UC Berkeley offers a rich range of courses through the Department of Italian Studies, as well as a newly revived language club and summer study abroad programs. Speakers of other Romance languages can enroll in Italian 1R, an intensive course that combines the first two semesters of language study. Below we speak to instructor and language program coordinator Cristina Farronato about what makes the Italian Studies program at Berkeley a great place for students, whether they are majoring, minoring, exploring art forms or getting ready to travel.
What can students expect who take Italian classes at Berkeley?
The most important thing for me is the sense of community that we create in Italian classrooms—students really get to know each other. Our classes are also very culturally rich. We have supportive instructors who care about the students and create a collaborative environment in the classroom.
What do you think might surprise students about the Italian language?
Italian is actually one of the most studied languages in the US, especially in certain fields like business, art and film. Another aspect that often surprises students is that there's not just one Italian. Students are fascinated by Italian regional dialects, and enjoy learning idiomatic expressions, which highlight the richness of Italian culture.
The Italian Studies department offers many courses focused on film and art. Why do you think it's important to gain exposure to these in the course of learning Italian?
We use film in part to develop vocabulary and sentence structure, but more importantly to put students in contact with Italian culture. It helps them understand Italy’s influence in the world, particularly because Italian cinema has had a strong impact on American films. We have students that come from those disciplines—media studies or film or art—and it's really interesting to see how they combine a love for language learning with another passion of theirs.
"I am deeply invested in creating an environment of trust, empathy, and curiosity, where students feel safe to take intellectual and emotional risks, to question assumptions, and to inhabit perspectives different from their own."
—Annamaria Bellezza, Distinguished Senior Lecturer
Annamaria Bellezza and Cristina Farronato pose with students at rehearsal for Words in Action, the annual spring performance. "Through literature, theater and film—especially the work of contemporary female authors like Ferrante or film directors like Antonioni and Visconti—I watch students recognize their own struggles, desires, and contradictions reflected in stories rooted in a different time and place," said Bellezza.
What should students know about majoring or minoring in Italian?
Italian pairs well with many different majors. Students who are pre-med or in STEM say that when they talk to their advisors, they really recommend a minor in Italian, for example, because it adds a distinctive dimension to their curriculum that is helpful for graduate applications. We're also in the process of reorganizing our majors and minorsto make them more accessible to students who have very demanding majors. I hope that students will recognize that and take advantage of it because once those changes are implemented it should be easier to integrate Italian into their academic plans.
Berkeley offers summer study abroad led by Italian instructors. What are these programs like?
Last summer we were able to relaunch our study abroad programafter it was interrupted by the pandemic. My colleague, Giuliana Perco, worked very hard to repurpose and renew the program she had created. She and I took the students to Italy together, and I think it was an amazing experience for all of us. It’s an immersive program—in addition to classes with us, students study with local instructors who are young people and with whom they create a really nice bond. Our cultural seminar is very experiential, with visits to museums and specific historical locations. As Giuliana and I are from the areas we visit—Trieste and Venice—we are able to guide students towards special experiences. And they come back, of course, loving Italian food!
What is your favorite thing about teaching?
Seeing how the students at a certain point in the semester are actually able to express themselves in the language, that's a big satisfaction for any instructor. I really enjoy the sense of community that we create in the classrooms and getting to know Berkeley students, who are amazing people and who bring their curiosity and creativity to class. I love sharing my culture with them.
Do you have alumni stories to share in terms of where studying Italian has taken your students?
Students pursue diverse careers—for example, we had a student who did an internship with Leonardo, a major Italian aerospace company: not everyone knows that Italy has a strong space program which collaborates with the US.
Is there anything else you'd like to highlight?
In Spring 2026 we plan to offer more cultural events and opportunities for students to connect outside the classroom, including the return of the Italian club. We warmly invite students to join and become part of our growing community.
Cristina Farronato and Annamaria Bellezza are among the talented Italian instructors on campus.
Wanting more information? Below are some key points of contact:
–Italian Department undergraduate website
–Find out more about travel scholarships and awards offered by the department for graduating seniors
–Interested in majoring or minoring in Italian? Contact Amanda Minafo
–Register for a January 2026 information session about summer study abroad in Italy
–Contact study abroad advisor Renee Camarena with questions about summer study abroad and find more information here. Students can also arrange internships in Bologna and Rome.
–Meet the Italian Studies faculty
–Check out the Italian Studies Instagram page
–Look into peer tutoring available through Italian Studies
–Learn about the Study Intercultural Training Experience (SITE) program for recent graduates in Lombardy, Italy
–Find out about Words in Action here, the yearly spring tradition where students come together to celebrate language and the arts
Want to see a Spotlight on a particular language? Contact Rosa Norton at rosa.norton@berkeley.edu.
"I teach because I believe education should be transformative, humanistic, and relational—because what ultimately endures are not just skills or content, but the stories exchanged, the bonds formed, and the moments when students recognize themselves differently and more fully."
—Annamaria Bellezza, Distinguished Senior Lecturer