Off-Campus Study & Exchanges

Venice Beyond the Mask is a one-credit travel seminar designed to provide direct experience and hands-on understanding of the depth of Venice’s history, art and culture, beyond the theme-park experience established in recent decades. In this sequel to WLL 263 “The Myths of Venice” and AH 251 “Between Two Worlds,” students [Venice]  will travel to Venice and compare the Venice in brick and mortar to modern commercial tropes framing the city, from singing gondoliers to carnival masks. Students will encounter some of the most touristic sites of the city from a fresh vantage, bringing their respective knowledge of historic framing to discuss the conflicts between Venetian mythologizing and external interpretations. The seminar’s itinerary includes: the Palazzo Ducale and the Saint Mark cathedral, Museo Correr and Ca’ Rezzonico to study the history of Venice; the Gallerie dell’Accademia, Ca’ Pesaro Museum and Peggy Guggenheim Collection to consider the evolution of the city’s pictorial tradition, and the history of collecting; the Ca’ d’oro, Fondaco dei Tedeschi, and the Rialto Bridge as architectural theater backdrops for Venetian life; and the Jewish Ghetto and the Armenian monastery of San Lazzaro as emblems of cultural segregation.

During the two-week visit to Venice and its surrounding islands, students will record their reflections in a daily journal, guided by thematic questions borne from on-site class discussions. Further, each student will present on a topic pre-assigned before the end of the spring term. This format provides space for independent research and one-on-one meetings with the student’s respective professor prior to travel abroad.

In Venice, students will present directly on a topic to the class, lead the class in visual and contextual analyses, and receive constructive criticism from classmates to improve presentation skills. Ultimately, this excursion instills in-depth analytical interpretation through the rare opportunity of on-site investigation.