Carnivale di Viareggio lasts through all of February on the weekends. Today, is also a special day known as Fat Tuesday. This celebration consists of parades with floats, music, and dancing through the streets of Viareggio. The beautiful sites, tremendous food, and endless culture also flood every street. Viareggio is a short bus ride away from Florence and all of AEF’s students are encouraged to experience this wonderful celebration. This past Sunday, one our faculty took a group of students to enjoy the parade. At AEF, we are committed to exposing our students to the culture of Italy and the traditions that locals cherish. It was a wonderful Sunday for everyone involved and many of our students look forward to continuing this celebration throughout the month!
Florence Dance Center
AEF is thrilled about the dance program we are developing in the spring semesters with the Florence Dance Center. Elon University and other schools are sending dance majors to AEF to master their craft on an international stage, while enjoying all of the amazing opportunities of studying abroad with AEF. The Florence Dance Center has incredibly talented instructors and fantastic studios. Dancers from Italy, America, and the rest of the world all collaborate and put on tremendous performances after months of preparation. For any aspiring performing artists, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity both for experience and credential. As dancers move on to the professional world, this experience will be the highlight of their resumes. Dancers take notice! The chance of a lifetime awaits at AEF!!!!
Tuscany
One of the major advantages of living in Florence, Italy is its central location within Tuscany. Cities such as Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano are all close and accessible for day trips. Tuscany borders the regions of Liguria to the northwest, Emilia-Romagna to the north and east, Umbria to the east and Lazio to the southeast. It is a spectacular region to live in, with incredible history and culture prevalent in all directions. At AEF, we encourage our students to experience Florence to the fullest extent, and also to branch out and see other cities and regions as well. With trains, buses, and airplanes constantly available, the possibilities are limitless for students, especially with our support. Studying abroad is learning about yourself through experiences in new places. The more you see, the more people you meet, the more you enable yourself to grow intellectually and personally. At AEF, we promote, encourage, and enable this growth for our students. Come live in Florence and experience so much more!
Fiorentina Soccer
With the soccer season in full swing, it is a great time for AEF students to experience a Fiorentina soccer match. Soccer is one of the greatest and oldest sportive traditions in all of Italy and Europe. Local fans love the sport and go to the matches full of energy. The electric atmosphere at Fiorentina soccer matches is something very special to witness and partake in. The crowd jumps and chants in unison, in a clearly practiced and perfected manner. The chants have existed for a long time, and all of the local fans know them and sing them with vigor and conviction. There is one section of the stadium reserved for the visting team’s fans. The Fiorentina fans have special chants reserved for these visitors. Unlike sporting events in other countries, Italian soccer matches are a venue to be rowdy, rambunctious, and radical. Fans truly get involved in the match, transferring energy directly into the players, for an extra surge of adrenaline that could result in a winning goal. These matches a cultural experience that no one should miss. AEF always offers to arrange a match to go to for our visiting students. This more than soccer. This is culture! Go Fiorentina! Vai Vai Vai!!
Pushing into the Spring Semester!
AEF is preparing for our annual transition into the beautiful spring semester. Florence is always a city full of tourists and students from all over the world, however, the winter is the calmest of all the seasons. With less tourists and students, the city becomes a bit more quiet and tranquil. It is a nice change from the bustling summer and busy fall, and it is especially nice as a temporary change. As January winds down and the spring begins to appear on the horizon, we can all feel the atmosphere in Florence turning from tranquility to anticipation. At AEF, we are awaiting the arrival of twenty new students from Elon University. Elon is one of the best colleges in the United States with arguably the best study abroad department in the world. As our largest partner, Elon sends us groups of students each semester. It is always exciting for us to watch our new Elon students assimilate to Florentine culture while getting to know their other classmates here at AEF from all over the world. The beauty of a calm winter subsides for this incredibly exciting time of the year, as new people come together once again in the most beautiful city in the world. AEF is excited and prepared to make this transition and push forward into the spring semester with limitless enthusiasm and excitement!
Weekend in Florence!
Fridays have a special energy in Florence, Italy, here at Accademia Europea di Firenze. Many students of all ages and backgrounds use their weekends here to explore all of Italy and Europe, while others stay in Florence and enjoy the tremendous activity available in the city center. Some of the best restaurants in the world reside here in Florence. Multi-course meals and romantic settings compliment the spectacular Tuscan cuisine. In Florence, you don’t need to seek out famous or expensive restaurants for a tremendous dining experience. Instead, you can walk into little restaurants on little side streets, and walk right into of the best meals of your life. Florence also has tremendous night life. Whether you prefer appertivo, a pub, or a night of dancing, Florence can offer it all. The nights are bustling with activity all of the time and it would be difficult not to find a great time here in Florence. During the day, museums are a fantastic option, especially during the winter (when the tourism is a bit more calm). You can see the incredible works of Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Da Vinci over the course of a wonderful day with a delicious lunch right in the middle. This is a city built for inspiration and the joyous opportunities of life. Beautiful weekends enable students to enjoy it to the max!
Weekend Trips
One of the major benefits of living in Florence, Italy is weekend travels. Florence is centrally located in Italy, making all of Tuscany and Italy accessible at all times. Students at AEF, enjoy weekend trips to Pisa, Venice, Rome, Siena, and Verona just to name a few destinations (both organized by the school and independently). With cheap airlines and bus tours, students also explore cities such as Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Prague, and others. The idea is to fall in love with Florence, but not to limit yourself to Florence. At AEF, we want our students to see as much as possible while they are here. We understand this is a rare and unique time for our students. We empower students to maximize their experience and to explore as much of Italy, Europe, and the world as possible!
Fashion Weekend in Florence!
Gear up everyone, fashion weekend is upon us in Florence! With lots of private parties, public events, and fashion displays, Florence will be ablaze with excitement all weekend. Fashion gurus from all over Italy, Europe, America, and the world have assembled in Florence. Dance clubs and major piazzas are bustling with activity and there is a spectacular energy in the air. What a time to be in Florence!
Thursday at AEF
It is another inspiring Thursday at AEF. This afternoon, our opera students will engage in an informal conference about the opera, specifically, Il Trovatore di G. Verdi. With the conference led by our fantastic music historian, Ridolfo Tommasi, students can expect an animated and informative discussion. For many of our music students, it is critical to explore the history of music before they can truly invest themselves in the future. At AEF, we want our students to master their respective crafts and attaining a thorough understanding of its history is crucial.
Fashion Week in Florence
Fashion week has arrived in Florence and the streets are buzzing with excitement. Locals are dressed up and tourists from all over the world have come to admire this spectacular celebration of fashion. Italians always seem to be ahead of the game when it comes to fashion, even for casual daily outfits. During fashion week, these abilities are heightened, highlighted, and hailed. With exclusive parties and incredible displays, people of the world are exposed to the beauty and expertise of Italian fashions. It is remarkable to see beautiful people, beautifully dressed, in such a beautiful city. The magic of Florence never ceases to amaze, and fashion week is yet another tremendous example.
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