural masterpieces by the renowned Italian architect Giò Ponti, a landmark that perfectly embodies the city’s spirit of innovation, elegance, and modernity.

Fondazione Prada, co-chaired by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli since 1995, is an institution dedicated to contemporary art and culture.

It is one of the largest churches in the world. The plan consists of a triple-nave basilica with the presbytery area nested within, dominated by the large octagon of the immense dome, around which are three radial apses, each consisting of five chapels. The first stone of the new cathedral was laid on 8 September 1296, and the task of erecting it was entrusted to Arnolfo di Cambio. His project was similar in plan but smaller than the current building, which instead corresponds to the expansion developed by Francesco Talenti, beginning in the mid-14th century. The church was consecrated at completion of the dome, by Pope Eugenio IV, on 25 March 1436.

Students will begin at Santa Maria del Fiore to analyze dual-shell structural mechanics of Brunelleschi’s Dome. Moving to Santa Maria Novella, the group will dissect the strict harmonic ratios and geometric proportions of Alberti’s classicized facade. The tour concludes at Piazza della Signoria, examining how Vasari’s Uffizi Corridor uses perspective and urban axes as permanent tools of political choreography and visual power.

It is an art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence. It holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. The Uffizi is one of the first modern museums. The gallery had been open to visitors by request since the sixteenth century, and in 1769 it was officially opened to the public, formally becoming a museum in 1865.

The visit takes place at the foot of the Dome, in a normally closed area below and beside the central choir, offering a full view of the structure. Construction of the Cathedral Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore began in Florence on 7 August 1420 under Filippo Brunelleschi’s supervision. Built in brick with its distinctive herringbone pattern, it remains the largest masonry dome in the world and one of Florence’s most remarkable architectural achievements.

Students will begin at the Pantheon to analyze the structural chemistry of unreinforced Roman concrete, stepped rings, and the weight-reducing coffered dome. Moving to the Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, the group will dissect Francesco Borromini’s complex, undulating geometry and his revolutionary manipulation of cramped urban spaces. The tour concludes at Piazza Navona, examining how Gian Lorenzo Bernini integrated sculpture, water, and sightlines to transform a former Roman stadium into a theatrical masterclass of public urban staging.

This is a museum of contemporary art and architecture. It is managed by a foundation created by the Italian Ministry of Culture. The building was designed by Zaha Hadid and won the Stirling Prize of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2010.