MUSM/CEP 395 – Tour Guiding for Santo Spirito Basilica (Community Engagement Practicum)

This internship is designed for students with good communication skills, who are curious about history, ancient art and architecture, and willing to broaden their cultural perspectives. The internship includes a seminar component, thus allowing students to reflect on their experience and discuss it.

As always happens with internships, students who commit to it should keep an open mind, be motivated to actively learn, and be flexible.

Field Experience/Practicum – 45 hours of practical experience in addition to the seminar.

“A Minimo Incipe” is an association whose offices are inside the Santo Spirito Basilica, one of the most important Florentine monuments. This complex (church, sacristy, and cloister) offers a cross section, so to speak, of Florentine history from the late Middle Ages to the present.

Students are involved in the Guided Tours of the Santo Spirito complex, which is not only a prestigious receptacle of artworks but also a place that brings together architecture, sculptures, and paintings to create a unique and rich whole.

During the first part of the academic term, students must study books on Renaissance Florence, especially focusing on the Santo Spirito complex. To build the necessary historical background they will both study sources and the additional

materials discussed in class. Understandably, the students’ collaboration with their ISI Florence professor is very important.

Both the ISI Florence professor and the A Minimo Incipe tutor will support the selected students. Also, they will take care of the organizational aspects pertaining to the internship.

The ISI Florence professor will serve as reference point for historical and cultural feedback. He will show the students around the building and the Santo Spirito neighborhood (one of the city’s four “quarters”). Furthermore, the ISI Florence professor will point out details, comment on materials, answer any questions the students may have and, finally, discuss all the assignments with them.

The aim of the first 3 weeks is to prepare students to become independent guides in charge of tours for English speaking visitors to the Santo Spirito complex. Students commit for 7 hours per week. During the second part of the internship (last 5 weeks), students will hone their critical thinking and develop skills to communicate effectively to a varied audience, ranging from kids to senior tourists.

Weekly Seminar – 11 hours total taught by an ISI faculty: 2h seminar first 3 weeks, 1h seminar from the 4th week onwards.

The seminar includes 90-minute weekly meetings and is based on readings, interactive class discussions, lectures and examining communication and public speaking skills in culturally different settings (though always in the context of arts and history).

By the end of this internship, students will:

• Increase their knowledge of one of the most important Florentine monuments.
• Gain a deeper knowledge of the history, art history, and architecture of medieval and Renaissance Florence.
• Improve public speaking skills in group contexts.
• Develop skills to communicate effectively to a varied audience, ranging from kids to senior tourists.
• Work autonomously with enthusiasm and confidence, leading their own group of tourists.
• Improve their critical thinking and communication skills.
• Become familiar with and benefit from being surrounded by masterpieces of Florentine art.
• Experience the visual arts from within.