Central Lakes College is offering a travel study course to Italy during spring semester 2014. Led by CLC English and Humanities instructor, Michael Soderlund, the class is open to both CLC students and community members. The Italian Renaissance Experience class will consist of two parts: a classroom exploration of the art and literature of the Renaissance, followed by a 10-day trip to Italy in March of 2014, during spring break.The classroom content will focus on the phenomenal advances of the Italian artists and writers of the Renaissance during the 14th-16th centuries. The one-credit class will meet one evening a week during January and February of spring semester 2014, and community members who audit the course will be entitled to attend all pre-trip activities, information sessions, and lectures without being responsible for the associated coursework.
During the travel portion of the course, participants will fly to Rome to visit classical landmarks such as the Colosseum and the Forum prior to a guided tour of the art collection of the Vatican Museum. Walking tours of Rome will include sights such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain.
Then, via first-class train, it’s off to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to such masters as Giotto, Dante, Donatello, Petrarch, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. The five-day stay in Florence will include tours of the Uffizi Gallery, the Medici Chapel, the Duomo, and the Accademia, along with the intrigue of a medieval tower house. Extra time will be available for participants to explore the other cultural treasures of Florence and the surrounding Tuscan countryside.
Travel arrangements will include round trip airfare, hotels and transfers, train travel between cities, guided tours, all breakfasts and two group meals. Registration for ENGL 1580 – Topics in Humanities: The Italian Renaissance Experience will begin in October 2013.
More Information: Michael Soderlund
Instructor of English and Humanities
Ph. 218-855-8152
Email: msoderlu@clcmn.edu
