The Gardens of the Gods
Tentative two-week schedule
Locations:
Napoli, Capri, Paestum, Padula, Pollino National Park, Civita, Papasidero, Laino Borgo, Laino Castello (old town), Caserta, Italy
Program Terms: Summer
Type of Program: Intensive Course Abroad (two-week program) >>see also our four-week program The Antonella Project
Program Calendar
Arrival Date: May 18/2026
Departure Date: May 31/2026
Download the Program Brochure here below:
The Gardens of the Gods_Brochure
Download the Application Form here below:
Application-Form_Rural-Futures
Application Deadline: March 20/2026
The Gardens of the Gods signals the cultural and historical depth—and the monumental scale—of the landscapes visited, many of which are rooted in the legacy of Magna Graecia. Moving across designed gardens and royal parks, monastic and archaeological landscapes, and national-park ecologies, the itinerary traces places that have inspired myth, ritual, and imagination from the ancient Mediterranean to the present.
Program description
This two-week intensive field program introduces students to the layered landscapes of Southern Italy through a curated sequence of site visits and studio-based inquiry spanning Naples, Capri, Paestum, Padula, Laino Castello, and the Pollino National Park. Students will examine historic monastic gardens and cloisters, botanical collections, royal parkland, archaeological landscapes, and protected mountain environments. The itinerary foregrounds Mediterranean plant communities—especially macchia mediterranea—alongside riparian corridors, vineyard and olive-growing cultural landscapes, and the high-altitude ecosystems of Pollino, including the iconic pino loricato (Bosnian pine). Field sketching, observational methods, and guided interpretation support a rigorous, design-informed reading of place across urban, rural, and wilderness contexts. All included meals are grounded in the Mediterranean diet and are designed as place-based learning experiences, featuring seasonal local products and curated “slow food” tastings.
Program overview
Structured as a mobile seminar and field studio, the program combines expert-led visits, intensive workshops in Laino Castello, and sustained landscape observation across Campania and the Pollino region.
Students will compare designed landscapes (the Naples Botanical Garden, monastic complexes such as Santa Chiara and the charterhouses, and the Royal Palace gardens at Caserta) with “working” agrarian territories and vernacular settlements, and with protected environments including canyon systems, river valleys, and mountain forests. The curriculum emphasizes methods in landscape history, ecological literacy, and site interpretation—using mapping, sketching, and field notes to connect vegetation structure, geomorphology, and cultural practices. Special attention is given to Mediterranean scrub formations, endemic and relict species, and Pollino’s distinctive bioclimatic gradients, culminating in studio synthesis that translates field evidence into academically grounded landscape analysis and design insight.
NOTE: This program will entail a considerable amount of walking in natural, rural and urban environments and is not recommended for anyone who is uncomfortable near rivers, wooded areas or is afraid of heights. Please be prepared and bring with you hiking boots or hiking shoes to wear while walking along hiking trails in the Pollino National Park. In addition, please remember to bring with you other kinds of shoes to wear while in the classroom and visiting the city.