Schedule of Events

In this course, participants with no prior knowledge of Italian will learn the basics of the language in a collaborative and fun manner. Topics will include ordering at restaurants and bars, daily life, shopping, buying train or theater tickets, asking for information, etc. The approach of the Dickinson-in-Bologna language instructors is communicative and is based in real-life experiences. These two lessons are ideal for participants looking to acquire sufficient knowledge of the Italian language so as to become independent during a stay in Bologna and Italy.

Please note: Registrants may sign up for the Monday or Wednesday class or both. Content will vary, day to day.

Capacity: 15

$30 per person

Explore (or re-explore) the city with our expert guide! This tour will include highlights of the city as well as tours of the Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio.

Capacity: 40 per tour

$25 per person

Enjoy a guided wine tasting at this central wine shop in Bologna. Four selected Italian wines and charcuteries will be provided.

Capacity: 40

$35 per person

Dickinsonians will enjoy a private dinner with beautiful views of Bologna. Dinner, wine and transportation to and from the restaurant are included.

Capacity: 46

$90 per person

Dickinsonians will enjoy a traditional dinner in a restaurant located in Piazza Santo Stefano, in the historic city center. Dinner with wine is included.
$75

This guided tour will offer participants an opportunity to explore the enduring allure of Ravenna's mosaics. Participants will be treated to a close-up view of the remarkable intricacy and aesthetic appeal of these Byzantine mosaic masterpieces, which have earned Ravenna international recognition and a UNESCO heritage site listing. The tour will be conducted on foot; it is recommended for participants who enjoy visiting and learning in a dynamic way, moving from one site to another.

$105 per person

Professor Elena Galeotti, a trained actress, theater manager and language instructor, will lead a workshop on experiencing Italian language through theater techniques. When speaking a global language, we build and communicate a personal view of the world and our connection to it. Such connection is, in many ways, emotional and affective, as we express ourselves through the language we speak. Language is a medium through which we communicate and represent our experiences, our perspectives on reality and our identities. In this workshop, participants will experience speaking Italian in a deeply personal, cooperative and unique way.

Prerequisite: knowledge of Italian, post beginner’s level.

Capacity: 15

$30 per person

This workshop will last 2 hours and will be held in English by a professional sfoglina, the artisan of fresh, homemade pasta. Starting from the classic well of flour and eggs, the participants will learn the techniques and secrets and will make two of the most traditional shapes. The experience ends with a small tasting of one of the pasta shapes made during the lesson.

Capacity: 30

$75 per person

Bologna is home to some of Italy’s best gelaterias. Which will be your favorite? Join the group for a casual walking tour of some of Bologna’s gelaterias. Try just one or try them all!

No capacity limit; free

For over 1,000 years, Bologna has been an active, innovative and influential center of music, both sacred and secular. The city continues to support a thriving musical culture, from choral masses to opera to chamber music to jazz, pop and rock. During this walking tour, you will learn about many of the musicians associated with Bologna; see the locations where they lived, studied and made music; and hear selections of numerous major works. No previous musical experience or knowledge is required. For the fullest experience, bring a phone receptive to mirroring and a Bluetooth headset or earbuds that connect to your phone. This tour will be led by Professor of Music Robert Pound.

Capacity: 15

$30 per person

Join fellow Dickinsonians for a casual aperitivo (happy hour) and conversation, in the historic city center. Light appetizers and wine are included.

Capacity: 50

$35 per person

Join Tony Bonanno ’68 for a 3-hour hike in the hills. This moderate difficult hike will begin at Via Saragozza/Meloncello, at the foot of the San Luca steps, We will wind our way up the hills around to San Luca in a circular walk ending on a descent on the San Luca steps at Via Saragozza/Meloncello.

Elisabetta Cunsolo, adjunct professor of art history at the Dickinson Center for European Studies in Bologna, will discuss the discovery of a pictorial genre that proliferated between the 18th and 19th centuries, transforming some of the rooms of the Bolognese noble palaces into natural settings. After a talk in the classroom about the history of those deceptively painted walls, which have roots in ancient Rome, we will visit some of these rooms where domestic environments dressed up like beautiful gardens.

Capacity: 25

$30 per person

In this course, participants with no prior knowledge of Italian will learn the basics of the language in a collaborative and fun manner. Topics will include ordering in a restaurant or bar, daily life, shopping, buying train or theater tickets, asking for information, etc. The approach of the Dickinson-in-Bologna language instructors is communicative and is based in real-life experiences. These two lessons are ideal for participants looking to acquire sufficient knowledge of the Italian language so as to become independent in using it during their stay in Bologna and Italy.

Please note: Registrants may sign up for the Monday or Wednesday class or both. Content will vary, day to day.

Capacity: 15

$30 per person

Join Eric Denker ’75, retired senior lecturer and head of tours and lectures at the National Gallery of Art, on a walking tour of Bologna. The group will view some of the great sculptures in the city, including works by Michelangelo, Niccolò dell’Arca and Giambologna.

Capacity: 20

$15 per person

This workshop will last 2 hours and will be held in English by a professional sfoglina, the artisan of fresh, homemade pasta. Starting from the classic well of flour and eggs, the participants will learn the techniques and secrets and will make two of the most traditional shapes. The experience ends with a small tasting of one of the pasta shapes made during the lesson.

Capacity: 30

$75 per person

Travel to Modena for an afternoon tour and tasting at Acetaia Malpighi, makers of traditional balsamic vinegar since 1850. Transportation is included.

Capacity: 30

$40 per person

This guided tour will offer participants an opportunity to explore the enduring allure of Ravenna's mosaics. Participants will be treated to a close-up view of the remarkable intricacy and aesthetic appeal of these Byzantine mosaic masterpieces, which have earned Ravenna international recognition and a UNESCO heritage site listing.

The tour will be conducted on foot; it is recommended for participants who enjoy visiting and learning in a dynamic way, moving from one site to another.

Capacity: 20

$105 per person

Join Eric Denker ’75, retired senior lecturer and head of tours and lectures at the National Gallery of Art, on a walking tour of Bologna. The group will view some of the great sculptures in the city, including works by Michelangelo, Niccolò dell’Arca and Giambologna.

Capacity: 20

$15 per person

Stop by the K. Robert Nilsson Center to experience the center as is it today! See photos of students from throughout our 60-year history, learn about current programs and reminisce with fellow alumni.

No capacity limit; free

Enjoy a guided wine tasting at this central wine shop in Bologna. Four selected Italian wines and charcuteries will be provided.

Capacity: 40

$35 per person

Explore (or re-explore) the city with our expert guide! The tour will include highlights of the city as well as tours of the Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio.

Capacity: 40 per tour

$25 per person

Gather to walk to the Basilica di San Luca through stunning covered walkways. This 3.8-kilometer (1.98-mile) walk is a quintessential Bologna experience. A shuttle is available for those who wish to drive to the top.

No capacity limit; free.

The 2025 Marco Biagi Annual Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Dr Ilaria Capua, professor at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Science at the Univ. of Florida until 2023 and now Senior Fellow of Global Health at Johns Hopkins University SAIS in Bologna. Capua, who is a well-known scholar and figure in Italy as she often appeared on TV and in media during the pandemic, will deliver a lecture on Circular Health, “a systemic approach to health that identifies health as a fundamental value and human right, which should become the focus of sustainability."

The Biagi Scholarship is awarded annually to two Bologna students, one each semester, in honor of Marco Biagi, a university professor and consultant to the Italian Ministry of Labour, who taught at the Dickinson Center in Bologna for over twenty years and was a member of the Academic Council at Johns Hopkins University of Bologna Center. The scholarship, established in 2003 a year after Biagi’s tragic passing, is awarded to a student who best represents the spirit and goals of the Bologna Program. This considers their performance, commitment to global engagement, and contributions to the program.

Cap off a week of activities with this celebration of the 60th anniversary of Dickinson in Italy! Join fellow alumni, students, current and former faculty members and distinguished friends as we toast the storied history and bright future of Dickinson’s oldest study-abroad program. Food and drinks will be provided.

Capacity: 170

$25 per person