Reading the City - Siena and its Neighbors

The Siena summer program focuses on the relationship and role of the architect within urban culture. It places emphasis on the heritage of urban design and urban form experienced within the historic European city as a primer for navigating and understanding the morphology of great cities. The qualitative aspects of the evolution of architectural form into the physique of the city are analyzed and experienced. In addition to visits to Florence, Rome and Venice, we visit the noted hill towns in the Siena area including Pienza, the birthplace of modern urban planning. Our focus will be based on the contrasting urban textures that either foreground or background the role of the architect in the creation of these extraordinary cultural organisms. Participants will immerse themselves into issues that address the growth and change of cities over time and the contrasts between European and American city form.

Siena, Italy

Siena which was founded by the Etruscans, is a magnificent city known for its medieval and gothic architecture and early Renaissance art. The city is located in the heart of Tuscany, approximately forty- five minutes south of Florence by bus or train. For two hundred years during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Siena was one of the major cities of Europe. Siena is a walled medieval city and is considered to be one of the best preserved medieval towns in Italy and in Europe. It is unusually rich in art, architecture and cultural traditions for a city its size. It represents the best of European historic cities and is noted and celebrated for its outstanding urban qualities and one of the greatest civic plazas in the world.

Participants will also be able to attend the famous Siena Palio horserace which is one of the most spectacular festival events in Italy. The Palio horserace represents neighborhood competition among Siena’s 17 Contrada districts which have a tradition and rivalry dating back to the late middle ages and early Renaissance. The race takes place in Siena’s renowned principal public square, the Piazza del Campo bi-annually. This ritual brings together a populous displaying their civic pride and sense of community that has a unique relationship to civic form and public architecture.

Program Excursions

Four day excursion to Venice
Three day excursion to Rome
Day trips to Florence and hill towns in the Siena area

Academic Program

All students will be enrolled in nine hours of architecture credit:

Arch 690 Architecture Study Abroad (6 credit hours)
Arch 692 Documentation (3 credit hours)

Accommodations

Participants will stay at the Santuario S. Caterina-Alma Domus, an inn which is run by the Nuns of St. Catherine in Siena, Italy. During excursions, participants will stay at the Hotel Navona in Rome and Hotel Tivoli in Venice.

Dates

Depart US: Friday, June 6, 2008
Arrive Venice: Saturday, June 7, 2008
Depart Siena: Friday, July 4, 2008

Eligibility

The program is open to architecture and architecture engineering students who are currently in ARCH 209 or above.

Credit

Nine hours of credit are granted by the University of Kansas upon successful completion of the program.

Cost

Program Fee:Approximately $3,250.
The program fee includes accommodations in Siena and during program excursions, transportation to program excursion cities, some group dinners, cultural activities, orientation, and emergency medical evacuation and repatriation services.

Tuition and Fees: Estimated tuition and fees for 9 credit hours plus architecture course fees (based on standard tuition rate): $1,914*
*Actual expenses for KU students will vary by the student’s individual tuition compact.

Additional costs: Airfare, most meals, passport fee, books and supplies and personal expenses.

Note

All dates, costs, and program information are subject to change as necessary due to fluctuations in the exchange rate or other reasons.

Financial Aid

KU students who qualify for summer financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Pell or SEOG Grants, and scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of a Study Abroad Program.

Limited supplemental scholarships are available to KU undergraduates. Applications are available at the Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the scholarship application. The scholarship application deadline is March 1.

Application Procedures

Application Deadline: February 1, 2008. Early application is strongly encouraged.

Applications are available in the KU Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the application.

(Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to download an application. If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader you can download it for FREE.)

For more information contact:

Prof. René Diaz
School of Architecture & Urban Planning
410 Marvin
email: diaz@ku.edu

The University of Kansas
Office of Study Abroad
Lippincott Hall
1410 Jayhawk Blvd. Room 108
Lawrence, KS 66045-7515
phone: 785-864-3742
fax: 785-864-5040
e-mail: osa@ku.edu