Homestays



The majority of our students live with an Italian host family, an experience that offers infinite linguistic and cultural benefits throughout their stay in Florence. The combination of formal Italian lessons and home-based language practice with native speakers has proven to be an authentic, effective means of learning a language. Moreover, being part of a family means participating directly in Italian daily life—the best way to gain insights into and integrate fully with a culture. Students themselves repeatedly describe the host family experience as the best part of the abroad experience. As one student put it: "Ten years from now I may not recall the significance of the Brancacci chapel, but I'll never forget how my Italian mother threw the pasta in the pot each night!"

Matching Students with Local Hosts
SUF realizes that your host family will greatly influence your view of Italian life, people and culture. Therefore, using the information from your housing application, the housing office chooses a family that is compatible with your needs. Host families are carefully screened by our Housing Office. They come from all walks of life and professions and many have hosted Syracuse students for years.

Location of Host Families
Most students would prefer to live near our center, and we try to accommodate this request if possible. Unfortunately, not all host families are within walking distance, but there are easily accessible public buses that run through the entire city.