Engineering Italy: Engineering Fundamentals in the Eternal City

We are extremely fortunate to be housed in the historic 15th century Palazzo Pio, in the heart of Rome’s Centro Storico. Palazzo Pio was built literally on top of the ancient theater complex where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. The location and the historical context are absolutely unique.

What began in 1970 as a small architecture study abroad program by Professor Emerita Astra Zarina grew into the official seat of the UW in Rome by 1985. In 2018, we will host nearly 400 UW students from a range of disciplines including, of course, architecture and classics, but also engineering, mathematics, cinema studies, art history, anthropology, literature, and more.

And we want that number to be higher. We are actively working to expand opportunities for more UW students to experience their own transformations abroad, developing global awareness, appreciation for other cultures, self-confidence, and independence. Research tells us that college students who study abroad are more likely to graduate and more engaged in their entire educational experience. The UW Rome Center is the ideal setting for immersion and transformation in a city with more than 2000 years of history.

To better serve a greater number of students and programs, the UW Rome Center is embarking on a major renovation of our space in the Palazzo Pio. We aim to ensure the long-term continuation of the transformative experience of study abroad, research, and international collaboration. We also envision opening our doors more to the community, inviting them to join us in learning from our expert faculty and guest lecturers who frequent the UW Rome Center in our grand conference room and new exhibit space. This will be a place where UW programs and the broader community will come to share in the creation and delivery of knowledge, expanding all of our cultural boundaries.