Comments from students who have attended the school in Florence

Gino has a genius for teaching the best! Very sympathetic, patient, funny, a wonderful person! Never embarrased anyone, very sensitive. Grazie Gino!

Peggy Morris

The teachers at Machiavelli are very open-minded, very friendly and helpful. It is very easy to switch the level if you feel not to be in the right place. You can ask the teacher about everything, they always do their best. Thanks to Federica and Gino :)) Oh, and don't miss the guided tours through Florence - they are for free, you meet lots of people and the guide, Rima, is absolutely lovely.

Britta

Thanks very much for a great time. The class was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.
My host family were wonderful and I loved living in the centre of Florence.
I will be back next year!

Helen H.

I’ve never studied a foreign language before so I didn’t really know what to expect, but this was better than anything I could have imagined.
The lessons were well organised and well presented but it never really felt like work. It was entertaining but at the same time effective.
Adesso parlo Italiano! Grazie!!!

Narin S.

I really enjoyed my Italian course at Machiavelli. The lessons were really good and we laughed a lot. I would have preferred to do more work with videos but there wasn’t always enough time. The cultural activities are a great way to meet other students who aren’t in your class as well as to get to know Florence.
Grazie e arrivederci!

Jenny T.

Fantastic school. Thank you so much. I loved the lessons and really made a lot of progress with my Italian language. This year I also did a pottery course with Firenze nell’Arte and enjoyed it immensely.

Wolfgang A.

Dear Helen,
hoping you have enjoyed Easter holiday - me surely.
I am going back to you regarding stay of Slavomira Harcegova - she wrote a nice feedback thanking for the very good service. She has pointed out comfortable accommodation and has mentioned to recommend the services to her friends. So my big thank you to you for excellent reputation you helped us to maintain.
Kind regards

Anna Jacková

I'm very happy to have studied here, at the Machiavelli and I thank the school! I had so many things I did not understand, and now everything is clear because the teachers were good! Everyone was friendly, even in the secretary's office. Really good!!!
I'm going to back to Japan, but I'll have fond memories of you and I'll continue studying Italian!!! Thank you very much!

Tomoko Matsumoto

Everything was great! Very friendly course. Gino is a good teacher, even funny (very!) First day not so optimal, presentation of students and more interaction would be better

Patrick Spilker

Francesca is an excellent Italianteacher!! She judged my Italian language level quickly and precisely, and provided me with a useful mix of grammar and conversation.

Sarah Harrel

I really liked the music and singing lessons. I actually wanted to study the analysis of sheet music, but it was the history of Italian music is that I liked the most! The language course was really good. The first week there were many people in the same class but it worked out fine at the end!! I think I learned enough Italian.

M. Begona Lopez

Everything was great. The school is excellent! All the employees are very kind and I really liked everything. Professor Vincenza is an excellent teacher and I am very satisfied with the Italian language lessons

Fran Novak

I had a great holiday! Thank you all...I'm happy and I want to return to Florence. I studied a lot and I speak Italian much better now !!

Matija Matea Stojic

I found your website while surfing the web.
Thirty years ago I was a student in your school!! I lived in Via Camaldoli 14. During the summer of 1981 I visited your Italian language courses to prepare for the entrance exam to study medicine in Naples. I passed without any problems. Today I am a surgeon in my clinic and I am very happy.
After thirty years, I want to tell you a thousand times thanks for your help in these months!!!
(P.S. I remember a teacher, her name was Patricia, she was a very beautiful woman with black hair. I am sure that she is still a very beautiful woman.)
many warm greetings from Germany!

Dr. med Thomas Emmert
Facharzt for Chirurgie

I had a very good time for the entire period. Thank you so much, especially to my teacher! In fact, I learned many things from her. For she is the ideal and model teacher. I would like to thank the teachers and the secretariat which helped me find a beautiful accommodation. I had a great time here. I am very happy to have studied at this school and I would like to return someday.

Naoki Tomari

Thanks for these fifteen days. I couldn't have chosen a better school than Machiavelli. I had a beautiful room, my own bathroom and a very kind landlady. I felt right at home.

Meritxell Baldello

Only downfall of the Italian language course, too few levels. But the teachers knew how to organise the lessons in order to satisfy everyone. The atmosphere in the school, wonderful fantastic!

Karolina Iskierka

Caro Gino,
do you remember the first time I entered the classroom? I was pretty scared, it was the first time that I was studyingItalian in Italy. At home everyone was asking why study Italian. Why in Florence? But, stubborn as I am with the obsession of learning Italian, finding out more about the Renaissance and Florence (I had also read Machiavelli's The Prince, though not in Italian) I didn't let them discourage me and I was adamant on taking in-depth Italian lessons, I would have attended even four courses if I had had more time...
Anyways, let's get back to the first day of school, shall we? From the earliest moments I realised, together with the other students of the course, that everything seemed easier, even though we were only beginners we were still able to communicate our tastes and our experiences during the lesson. In the beginning it was simple but very soon you could totally see the improvements, absolutely! Now a few months have passed, the holidays in Italy are over and I attended an advanced course, I have kept in touch with the friends I made in Florence.
I also remember that I used to spend a lot of time reading and studying, in school, in the fantastic town library close to the Machiavelli. By the way, do you remember when we worked on the words of songs; I never thought you could find so many idioms! Then I would sing them while showering (I do it sometimes even now) and it was easier to learn this way. Maybe you do not know this, but I went very far in my studies; I eventually even obtained the certification, the official one, just like you had advised, the CILS. Just think, I even passed the highest level, even if I didn't get the greatest grade. Anyways, it seems that I learned Italian quite well!
Bye for now and I hope to see you soon! Hugs.
Do you still live in the same country house? Do you have a room for me if I come to Florence for a few days?

Klaus Wegner

Thank you to all the teachers, they answered all my questions with kindness and taught me Italian with a lot of commitment. I asked many questions especially to Gino and he always gave me quick answers. Also Vincenza explained Italian very clearly to me. Azusa gave me a lot of precise information. Rossella helped me find a job. I really don't know how to thank you all.
If I know of a person who wants to go to Florence to learn Italian I will definitely recommend Machiavelli, without a doubt.
Gino is a great teacher!!!!!!!

Akiko Toyofuku

Dear Rossella,
I am writing to you because I would like to let you know about my satisfaction with these guys: Victor Carro, Alejandro Delgado, Javier Gonzalez, Roberto Matarranz, Virginia Morandeira, Oscar Angel Rey, Bernardo Rivera.
I must say that the group you sent me has rare qualities with seriousness, knowledge, as well as the abilityto play and the right intelligence to obtain what they want. Their high artistic level is reflected in human terms. Their will to learn does not cause conflicts to arise in any of them, on the contrary everyone contributes in a supportive way and with a lot of awareness of each other's growth. This was a magnificent experience for me, as I saw great open-mindedness and profound humanity every single day. I also had the satisfaction of seeing completed works that expressed the result of work done with commitment, determination and great talent, often times very brilliant. I believe that success is inherent in them and will accompany them for the rest of their lives. Have a great day and good luck with your work.

Lucetta Risaliti
The testimony of one of our teachers, painter and professor of painting and drawing, on some of her most brilliant students