Study Abroad in Syracuse, Italy
The Fairfield Program at Syracuse offers students the opportunity to take a semester of classes which cover the most fundamental aspects of history and thought, literature and culture in Italy - from the ancient world to the 21st century - and to gain exposure to the most significant sites of ancient and modern Sicily and Italy.
The Fairfield program at Syracuse is located in a completely restored 17th century Spanish palazzo or palace in the historical center of the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily.
The city of Syracuse, founded as a seaport in 733 BC, boasts a wealth of archaeological and architectural remains, from the Classical to the Baroque and from the Gothic to the Arabesque, which reflect the almost uniquely diverse and oftentimes overlapping historical narrative of Sicily herself: passing from Greek colonists to Roman Governors, from Byzantine Patriarchs and Arabic Emirs to Norman Lords and the Royal houses of Spain and France, before her unification with the Italian Nation in the 19th century. This fusion of style and meaning is nowhere more evident that in the structures of the great Duomo or cathedral of Syracuse: a Greek temple, with Norman walls, a Byzantine apse and a Baroque facade. The dissonant yet harmonized architectural motifs from which this exquisite structure has been compounded are a historical record of, and living testament to, the diversity and cultural depth of the city of Syracuse and all of Sicily.
The Mediterranean Center for Arts & Sciences, Fairfield's partner in Sicily, is a dedicated Study Abroad Institute specializing in Italian Studies (broadly defined and including Art History, Language, Literature, Politics, History and the Natural Environment) and Classical Studies (again, broadly defined to include Language, Philosophy, History and Archaeology) with a series of complimentary classes which invite reflection on the study abroad experience (creative writing, photography) or offer the humanities student the opportunity to reflect artistically on his/her environment (Drawing, Painting).
Sicily represents a genuine opportunity to experience all facets of Italian life and culture
Why choose Syracuse?
- Live and learn in the center of one of the most ancient cities of Italy - a city that retains and reflects a true fusion of cultures and traditions - from Greek to Roman, to Arabic to Norman, Spanish to French
- A focused educational experience
- An intimate cultural experience
- Sicily represents a genuine opportunity to experience all facets of Italian life and culture
Why Choose Fairfield?
The Fairfield University Syracuse Program provides exactly what you're looking for in a study-abroad experience. Here are some of the reasons our program is so widely respected.
Admission
This program is open to all juniors or senior students who are in good academic and social standing at their home institution, and who can certify a grade point average of at least 2.8 or more on a 4.0 scale. This program is competitive, and applicants are expected to exhibit a high level of maturity, independence, and seriousness of purpose.