Why learn Italian? Here are some interesting facts about Italy:

• Italy has the sixth largest economy in the world and is in the top three for health care. 
• Italian is a primary language in the European Union (EU) and is an essential cultural referent for the millions of Italians (first generation and beyond) residing in the United States, Latin America, and Australia. 
• Italian is the language of Renaissance painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, and cinema. It is also the language of music (pianissimo, Verdi, Rossini), of fashion and, yes, of food. 
• Nobel Prizes in medicine (Rita Levi-Montalcini), and in literature (Pirandello, Deledda, Quasimodo, Montale, Dario Fo) have been awarded to Italians. 
• And Casanova will forever be synonymous with love.

Skidmore College offers students a variety of options to explore the Italian language, literature, and culture. Courses in beginning, intermediate, and advanced Italian are complemented by courses on Italian film, literature, and culture, and the study of fascism and the Holocaust. A business Italian class will prepare you to apply for a job in Italian.

Fluency in Italian can enhance your study of art history, studio art, government, international affairs, management and business, philosophy, history, music, or the natural sciences. Solid language and cross-cultural skills provide an important edge in today's global market. If you want to study in Italy, consider the benefit of choosing Italian as a foreign language, a minor, a major (self-determined), or as part of an interdepartmental major connecting Italian with art history, business, or political science. Skidmore supports exciting and affordable study-abroad programs in Florence, Bologna, Siena, Milan, and Rome. These programs allow you to transfer credit easily and to enjoy firsthand the history and culture of these great European cities.