Living Abroad
AIFS in Rome Resident Director, Summer Program
Rosanna Graziani
The Rome Study Center of Richmond
Phone: (39) 06 6813 6104
Email: r.graziani@richmondinrome.it
Ciao! I have been with AIFS since 1995; first in Florence, and then in Rome. I received my Laurea (MA Hons) in Humanities from the University of Florence and a post degree diploma in Museum studies from the University of Perugia. I studied abroad as a student, spending time in France, Spain and the U.K. I love yoga and traveling and I have visited many countries including the U.S.
Each program is a new adventure and what I love the most is to experience Rome through new eyes and to hear about your stories and discoveries in our beautiful country. Together with my colleagues I look forward to advising and supporting you throughout one of the most empowering experiences of your life.
The Resident Director provides academic advice, introduces you to the community and handles communication with the University.
AIFS Campus Staff with First Aid Training
Because health and safety are top priorities at AIFS, at least one member of the staff at this campus has taken a first aid course in order to be available to help any student until a doctor or nurse can provide help. This is just one of many services that we provide to our students.
Housing and Meals
During your time in Rome, you will live in either a shared room in an apartment or with an Italian family. Rooms are shared with another AIFS student. All housing includes Internet access and weekly cleaning. All program arranged accommodation is carefully selected in safe, central, agreeable areas of the city and you will have the opportunity to live like a resident of Rome, to get to know your Italian neighbors as well as discover your favorite places for pasta, coffee or gelato. All apartments are located within a 30-minute travel time (by metro, bus and/ or foot) to the Study Center.
Apartment
- Apartments are located in different areas of the city center, in buildings where Italians live. By living in an Italian residence, and not in a dorm, you will be immersed in the Italian way of life and have the opportunity to establish relationships with Italian natives. Each apartment is privately owned and is unique in atmosphere, size, design, facilities, floor plan, and number of bedrooms. A typical apartment will be shared with 2 to 6 other AIFS-Richmond students. Apartments are fully equipped with: Internet, kitchen supplies, furnishings, blankets, two sets of sheets per student, washing machine.
Homestay
- As a guest within an Italian family you will have your own key to the apartment to come and go as you wish. A large number of Italian apartments are occupied by a single person, so you are likely to be housed with a single woman or professional couple. Living with an Italian family gives you invaluable cultural insight and fast progress with the Italian language.
Meals
- The meal plan is one of the highlights of the Rome program, with almost 100% of students rating it “excellent” or “good” every semester. Valued at approximately $400 for Session 1, $550 for Session 2 and $950 for Sessions I + 2. As well as being incredible value for money, it gives you a unique opportunity to experience Italian food culture, dining alongside locals in selected restaurants or shopping in neighborhood grocery stores. In addition to occasional group meals and tastings, you will receive meal vouchers to subsidize breakfast and lunch or dinner Monday through Friday. These can be used all over Italy, giving you the flexibility to eat out or pool resources and cook with your fellow students. Students may choose to opt out of the meal plan and pay a reduced program fee of $4,095 for Session 1, $5,145 for Session 2 or $7,845 for Sessions 1 + 2 combined.
Cultural Activities
Learning does not begin or end in the classroom. To help you get a true taste of Italian culture, a wealth of cultural activities and excursions are included in your program fee such as cooking and wine tasting classes and visits to some of the most famous museums, churches and palaces in and around Rome with professional art historians.
Past activities have included:
- Opera nights in the beautiful setting of Caracalla archaeological site
- Cooking and pasta classes
- Wine tastings
- Pizza tastings
- Gelato tastings
- Visit to the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum
- Cinema nights on Tiber Island
- Get togethers and dinners with Italian students
- Art and discovery tours
- Lectures and workshops
- Various exhibitions and concerts (jazz, rock, blues)
- Botanical Gardens
- Day trips around Rome (including the beach, Bracciano lake and hiking)
- “Underground” Rome
- Ballets/Musicals
- Handicraft market
- Food markets
- Visit to the zoo
- Sailing weekends
- Group dinners
- Farewell dinner
Please note that students may pay a small additional fee for some of the activities above.
In addition, a Language Peer Mentoring Program as well as a conversation exchange program with Italian college students is available for all students.
