Sicily Center for Field Studies
Accent's Sicily
Our Neighborhood
Sicily is the ideal location for innovation in experiential learning. The island is emblematic of the historic, social, and cultural complexity of the Mediterranean. Depending on the disciplinary lens, Sicily can be viewed as a gateway between Europe and Africa, East and West, the Latin world and the Greek. Unique within Sicily, the small city of Syracuse is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to Ancient, Medieval, and Baroque monuments. Today, numerous international research associations and academic institutions are here studying the environment, migration, human rights, arts and design.
The Study Center
The Center is located in the heart of Syracuse’s historic center, the island of Ortigia, in Palazzo Beneventano. The late Baroque palazzo is a focal point on the central Piazza Duomo and faces the Municipio (Town Hall) and the Duomo (Cathedral), both of which were erected on the ruins of Greek temples. The City of Syracuse is viewed as a campus, with classes frequently taking place on-site and projects in collaboration with local Accent partners: universities, NGOs, think tanks, and international organizations, all within a short walk of the Center.
Global Learning in Sicily
Programs take advantage of the region’s vast resources, with numerous NGOs, research centers, and specialists across academic areas. The “classroom” extends into the streets of Sicily’s cities and towns and beyond onto the Mount Etna volcano and to the island’s different designated marine wildlife parks. Through field study, students analyze, compare, implement and refine research skills and methodologies in the natural and social sciences. Sicily provides an ideal classroom to explore numerous disciplines, including:
- Environmental Science, Sustainability and Geology
- Art, Architecture and Design
- Anthropology, Archaeology, and the Classics
- Political Science, Sociology, and Journalism
- Food Studies
Sicily Highlights
Image Gallery
Center Operations
Syracuse Academy
Sicily Partner
The new Sicily Center for Field Studies will operate in partnership with the Syracuse Academy. For more than four years, we have collaborated to design and support successful semester and faculty-directed programs in Sicily. The expansion of our partnership reflects Sicily’s rich potential for innovation in education abroad and a shared desire to provide students with challenging and engaging experiential learning opportunities in an environment emblematic of the historic, social, and cultural complexity of the Mediterranean. Syracuse Academy has operated for more than thirty years in Sicily, with a diverse portfolio of highly customized education abroad programs as well as well-respected Italian and English language learning programs.
Center Information
Office Hours
Monday – Friday,
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.