Discover Sant'Anna

COURSES

History of Italian Food and Culture - HIST 350/IS 305

HIST 350

45 contact hours, 3 credits

Professor Fabrizio Novellino, Ph.D.

The course examines the history of food from a variety of points of view. Food is not just nourishment; food is part of mankind and its evolution. Without food, history could not be possible. Food is like a book: it tells us who we are and where we are from, and it describes our habits, religion, and traditions. The course aims to explain how food has influenced history, including religious prescriptions, class identity, borders, and drawing the line between the rich and the poor. History of Food will attempt to explain how nourishment has changed throughout the ages, how we have shifted from the “symposium” to McDonald’s, and how, still today, food is a strong element of identity.

New York Calls, Naples responds - JU 330

JU 330

45 contact hours, 3 credits

Prof. Alessandro Buffa

In this course, students will discover the historical link between New York City and Naples. Students will understand these two cities within wider currents, moving across time and space, and trace multiple histories that connect past, present, and future in both a local and global sense. Topics will include the early slave rebellions in the Americas, the 1648 rebellion of Naples, the U.S. military presence in Naples during World War II and Cold War era, Italian immigration to New York City, and the urban crises of Naples and New York in the 1970s and 1980s.

In this course, music, cinema, and other cultural expressions are not considered as a background but become central narrative devices. Sustained by the saxophone sound of James Senese, the electro funk of Afrika Bambaataa, the echo chamber effect of Sha-Rock, the poetry of Sandra María Esteves, and the blue maps of Bobby Womack and Mario Merola, we will study unexpected and critical connections between New York City and Naples.

In addition to music, films, and poems, we will use other primary sources collected at the archives of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library, the Bronx County Historical Society, and the National Library of Naples.

Mediterranean Migration - JU 330

JU 330

45 contact hours, 3 credits

Prof. Alessandro Buffa

In this course, students will study the economic and political causes and histories of migration from the Mediterranean region. They will examine the historic legacies of Mediterranean migration through the twentieth century with the mass emigration from the Southern Mediterranean to the Americas. Through the lens of international economics, demographics, and geopolitics, students will understand the phenomenon of Mediterranean migration. Additionally, students will analyze the effects of this mass migration on the stability of the European Union and the Euro zone and will propose solutions to ongoing, systemic pan-European political and demographic challenges.

Mediterranean Nero - JU 330

JU 330

45 contact hours, 3 credits

Prof. Alessandro Buffa

Inspired by Paul Gilroy’s book The Black Atlantic, this course focuses on the traditionally repressed and hidden Black history of the Mediterranean region. Through the examination of primary historical documents and the accounts of historians, students will discover a range of topics such as the Masaniello Revolt of 1648 in Naples, the Haitian Revolution of 1799, the international dimension of Black Power, the racialization of urban space, and the contemporary migration from Africa to the Mediterranean.

COURSE HIGHLIGHT

HISTORY OF ITALIAN FOOD AND CULTURE

HIST 350

Professor Fabrizio Novellino, Ph.D.

INTERNSHIP POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

Quanto basta cooking school
Mozzarella factory

“My class is not just about food. It’s about tradition, it’s about the economy, it’s about experiencing what you are going to study…because you have the chance to join a class in the best place in the world with the best food in the world. So you are not just going to read the book, but also touch and eat and see with your own eyes all the wonderful food, the tradition and the history behind it”

– Fabrizio Novellino

Our Mission

Sant'Anna's mission is to educate, support, and inspire international students to become active citizens of the world. We are committed to academic excellence within an authentic and engaging Italian community.

Mission and Goals

At Sant’Anna we strive to provide students from across the world a unique, hands-on learning experience where they can cultivate real world skills and knowledge.

Because the school is located in Sorrento, one of the most harmonious cities southern Italy has to offer, our students are truly able to gain a global awareness and appreciate diversity while studying abroad. Our goal is to help guide participating students into becoming responsible, open-minded members of society.

Our hope is that each student can leave Sant’Anna with an appreciation of the Italian culture as well as the knowledge acquired through their academic courses.

We are so passionate about the importance of international education and training in a student’s academic career, and we are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to providing students with a life changing experience.

Our Values

Value for the characteristics that make others different from ourselves, including but not restricted to: race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, culture. Granting equal opportunities and fostering an inclusive environment is of the upmost importance to our organization.

Acceptance

Value for the exploration of different ways in which we can better serve our staff, students, and community.

Continuous Improvement

Value for our students to use their experience away from home to explore and learn from the unfamiliar.

Discovery

Value for the differences that make our community strong. We strive to understand and appreciate that which is different from ourselves.

Diversity

Value for a holistic learning approach.

Education

Value for the global reach within which our organization operates. We celebrate the culture and variety brought by our students to our institute.

Internationality

Value for the pursuit and exploration of knowledge.

Knowledge

Value for the empowerment of our staff and students to facilitate change.

Leadership

Value for the ability to grow from every experience both in and out of the classroom.

Learning

Value for staff and students to feel capable and independent in their daily lives.

Self-confidence

Value for socially and environmentally progressive practices that protect our environment.

Sustainability

Mediterranean Location

Our Location

Why choose Sorrento?

Study abroad programs in Italy have traditionally focused on the popular cultural centers of Rome, Florence, Milan, and other cities in the north of Italy. At Sant’Anna Institute, study abroad students have the opportunity to experience the unique culture, customs, and climate of southern Italy.

Sant’Anna is located in the stunning town of Sorrento at the beginning of the Amalfi Coast, just 20 miles south of Naples. Perched atop hundred foot cliffs that face the Gulf of Naples, Sorrento is within sight of rugged snow-capped mountains, emerald waters, black sand beaches, cliff- hanging villages, and the world’s best known volcano: Vesuvius.

Sorrento is a safe, walkable, and picturesque center of international tourism. It has an international population, making it a small town, with a cosmopolitan feel.

Sorrento also boasts:

Friendly, gracious people
Southern hospitality
Italian style
Bustling shopping streets and traditional Roman-style alleys
A mild, sun-drenched Mediterranean climate
Culinary traditions based on the seafood, and locally grown, fresh produce
Streets lined with lemon and orange trees
Hillsides covered with olive groves and vineyards
Home to some of the best pizza and gelato you will find anywhere

Sorrento is a treasure all its own and a passageway to the:

tunning islands of Capri and Ischia
baroque splendor of Naples
majestic Greek temples at Paestum
historic Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum
world-famous collection at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples
cliff hanging villages of the Amalfi Coast, like Positano, Amalfi and Ravello
world’s best known volcano, Mount Vesuvius

It’s the perfect city to discover a home away from home with a hometown feel!

Sant’Anna Institute is located overlooking the Marina Grande of Sorrento, perched on the cliffside with stunning views from the sea-facing windows, and it’s a short walk to the harbor and the harbor-side restaurants.

The Institute is located a short 15-minute walk from the center of town and 20 minutes from the Sorrento train and bus station.

The Residence Hall was established in 2017 and is on the third and fourth floors of the Institute, overlooking the picturesque Marina Grande.