I'm considering signing up for a two week session at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Florence this June and I'd like to know if anyone has attended it or knows anything about it. I'd love any and all comments and advice.

Thanks in advance,
Dana

I took their two week course in Florence about 4 years ago. I was 40 and the next oldest student was 22. There were 14 students in my class, if I remember correctly.

Unless you specify the beginner class they test you to see what level class you should be in. We had two different instructors. In the morning we had vocabulary and in the afternoon grammar.

I enjoyed myself a great deal and when I look back at my notes I now realize that there was an awful lot of content covered. (It didn't sink in to this old brain during class --- took a while)

Although the brochure had a wonderful picture of a classroom looking out onto the Duomo thru the big glass window on via Buffalini our class was actually down the street in another building near the main post office.

There was no air conditioning and the instructor kept the window closed most of the time to keep the noise from the street to a minimum. That would be my only complaint if you can call it that. I have often wished I would take the time for another class on subsequent trips but just haven't yet.

I studied at their school in Siena about 2 years ago and I loved it. As in the above post, they will test you to determine what level of class you should be in, unless you specify that you really are a beginner - then you'll be in the beginners class. My classes were in the morning only (4 hours) so I had my afternoons free.

When I first got to the school, I saw that there were extra courses offered for fun. For instance, there was an evening wine-tasting course. They also offer little tours of the town for the students (in italian - great practice!)

I had the school arrange my accomodations - an apartment which I shared with three other students. It was fabulous, clean, very nice land-lady who lived in the unit below, and I loved being able to grocery shop and cook meals. I made friends with all three of my roommates and sometimes we cooked together.

I highly recommend this school, I only went to the one in Siena so I don't know how it is in Florence, but one of my Siena roommates later went to the school in Florence and she seemed pretty happy.

Enjoy!!!