Centro Italiano Firenze
Piazza D’Azeglio 20,, Florence, Tuscany 50121, Italy
Centro Italiano Firenze
Today our daily life can be said to be dominated by photographic images. They appear everywhere: on advertising billboards, in newspapers, on television, and above all via social networks, conditioning our lives more than we are able to fully comprehend. In the late 20’s, a famous Photographic artist, Laslo-Moholy-Nagy, said “not the one who ignores the alphabet, but the one who ignores photography, will be the illiterate of the future”. It’s a prophecy that has totally come true. In fact we all became visually-literate some time ago, from when televisions first appeared in every home, from when advertising images wink at us from every corner, and through the millions of posts on social media that accompany our daily lives.
This phenomenon however, in my opinion, is now almost a pathology, a sort of visual influence that makes us perceive the world only through the images that are given by it, making us almost totally destroy a careful and perceptive vision of the reality that surrounds us. Our gaze glances over things and places, thus nullifying our sense of place in the actual space in which we live. Reality, the world, of which we are totally an integral part, is a magical place, waiting to be discovered, ready to marvel us, and where every object, even the most banal, whispers its ecstatic Silent Life.
Our Darkroom course seeks to be like an oasis, in the middle of all this chaos and speed, a place to slow down, think, and be patient, a place where the magic of light manages to illuminate the artistic side that is in all of us. It’s an opportunity to be able to understand exactly which chemical procedures to use, in order to obtain high-quality images, and without ever having to run to our best friend to fix our computer problems.
We will begin by analysing the different types of cameras and films, their varying formats, and we will study the issues around obtaining correct exposure in photography, the theory and practice of developing a negative, leading finally to making Fine Art prints for an exhibition. Studying the masters of black and white photography will deepen our study of pure form, a magical and fascinating journey, which may seem a bit “retro”, but which will enable us to understand the magic of both the light and the dark, and apart from providing us with basic photographic technique, will educate our eyes to perceive the magic of things, and to grasp the mysterious significance of the riddles which lie within the folds of everyday life.
Program:
* The Camera
The Darkroom.
The various different types of camera, and their formats.
The Large Format camera.
The Reflex camera.
The Rangefinder camera.
The Diaphragm (Aperture).
The Shutter.
The Lens and its characteristics.
*Film and Exposure
Black and White film: characteristics and composition.
Film sensitivity.
Film grain.
Film formats.
Roll-film and flat film.
Spectral sensitivity.
Exposure in analogue photography.
Correct exposure of a photo taking into account light intensity: The Sunny 16 Rule.
Daylight.
Quality of Daylight.
Artificial Light.
Exposure with Flash.
Light-meter and its correct use.
Reading the Grey Card.
Exposure Value.
Exposure factors.
Reciprocity rule.
The K Factor.
Photographic Filters and their use.
* The Darkroom: Development processes
Developing black and white roll film.
Developing Large Format film.
Exposure scales and paper grades.
Graduated photographic printing papers.
Multigrade printing papers.
Gloss and Fiber-based papers.
Contact printing: tests.
Printing enlargements.
Pre-exposure in printing.
Condenser Enlarger v Diffuser Enlarger.
*The Darkroom: Advanced Techniques
Pre-exposure.
Fine grain v High acutance Developers.
Dodging and Burning.
Developing with Warm tone and Cool tone.
Retouching.
Conservation.
Level: Basic.
Duration: 1 month.
Start dates:
May 26, 2025 and July 21, 2025
May 25, 2026 until July 20, 2026
Hours: 4 hours a day, from Monday to Friday, a total of 20 hours a week.
Classes: groups of minimum 2 people, maximum 6 people.
You can choose from the following class times:
Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.
Average | 3 students |
Maximum | 6 students |
Age range | 15 years old and older |
Average | 35 years old (22 in the summer) |
Our staff and our goal -
The Founders of the school, Anja Schultz and Andrea Moradei, having had more than 30 years of experience in the field of Cultural Tourism, have created this new initiative, better-designed to satisfy the needs of both Italians, and foreigners.
From Italian Language, to Art, Photography and the Crafts
From an initial idea of offering a range of activities concentrating on Italian Language and Culture for foreign students, the need became obvious to open a general Cultural Centre, aimed at both Italian and foreign users, offering firstly a Learning opportunity, which can subsequently become a Professional opportunity.
Professional staff for every area of study, at your disposal
Sessions with professionals of all types: Photographers, Graphic Designers, Painters, Sculptors, Video Makers and Craftspeople have enabled us to delve deeply into a wide-range of subjects, with the idea of also enhancing future job opportunities.
For non-Italians we have created a series of custom courses to be able to learn the Italian Language, directly inspired by, and designed for, the various reasons that you’d like to speak Italian. In the light of this new approach, it was obvious for us to include a collaboration with our Centro Italiano in Naples, who have been working in this field for many years, with great success.
These are our collaborators:
Eleonora Nistri -Language and Italian culture
Franco Guardascione – Photography
Francesco D’Isa – Graphics for Advertising and Creative Writing
Marcello Fittipaldi – Video production and Web design
Serena Guidobaldi – Food Storytelling
Accademia d’Arte – Art
Le Arti Orafe – Goldsmithing
Decorazioni e Pitture – Artisan Production
Abacus – Bookbinding
Our location -
The classes at Centro Italiano take place in a historic building, in the tree-lined Piazza D’Azeglio, a 19th century square.
Two minutes from the school you’ll find the S.Ambrogio district, with its old food and flea markets. It’s an area that has maintained its own identity, where mainly Florentines live, and it’s away from the flow of group tourism. Small shops, artisan workshops, cafes, restaurants and theatres make this part of Florence particularly pleasant and lively. Not far away are Santa Croce square, the Dome, the University, and some of the city’s most important museums. The area is served by most city bus lines, so you can quickly and easily reach any part of the city. The school offers spacious and bright classrooms, free WIFI, and a peaceful garden.
CIF has partnerships with the following universities and colleges in Italy. You can gain full or conditional acceptance into one of these institutions.
The nationality and age mix at Centro Italiano Firenze varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 35. In the summer, the average age is 22.
CIF teaches students from all over the world, including:
The classes at Centro Italiano take place in a historic building, in the tree-lined Piazza D’Azeglio, a 19th century square, in the centre of Florence.
Two minutes from the school you’ll find the S.Ambrogio district, with its old food and flea markets. It’s an area that has maintained its own identity, where mainly Florentines live, and it’s away from the flow of group tourism. Small shops, artisan workshops, cafes, restaurants and theatres make this part of Florence particularly pleasant and lively. Not far away are Santa Croce square, the Dome, the University, and some of the city’s most important museums. The area is served by most city bus lines, so you can quickly and easily reach any part of the city. The school offers spacious and bright classrooms, free WIFI, and a peaceful garden.
The trip was everything I expected and more. The apartment that Anja helped me find was very close to the school and convenient to all the various landmarks I wanted to see. I arrived at the school able to communicate only in the present tense and in four weeks I have the tools to communicate in the past, the imperfect, the present progressive, the future, the imperative, the conditional, and the conjunctive (subjunctive). It is now up to me to continue to practice conversation to be able to use all that I learned with confidence.
I found the staff to be knowledgeable and attentive to the students' needs. Once a week they took us on a tour of the city and gave us historical information about the places and/or practical information on how to shop for food and tips on what to order when going to a restaurant.
The office staff was very helpful and responsive to my particular needs: restaurant recommendations, beauty salons, and extra private lessons.
The directors were responsive to my needs, beginning with their help finding appropriate lodging and making sure to place me in the right class for my level. All the above mentioned contributed to an extraordinary experience. I am planning to go back to the center and continue my studies next year.
I couldn't recommend this more. I had 1-1 tuition in the dark room and out in the city taking photographs. My teacher was so friendly and helpful in all areas. I had a truly terrific experience and feel lucky to have done it. The location was a short walk for me, the classroom was intimate and friendly, the activities were just what I was after.
Show details » Read more...I really enjoyed the mix between pure language classes and cultural aspects of the Italian language. The teachers had different teaching styles which made every week a bit different. Further this also meant that every new teacher had to assess my level again at the start of a new week. I believe that the learning outcome would be even better if there would not be that much change regarding teachers. But this is a very minor point. The classes were very intense which benefited the learning process. Overall, I’m very satisfied with my experience.
Show details » Read more...The lessons took place in an old palazzo just 20 minutes walking distance from our host family.
Communication with the school went very smoothly.
The teacher was very competent. She took my wishes into account.
The host family was very welcoming. There was plenty of opportunity to practice the language.
I will definitely book a course again in the future.
My experience at Centro Italiano was totally positive. I cannot think of one negative aspect.
First of all, the administration was most helpful in setting up my class schedule and home-stay. They were prompt, efficient and very understanding.
My choice of courses turned out to be a very good one. I opted to take activities that were conducted in Italian rather than language courses per se. I started with one week of painting and drawing at a nearby studio. The instruction and the teachers were excellent. The teachers were very knowledgeable and supportive. I spent the second week learning to cook with Ottavia. I can't complement her enough. She was pleasant, warm and a most capable teacher. We would start our sessions at 10:00 and spent three hours preparing three or four Tuscan dishes from scratch. Around 1:00 we would sit down to a delicious lunch which I had had a great part in preparing. The whole experience was delightful. My sincerest thanks to my excellent teacher Ottavia.
The other aspect of my Centro Italiano experience that i have to mention is the home-stay. The school chose carefully and well when they placed me in a conveniently located home near the Duomo. My host was Anna. A sweet, kind woman who was very thoughtful and most helpful. At the beginning of my stay in Florence i had a slight 'accident' while walking through the local market. Anna was like a close friend helping and guiding me through the 'crisis'. I am sure that she and I will stay in touch in the future.
Classes
Likes - The rooms were fine.
Dislikes - The foyer to the building where the school is needs lights. I could not see the door once I was buzzed into the building, and after two days, would feel around for the door knob out of muscle memory.
Teachers
Likes -- Maria was fantastic. I took one on one lessons, hoping to have a low pressure experience reviewing Italian and building up my ability to be conversational. Maria absolutely took this to heart and provided the experience I was looking for.
Dislikes -- That my lessons ended! :-(
Location
Likes -- perfect location. It was an easy 20 minutes' walk from the apartment where I was staying. It was also away from the touristy center of Florence, so I got to have a morning walk with my coffee in quiet neighborhoods on my way to class. The class is near a supermarket (Carrefour) which was useful.
Dislikes -- none.
Facilities
Likes -- they were fine
Dislikes -- the light switch to the bathroom is outside the bathroom door.
Activities
Likes -- Maria's activities were helpful. We spent a lot of time in conversation and then did some didactic review of tenses, which also included some activities using flash cards and games. This was the perfect experience I was looking for.
Housing
Not applicable - had my own housing.
Maria, my teacher, was excellent. She followed a definite program based on my level and was able to outline that for me at the beginning. She was friendly, energetic and interesting. I particularly liked that she let me finish my sentences, full of mistakes, before correcting me so I could finish my thought.
The school personnel were always friendly, professional and efficient. The learning spaces were quite comfortable, and the various areas of the school were inviting. I didn't feel locked into a sterile classroom.
I feel like my competence in speaking Italian advanced significantly in my two weeks at the school.
It was awkward for me as a vegan when I was invited to try things that were being made in the cooking class that was going on at the same time as my lessons. Especially with my level of Italian not being very high yet. While I could tell that the intentions were nothing but friendly, it was difficult and somewhat embarrassing. On raising the issue with my student advisor it was sorted out.
Homestays are carefully selected and offer students the opportunity to learn more about the local culture in a comfortable setting while studying Italian in Florence. These homes are often between 5 - 25 minutes away from the school by public transport. Families usually offer affordable meal plans that allow you to sample the local cuisine. If you have special requests or diet restrictions (because of religion or health reasons), please let us know in advance. Your housing starts on the Sunday before your first day of class and ends on the Saturday after your last day of class, unless otherwise noted. Learn more about homestay housing
We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.
Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.
Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Florence based on your budget, schedule and preferences.
Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.
Have questions? Get answers from Centro Italiano Firenze staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.
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