In conversation with Mike: Studying art in Italy

Angelina

Updated on Sep 12 • 4 minute read

“For some reason, it just feels like the place where I’m supposed to be ... I feel at home here.”

Italy’s creative DNA makes it one of the best destinations to pursue education in disciplines like architecture, fashion and art. So, in the second episode of the HomeAbroad Podcast, we talked to Mike who moved from the USA to Italy to study art in Florence.

During this 30-minute interview, Mike shares his experience of living as an American in Italy, his love for Florence, the challenges, and the practical steps he took to study art in Italy.

Read our key takeaways below or listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple or Google Podcast.

Florence is central to art history

Known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence holds countless world-famous masterpieces. That’s exactly what drew Mike to this beautiful city where he now studies oil painting at Angel Academy of the Arts.

“They use the old methods; you study in an atelier where you have a Maestro,” Mike says. “He teaches you one process after another and each builds on the next and that's how you learn to create a painting the same way they did in the 17th – 19th centuries.”

But studying doesn’t end at school for Mike. In his free time, he’s been visiting museums and historical sights like the Uffizi Gallery, Bargello National Museum, Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, and Opificio delle Pietre Dure. But the place he finds the most unique is Cappelle Medicee. He never saw anything quite like that.

“For some reason, it just feels like the place where I'm supposed to be,” Mike says. “There's just something about having the statue of David just right down the street. There’s great art everywhere around you. I feel at home here.”

Florence is a cultural melting pot

Even though the majority of Florence’s population is Italian, the city boasts a vibrant mix of different cultures. At Mike’s school alone, there are students from over 29 countries!

“Everybody's international there, they want to get together and have fun,” Mike says. “Also, there’re all kinds of expat groups such as for Americans and the British.”

Even though his focus has been solely on studying, he believes it’s pretty easy to make friends here.

Learning Italian is unavoidable

According to Mike, if you’re staying in one of the central neighbourhoods of Florence, English will be enough to get by. In fact, most of the locals will quickly switch to English to make things easier for you.

But that’s not to say that you won’t need a solid knowledge of Italian if you plan to live here. The moment you deal with bureaucracy, you risk being confronted with a steady stream of unfamiliar words. Mike’s learnt a fair amount of Italian thanks to Duolingo and regular practice with his landlady, yet he recalls a visit to the post office with distress: “All I’m saying, it's a language I am barely hanging on to and she’s just speaking so fast and quiet behind this barrier and doesn't even care if I understand!”

Duoling is just one of the many apps that'll make your life in Italy easier!

Learning the Italian language is a must if you’re staying in Italy for a longer time. Not only because you’ll quickly get tired of whipping out Google Translate 10 x a day but also because it’ll be necessary to get a job in Italy and expand your social circle.

Get patient with Italian bureaucracy

According to Mike, waiting for your residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) can take a while.

Once you arrive in Florence with your student visa, you must submit the paperwork for your residence permit to the post office within 8 days from your arrival. From there on, you’ll get an appointment to fill in some paperwork at the police station and later another one to get your fingerprints.

Mike only got his fingerprints taken after 6 months of living in Florence. So sit tight, it’ll come around! It can even happen that you get your permesso di soggiorno after it’s already expired. But no stress, once you get it, you can apply for its renewal.

Prepare for a low cost of living

Mike’s tip: Understand the cost of living in Italy beforehand so you can plan your expenses better.

Italy is a relatively cheap country, especially if you compare it to its European neighbours or the USA. From lower prices for delicious Italian food to more affordable housing and public transport, you’ll be able to enjoy your new Italian way of life in style.

“I'm surprised at how cheap it is to live here,” Mike says. “I'm actually pretty stunned. If you're smart about it, you can really live very well, very cheap.”

Find a place before you move

Finding a place before you move to Italy might seem like a hard task. But there's good reason to book your accommodation before you arrive.

When applying for a long-stay visa to enter Italy, you must prove that you have suitable accommodation for the duration of your stay. Mike had to arrange a rental contract of at least 1 year for his student visa.

“Finding a house was a lot easier than I expected it to be,” Mike notes. “I told my landlady that I needed a year-long contract. And she found a contract, printed it up, sent it to me, I sent it to the embassy and it all worked out.”

Platforms like HousingAnywhere are great for such situations as you can book without viewing and your deposit will be protected until 48 hours after you move in! Plus, you can get in touch with your landlord directly to discuss the details of your stay.

Watch out for opening hours

Many shops close for a lunch break in Italy. Even your local grocery shop might be closed between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

And when it comes to restaurants, they’ll normally take a break after lunch around 3 p.m. and open their doors again for dinner around 7 p.m. So it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with opening times in advance before knocking on the doors of your favourite restaurant.

Learn to recycle

Florence has a recycling system in place. For each type of waste, you’ve got a special colour-coded container: blue is for garbage that’s not recyclable, yellow is for cardboard and paper and brown is for organic waste.

But if you live in the historical centre, your cardboard waste is collected at your door. That means that it’s your responsibility to know which day the waste is picked up and put it outside on time. You can check the waste collection schedule and the location of the containers in your neighbourhood on the website of your municipality.

Moving to Florence should seem way less intimidating once you know what awaits you. If you want to hear more about Mike’s experiences in the birthplace of Renaissance, listen to the full interview on your favourite podcast platform.

Please reach out to content@housinganywhere.com if you want to share your story as a guest on our podcast or if you have any questions.

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