As a CIMBA student, you can immerse yourself in a host of cultural and historical activities around campus and throughout Italy and Europe as part of our comprehensive Cultural Exploration Program.
CIMBA is located on the Istituti Filippin campus, which is home to one of Italy’s top boarding schools for kindergarten through 12th grade students. Although CIMBA and Istituti Filippin students are housed in different areas and attend different classes, they get to know one another through our many cultural immersion activities designed to promote cultural connections between the U.S. and Italian students, their families, and the community. You can eat dinner with Istituti Filippin students and their families, play in the popular U.S. vs. Italy student soccer competition, take part in language practice groups together, introduce one another to Italian and American traditions, or travel throughout Italy and the rest of Europe; there are countless opportunities to learn about daily life in one of the world’s most beautiful countries.
Our Cultural Exploration Programming is widely used by our study abroad students, but our MBA students also frequently take part.
Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola (Add a Seat at the Table) pairs CIMBA students with the families of local high school students to share a meal, whether at a restaurant or in the comfort of an Italian family’s home. Thanks to this activity, many of our students have developed friendships that last longer than their program.
Five-course Gourmet Dinners celebrate the art of Italian dining and feature the best of Veneto Region food. Before attending the meals, study abroad students take a European Dining Etiquette seminar to learn about the cultural differences in dining and the history behind many European traditions.
One of the greatest advantages to studying at CIMBA is the amazing amount of travel. We know the best way for students to immerse themselves in Italian and European culture is for them to see it for themselves. As one study abroad student said, “CIMBA lets you explore all of what Europe can offer rather than live and learn in just one city. On my travel adventures, I was able to visit Rome, London, Munich, Salzburg and Prague and gain a great understanding of these cities. I traveled every weekend to many wonderful places.”
Gain insights into international business through Company Tours that take students to the Veneto Region’s world-class corporations that specialize in textiles, outdoor apparel, shoes, finance, home appliances, and more. Students see where ceramics are sourced for William Sonoma, and how some of the world’s top furniture, shoes, cheese, electronics, and clothing are manufactured.
Volunteer in the community by cleaning the streets and painting the benches alongside Italians, doing arts and crafts with adults with special needs, playing cards and singing with the elderly, teaching English to children in public and private schools, and more.
Talk about hands-on! Learn how to make fresh pasta and toss pizza during CIMBA cultural excursions (for a nominal fee). We take students to small, family-owned restaurants near campus where they meet with owners and have the opportunity to learn about what it takes to run an independent business in Italy.
Explore the Italian countryside with faculty and students: Pick olives on Mount Grappa, walk to the nearby town of Crespano on Sunday morning to explore the open market, or take a short bus ride to Bassano del Grappa where Ernest Hemingway was injured in WWI and began writing his epic novel, “A Farewell to Arms.” During this time, Hemingway also visited a hospital previously located on the CIMBA campus.
Visit the world-famous Palladian Villas created by renowned architect Andrea Palladio more than 450 years ago. Today, many of his villas still stand and are within an hour of campus.. Each year, thousands of architects, art historians, tourists, and locals explore the villas that revolutionized Western architecture during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Travel to the nearby village of Possagno where you can see Antonio Canova’s tomb and a museum that features his birthplace and works of art. Canova is widely regarded as one of the greatest sculptors ever, second only to Michelangelo.
Shop for ceramics in Nove, one of the ceramics capitals of Italy. Nove’s small factories are known for producing goods for Lenox, Williams-Sonoma, and Vietri, among others.
Treviso is well known as the town where Tiramisu, the popular Italian dessert, was first created. Famous for its ramparts and medieval moats and canals, Treviso hosts an exciting antiques market on the fourth Sunday of each month – just 45 minutes from the CIMBA campus.