ITALIAN CINEMA & THE CITY: Rome, the Vatican, Venice, Tuscany, & Amalfi Coast

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Study Abroad Program: URome: University of Miami-American University of Rome Locations: Rome, Italy, with weekend visits to Venice, Tuscany, and ancient Roman & Greek sites on the Amalfi Coast Semester: Summer I - 2016 Dates: 22 May - 24 June 2016 Majors/ Programs: Cinema & Interactive Media, Italian, Urban Studies Course nos. CIM 394 ITA 317 URB 301 Credits: 3i Enrollment: 8 - 14 undergraduates Faculty & Contact: Dr. Ruth Reitanii [email protected]

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Rome does not need to make culture. It is culture. Prehistoric, classical, Etruscan, Renaissance, Baroque, modern. Every corner of the city is a chapter in an imaginary universal history of culture. -Federico Fellini, in World Film Locations: Rome, p. 6

Film is the urban cultural form, par excellence. -Tony Fitzmaurice, Cinema and the City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context, p. 19-20

Course Overview, Content & Outcomes:

Most students and fans of Italian films only get to visit “the Eternal City” of Rome in their imagination, being temporarily transported there through the magic of cinema. But this summer, students will get to explore firsthand and on foot the magnificent cities of Italy--first and foremost Rome--as rich and dynamic spaces of cinematic inspiration, creation and production.

‘ITALIAN CINEMA & THE CITY: Rome, the Vatican, Venice, Tuscany, & Amalfi Coast’ is an immersive educational experience comprised of a UM faculty-led course combining evening film- club screenings and discussions with afternoon and weekend group excursions to locales

i Students are also invited to enroll in additional 3-credit course at AUR in their major, which will greatly enrich their overall experience by maximizing learning and enhancing understanding of the city and culture. This will also expand their peer group and better immerse them into student and social life in Rome. The professor will work with students to register in an appropriate course directly, work out a UM course equivalency in advance, and petition to transfer the credits back to UM. You may preview AUR’s excellent summer course offerings at: https://www.my.aur.it/ICS/Course_Offerings__Syllabi.jnz ii See brief biography in Addendum I. 1 immortalized in those films. And to maximize their time abroad, students are strongly encouraged to enroll in an additional daytime course at our URome program partner, the American University of Rome, meeting on AUR’s campus or throughout the city at archeological sites and museums.iii

In our course, we’ll visit locations depicted in ‘sword and sandal’ epics, ‘Hollywood on the Tibur’-era American productions, neorealist films, literary adaptations, and movies that defied and thus defined their own genres, made by Italian (and Anglo) auteur directors including Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica, Pier Paolo Pasolini, the Taviani brothers, Bernardo Bertolucci, Paolo Sorrentino, Nanni Moretti, Billy Wilder, Anthony Minghella, and Merchant-Ivory Productions.

In addition to the major historic and touristic sites of Rome, Venice, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast that have been captured on film, we’ll visit key sites of film education, production and dissemination: Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, the headquarters of the Venice Biennale Film Festival (and visit the Architecture Biennale taking place), and Italy’s main film school, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. Along the way, we’ll deepen our understanding of Roman history, archeology, architecture, urbanization and city planning throughout the ancient, medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, modern and late/post-modern periods.

In terms of outcomes, in addition to the proficiency gained in Italian cinema, history and culture via the monthlong immersive experience described above, students will create their own projects that will deepen their understanding of the most important cultural form—cinema--and the most important form of social organization—the city—in the 20th and now 21st century. (And, at the nexus of film studies, sociology, urban studies, geography, and architecture, this is among the most exciting and understudied interdisciplinary endeavors today). Concretely, they will create a coherent body of work in the form of seven travelogues, film critique essays, photo-essays or short videos which they’ll publish on our course website and can use in their future professional media portfolios.

Assignments & Grading:

Seven (7) (at minimum) interrelated creative projects 70 % Reflecting on the assigned films & site visits, students will upload two projects a week onto their individual webpage on our on-line course platform (more details to follow). In this way students can share their journey with friends, family and the public while also honing their skills as a travel writer, film critic, or videographer. In consultation with the professor, students should give some thought to the nature, style and content of their page in advance. Creative projects can include:

-- photo-essay travelogues (@ 500 words each + photos) -- video travelogues (1-3 minutes each, shot and edited by the student on their own) -- film critique essays (@ 3-500 words each), enhanced with images from the web. -- other ideas? Can be discussed with the professor for possible approval

One (1) class /film presentation + co-led w/professor site excursion 15 % ** Students select & prepare in advance on first-come, first-serve enrollment basis

Attendance, assigned reading & participation at all events on itinerary 15 % iii see previous note for more details. 2 Course Readings & Materials:

REQUIRED READINGS:

(note: some of these titles are available in e-book format; however, they are light enough to carry, and sometimes paper is still a safer and more convenient choice when traveling):

Entire book (bring with you to Rome):

Gabriel Solomons, World Film Locations: Rome (University of Chicago Press, 2014)

Excerpted chapters (will be available on our course’s UM Blackboard page):

Alberto Zambenedetti, World Film Locations: Florence (Intellect Books - World Film Locations) (Intellect Books - World Film Locations, 2014) Michael Pigott, World Film Locations: Venice (Intellect Books - World Film Locations, 2013) Mark Shiel and Tony Fitzmaurice, Cinema and the City: Film and Urban Studies in an Urban Context, Malden, Mass: Blackwell, 2011): pp. x-30 (Preface & Chs.1-2). David H. J. Larmour and Diana Spencer, The Sites of Rome: Time, Space, Memory (Oxford University Press, 2007): pp. ix; 1-60 (Preface & Introduction) Giuliana Minghelli, Landscape and Memory in Post-Fascist Film: Cinema Year Zero (New York: Routledge, 2013) John Rhodes, Stupendous Miserable City: Pasolini’s Rome (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007) John Agnew, Rome (NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1995) Alistair J.L. Blanshard and Kim Shabudin, Classics on Screen: Ancient Greece and Rome on Film (London: Bristol Classical Press, 2011) Elena Theodorakopoulos, Ancient Rome at the Cinema: Story and Spectacle in Hollywood and Rome (Exeter: Bristol Phoenix Press, 2010) Monica Silveira Cyrino, Big Screen Rome (Malden, Mass: Blackwell, 2005) Maria Wyke, Projecting the Past: Ancient Rome, Cinema and History (London: Routledge, 1997) Daniel Bilterist and Daniella Treveri Gennari, eds. Moralizing Cinema: Film, Catholicism and Power Routledge, 2015) Daniella Gennari, Post-War Italian Cinema: American Intervention, Vatican Interests (Routledge, 2009) Gian Piero Brunetta, trans. by Jeremy Parzen, The History of Italian Cinema: A Guide to Italian Film from Its Origins to the Twentieth Century (Princeton University Press) Peter Bondanella, ed., The Italian Cinema Book (London: British Film Inst., 2014) Peter Bondanella, A History of Italian Cinema (NY: Bloomsbury, 2009) Peter Bondanella, The Films of Roberto Rossellini (Cambridge University Press, 1993), Chs. 1-4. Peter Bondanella, Cinema of Federico Fellini (Princeton University Press, 1992) Millicent Marcus, Film-Making by the Book: Italian Cinema and Literary Adaptation (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993)

+ additional articles

3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

Lonely Planet city guide & phrasebooks (again, small enough to carry):

Duncan Garwood & Abigail Hole, Lonely Planet’s Rome City Guide, 2010.

Lonely Planet, Italian Phrasebook & Dictionary, 2012, 5th edition.

Short histories of Rome:

Christopher Kelly, The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press (September 14, 2006) 168 pages David M. Gwynn, The Roman Republic: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) 1st Edition, Oxford University Press; 1 edition (October 25, 2012) 168 pages

Daily Course Outline & Travel Itinerary: (Note: final itinerary will be confirmed & distributed in Spring 2016)

Pre-departure:

Films to view & take brief notes on:

These 40 films provide a basic intro to Italian cinema, as well as to American & British films set in Italy, to the cities we’ll visit, and directors we’ll study while there. Watch as many as you can, paying close attention to the portrayal of places as well as each directors’ themes and styles. Taking brief notes now will enrich and inform the seven projects you’ll write or create and post online while in Italy.

Rossellini, Paisà (1946) Hill, A Little Romance (1979) De Sica, The Bicycle Thief (1948) The Tavianis, The Night of Shooting Stars (1983) Negulescu, Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) Merchant-Ivory, A Room with a View (1985) Wyler, Ben-Hur (1959) Newell, Enchanted April (1991) Pasolini, Mamma Roma (1962) Moretti, Ciao Diario (1994) Losey, Eve (1962) Radford, Il Postino (1994) Antonioni, L’Eclisse/The Eclipse (1962) Minghella, English Patient, (1996) Visconti, The Leopard (1963) Softley, The Wings of the Dove (1997) Mankiewicz, Cleopatra (1963) Benigni, Life is Beautiful (1998) Fellini, 8 ½ (1963) Minghella, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) De Sica Il Boom (1963) Taymor, Titus (1999) De Sica, Marriage, Italian Style (1964) Gray, The Italian Job (2003) Pontecorvo, The Battle of Algiers (1966) Wells, Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) Leone, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Radford, Merchant of Venice (2004) Bellocchio, Fists in the Pocket (1968) Hallström, Casanova (2005) Fellini, Fellini Satyricon (1969) Garrone, Gomorrah (2008) Bertolucci, The Conformist (1970) Bellocchio, Vincere (2009) De Sica, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970) Henckel v. Donnersmarck, The Tourist (2010) Argento, Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) Allen, To Rome with Love (2012) Visconti, Obsession (1977) Pif, The Mafia only Kills in Summer (2013) 4

UM pre-departure course Meet-up/ Orientation: Spring semester, TBD

Note: Readings to be assigned in advance & on the dates below will be drawn from the texts listed on previous pages, and will be included in the final syllabus distributed in spring 2016

Departure & Italian Itinerary (22/23 May – 24 June 2016)

22-23 May Su-Mo Depart for Rome, Italy (individually)

23-24 Mo-Tu Arrive in Rome (each student met at airport by AUR rep) Settle into student apartments near AUR

25 Wed The American University of Rome (AUR) Orientation Briefing by US embassy staff

26 Th AUR Day Classes begin. Last day to drop/add without a “W”

eve.: Orientation in our Trastevere neighborhood Benvenuti (welcome) group dinner at a local trattoria

27 Fr AUR Class

28 Sa Introducing Ancient Rome: Guided tour of the Colosseum & Roman Forum (Temple of the Vestal Virgins, Arch of Septimus Severus, House of the Senate, Arch of Titus, Burial site of Julius Caesar)

29 Su Introducing Catholic Rome: Guided tour of the Vatican & Holy See (St. Peter's Basilica, view of Pope's Residence, St Peter's Square, Swiss Guards, Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's Frescoes, & Vatican Museums)

Note: an Audience with Pope Francis will be arranged for students who wish, one Wed. am. (if the Pope is not travellingiv)

30 Mo AUR Classes

Introducing ‘Tourist’ Rome: eve: CineClub Italiano 1: Wiler’s Roman Holiday (1953)

31 Tu AUR Classes

Eve: Tour of Rome’s major Monuments, Piazzas & Fountainsv: iv For more information, see http://www.papalaudience.org/ 5 Piazza Venezia, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Fountain of the Four Rivers, Tomb of Raphael, & Monument of Vittorio Emanuelle.

1 June We AUR Classes

Introducing Republican Rome: eve: CineClub Italiano 2: Sorrentino’s Il Divo (2008)

2 Th Festa della Repubblica - National Italian Holiday (no AUR classes) Attend laying of wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Military parade from Via dei Fori Imperiali to Piazza Venezia led by Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella Concerts in gardens of the Palazzo del Quirinale (this launches the Estate Romana/Roman Summer festival of art and music throughout the city, many events free – TBA

3-5 Fr-Su Ancient Rome & Greece (cont.), along the Amalfi Coast: Weekend trip to Mount Vesuvius, Paestum and Pompeii (more details to come)

6 Mo AUR Classes. Student enrollment snapshot.

Literary Adaptations: from faithful to transformational eve: CineClub Italiano 3: Taviani brothers’ Caesar Must Die (2012)

7 Tu AUR Classes

pm: Tour Italy’s main film school, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (Experimental Cinematography Centre) and its three components: Scuola Nazionale di Cinema (National Film School); the Cineteca Nazionale (National Film Archive), & CSC Production House (film production unit)vi

8 We AUR Classes eve: CineClub Italiano 4: Visconti’s Death in Venice (1971)

9 Th AUR Classes eve: Train to Venice

10-12 Fr-Su Discover ‘La Serenissima’: Weekend Trip to Venice Venice Biennale of Architecture exhibition; Venice Film Festival offices; Vivaldi Concert at Chiesa San Vidal, film locations visits

v For each city excursion, we will strive to minimize overlap with students’ AUR day-classes. vi See http://www.fondazionecsc.it/ 6 13 Mo AUR Classes

Roma, à la Rossellini, Fellini…e Mussolini: Eve: CineClub Italiano 5: Rossellini’s Roma, Città Aperta (1945)

14 Tu AUR Classes pm: Guided Tour of Rome’s Fascist and post-war architecture & urban planning

15 We AUR Classes. Last day to drop AUR class w/out a ‘W’ a.m.: tent: Papal Audience with Pope Francis, Vatican (elective)

eve: CineClub Italiano 6: Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960)

16 Th AUR Classes

Cinecittà, Then & Now: Hollywood on the Tibur, redux?:

pm: Guided tour of Cinecittà Film Studios

read: “Rome's Cinematic 'Dream Factory' Ramps Up Production Once Again,” Sylvia Pogiolli, NPR (21 May 2015)vii

17-19 Fr-Su Discover Medieval Italy & ‘La Bella’ Tuscany: (more details to come) Weekend Trip to Pisa, Florence, Trequanda, Montecatini

20 Mo AUR Classes

‘Insider’ Views of Rome: Nanni Moretti & Paolo Sorrentino:

eve: CineClub Italiano 7: Moretti’s We Have a Pope (Habemus Papam), (2011)

21 Tu AUR Classes Free eve. (to study for AUR final exams)

22 We AUR Classes eve: CineClub Italiano 8: Sorrentino’s La Grande Bellezza (2013)

23 Th AUR Final Exams eve: Buon Viaggio group dinner

24 Fr AUR Housing check-out Depart Rome

vii http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/05/21/406231378/romes-cinematic-dream-factory-ramps-up- production-once-again 7 Ruth Reitan’s Biography (Addendum I)

Ruth Reitan has taught in the University of Miami's International Studies Department (2005-2014) on the subjects of economic globalization, international relations theory, human rights, social movements, conflict resolution, security, and research methods, and is currently pursuing an MFA in the Cinema and Interactive Media Department in UM’s School of Communication, where she holds a Graduate Fellowship and also lectures in Gender and Cinema (CIM 408; co-listed with Women’s and Gender Studies) and the History of International Cinema (CIM 205, co-listed with International Studies). She earned her Ph. D. in International Relations from American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC, in 2006.

Reitan lived in northern Italy and conducted research in affiliation with American University’s Graduate Research Center at the University of Trento from 2002-2005 and then at the European Academy (Eurac) in Bolzano each summer until 2012, and has traveled extensively throughout Italy and Europe.

In addition to her scholarly books, chapters, and articles on social movements, theories of globalization, research methodology and, more recently, film criticism, she has a travel & film weblog on wordpress.com and a forthcoming piece in the literary travel magazine Nowhere on Ernest Hemingway’s Havana. She’s written and produced three short films to date and won several writing awards for historical dramatic feature-length screenplays. Reitan is also founder and director of the Humphrey Bogart Student Short Film Festival and Competition in Key Largo, FL.

8 Important Travel Information: (Addendum II)

From the US State Department and University of Miami:

IN-COUNTRY FACTS & CONTACTS:

Students who are U.S. citizens are required to register their trip individually with the U.S. State Department at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/

Non-U.S. citizens must contact the embassy or consulate of their country of citizenship for procedures to register their trip abroad, or to see if such services are available or required.

Students must also register all legs of their travel with red24 at the website: https://www.red24.com/affiliate/chartis/um/ (The link can also be found in myUM under Online Resources.)

And be compliant with the University’s Student International Travel Policy. (follow this link)

Most up-to-date information can be provided at: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/italy.html

Assistance for U.S. Citizens

Embassies and Consulates: U.S. Embassy Rome Via Vittorio Veneto, 121 00187 Rome, Italy • Telephone +(39) 06-46741 • Emergency After-Hours Telephone +(39) 06-46741 • Fax +(39) 06-4674-2217 • Email [email protected] • U.S. Embassy Rome The Rome consular district include the regions of Lazio, Marche, Umbria, Abruzzo, and Sardegna.

Consulates

U.S. Embassy to the Holy See Via delle Terme Deciane 26 00162 Rome, Italy Telephone: +(39) 06-4674-3428 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(39) 06-46741 Fax: +(39) 06-575-8346 U.S. Consulate General Naples Piazza della Repubblica 80122 Naples, Italy

9 Telephone: +(39) 081-583-8111 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(39) 081-583-8111 Fax: +(39) 081-583-8275 The Naples consular district includes the regions of Campania, Molise, Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, and Sicilia. [email protected]

U.S. Consular Agent - Venice Viale Galileo Galilei 30 30173 Tessera, Italy Telephone: +(39) 041-541-5944 Fax: +(39) 041-541-6654 [email protected]

Visa Requirements:

Italy is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Italy without a visa for up to 90 days within each 180-day period for tourist or business purposes. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your intended date of departure from the Schengen area. You need sufficient funds and a return airline ticket. If your passport does not meet the Schengen requirements, you may be refused boarding by the airline at your point of origin or while transferring planes. You could also be denied entry when you arrive in the Schengen area. For this reason, we recommend that your passport have at least six months ‘validity remaining whenever you travel abroad.

Under Italian law, all non-residents are required to complete a declaration of presence (dichiarazione di presenza). Travelers arriving from a non-Schengen country (such as the United States) should obtain an immigration stamp in their passport at the airport on the day of arrival; this is considered the equivalent of the declaration of presence.

Travelers arriving from another Schengen country must request the declaration of presence form from a local police office (commissariato di zona), police headquarters (questura), or their place of stay (e.g., hotel, hostel, campgrounds), and submit the form to the police or to their place of stay within eight business days of arrival. You must keep a copy of the receipt issued by the Italian authorities. Failure to complete a declaration of presence is punishable by expulsion from Italy.

Safety/ Security/ Crime:

U.S. State Departmental travel advisory warning page: http://travel.state.gov./travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html

To stay connected:

• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements.

10 • Follow the Bureau of Consular Affairs on Twitter and Facebook. • Bookmark the Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution. • Follow the U.S. Embassy in Rome on Twitter and Facebook, and visit the Embassy’s website. • In the event of an emergency, contact us at 1-888-407-4747 toll-free within the United States and Canada, or via a regular toll line, 1-202-501-4444, from other countries. • Take some time before traveling to consider your personal security and checking for useful tips for traveling safely abroad.

CRIME: Italy has a moderate rate of crime. Nevertheless, you should exercise extra caution at night and at train stations, airports, nightclubs, bars, and outdoor cafes. If you are drinking heavily, your ability to judge situations and make decisions may be impaired, making you a target for crime.

Petty crimes such as pick-pocketing, theft from parked cars, and purse snatching are serious problems, especially in large cities. Never leave your bag unattended (e.g., at your feet, hanging over a chair, in the overhead rack on a train, etc.), even for a moment. Pick-pockets sometimes dress like businessmen; you should not be lulled into a false sense of security by believing that well-dressed individuals are not potential pick-pockets or thieves. Most reported thefts occur at crowded tourist sites, on public buses and trains, and at the major railway stations: Rome's Termini; Milan's Centrale; Florence's Santa Maria Novella; and Naples's Centrale at Piazza Garibaldi. Thefts have also been reported on the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Pompeii and Sorrento. For more information on trains and security, please see the Italian railway police’s advice for travelers. You should also be alert to theft in Milan’s Malpensa Airport, particularly at car rental agencies. Clients of Internet cafes in major cities are also targeted. Be careful with your bag or purse, as thieves on motor scooters are very quick and can snatch a purse off your arm from a moving scooter. Resisting these thieves can be hazardous, as some tourists have suffered broken arms and collarbones.

Thieves in Italy often work in groups or pairs. Pairs of accomplices or groups of children are known to divert tourists' attention so that another can pick-pocket them. In one particular routine, one thief drops or spills something on the victim; a second thief assists the victim in cleaning up the mess; and the third discreetly takes the victim's belongings. Criminals on crowded public transportation slit the bottoms of purses or bags with a razor blade or sharp knife, removing the contents.

Some travelers in Rome, Florence, and Naples have reported incidents in which criminals used drugs to assault or rob them. These incidents have occurred near Rome’s Termini train station; at bars and cafes near Rome’s Colosseum, Colle Oppio, Campo de Fiori, and Piazza Navona; and at bars and cafes in the center of Florence and Naples. Criminals using this tactic “befriend” you at a train station, restaurant, café, or bar, and then offer you a drink laced with a sleeping drug. When you fall asleep, criminals steal your valuables and may sexually assault you. Some victims of these assaults in Rome have required hospitalization and two cases resulted in death.

Thieves are also known to have impersonated police officers in order to steal. The thief shows you a circular plastic sign with the words "police" or “international police" and then in perfect English asks to see your identification and your money. U.S. citizens should be aware that local police will generally exit their own vehicle when speaking with members of the public. Also, plainclothes undercover units rarely attempt to pull over vehicles without a marked car accompanying them. If

11 this happens to you, you should insist on seeing the officer's identification card (documento) before handing over your wallet as impersonators tend not to carry forged documents. You should immediately report thefts or other crimes to the actual police.

Be alert to the possibility of carjackings and thefts while you are waiting in traffic or stopped at traffic lights. This has been a particular problem in Catania, Sicily. Keep your car doors locked and the windows rolled up when you are in the vehicle. Use particular caution driving at night on highways, when thieves are more likely to strike. U.S. citizens have reported break-ins of their rental cars during stops at highway service areas; thieves smash car windows and steal everything inside. Theft of small items, such as radios, luggage, cameras, briefcases, and even cigarettes, from parked cars is prevalent. Vehicles parked near beaches during the summer can be broken into and robbed of valuables. Lock car doors whenever you park, and do not leave packages in your car in plain view.

The U.S. Secret Service in Rome is assisting Italian law enforcement authorities in investigating an increase in the appearance of ATM skimming devices. These devices are attached to legitimate bank ATMs, usually located in tourist areas, and capture the account information stored electronically on the card’s magnetic strip. The devices consist of a card reader installed over the legitimate reader and a pin-hole video camera mounted above the keypad that records the customer’s PIN. ATMs with skimming devices installed may also allow normal transactions to occur. The victim’s information is sold, traded online, or encoded on another card, such as a hotel key card, to access the compromised account. Here are some helpful hints to protect against and identify skimming devices:

• Use ATMs located in well-lighted public areas or secured inside a bank/business. • Cover the keypad with one hand as you enter your PIN. • Look for gaps, tampered appearance, or other irregularities between the metal faceplate of the ATM and the card reader. • Avoid card readers that are not flush with the face of the ATM. • Closely monitor your account statements for unauthorized transactions.

Organized criminal groups operate throughout Italy, but are more prevalent in the south. They occasionally resort to violence to intimidate or to settle disputes. Though the activities of such groups are not generally targeted at tourists, visitors should be aware that innocent bystanders could be injured.

VICTIMS OF CRIME: If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime abroad, you should contact the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. We can:

• Replace a stolen passport. • Help you find appropriate medical care if you are the victim of violent crimes such as assault or rape. • Put you in contact with the appropriate police authorities and, if you want us to, contact family members or friends. • Help you understand the local criminal justice process and direct you to local attorneys, although it is important to remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crime.

12 The local equivalent to the “911” emergency line in Italy is 112.

Please see our information for victims of crime, including possible victim compensation programs in the United States.

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Italy, you are subject to its laws. Arrest notifications in Italy: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in that country, others may not. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Strikes and other work stoppages frequently occur in the transportation sector (national airlines, airports, trains, and bus lines); most are announced in advance and are of short duration. You may wish to reconfirm any domestic and/or international flight reservations if you are traveling during one of these events.

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBT events in Italy. For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Italy you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For further information on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Italy, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from in the United States. Many find Italy’s narrow cobbled streets and storied monuments charming; they can, however, be a challenge for physically impaired travelers. Many Italian sidewalks lack ramps, and some Italian streets lack sidewalks altogether or, as in Venice, feature stairs and narrow pedestrian bridges. While some major sights and hotels have put time and planning into ensuring accessibility, there are others that lack ramps, elevators, or handicap-accessible bathrooms.

Health and Insurance:

A copy of the Foreign Travel Insurance Form must be printed and carried by the student while traveling. The form can be found here: https://www6.miami.edu/travel/International- Travel/Foreign-Travel-Insurance.pdf

· Print out the following brochure Chartis Travel Guard and take two copies of the card on page 2 along with you on the Trip.

Special VACCINATIONS: None required

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