Graduate Program in Renaissance Art


Portrait of Andrea Odoni, Lorenzo Lotto

Graduate Program Intro

The Renaissance Hands On
All classes in both Florence and in Syracuse, New York are seminars given by internationally recognized scholars, and provide the necessary analytical tools and practical skills for the study of Italian Renaissance art. Students explore art historical literature and historiography, Renaissance history, the collection and display of art, patronage, iconography, sources and documents, artistic techniques, and conservation. Especially in Florence, the program encourages a hands-on approach: students examine art and architecture on-site and in conservation studios, in museums, and original documents in archives.

The size of the program, usually six to eight participants per year, facilitates lively discussions and collaborations. Most students receive financial support, and the four top-ranked candidates enter the program with fellowships carrying full tuition and a stipend towards their living expenses in Italy ($14,900, for 2005-2006). In this terminal degree program, professors have the time and incentive to work closely with students as advisors and mentors, creating a dynamic intellectual atmosphere.

Study in Florence
On the Florence campus of Syracuse University, students are about fifteen minutes from the Duomo. One of the oldest and largest US campuses in Italy, SUF underwent a major expansion and renovation in 2005. Graduate students in the Fine Arts have their own room in the new library building, near the media lab, and all graduate courses are held in “smart” classrooms.

In addition to the Syracuse University in Florence library, with 12,000 volumes, students have access to some of the finest libraries in the world for the study of Italian Renaissance art history: the Istituto Nazionale per Studi sul Rinascimento at Palazzo Strozzi, the Biblioteca Nazionale, the Galleria degli Uffizi library, and the Harvard University Center for Renaissance Studies “Villa I Tatti.”

By conducting research at these and other institutions, and attending the frequent lectures and conferences held in Florence, students will meet members of the international scholarly community and participate in the lively intellectual life of the city. In their courses, students will hear on-site lectures by museum directors, explore exhibitions with organizers, and visit conservation projects.

All students will receive a museum card allowing them unlimited visits to state museums in Florence.