Summer Food Course in Italy -- The Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy

Welcome students! Interested in studying food in Italy? This summer the director of the Food Studies Program at the Umbra Institute and PhD student at Harvard, Zachary Nowak, will take a group of Boston-area students to central Italy. Students will have the opportunity to live and study in Italy, completing courses that fulfilled concentration or general education requirements while taking advantage of the Umbra Institute’s incredible location in Perugia, Italy. The course, “The History and Culture of Food in Italy,” will combine in-class work with co-curricular field trips and extracurricular workshops to develop a full appreciation of Italian food culture. Are you ready to experience Perugia–and Italian food–for yourself?

Course description

What can you learn about Italian culture through an exploration of the history of food in Italy? By examining the radical changes that have occurred in Italian food-ways, the pronounced differences in eating habits of different socio-economic classes, and the important role played by food in shaping Italian national and regional identities, we will uncover various trends in Italian history and society. These include the gradual process of political unification, the role of public policy in the agricultural sphere, and the dramatic effect that industrialization has had on Italian food culture.

Special topics will include both the increased industrialization of food over the past 150 years and the counter-culture movements that this trend has engendered. We will also examine the growing body of literature on the “New Food Critique” that underscores the politics and controversies associated with the production, distribution, and consumption of food.

The purpose of this course is to use food as a means for exploring the dramatic political, social, and economic changes that have taken place in Italy since the Renaissance. By the end of the course the students will have acquired a more sophisticated understanding of food history as an interdisciplinary approach to studying Italian culture and society and as a framework for analyzing important aspects of Italian history.

The course will include a co-curricular trip to the Umbrian Appenine foothills to meet with artisan food producers (in this case a truffle farmer) to learn about their own interpretations of and responses to the “new food critique” of authors such as Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser.

Academics. Harvard students can earn credits (pending individual concentration approval) for food-related courses. They can choose to take only Prof. Nowak’s class or they can add a second 3-credit course for a small extra charge. Harvard’s Office of International Education can help students determine what requirements these course could fulfill. The 2014 summer session lasts 5 weeks, from the end of May through June. Courses are taught in English, so no Italian language proficiency is required. Courses meet twice a week, with no classes on Fridays. See a list of standard summer courses here: Summer course offerings.

Student Life. The Umbra Institute hosts between 100 and 150 American and Italian college students each summer from colleges & universities across the U.S. and in Perugia. Housing is provided for all students in shared apartments within a 5-minute walk of the Institute. There is no meal plan, but apartments are furnished with full kitchens. They also have WiFi access and wireless internet is provided for free at the Umbra Institute and in many locations around Perugia.

Ready to apply? Get more info now!

As a first step, you should meet with Prof. Nowak, who can be contacted through the form on this page. You can then discuss course approval with the study abroad office.

The Umbra Institute is an affordable summer option for Harvard students. To learn more about the fees for studying abroad, contact Professor Nowak.

Student Profiles

Jordan Ashwood
Harvard at Umbra Spring’12

“Umbra brings you to the heart of Italy. Each of my experiences through the Umbra Institute, whether it was visiting a legendary butcher in Tuscany, a trip to the beautiful island of Capri, or simply photographing Perugia in my photography class, were committed to showing me the rich vitality that defines Italy.”

Please feel free to contact Jordan to ask about her experience!

Teagan Leahrman
Harvard at Umbra Fall’11

“If Perugia is anywhere on your radar- GO! Hands down, end of story. My fall semester at the Umbra Institute was beyond anything I could have hoped for in a study abroad program. The staff is wonderful, the classes are phenomenal, and Perugia is incredibly welcoming to students. And if you have any interest in food, the unique Food Studies Program at Umbra opens the doors to experiences that are literally once in a lifetime. I am amazed at how much this program offered in terms of learning, doing, seeing… and tasting! This program was an invaluable part of my Italian experience, and I highly recommend it!”

Please feel free to contact Teagan to ask about her experience!