Our 2006 Art Historians at the Arena Chapel in Padua

'Venice is an absolutely unique and incredible city. Studying the history of art in such an amazing place is an unparalleled opportunity and when choosing my BA course, the Venice term was very much a deciding factor. The 10 weeks I spent there in 2003 were the best part of my time at Warwick and I would recommend the BA course wholeheartedly'.

'Having the chance to study such amazing and accomplished artworks in situ is an opportunity not to be missed and one that other universities do not offer. The opportunity to study in Venice was the reason I chose Warwick, and in hindsight was one of the most influential periods of my life. In Venice you have the opportunity to live and breath Art History'.

 

'The Venice Term was the main reason I chose to study Art History at Warwick. No other Art History course offered such an amazing opportunity to study Northern Italian Art in situ. To have the opportunity to live and experience the Venetian way of life in one of the most beautiful cities in the world is one not to be missed. I found the site visits inspiring and vital to our revision in the lead up to the final exams, as the first-hand experience really helped inprint things on my mind. Not only is the course worth every second, it gives you an opportunity to make friends that you will have for life'.

 

'One of the main reasons I decided to study History of Art at Warwick was the trip to Venice, and my experience there did not disappoint. I would highly recommend that all students take the opportunity to do the Venice term as it is a life enhancing experience. You will get to experience a completely different culture and way of life. As soon as you exit the vaperetto on the first night you will realise that you are in a city unlike anywhere else in the world, where buildings rise out of the misty lagoon like a ghostly mirage and the moonlight reflects on the beautiful architecture. Venice has been preserved in time, and it is an absolute pleasure to explore the labyrinth of ally ways and the various Venetian markets and shops.

 

For me the site visits were one of the best parts of the trip. During the term, you will get to see amazing paintings, sculptures and architecture on site visits and studying art really comes to life. Often the works are studied in the settings that they were originally intended for, and the varied and excellent knowledge of the lecturers, not to mention their enthusiasm for the works, really does make studying a pleasure. Also every week students are given the opportunity to go on out of town trips where they can explore the surrounding Veneto, where you will visit places such as Verona and Padua.

 

I would thoroughly recommend the trip to Venice as it really is the trip of a lifetime, where you will learn a great deal and will have the opportunity to live for three months in a city that is considered by many, including myself, the be the most beautiful and magical in the world'.

 

 

'The term in Venice was absolutely incredible and genuinely exceeded anything I could ever have imagined or hoped for. Surprisingly, before getting to Venice I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it, as I was worried about what I might be missing out on back at uni and because I had hardly any knowledge of ‘old’ art and even less interest in it. Being in Venice completely changed this. It was without doubt the best term of all at university and I wish it could have been a whole year rather than just 10 weeks.. The cultural experience was invaluable and I am so glad that I never had the option not to go as I would have made the biggest mistake of my life and missed out on so much.

 

The city is magical and being able to live there for long enough for it to become a home is incredibly special. The Warwick term abroad offers something that would otherwise be inaccessible – to become part of a cosmopolitan city as a resident rather than a tourist. The transition to life in another culture is made easy being part of the history of art group and having Chiara on hand to help out with anything from topping up one’s mobile phone credit to booking tickets to concerts. I had to live on a tight budget but even this didn’t hinder my experience: to live in such a breathtakingly unique place and be able to call it your home is like none other.

 

To study art in situ is invaluable. To convert a girl who was only interested in contemporary art to a champion of Titian’s paintings is no mean feat and it is testament to how fun the course was. (Learning can hardly be a chore when the lecture is being given outside St. Mark’s and there are mandatory café and patisserie breaks scheduled in!)

 

Even though we were constantly learning, the Venice term felt like a ten week holiday - city tours, good art, lots of pizza and even more prosecco. In a sentence: the Venice term was a life enhancing experience and I wish I could do it all over again!'