San Gemini Preservation Studies

The San Gemini Preservation Studies GPS course is a four-week, 6-8 credit hour course in San Gemini, Umbria, Italy. This program is a series of courses, field projects and media and place-based experiences aimed at fostering the preservation of cultural heritage. The program offers students both theoretical knowledge in the class- room and hands-on skills on field projects and workshops.

Session 1: June 3 - June 28, 2024

Session 2: July 15 - August 9, 2024

Intersession Tour: July 1 - July 10, 2024

Cost

$5800.00 (6 credit hours) or $5800 (six to eight credit hours); Intersession $3000 (1 credit hour)
Includes: Course and credit hour costs; housing (shared apartments with laundry and kitchen facilities); insurance.

Does not include flight or travel fees or food. The cost of living in San Gemini is especially reasonable for Italy.

About San Gemini

San Gemini is a beautiful, small hill town in Umbria along the ancient Roman road, the Via Flaminia. Located between Rome and Florence, it is a convenient base for travel in central Italy. Rome can be reached in one hour and a half; other cities such as Perugia, Spoleto, Todi, Assisi, and Orvieto are even closer. Situated within easy reach of a wealth of cultural resources (museums, libraries, and many of the world’s treasures of art and architecture), San Gemini is a friendly town where students can easily meet local people and enjoy life in the Italian countryside. All San Gemini Preservation Studies faculty members hold Adjunct Faculty status at West Virginia University. Learn more about the San Gemini Preservation Studies International Institute for Restoration and Preservation Studies at their website.

Eligibility

This program and the associated courses are open to all students who have an interest in art, architecture, and archival preservation, conservation, and restoration. It is ideal for those contemplating careers in galleries, museums, archives, libraries, and state parks with collections of art, documents, or objects of material culture. It is ideal for students who plan to go into art and object conservation or historic preservation fields. WVU is a School of Record for San Gemini Preservation Studies. Students who are not currently WVU students may apply to the university for summer matriculation to receive regular course credit for the courses listed below. For more information on this process please contact:

WVU Education Abroad Office
B-3 Purinton House
PO Box 6313, Morgantown, WV 26506
P: 304-293-6955
F: 304-293-6957
educationabroad@mail.wvu.edu

Courses in Summer 2024

See catalog descriptions of courses

Courses are co-requisites: Session 1

ARHS 421 Professional Field Experience: Analysis of Archaeological Ceramics. 3 Hours. +

ARHS 422 Professional Field Experience: Restoration of Archaeological Ceramics. 3 Hours.

ARHS 451 Professional Field Experience: Introduction to the History and Craft of Book Bindings. 3 Hours. +

ARHS 452 Professional Field Experience: Intro to Preservation and Preventive Conservation of Books. 3 Hours.

ARHS 453 Professional Field Experience: Restoration of Traditional Masonry Buildings in Italy. 3 Hours. +

ARHS 454 Professional Field Experience: Sketching and Analyzing Historic Buildings in Italy. 3 Hours.

Intersession:

*Students must also participate in San Gemini Session 1 or Session 2 to apply for the Intersession program.

ARHS 393 Preservation Tour: Siena, Florence & Rome. 1 credit hour.

Includes specialized visits to places of interest to restorers, such as research laboratories and active sites of restoration.

Courses are co-requisites: Session 2

ARHS 455 Professional Field Experience: Paper Media and Restoration Methods for Artworks. 3 Hours. +

ARHS 456 Professional Field Experience: Handwritten & Printed Archival Materials Restoration Methods. 3 Hours.

*ARHS 459 Professional Field Experience: Restoration: Theory, Ethics, and Issues. 2 Hours.

*may be taken with the above two courses

ARHS 457 Professional Field Experience: Traditional Painting Materials, Methods, & Restoration Issues. 3 Hours. +
ARHS 458 Professional Field Experience: Traditional Painting Workshop. 3 Hours. +
ARHS 459. Professional Field Experience: Restoration: Theory, Ethics, and Issues. 2 Hours.

In addition to applying to WVU, student will also need to fill out an application form with San Gemini Preservation Studies.

In the news

Questions? Contact

Dr. Rhonda Reymond, Associate Professor and Coordinator for Art History
Rhonda.Reymond@mail.wvu.edu