Ideal for students who are passionate about the arts.
Not ideal for students who want to stay anonymous and don’t want to get involved in the school community.
The good
- Excellent facilities with top range amenities.
- Great range of creative and unique courses.
- Great value for money (considering the facilities available to the students).
The bad
- Currently, there is a lot of construction in the area so the air is not so clean (this should be finished within the year)
Date of my inspection visit at Accademia Europea di Firenze: June 06, 2024
My overall take
Accademia Europea di Firenze (AEF) was hands down one of my favourite schools in Florence. It is located in the centre of Florence, only steps away from Piazza San Marco and Riccardi Medici Palace and less than 10 minutes to Mercato Centrale, where you can purchase authentic Florentine lunch. The immediate surroundings also have many cafes, restaurants, and gelaterias if you cannot take the 8-minute stroll to the centre of the Duomo.
As a school with an emphasis on art, they take the interactive approach to experiential learning. Students are welcome to express their artistic skills, there was a Brazilian student painting a mural when I visited, as well as photography taken by students in the school plastered all over the walls. Not only do they encourage and help nurture your artistic skills, but they also display said work, just like a proud parent would.
There are many language exchanges and school trips outside the class with locals, and they are all linked to what they are learning in class, including listening and speaking with the locals through a class called language exchange. All the academic staff are highly qualified and experienced, as is their student life team, who take care of all the students from start to finish.
AEF is for anyone who is willing to learn Italian culture and completely immerse themselves in the way of life as an Italian would. Additionally, if your aim is to adopt their “study, learn, live, and engage” approach to learning, you will thrive at this school.
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Accademia Europea di Firenze at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.5 (4 ratings) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Small Max. 12 students in Standard Italian course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Average diversity. No nationality more than 20%. Top nationality: Brazilian, Mexican & USA |
| Learning intensity | 30-45 minutes daily homework every week |
| Number of students | 250 adults in July 210 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 18 years |
| Accreditations | EDU Italia, Formal Education Abroad, NAFSA, CILS |
| Course range | Italiano Insieme (Standard Course), Intensive Italian Course, Italian Plus Culture, Online Private Course, Online Semi-Private Course, Italian Plus Music, Italian Plus Art |
| Accommodation types | Student Apartments, Individual Apartments, Shared student apartments (i.e. single, double, triple rooms) |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 45min/lesson | 1 week: €240 3 weeks: €720 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: €70 Course material fee: none |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | €17.60 per 60 minute tuition |
My tour of the school & video review
Student voices
Unfiltered comments from random students I met at the school and asked about their experience.
“When I arrived, I didn’t speak Italian, and even if I had an idea, it wasn’t the idea that I had [when I got here]. I like the way that they teach me!“
Foran
34 years from Mexico
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Gustavo Gesteira Costa, School President of Accademia Europea di Firenze.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
School: “AEF is an Italian language, culture and art school. We have hosted students for the last 20 years (we are 20 years old in January 2025) from 40 different countries. So all the students can get to know people from different cultures not just from Florence. We also offer, I would say, 80 courses!“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
School: “Any student willing to get to know Italian culture and language and to develop their skills with art may be our ideal student.“
School inspection report
Classrooms
Every classroom is large, brightly lit, and technologically equipped. All classrooms either have smart TVs or projectors. In the rooms adapted for art-based courses, there are sound systems, acoustic walls for the music rooms, photography equipment (cameras and tripods), and an art studio with all the supplies needed for painting and sculpture work.
Facilities
Although it is not one large communal area, students have multiple seating areas dotted on different floors. There is also a mini library/chill-out zone near the “student life” offices, and students are more than welcome to enjoy their breaks here. Wifi and high-speed internet connect because the building is old, so normal data won’t be accessible.
Surrounding area
AEF is only 3 minutes from Piazza San Marco and Riccardi Medici Palace, less than 10 minutes to Mercato Centrale, 8 minutes from the Duomo, and 15 minutes from the train station.
Social activities
There is a great range of cultural and artistic activities, from museum and cathedral visits to photography and opera events. Of course, they also host evenings where students can have dinner together. Although there is not an activity every day, there is an activity most days.
Trusted student ratings of Accademia Europea di Firenze on the web
| Total | 4.5 (4 ratings) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.5 (4 ratings) |
Ratings as of June 28, 2024
Why no Google or Facebook ratings? Schools may have requested Facebook, Google or Trustpilot reviews only from those students that previously gave positive after-course evaluations. I only trust ratings from independent booking platforms/agencies, that allow exclusively clients who booked via their platform to rate the schools. I have checked each of these sites above and they have no disproportional number of positive vs negative reviews.
Location of Accademia Europea di Firenze
Via Camillo Cavour, 37, 50129 Firenze, Italy
Accademia Europea di Firenze – Reviews & Exclusive Discounts at LanguageCourse.net »
