It is clearly important to spend as much time as possible in Italy during your first two years of study. Unfortunately the Department has no travel grants to offer, but Colleges are usually ready to provide some assistance. Your College Tutor or Director of Studies will be able to give advice on this. 

Information about obtaining jobs or vocational placements in Italy is available from the Central Bureau for International Education and Training, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN, tel: (020) 7389-4004. The Bureau has its own website at http://www.centralbureau.org.uk.

Final-year students returning from their year abroad in Italy often have useful suggestions and contacts, and the Department will organise a social evening to encourage the informal exchange of information. 

If you are thinking of following a vacation course in language or culture in Italy, you will find all the brochures received by the Department on the wall by the noticeboard on the 2nd floor North landing of the Raised Faculty Building. When making your choice, you should consider carefully which part of Italy might suit you best. Florence, Rome, and Venice offer obvious attractions (and a very wide range of courses), but it may be harder to meet Italians there than in other less popular Italian cities such as Bologna, Verona, Padua, Siena, or Pisa. 

The Italian Department has an affiliation with the British Institute in Florence, which offers high-quality language and cultural courses throughout the year and organises a tailor-made course for Cambridge Part IA and IB students in the Easter vacation (at preferential rates). For details consult Dr Natali in the Lent term.