Living La Dolce Vita in Milan

Buongiorno! My name is Claudia and over 2 weeks in July, I completed a course on Italian cinema at the Universita Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy. As a Law and Public Relations student, it was insightful to be able to study something completely different from what I had learned throughout my degree. It was incredibly enriching to discover Italian culture through an exploration of its cinema, whilst living in Italy and soaking up the Summer sun. 

The course

In class, we explored the evolution of Italian cinema and analysed 7 films from Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita’ up until Benigni’s ‘La Vita è Bella’. We only had around 4 hours of class in the morning and had our afternoons free to explore the city. As we only had nine people in our class from all over the world, we quickly became close and often had lunch together after class. 

Some of the girls in our class at ‘Mi Scusi’ for lunch.

As part of our course, we were lucky enough to go on an excursion to the Museum of Interactive Cinema where we tried out virtual reality, voice dubbing, green screens and sound mixing. We also watched Fellini’s famous movie, ‘8 ½’ in the museum’s very own cinema, all to ourselves. It was truly insightful to learn from our teacher about how films are made and how they have changed over time.

Georgia, Tilly and I are MIC playing with the green screen.

Outside of class, we were regular visitors to the local Pasticceria where we had our caffè (coffee) and a brioche (croissant), an Italian staple. The owners got to know us well and even let us practice our Italian!

We explored the city via the fast and efficient metro. One of the highlights of my stay was visiting the Duomo (Cathedral) and the terrace, where we had a beautiful view of Milan. We also spent a lot of time snatching up the sales on the shopping strip near the Duomo. 

Italy is well-known for its excellent food and there was no shortage of affordable antipasti, pasta, pizza, gelato and of course, Aperol Spritz! Some of our highlights include our dinner by the water in Navigli and getting poolside aperitivo at Bagni Misteriosi.

The view of Milan from the Terrace at Duomo.

On the weekend, I ventured out on a day trip to Lake Garda, only an hour away by train. I spent the day exploring the small beach town and relaxing by the water, which was the perfect respite from the heat. 

View of Lake Garda

Overall, if you’re looking for an unforgettable global experience, Milan is the place to be! From the course to the city, to the people, to the food, I couldn’t recommend it enough.  

Claudia Carozza
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Law and Communication)
‘Italian Masterpieces, portrayal of a culture through its cinema’ Program
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship Recipeint