Ideal for students who want to be right by Piazza del Duomo.
Not ideal for students who wish to avoid the busyness of being right in the historic centre.
The good
- Largest range of unique courses.
- Amazing views of the Duomo.
- Affordable tuition price.
The bad
- Slightly outdated facilities and classrooms.
Date of my inspection visit at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Florence: June 3, 2024.
My overall take
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Firenze is centre right in the heart of Florence, minutes away from Piazza del Duomo, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and Percorso Museale di Santa Maria Nuova. This area is filled with traditional and popular cafes, restaurants, bars and more.
This school was founded in 1977 and has more than 45 years of experience. Quality is demonstrated in all aspects of the school: the choice of teachers, the length of time some of the teachers have been teaching (some for 30+ years), and the organisation of the classes. Scuola Leonardo da Vinci is set apart by its sheer experience. They have many partnerships with universities in the USA and other countries, but there is still a large mix of nationalities and ages.
The teaching style at this school is very direct; in the class, the teacher only speaks Italian, and where they cannot understand anything, they try and act it out or draw it on the board, as not every student speaks English, making the classes that much more inclusive.
A student who is in love with Italy and the Italian language would enjoy this school the most. More so, students who want to enjoy and join the culture and not just study or take Italian further career-wise. The typical students you will find here are the younger students who are usually on a gap year and the mature students who come purely to enjoy the culture and visit different cities in Italy.
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Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Firenze at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.4 (194 ratings) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Average Max. 14 students in Standard Italian course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Excellent diversity. No nationality more than 9%. Top nationality: USA |
| Learning intensity | 2.5 hours of homework per week |
| Number of students | 250 adults in July 70-80 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 16 years |
| Accreditations | ACELS, ALTO, IELTS, FYTO, EDU ITALIA |
| Course range | Intensive Italian Course, Super Intensive Course, Long Term CSN Course Italian Tour Italy Today – Language and Culture Course Super Intensive Small Group Course La Dolce Vita 50+ Course One-to-One Lessons Two-to-One Lessons Three-to-One Lessons Four-to-One Lessons Academic School Semester – Gap Semester/Year University Preparation Course (Italian Track) Professional Course Preparation Course for Fashion and Design Academies CILS Exam Preparation Diploma Firenze Courses for Music Specialisation: Canto and Diction for Singers Course Courses for Music Specialisation: Canto and Diction for Singers Course with Coach Courses for Music Specialisation: Instrument Course Courses for Music Specialisation: Instrument Course with Coaching Courses for Music Specialisation: The Language of the Libretti Italian Cuisine Art History Basic Fine Arts Course Intensive Fine Arts Course Semi-Intensive Fine Arts Course |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Shared Apartments |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 45min/lesson | 1 week: €250 3 weeks: €660 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: €70 Course material fee: none |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | €16.20 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.
“I love the teachers; I haven’t had one teacher that I didn’t love. The teachers have changed four times, and every single one was really helpful, and they go at the pace of the class.”
Julia
22 years from USA
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Geraldine Villiger, School Manager of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Florence.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
School: “The main thing is our experience. Our school was born in 1977; we are welcoming students, teaching the Italian language with teachers who have been teaching with us for 30 years. They produce our books that they use to teach Italian.“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
School: “I think the ideal students are those who already know some Italian culture and language. Most of the students who come to us are people who would like to enjoy Italy, Italian culture, and Italian cooking. They just want to enjoy their time here.”
School inspection report
Classrooms
All, if not most, classrooms are arranged in a circular / horseshoe seating format to encourage constant communication between the students. Every classroom also has an interactive whiteboard, which is helpful as the textbooks they use are also in a digital format.
Facilities
The ground floor has an indoor, outdoor seating area and several vending machines. It is not an extremely large area but quaint and has a Florentine charm.
Surrounding area
It is 4 minutes from Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and the Percorso Museale di Santa Maria Nuova. All museums are easily accessible, as are reasonably priced cafes and al fresco restaurants.
Social activities
There are a range of different activities every day of the week. From visits to “Coffee Break”, a typical Italian bar where Italian teachers/Italian friends come to exchange languages, Pizza nights, weekly movie nights for practising listening with Italian subtitles and, of course, visits to historical landmarks and museums.
Trusted student ratings of Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Firenze on the web
| Total | 4.4 (194 ratings) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.3 (104 ratings) |
| Boa Lingua | 4.5 (90 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 Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Firenze
Via Maurizio Bufalini, 3, 50122 Florence, Italy
Scuola Leonardo da Vinci Firenze – Reviews & Exclusive Discounts at LanguageCourse.net »
