Join Us in Spoleto, Italy—Charleston’s Sister City!

For over a decade, students from the College of Charleston have spent parts of May and June in Spoleto, Italy – Charleston’s famous sister city. In this stunning hilltop town with ancient roots anchoring the Umbrian valley, students will experience great food and gorgeous views as they study and develop both traditional and digital travel content for print and social media. 

Students will stay in apartment-style accommodations at Residence Villa Tota in downtown Spoleto. The experience includes crash courses in Italian language and culture, a day trip to Assisi, and a range of excursions including truffle hunting, culinary foraging, and a cooking class with a master chef. Students will also enjoy three group dinners and a catered lunch on class days (twice a week) in addition to the meals that are included in each excursion. The two courses offered provide credits toward the College’s general education requirement, and they also count for various ways towards a range of English minors and concentrations. Students will also be allowed to travel over a long free weekend as they discover Italy for themselves!

A generous range of scholarships of up to $2,000 are available through CofC’s Center for International Education. And don’t hesitate to contact Prof. Anton Vander Zee, the program director, if you have any questions. This year, we are partnering with a study-abroad support non-profit called Academic Experiences Abroad to help with orientation and international safety protocol and 24/7support, as well as our long-standing Spoleto-based tour provider and site coordinator, Love Umbria. A complete itinerary will be available soon!

Cristiana Fittucia with Love Umbria has been our tour provider in Spoleto from the very beginning. She arranges all our tours, accompanies us on numerous outings, and she and her team offer 24-7 emergency support if we run into any issues.

A Spoleto native, Cristiana always enjoys sharing the secret of Umbria with students from her sister city!

Program Fee: $3,800 (doesn’t include flights or tuition, subject to change).

Out-of-state students pay in-state tuition plus 30%–much less expensive than typical out-of-state tuition!

The program fee does not include tuition or air travel, which students will arrange for themselves. The program director will let students know his flight details in case students would like to join the same flight. Students are welcome to extend their stay in Italy or beyond at the conclusion of the program.

Please note that this program includes a good deal of walking–both to class, and on various excursions. The terrain in Italy is hilly, which can be strenuous for some.

The Courses: Digital and Traditional Writing

ENGL 370: Spoleto Diaries: Travel Writing through AppsProf. Jacob Craig (craigjw1@cofc.edu)

Share your Italian adventure through audio podcasts and TikTok videos with “Spoleto Diaries: Travel Writing through Apps.” Working in teams, you’ll create weekly content that brings your experiences in Spoleto to life for a public audience. You’ll develop skills in audience analysis and digital delivery, learning to craft engaging stories that resonate with viewers worldwide.

“Spoleto Diaries” goes beyond traditional travel writing. It’s an opportunity to find your voice as a digital creator and curate an authentic online presence. Your content will not only document your journey but also inspire and inform others, helping them see the world through your eyes. Join us in this exciting exploration of culture, technology, and storytelling. Let’s turn your study abroad experience into a captivating digital narrative that people across the globe can connect with.

ENGL 339: Travel Writing and Autobiography
Prof. Anton Vander Zee (vanderzeeal@cofc.edu)

This course will guide us as we give voice to our experience of being immersed in Spoleto, Italy and its environs. We will experience the mundane and and the metaphysical, and we will be challenged and tested as we explore the art, landscape, architecture, culture, food, history of this place, filtering it all through our unique sense of voice and vision. Our primary focus in this course will be be on traditional travel writing, including both literary and professional genres.

Meet the Faculty

Jacob W. Craig, Associate Professor at the College of Charleston, specializes in digital writing. His research explores how writing tools shape literacy and practices. Through research and hands-on experience, Craig investigates how writers interact with digital tools. 
Craig’s courses delve into the intersection of technology and writing, addressing the complexities of the digital landscape. He encourages critical engagement with digital platforms while acknowledging their significant impact on communication.

Anton Vander Zee, Associate Professor at the College of Charleston, received his Ph.D. from Stanford in 2012 and has been teaching at the College of Charleston for 15 years. Professor Vander Zee teaches courses in American literature and writing, with specific interest in contemporary autobiography, memoir, the personal essay, and travel writing. He has taught students abroad in Siberia, Singapore, and, of course, Spoleto!

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