Undergraduate Study
Abroad Program

Home-Stays

A cornerstone of the Siena Art Institute semester programs is homestays with local Italian families, emphasizing the importance of language acquisition and cultural exchange. We encourage all Siena Art Institute undergraduates to participate in home-stays with local Sienese families. In a homestay, you get a first-hand experience of the daily lives of members of our community. Your host-family acts as your liaison to Siena, and can assist you immensely in understanding the local language and culture. Our students consistently have overwhelmingly positive feedback about their experience with their host families (and of course their nightly homecooked Italian suppers!) Needless to say, the home-stay can become a central part of your experience at the Siena Art Institute.

You will complete a housing form as part of your application that allows us to arrange a suitable placement for you. We place you in families that have hosted students for many years and are glad to welcome you into their homes. The cost of the home-stay (3500 € per semester) includes linens & towels, weekly laundry, and daily breakfast and dinner with the family (did we mention the great home-cooking?!). The home-stay does not include lunches, and students are responsible for purchasing and preparing their own lunches. Students may prepare lunch at the school’s kitchenette or enjoy the many cafes nearby.Host families live either in the historic center of Siena or in nearby neighborhoods, a short walk or bus ride from downtown. (The Siena Art Institute program fee covers the cost of an all-access city bus pass for students living outside the city center.)