I studied at this school for a good chunk of time while living in Florence, and your personal…read moreexperience can vary a lot here - mine was not so great. They offer studies in the fine arts and in the Italian language, and I only studied art, so I have no idea how the Italian education was. The school's art 'curriculum' is very misleading, seeing as they actually have none, and a lot of the 'subjects' they supposedly had only exist if you bring it up to the teacher yourself. I think that the only redeeming quality about the school was the very dedicated teacher at the time, who was very knowledgable, pushed his students to do better, and clearly loved art. Two out of three of the people who run the school didn't seem to care very much about the students nor their experience at the school, which is probably why some students were unhappy with the structure of the school if they were studying there long-term. I'm not sure who the main art teacher is right now. This very tiny school is a good option if you want a very simple and basic experience in Florence and in the arts, because you do get a lot of freedom to just study whatever you feel like doing. In that case it's really nice, and a great option for people who want to learn art basics! Also, they'll provide very, very basic art supplies if you need them. However, I would not recommend staying there longer than 3 months at the most -- any more than that would be repetitive and the certificate in the fine arts that they offer doesn't seem to be very official. If you want a long-term study look into another school or even better, a university! So to summarize, good for less than three months of study, and think about what you want for your school experience.

I spent July in Tuscany going to school at La Scuola Toscana, a school that provides not only great…read moreeducation of a beautiful world language, but also of a rich culture. First off, I should let you know that I am not a beginner in my travels or in my personal education, and that I come from the US where we have incredible customer service. I am also an educator. I must say that this administration, as far as European administration goes, is superior in its customer service. They are sensitive, efficient, and genuinely kind even to difficult students. Specifically, there was a clerical error with my tuition. I was panicked as I didn't speak the language fluently and realized how difficult this situation could be. Fortunately I saved all the necessary documents (as one should) showing that I had already payed. As I approached the desk asking about the notification, documents in hand and ready to 'prove' my case, the director simply stated that he was sorry, and that it was a filing error on their end, and there was nothing to worry about. No questions, no proof needed, and nothing but smiles and relief on their end. Also they have a 'welcome' package all ready for their new students. It's full of little tidbits that will help you get through the first few weeks on your own. So thoughtful! They make you feel welcome, are very sensitive to any anxieties you may have about being there, and can manage different levels of fluency in Italian seeing as the administration speaks a great deal of other languages fluently. (I personally witnessed, not only English, but Japanese, Spanish and Hungarian.) Secondly, the scaffolding of the educational system is very well done. There were classes for beginners of all levels, intermediate studiers, and even for those who wanted to master the language. Outside of grammer and conversation, are myriad classes to take, I chose the COOKING class with Signora Fiammetti. I have to say that this cooking course was far superior to any of the cooking courses I attempted to take in France. When I tried to do my research to find a place in France to do this, I found that either the prices were outrageous OR the skill level of the educators in the kitched were disappointing either in the language pedagogy OR in the skills/products used or made in the kitchen. Neither of these were true about the cooking course I took. Signora Fiammetti is a professionally trained chef/caterer, raised in Tuscany/Italy and trained in Paris. Her organization was unbeatable, exceptionally well paced, and her tips on cooking were among the top I have ever seen. I am no stranger to the kitchen, but she was able to give me a very wide range of tips, even on the basics of cutting an onion, or tearing basil. The 4 course meals we prepared were unbelievable in the subtleties of flavors and the colorful presentation of food. If you are a lover of food and cooking, I highly HIGHLY recommend this as an option. I also have to say that our course had about 3-4 people in it, and of different levels of fluency in Italian. No matter! We still spoke whatever level of italian we were equipped with, and her patience and teaching skills still helped us learn while we were cooking! Incredible! Lastly, the teachers were so well adapted for their subject matter. One member of my family was in the beginners level, while I found myself in the advanced group. The instructors for beginners had, for people just getting used to the language, teachers with an unparalleled amount of patience, kindness, organization and genuinity. The advanced group had teachers that were of university-level brilliance in their subject matter (literature, language, etc.) and while at times their pedagogy seemed unfamiliar, I found myself challenged not only on a linguistic level, but an intellectual level as well. The extra tours with Caterina were fantastic!!! Areas of improvement: Air conditioning: During the hot months (and I imagine the same of the cold months) the lack of air conditioning made the learning particularly difficult for everyone in the class. Pedagogy (differentiated instruction for different groups taught) schoolwide is probably needed on a small level. Therefore it might be a good idea for the administration to sit in on all classes from time to time to comment on style of instruction and just to provide feedback. Also, perhaps all the teachers get together periodically to discuss methods. I feel that it would improve the solidarity of the school and increase the available methodologies of instruction between teachers. Strengths of each teacher can benefit the entire school in this way. In summary, I would easily go back to this school. The school is unbelievably rewarding for anyone wanting to learn about not just Tuscany, but Italy in general! Put this on your list!

Hi guys, I were in Florence attendino a 2 week course, everyday Italian classes in the morning and…read moreevery afternoon an activity (as you mention in your question): monday we went discovering the secrets in Florence, tuesday we had a cooking class, wednesday a Chianti tour and Farm visit, thursday we went shopping, then the Uffizi Gallery..great! We attended Scuola Toscana - it is located close to Piazza Santa Croce, something like benci street. Very nice teachers, friendly atmosphere...what else? Ticket included. Do not forget my most important recommendation: do not sit in Piazza Repubblica to drink a cappuccino...10 dollars! Your John!

Fantastic place to take dance classes in the center of Florence. Friendly and welcoming atmosphere…read morefor all levels. Mirko Pollinzi teaches fast-paced, fun, and challenging adult ballet and contemporary dance classes. They seem to have a lot of good fitness classes too. I love this place!

The school is located in a central area and the teachers are nice and well prepared. Unfortunately…read morethey only told me that they didn't have a course on my level two days before my arrival, so instead of a C1, I'm doing two hours of a B2 and two hours of a A2 course. This is annoying, but at least the director was nice and offered me a cooking course as a compensation, so I am overall relatively happy.

I spent a lot of time to choose the school and it's a really good choice. Everything here is nice…read more Especially Tatiana and Maurisio - they are great! Thank a lot! After 2 weeks i've felt the progress. I definitely could recommended this school for those who want to improve their oral skills and who want after school have a nice walk in centro storico.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've taught here on and off since 1990 and know the director as…read morea friend. This is a very different and interesting learning environment. It started as a noncredit workshop for printmaking and over the years has grown to include painting, fashion, design and photography (my field). Classes in the summer usually run a month and there are options for language classes as well. Most of the students are Americans but the staff is mostly Italians and are top notch. The people who run the place are excellent and a great resource to help you make the most of your time in Florence. My university sub-contracts space from SRISA and its an excellent facility as well as having an on site gallery. If your interested in a summer, spring or fall class in the visual arts, this is a terrific place to start looking.

From the owner: Over the past 45 years, Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA) has become one of the…read moretop art and design schools in Italy. SRISA offers accredited programs of study including academic year, semester, and summer study abroad; Post-Baccalaureate Certificates; and internships. Courses are taught in the English language. Additionally, SRISA hosts a multitude of Faculty-Led and Customized programs throughout the year.

I can not praise this school highly enough. Owner Elisabetta (with her husband Mirko) brings a…read moresense of fun to the language learning process, and yet never forgets to emphasize grammar and vocabulary. Debora and Lavinia are both fantastic teachers, and the extensive curriculum includes lots of seemingly fun games and quizzes that have you learning without pain. Best of all, you can set your own goals and style of learning. I did mostly one-on-one lessons, which has been very very helpful for me when combined with a religious devotion to Duolingo and a fun podcast called "Stories in Slow Italian." Whenever I visit Florence, I squeeze in a few lessons and then keep it up occasionally via Zoom. As a result, I feel like a part of the warm, Monnalisa family! If you get a chance to study Italian in Florence, this is without doubt your best choice! Buona Fortuna!

After my husband and I settled in Florence I knew it was time to get serious with learning Italian…read more I had already attended 3 weeks of Italian courses at a different school, but wanted a change of scenery for the longer haul. I found Monnalisa School through a FB group message board and decided to give it a go. I am incredibly glad I did!! I signed up for an 8 week course for the summer to keep my mind as far from the heat as possible and hopefully learn some Italian. I can definitely say that my skills in Italian have come a long way thanks to my amazing teacher Elisabetta. She has a great deal of experience teaching, awesome resources and she has a firm grasp on English. Elisabetta has truly helped me fill in gaps of misunderstandings, given me the opportunity to ask unanswered questions, and I especially appreciate that she takes the time to explain something to me in English when I cannot understand the Italian version. Elisabetta and her friendly husband happen to be the founders of Monnalisa School. Together they have and have completely refurbished and transformed the space in an old Santa Croce quartiere building to create an amazing learning center. The school is bright, inviting and everything in it is brand new. I plan to continue attending Monnalisa School until I have a firm grasp on the Italian language. I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Monnalisa School, and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone hoping to learn some Italian!!!