About the City
Siena – a city of distinction – is a multi-faceted place that harmonizes medieval treasures hidden behind historical walls and modern day amenities located throughout the city center. The city is built upon three hills in the heart of Tuscany about 43 miles south of Florence. Filled with superior examples of Gothic architecture, Siena is also home to one of the most unique public spaces in all of Italia and the world – the Piazza del Campo – that is shaped like a shell.

The summer months bring a wealth of festivities and events as this Tuscan city comes to life. Siena was a proud, wealthy, and warlike independent state during the Middle Ages, until its final defeat by Florence. Medieval Sienese art (painting, sculpture, architecture, etc.) is unique and of great historical significance.  Nowadays, it is a requirement that new buildings within the city walls be built to look Medieval, so as to maintain the city's character and beauty.  Sienese people are fiercely proud of their city and have a strong sense of neighborhood and community. The Palio Festival, held twice a year in the summer, is all about neighborhood pride and rivalry. It constitutes the unbroken continuation of a Medieval tradition associated with religion, pageantry, trash-talking, and bragging. 

Although Siena is a small city it has a large student population. This helps to create an intimate and studious environment that is perfect for learning Italian. There are a plethora of places to go and things to do in your free time – from socializing at restaurants and pizzerias to exploring local cafés and shops, and discovering theatres and cinemas to visiting famous museums and art galleries. Siena has it all!

What Students Say
"The school in Siena was wonderful! The classes really challenged my language skills and the teachers were so friendly and helpful. They really made learning the language and culture fun!"

"Getting the chance to travel to Italy is a once in a lifetime opportunity and this trip made every penny worth it. I loved experiencing a new life and a different culture. This trip helped prepare me for college and opened me up to studying different languages."  - Jenny, Dallas, TX

"Italy really opened my mind to lots of new ideas and people. I realized people all around the world are so different yet so similar."

Prerequisites: Must be 16 years of age or older by departure date and have at least two years of a high school Romance Language (Latin, Spanish, French, Italian) or equivalent. Academic Information: School: Dante Alighieri Language Institute Curriculum: Italian Conversation and Culture. Classes are taught Monday-Friday, 4 hours a day, by teachers who hold advanced degrees in teaching Italian to foreigners. Classes are with other program participants and are broken up by skill level. Academic Credit: Students receive 40 contact hours on their transcript which they may use to petition for up to 2 hours of college credit. Dante Alighieri Scuola d'Italiano: Dante Alighieri specializes in teaching Italian language and culture to foreign students. They maintain a very low student to teacher ratio with no more than 10 students per class to ensure that students receive personal attention. The classes are fun and they are designed to help students speak and use the language of study. Students will have access to the library/study room facilities as well as computers at school. The school also provides optional cultural activities in the afternoon that students may participate in such as theater outings, local festivals, cooking classes, etc. Homestay Family: The homestay families are carefully selected by the housing coordinator at the Dante Alighieri Institute as well as screened by SPI. The families are well experienced in hosting foreign students and are committed to help in learning the language, serving you great food, and adopting you into their way of life. Remember that families come in all shapes and sizes and an open mind to try new things is important!   In Siena, your homestay family will serve you breakfast & dinner (lunch will be on your own with other group members.)

Summer 1&2 Day 1 Depart USA for Rome Day 2 Arrive Rome FCO Airport. Transfer to Hotel in the beautiful seaside village of Sorrento. Enroute, stop to visit the ruins of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the backdrop! Small walking tour around Sorrento, dinner, then off to bed early to get over jet lag. Day 3 Boat excursion in the morning to the breathtaking Island of Capri. Visit Monte Solaro and Villa Jovis while on the island. Dinner upon returning to Sorrento. Day 4 Travel to Siena to meet your homestay family making stops along the way to explore. Spend time getting to know your homestay family and start communicating in Italian! Day 5 First day of classes at Dante Alighieri Language Institute. Spend the afternoon getting oriented with a tour around the city. Days 6-9 Regular morning classes and afternoon activities. Explore Siena and two of its neighboring towns in Tuscany in the afternoons with your director. This week you will experience the amazing Palio Festival in Siena by attending preparations, races, and joining in the local celebrations (July 2)! Day 10 Full day excursion to explore Florence. Enjoy a personalized tour with Sra. Hudec as you visit Uffizi, Accademia, Santa Croce, and Santa Maria Novella. Return back to Siena in the evening. Day 11 Enjoy an optional relaxing Sunday day trip to the beach to see the Etruscan Tumuli or nearby town! Days 12-15 Regular morning classes and afternoon activities.  Enjoy the last evening on Thursday with your homestay family and new friends in Siena! Day 16 Depart Siena early for Rome! Hotel accommodations located near the Vatican. Experience ancient Rome - take a stroll through Trastevere and have dinner at Trattoria del Pallaro. Day 17 Medieval and Renaissance Rome walk - Piazza del Popolo to Campo de' Fiori. Have lunch at Piazza Navona. Spend the afternoon at one of Rome’s many museums - Vatican Museums or Villa Borghese. Enjoy a final evening meal with your group at Pizzeria Montecarlo. Day 18 Depart Rome for USA with beautiful memories of Tuscany and Italia! *For the Siena, Italy program breakfast & dinner are provided in the homestay family, students will eat near school with other group members for lunch.  Lunch is not included in the program cost.

Laura Hudec Highland Park HS, Dallas, TX " One of the greatest struggles which a youth battles is finding where he belongs in his or her world. The experience of traveling opens the world and encourages an appreciation of the similarities and differences between his own world and his international experiences." While participating in the Baylor in Italy Program in college, I was very fortunate to learn about directing study-travel programs from my professor, Dr. R. Alden Smith; Recently awarded with the Award for Excellence in the Teaching of the classics by the American Philological Association, Alden has always been a model on which I base my philosophies about education and seeking fulfillment of life. I attended the Baylor in Italy Program three times, once as a new Italophile, the second time as a "helper" and "organizer" for Alden, and the third time as an assistant leader. Every time I have traveled to Italy, I remember the responsibilities of a director which Alden taught me: to keep all members of my group feeling comfortable and at-home, to maintain an appropriate pace for all the students during all tours and excursions, to make sure I have the greatest knowledge of every site in order to make the learning experience even more interesting, and to be ten steps ahead of any future event for the program. As a director, I must ensure that the students step out of a tourist mode, and feel like they are part of the community in which they are living.The students will leave the program feeling like they have gained a new part of themselves, and the sum of what they have learned will be greater than each individual experience during the trip.