Gostaria de compartilhar minha experiência como estudante de língua italiana na belíssima cidade de Siena. Eu e mais quatro amigas tivemos o prazer de fazermos um curso de duas semanas nessa renomada escola, cujo responsável Mauro nos recepcionou pessoalmente no dia de nossa chegada junto com o experiente professor Rafael, que logo de início já nos mostrou um pouco da cidade Siena e relatou vários detalhes sobre sua história, tudo com muita propriedade e  segurança. Foram aulas maravilhosas, onde também pudemos conhecer Verona, Veneza, Pizza e Firenze sempre na  companhia do professor Rafael. Quanto as aulas na escola tivemos o prazer de ter duas excelentes professoras Sabrina e Elettra, que com muita paciência e dedicação nos ensinou um pouco da gramática italiana e de conversação, com elas também realizamos passeios a feira, ao bar (para tomarmos um café) e conhecer a rotina de um cidadão italiano. Não bastando tudo isso, ainda tivemos o prazer de jantarmos na casa de famílias italianas de modo a conhecermos a culinária e os costumes da família. Sendo assim gostaria muito de agradecer à todos da escola pela recepção e oportunidade que nos deu de convivermos um pouco com vocês e aprender muito. Para outras pessoas que pretendem também conhecer a língua italiana peço  que procurem os responsáveis pela escola e avaliem sua oferta antes mesmo de procurar outras escolas, pois essa tenho certeza de que vocês não se arrependeram, pois todos que ali trabalham são muito comprometidos e honestos. 

Ich war im Mai 2019 bereits das 5. Mal in dieser Sprachschule und war - wie immer - begeistert. Mauro, Elettra und Sabrina sind freundlich, hilfsbereit und bringen  mit ihrem Enthusiasmus der ital. Sprache und Kultur viel Motivation in die Stunden. Die Ausflüge und gemeinsamen Nachmittagsstunden sind eine ideale Ergänzung zum Lernunterricht und man lernt auch die anderen Schüler, die aus allen Ecken der Welt kommen, besser kennen. Ich freue mich schon auf nächstes Jahr!

Llegué a Saena Iulia por un convenio entre la escuela y el Instituto Italiano de Cultura de Santiago, donde tenía mis lecciones de italiano en Chile. Llegué sin demasiadas expectativas, pero me llevé una grata sorpresa. La escuela tiene una dinámica bastante interesante debido que todas las semanas rotan los alumnos (algunos se quedan por una semana, otros por más). Todos los lunes se evalúan los alumnos nuevos y se rearman los cursos en base al nivel de dominio del idioma, lo que esto significa es que de las 3 semanas que estuve, mi curso varió cada semana. Esto puede sonar caótico, pero lo manejaron muy bien y al final me permitió conocer e interactuar con mucha más gente. El ambiente en la escuela es muy acogedor, todos los profesores son cariñosos y se nota que sienten placer por lo que hacen, hay un genuino interés por enseñar su cultura, pero también por aprender de la de uno. Esto se evidencia cada viernes cuando la escuela hace un almuerzo para todos los alumnos con platos típicos locales cocinados por los mismos profesores, no sólo resulta una experiencia entretenida, además se come muy bien! Adicionalmente, todas las semanas la escuela organiza una excursión, en las tres semanas que estuve me tocó conocer San Gimignano, Pienza, degustar vinos en Montalcino; fueron excursiones interesantes, entretenidas y bien organizadas.

Muchos de mis compañeros eran alumnos recurrentes de la escuela, venían una vez al año por un par de semanas, o cuando pudieran. Creo que esto es lo más decidor sobre la escuela, que sus alumnos siempre vuelven por más. Yo estoy seguro que haré lo mismo.

Ein Palazzo im Herzen von Siena, einer wunderbaren mittelalterlichen Stadt mit einer der schönsten Piazzen, der Piazza del Campo, und mit einem der prächtigsten Dome in Italien: Dort ist Saena Iulia, eine kleine, aber feine Schule, in der Italienisch lernen einfach nur Spaß macht. Das liegt nicht zuletzt an dem engagierten Team um Mauro, das jeden ausländischen Gast herzlich aufnimmt, sich um ihn kümmert und viele Tipps auf Lager hat, um den Aufenthalt noch angenehmer zu machen (grazie mille a tutti!). Hier lässt sich gut lernen und eintauchen in die italienische, lockere südländische Lebensart: Bei der morgendlichen Pause in einer Bar, beim wöchentlichen Aperitivo oder bei Ausflügen in herrliche Orte der Toskana, bei kulturellen Vorträgen und beim gemeinsamen Mittagessen am Freitag in der Schule oder auf der Piazza zum Abschluss und als Higlight der Woche. Dabei bleibt aber auch noch viel Zeit für eigene Unternehmungen und Entdeckungen und man kann die Bekanntschaft von vielen interessanten und lieben Menschen aus aller Herren Länder machen. Sehr zu empfehlen auch: Wohnen in einer italienischen Familie. Ich war übrigens im Mai 2019 zum siebten Mal in Folge an der Schule – es wird mit Sicherheit nicht das letzte Mal gewesen sein.

I recently spent 4 weeks at Saena Iulia in May of 2019.  I join ALL of the previous accolades here about this wonderful school.  The city is a jewel.   My accomodations were very comfortable and the personal attention was impressive.

I was fortunate to have Elettra, Sabrina and Mauro as instructors.  Simply stated, they are professionals with a deep reverence for their language and culture.  It is the backbone of all accomplished educators.  And, they have a keen understanding of their committed goal-  To keep the world talking to each other.

Grazie di tutto

I look forward to returning next year.

M.

After much research I decided to go to Saena Iulia because many reviewers stated they returned year after year.  Now I understand why! This school is truly special. The teachers are among the best I’ve ever come across and their language learning system really works. Students ranging in age from 20’s to 80’s come from all over the world and are put in small classes where no one feels out of place.  In addition, the school helps with accommodation and organizes tours and social events so even if you came alone, you won’t be isolated. Best of all, everyone at the school seems so invested in making sure you have a positive experience that I’m now one of those people who keep coming back again and again.

I spent a wonderful week at Saena Iulia in May 2019. I've done a number of similar short courses at language schools elsewhere in Italy, and Saena Iulia has definitely been one of the best. The fact that the school is small means that you are able to get to know everyone, not only those students who are in your class, and Mauro and the rest of the staff are so warm and friendly that you all feel like good friends very quickly. I particularly liked the way that the staff interacted on a social level with the students in activities such as aperitivi on the Piazza del Campo, the excursion to Volterra with Mauro and the Friday lunch cooked by Elettra, all of which not only provided plenty of opportunity for conversation in Italian, but did away with any feeling of division between staff and students.

Siena is a lovely place, big enough to have plenty to occupy one's free time, but small enough to walk everywhere. The school is perfectly situated, right in the centre, between the Duomo and the Piazza del Campo, and Mauro found me a lovely little flat to stay in that was two minutes' walk away from the school.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Saena Iulia to anyone wanting not only to improve their Italian but also to have a wonderful holiday in a beautiful place.

Ein Sprachkurs an der Sprachschule Saena Iulia in Siena ist die perfekte Gelegenheit um die Seele baumeln zu lassen und die italienische Sprache mit Leichtigkeit zu erlernen. Freundliche und kompetente Lehrer, die zu Scherzen aufgelegt sind und das Lebensgefühl der dolce vita vermitteln. Neben den lehrreichen Unterrichtsstunden und den zugehörigen Pausen, um in den verschiedenen Bars Kaffee zu trinken, bietet die Schule ebenfalls abwechslungsreiche Angebote für den Nachmittag: Kleine Ausflüge in nahe gelegene historische Städte, der abendliche Aperitif oder traditionelles toskanisches Kochen zeigen uns die italienische Kultur hautnah!

Auch Sienas Ambiente lädt zu langen Spaziergängen und Erkundungstouren ein oder einfach nur zum in der Sonne sitzen auf dem Piazza il Campo, der Platz im Herzen Sienas, auf dem das öffentliche Leben stattfindet.

Ich habe in Siena eine unvergessliche Erfahrung gemacht und empfehle Saena Iulia an jeden weiter, der Italien kennenlernen möchte ! Vielen Dank an Elettra, Mauro und Sabrina, ich habe mich sehr wohl gefühlt bei euch!

Every time I return to Siena I look forward to seeing my Sienese "family," the people at Saena Iulia. I have known them for about 7 years. They are more than teachers of Italian, they embody the Italian values of warmth and hospitality. I'm particularly fond of the lunches on Fridays - home-cooked Tuscan meals that bring all the students together for a few hours. It's wonderful to meet all the other students and find out where they're from, how they came to Siena, etc. 

Siena is a very special town - my favorite place in Italy. Not too big, not too small, not as many tourists (except for the Palio) as Florence or Venice or Rome. I hope to return often.

I had a wonderful experience at Saena Iulia.  From the moment you arrive, the teachers welcome you as part of their family.  As they get to know you, your level of Italian, and your objectives, they’ll sculpt lessons to match.  I happened to have lessons with 3 different instructors, which wound up being great, since each had their own style of teaching and speaking.  I had such a great experience that the next time I came to Italy, I found myself going back to Siena to meet up with Mauro.  And I’ll definitely return again!

SLOVENSKY

Počas jari 2018 som mala možnosť stráviť  2 týždne v jazykovej škole Saena Iulia v Siene, o ktorej som sa dozvedela vďaka Talianskemu inštitútu v Bratislave. Bola to pre mňa v poradí už druhá jazyková škola v Toskánsku, ktorú som navštívila  (2 roky pred tým som navštívila jazykovú školu vo Florencii). Tento krát som však cestovala sama. Priatelia mojich rodičov boli prekvapení,že som išla do Sieny sama a predpokladali, že sa budem nudiť. Opak bol však pravdou. Každý deň sa prebiehalo mnoho zaujímavých vecí.  Navyše všetci učitelia boli veľmi priateľskí. Veľmi sa mi páčila výučba, najmä konverzačné hodiny so Sabrinou zamerané na taliansku kultúru a Elletrine prednášky o histórii. Čo však robí Saena Iuliu výnimočnou je individuálny prístup ku každému študentovi a všetky aktivity, ktoré škola organizuje.  Či ide o pondelkové privítanie, počas ktorého sa servíruje káva až po piatkový spoločný obed. Stále sa niečo dialo. Musím spomenúť najmä utorkové appertivo organizované Maurom, riaditeľom školy za účelom lepšieho spoznania sa a tiež každotýždňové výlety po Toskánsku alebo susediacich regiónoch.

Nakoniec by som chcela spomenúť, že Siena je úžasné žijúce mesto správnej veľkosti. Jediným nedostatkom bolo pre mňa to, že som nemohla na začiatku nájsť vhodné miesto na beh. Ak si chcete ísť zabehať tak ako ja alebo len trochu zacvičit, na to vám odporúčam pevnosť la Fortezza.

Mauro, Sabrina, Elettra, Elena a Sara, veľmi Vám ďakujem za túto neopakovateľnú skúsenosť, jedného dňa sa vrátim 😊

ENGLISH

During spring 2018, I had a chance to spend 2 weeks at Saena Iulia, a language school located in Siena which I discovered thanks to the Italian institute in Bratislava. This was second language school I attended in Tuscany (2 years before in I spend also ľ weeks in a language school in Florence), but first time I travelled alone from my home country. My parents’ friends were surprised that I was going alone and supposed I would be bored. Definitely not. There were so many things going every day. All the teachers were very nice and passionate. I enjoyed the lessons (especially my 2^nd week when with Sabrina and we spoke a lot about Italian culture and Elettra let us know to discover local history), but what makes Saena Iulia so special is individual approach to every student and all the activities the school has been organizing: from welcome coffee on Monday morning to Friday lunch organized by school and a lot of activities in between. At least I must mention “appertitivo” organized by school owner Mauro to let the students know better each other and a trip to a place in Tuscany or in a nearby region.

But, not least Siena is a great living city which is just the right size. The only negative thing about it is that I first could not find a place for running. If you’re a passionate runner or just want to exercise a bit, “La Fortezza” is a place for you.

Mauro, Sabrina, Elettra, Elena and Sara  “grazie mille per questa sperienza indimenticabile, un giorno mi ritornerò.” 😊

Saena Iulia is the second Italian language school I have attended in Tuscany (the other is in Lucca and is also excellent). I spent one week at Saena Iulia in October 2018. Both experiences in immersion were priceless and I know how fortunate I am to be able to study in this way. Others who have written comments about their experiences have accurately covered the basics of how Saena Iulia works, so I want to share my thoughts about what I came to understand is important to me when deciding where to study Italian in Italy, because there are so many choices.

My decision boiled down to three critical questions: 1) in what kind of town do I want to spend my time; 2) are the teachers native to the town (or area) and passionate about its history and culture; 3) is the school small enough to guarantee substantial personal instruction? 

In terms of the first question, Siena is about as perfect a location as you could dream of if you want to be in the heart of Tuscany in a town that's small enough to feel a part of, but big enough to offer splendid ways to pass your free time. Saena Iulia does organize weekly (or more frequent) outings to other places, but Siena's treasures and robust environment could keep you engaged without ever leaving town. I spent a week vacationing in Siena in 1998, but longed to return to get to know it better. Last October, I had the incredible dumb luck of witnessing the run-up to the special Palio celebrating the end of WWI. Exploring the contrade of Siena after school every day--made easier by following the flags marking contrada boundaries--was an amazing way to explore the mystery and unique personality of this gem of a city.

As for Saena Iulia's teachers (my second decision criterion), the founders are locals and deeply invested in providing language experience that incorporates the culture of their beloved city and province. I think this aspect may be the most important reason why I would recommend Saena Iulia to others. The teachers (including mine, the effervescent Sara who came from Firenze "just up the road") share their deep sense of place--"their roots"--as they teach. They are passionate about sharing their language and all the history and culture embedded in it. Best of all, that passion is shared with lots of laughter and socializing. School is fun!

Last, Saena Iulia is small enough for students to get to know others in addition to those in your class. The teachers organize outings and events (I attended a cooking class led by Elletra in her own apartment with a killer view over Siena one magical evening.) Small class size means lots of individual attention (perhaps there are many more students other times of year--a question worth asking if your schedule is flexible and small classes are important to you). I studied with just one other student, which was almost like having private tutorials. 

One word of advice to anyone attending Saena Iulia for the first time: be sure to ask for a copy of "what's going on at school this week." That's not the name, but there is a sheet describing what trips or special gatherings are planned. I didn't know about this schedule, and no announcements were made in class, so I missed out on some offerings. 

Saena Iulia maintains a robust website with a great section on verbs. The website also links to lots of other pertinent information. I refer to the site often, now that I'm back home and continue to study Italian.

I hope to return sometime for another immersive dip and maybe for another Palio. I happened to live in the contrada of Torre last October, and I embraced this neighborhood so enthusiastically that my family and friends now call me a woman of the elephant clan. True enough, and I will also add that I am now a woman of the Saena Iulia "clan." Great school. Unforgettable experience. 

If you seek a school of experienced teachers who want you to learn the Italian language and feel at home in Italy, Saena Iulia is the place for you.   You will arrive as a stranger and leave as a friend of teachers like Sabrina, Elettra and Mauro, as well as other students from around the world.   Along with your instruction time, you will have at least three other times each week to commune with instructors and other students.  Optional activities include a communal lunch at the school, a “happy hour” gathering at a local restaurant and a “field trip.”  While I was there, I visited a monastery where we were given an impromptu tour by a monk, made a trip to Montepulciano for a walking tour and a wine tasting and attended a art gallery opening.  I was in Italy for 5 weeks and attended school for the first 4 weeks.  When I return, I will split my learning time so I have an opportunity to absorb and practice what I learned while visiting another city, then return to the classroom setting.  

Siena is a warm and welcoming city with many attractions to keep a curious person busy.

Mauro also chose well when he arranged for me to stay with a lovely family…a couple who have hosted learners for over 20 years.  I would not hesitate to put myself in the hands of the caring staff at Saena Iulia. 

My wife and I have attended an Italian language class in the UK for 3 years. In April 2018 we spent a week in Siena with 4 others from our UK Class studying at the Siena Iulia School. We attended a daily morning class Monday to Friday and were taught/tutored by either Mauro or Elettra.

  Assessing from the time we arrived on the Sunday afternoon until the last lesson on the Friday, we as a group have nothing but praise for them. The standard of lesson was pitched exactly at our level and when interlinked with some other activities where we had a chance to practice our Italian, the whole experience was excellent!

Mauro and Elettra were professional, hardworking and fun which all in all ensured that we got the most out of the experience and would highly recommend the school to anyone like us trying to improve their Italian language skills.

All this on top of the fact that Siena is a stunning place to visit and the school is situated in a beautful old building right inthe centre, just a stone's  throw from the Duomo and the main Square.

If you want to have some Italian language lessons in Italy go here!! 

Ik volgde de cursus gedurende 2 weken eind aug. begin sept. 2018. Het was mijn eerste taalcursus in Italië maar meteen raak. Ik had er een zalige tijd. De school slaagt goed in een succesrijke combinatie. Vooreerst is er de originele lesinhoud, in een goed tempo gegeven door zeer gedreven, deskundige maar ook echt toffe leerkrachten. We kregen les in groepjes van 6 waarbij iedereen evenveel aan bod komt, prima aangepast aan de individuele behoeftes. Daarnaast creëren ze een warme en joviale sfeer, zowel in de les als erbuiten met de koffietjes in de bars in de pauze, de uitstappen enz.. De schoonheid en de wonderbaarlijke atmosfeer van Siena krijg je er gratis bij. Niet aarzelen, inschrijven en gaan.

I expected to begin learning the Italian language, but at Saena Iulia I got so much more than I could have imagined. 

サエナイウリアの先生方は愛情を持って、熱心で親切に教えてくださいました。時には、家族のようでした。生徒さんはEU圏内、アメリカ、アジア、多方面からで、リピーターも多く、5回以上の方もいらっしゃいました。初めて受講した私に、「ここは少人数クラスで親切だし丁寧で、他にはないよ。」と口を揃えておっしゃいました。

EU圏内だと、1週間の休暇を取って気軽に来られる方もいました。私は日本でA2のテキストを少し始めた程度でした。クラスはレベルで分かれていて、初日にレベルチェックが行われて、私は4人のクラスになりました。

授業は全てイタリア語で行われるため、理解できないでいると、わかるまで説明してくれて、個々の質問にもきちんと答えてくださいました。これは、少人数ならではだと思います。

あと、個人レッスンは現地で申し込んで授業終わりに受けました。時間、回数、内容は私の希望を聞いてくれました。

そして、日本人スタッフがいらっしゃるのも、魅力の一つです。

日本で、留学先を選ぶ時から、メールでやりとりをさせていただき、不安を払拭し、こちらでお世話になることにしました。出発するまでも、何度も相談に乗っていただきました。

フィレンツェ空港までお迎えをお願いしたら、校長のマウロが来てくれました。ホストファミリー、アパートも学校から紹介してもらいました。

2週間の留学生活はとても充実したものになりました。

シエナの町中が留学生に親切だと感じました。サエナイウリアのスタッフ、ホストファミリーにはとても感謝しています。留学を重く考えず、１週間単位でなくても、旅行のついでに数日だけでも通ってみるのもいいのではないかと思います。サエナイウリアのスタッフは喜んで受け入れてくれるはずです。

Our family of 4 (kids aged 12 and 14) had a wonderful week at Scuola Saena Iulia in June 2018 where we were made to feel very welcome and the school was able to cater to our very differing experience with Italian which ranged from fluent to knowing some words. Mauro at the school was excellent in helping us by email before we left Australia to choose and tailor our courses to meet our needs and helped us find accommodation in a great apartment in the historic centre 5 minutes’ walk from the school.

The kids had their own teacher who took them out on excursions in the historic centre to practice their Italian ordering food from the local bars (cafes). Mum and Dad also has their private teachers for an hour each day which was more than enough given the concentration required. We were also provided with homework which was manageable to reinforce what we learnt that day. The school was able to arrange our classes so that we could start and finish at the same time.

Mauro organised afternoon trips for all interested students. We went on three trips: the historic Cortona, a winery in the Montalcino region and a tour of the underground water system of Sienna. These were great opportunities to meet other students from around the world, practice our Italian and learn more about Italian culture whilst seeing other places at the same time. Mauro was a wonderful host.

The school also put on a typical Italian lunch prepared by the teachers each Friday. Again, a great chance to meet students and experience Italian culture whilst practising our Italian in a supportive and fun environment. No to mention the excellent food.

We highly recommend Scuola Saena Iulia. Mauro and our wonderful teachers made it easy for us to plan our visit to Siena and our classes, and to learn Italian in a supportive manner. It felt like we were part of an extended family rather than a school which meant we were all immersed and learnt a lot of the language and the culture without realising it.

J’ai eu l’opportunité de passer deux semaines à l’école Saena Iulia située dans un palais très ancien du quinzième siècle au cœur de la ville de Sienne.                                                                           C’était un grand plaisir de me rendre chaque matin dans cette école où régnait une ambiance chaleureuse et conviviale avec des professeurs très impliqués,compétents,à l’écoute des besoins de chacun et soucieux de nous faire progresser dans leur langue.                         J’ai apprécié les rendez-vous quotidiens au bar lors de la pause du matin,les apéritifs en compagnie des professeurs et d’autres étudiants. Ce furent des moments privilégiés pour s’exprimer et tisser des liens en italien.                                                                                    Grâce à l’école et à Mauro en particulier, j’ai eu la chance de pouvoir résider dans une famille où Anna et Marcello étaient aux petits soins pour moi.                                                                                         Bref,ce fut un séjour enrichissant dans une école que je recommande et je remercie toute l’équipe pour son implication.

I can’t say enough good things about Saena Iulia language school in Siena. My wife and I attended classes there for six weeks this summer and it was a wonderful experience.

The staff are all very educated and extremely talented teachers. Their English is excellent and their ability to communicate about the Italian language, both in Italian (most of the time!) and in English (as necessary!) is outstanding.

The school is extremely flexible; each student receives instruction at his or her level. School begins each Monday morning when new students are “interviewed” (this is really just a very friendly meeting with an instructor to determine the student’s level and goals) and then integrated with returning students into small classes. In each of the six weeks we were there, we were placed in a class with students whose levels were very close to our own. From discussions with other students, it was clear that everyone, from complete beginner to advanced Italian speakers, felt they were in a class at the right level.

We arrived knowing some basic Italian. Our classes were taught almost entirely in Italian, although the teachers occasionally used English when necessary. The instructors were extremely patient, leading each student to the correct usages and pronunciation. The instruction was serious, but a lot of fun at the same time.

Most nights, we were given homework. Completing it was optional which was good for students with limited time in Italy who wanted to spend some time sightseeing after class. Completing the homework did, however, help us advance.

The school also organizes a lot of out of class experiences. Each Tuesday, students met with the instructors at a café on the Piazza del Campo for an aperitivo or two and very enjoyable conversation. Each Wednesday, there was a class trip to nearby attractions such as the city of Lucca, a cheese diary, the wine center of Orvieto, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, and so forth (there was an extra charge for theses trips which covered transportation). Most weeks there was an optional cultural lecture (at no extra cost) on topics such as the frescos at the local sites, the history of the Italian language, and so forth. Each Friday, the staff prepared a delicious home style Italian meal for lunch and everyone ate, drank wine, and had a great time (mostly speaking Italian). There was a donation box to cover the cost of the food.

We had originally signed up for four weeks of classes but enjoyed the experience so much that we took an additional two weeks, and we plan to return this year. Our Italian improved a great deal.

I loved studying Italian at Scuola Saena Iulia, so much so that after my initial 4 weeks of classes and private lessons, I returned for an additional 2 weeks.  The instructors are absolutely outstanding.  They are passionate about their work and their love of Italian language and history and culture, and in particular, their love of Siena.  Their enthusiasm is infectious!  The instructors take a personal interest in their students' progress, spending countless hours with their students both in and out of the classroom.  I loved the evening appertivo in the Piazza del Campo, the walking tours of Siena streets and markets and historical sites, the beautiful and well-planned excursions to places like Orvieto and a pecorino dairy in Pienza, and the Friday luncheons of delicious Tuscan dishes prepared by the instructors for present and past students.  The school was an extremely enjoyable and rewarding experience. I made enormous progress in my Italian, I made wonderful friends there, I fell in love with Siena, and I look forward to returning next fall.

Sometimes learning Italian is a little more than just grammar.

Here at Scuola Saena Iulia  all comes harmoniously together : the friendship between students and teachers,  coffee brakes with all students at a charming nearby coffee shop. And of course one speaks only Italian (almost……)

The Sienese, are welcoming. I loved to listen to their truly beautiful Italian.

The lunches and dinners in small family run restaurants. I try to duplicate at home.

So, in short : the combination of going to Scuola Saena Iulia , enjoying mornings filled with learning and laughter, afternoons ideal to discover and learn about Sienas rich history and of course some homework could not have been more inspiring. I stayed only for a short time. It would be certainly wise to stay a little longer.

2017年6月,2018年6月にそれぞれ1週間ＳＡＥＮＡＩＵＬＩＡに語学留学をしました。

What a wonderful experience!  I learned more in one week with Mauro, Sabrina, and Elettra than I had in an entire month elsewhere.  The instructors are wonderful and they have a fabulous teaching philosophy--their program is the gold standard in my book.  I especially appreciated the individualized assessment at the beginning of the course that ensures students are placed in the right level from day one.  It is easy to see why many of my classmates had been coming back to Saena Iulia for years.  I would jump at the chance to come back here again!

Si estás pensando en hacer una experiencia en Italia con el propósito de aprender italiano, te recomiendo que te contactes con Saena Iulia! Realmente, mi experiencia fue fantástica. Nací en Buenos Aires, y llevo sangre italiana, como muchos argentinos. Pero nunca lo aprendí. Se me dio esta posibilidad y por recomendación llegué a Saena, en Siena! Todos los docentes del instituto son tan simpáticos y enseñan tan bien! Pero creo que la característica que más me gustó es la calidez del personal, y del director (Mauro) también. A su vez, siendo turista y no conociendo nada de Siena, fue muy importante tener la ayuda del director y de Elettra (una diosa!) en temas organizativos, de hospedaje, información general, etc.  Y ni hablar de la ciudad y de los paisajes! Me encantaron las clases culturales y los viajes que se realizaron. Sigues practicando tu italiano (al menos escuchándolo, si es que no puedes hablarlo!) cada vez que sales de la escuela. Espero poder volver a verlos a todos de nuevo, y vivir algo mágico de nuevo! 

Adriana P.

Ich habe zwei Wochen Sprachkurs im Juni 2018 gemacht. Gewohnt habe ich dabei mitten in der schönen Altstadt von Siena, nur 5 Minuten zu Fuss von der Schule, die sich auch im Zentrum befindet. Am ersten Tag gab es eine Einstufung in die Klassen, welche aus mir und max. zwei weiteren Studenten bestand. Die kleine Klasse war super für den Lernfortschritt, fordert aber auch einiges! Es war sehr anstrengend zu Beginn, weil ich kein Italienisch konnte, man aber sehr viel reden muss. Die Lehrpersonen sind alles sehr kompetent und gehen direkt auf Fragen und Schwächen ein, motivieren aber auch. Die Atmosphäre ist dabei sehr kollegial. Auch neben dem Unterricht macht man vieles zusammen, z.B. der Café in der Pause nimmt man in einer naheliegenden Bar ein. Freitags gibt es ein selbstgekochtes Mittagessen, mit wirklich sehr leckeren Speisen. Einmal pro Woche gibt es Nachmittags ausserdem einen Ausflug in die nähere Umgebung, auch dort geht es um Kultur und Kulinarisches und man lernt die Toskana von allen Seiten kennen. In Siena selber gibt es auch wahnsinnig viel lebendige Kultur zu erleben! Der Dom, das Palio, die Piazza, die Stadtmauern mit ihren Toren. Ich habe mich in den zwei Wochen sehr wohlgefühlt, viele Fortschritte gemacht, nette und interessante Leute kennen gelernt und es mir einfach gut gehen lassen. Ich würde jederzeit wieder dorthingehen.

Lovely city, superb school, great teachers.  Fantastic experience

Je viens de passer 2 semaines de cours d’italien à l’école Saena Iulia de Sienne. Je ne peux que recommander cette école car on s’y sent bien, on y apprend de façon efficace et l’ambiance est chaleureuse et sympathique. 

Les cours dispensés sont de très belle qualité, intéressants, riches et motivants. L’équipe pédagogique fait preuve de qualités didactiques, pédagogiques et humaines. Elle est très présente auprès des élèves pour les mettre à l’aise, en confiance, pour leur faciliter la découverte de Sienne et de la Toscane, pour leur donner les clés d’une meilleure compréhension de l’identité locale. 

J’ai beaucoup apprécié la teneur des cours; les contenus langagiers, grammaticaux et culturels correspondaient bien à mes attentes. La démarche utilisée était motivante et bien adaptée aux besoins des 3 élèves présents dans le groupe. La diversité des activités, les interactions entre élèves ont été très profitables en terme d’apprentissage.

A son arrivée chaque élève reçoit un recueil de références lexicales, culturelles et grammaticales très bien présenté, souvent utilisé pendant les cours pour mieux mémoriser.

L’école propose aussi un programme de sorties et organise des moments de convivialité ( apéritif de bienvenue, repas du vendredi) qui sont autant d’occasions de pratiques langagières. 

Les enseignants sont très professionnels, font preuve d’une patience bienveillante et ont à cœur de bien faire progresser les élèves.

Beaucoup d’élèves reviennent dans cette école plusieurs années de suite ce qui est un autre gage de qualité.

Merci à Sabrina, Elettra et Mauro pour leur accueil, leur efficacité et leur disponibilité. J’ai vraiment passé 2 belles semaines en leur compagnie et j’ai beaucoup appris avec eux. 

Prošlo ljeto provela sam tri tjedna sa sestrom u Sieni učeći talijanski jezik u školi Saena Iulia. Izrazito pozitivno iskustvo, u predivnom gradu i među dragim i simpatičnim profesorima...Atmosfera je bila opuštena, a postigla sam velik napredak u talijanskom jeziku. Same pohvale!

Здравейте! През лятото посетих двуседмичен курс по италиански език в школата. Изключително доволна съм от преподавателите, които освен, че са страхотни професиналисти, проявяват лично отношение и грижа към всеки от курсистите, съобразявайки се с нивото на владеене на езика на всеки от нас. Организацията на часовете, както и извънкласните дейности беше на високо ниво. Школата се намира в сърцето на красивата Сиена. Горещо препоръчвам курса на всеки! Аз лично с удоволствие бих се завърнала на това прекрасно място! 

I had a really interesting week at Saena Iulia, and learned a great deal.  I attended 2 hours of individual  lessons which were tailored to my stage of learning,and enjoyed  the teaching approach which was higly facilitative and encouraging.  There was a very friendly atmosphere at the school, and both myself and my husband were invited to several social and cultural activities which greatly added to the experience.  We felt there was a genuine interest in introducing students to the culture and history of Siena, and creating engagement with the community. Many of the students I met had returned to the school several times, and I also hope also to return next year.  A week there  rekindled my enthusiasm for learning Italian and I recommend the School unreservedly.

I highly recommend Saena Iulia for your Italian language study! The location is wonderful. I had visited Siena before but had not stayed more than a few hours. I have studied for 2 weeks both in 2017 and 2018, and now Siena is one of my favorite towns in Italy. You can get a sense of local life, especially in the evenings when people go to their neighborhood bar for an aperitivo before dinner or in the piazzas to chat. The setting of the school right in the heart of the town can't be beat. I love to observe the particular shade of blue sky every evening.

One of the best assets of instruction at Saena Iulia is its personalized nature. It is not a cookie-cutter program with an inflexible curriculum. Each student's level is assessed weekly and the classes are formed to accomodate each one's goals. The small class sizes (2-6 students) are ideal for pedagogy. They facilitate conversation, which is a big component of class time. We practice with new vocabulary and grammatical constructions through conversations with a partner and through question-answer with the instructors. This kind of practice cannot be done on one's own and is really the best for learning a language.

The instructors are kind, patient, and thoughtful. They take the time to answer questions and explain the nuances of grammar and vocabulary. They have also been helpful in practical living matters outside of school, such as suggestions for stores and restaurants, a fitness center, and other activities. All instructors create a relaxed, friendly, and welcoming environment to all students, no matter their background or abilities.

I enjoyed the variety of activities from day to day. Each day is a little different with worksheets, drills over new material, videos, songs, and discussions, but there are some consistencies week to week with the daily coffee break, group aperitivo one evening, and the optional afternoon outing to a nearby town or site.

Studying at Saena Iulia has greatly improved my ability to speak Italian, and I feel more confident in engaging in conversations when I travel through Italy. I'm already planning on returning again next summer!

Absolut fantastisch!

Ich hatte das Glück zwei Wochen in der Schule Siena Iulia zu verbringen. Ich sage Glück, weil ich den Aufenthalt gar nicht richtig geplant hatte und die Schule zu einem Kombinationsangebot gehörte, aber ich hätte es kaum besser treffen können. Wir waren nur wenige Schüler, weshalb die Betreuung durch die Lehrer sehr intensiv und dadurch der Lerneffekt sehr hoch war. Die Lehrer sind durchs Band alle extrem motiviert und total sympatisch. Die Schule gibt sich enorm Mühe, um auch ausserhalb der Lektionen Angebote anzubieten, bei denen man noch mehr Italienisch sprechen kann. So zum Beispiel der Apero oder das Mittagessen einmal in der Woche, an dem auch meist alle Lehrer anwesend sind und mit einem über alles mögliche quatschen. (Immer auf Italienisch versteht sich.) Als Bonus ist natürlich auch die Stadt total schön. Die Schule liegt direkt im Zentrum und könnte kaum besser gelegen sein. Die angebotenen Ausflüge in die zahlreichen Sehenswürdigkeiten der Umgebung sind sehr gut organisiert und absolut lohnenswert.

Ich kann die Schule nur wärmstens empfehlen und kann nur sagen, ich würde (und wenn ich Zeit habe werde ich auch) sofort wieder gehen!

Diesen Sommer habe ich zwei Wochen in Siena verbracht, um meine rudimentären Italienischkenntnisse zu verbessern. Es hat mir sehr viel gebracht! Der Unterricht findet in Kleingruppen statt, es gibt viel Spielraum für Gespräche. Jeden Tag trifft man sich zur Kaffeepause, wo man sich auch Gruppenübergreifend austauschen kann. Neben dem Mündlichen kommen auch Vokabular und Grammatik nicht zu kurz. Die Lehrer boten auf die Fragen von uns Schülern immer kompetente und eingängige Antworten. Somit war ich nach zwei Wochen stolz darauf, wie sehr ich mein Italienisch verbessern konnte. Der Unterricht wird ergänzt von Aperitivo, Exkursionen und einem gemeinsamen Mittagessen am Freitag. 

Gewohnt und gegessen habe ich bei einer Familie. Dies wurde durch die Schule organisiert, was für mich sehr angenehm war. Meine Gastgeber waren ein liebenswürdiges, pensioniertes Ehepaar. Beim Frühstück und Abendessen haben wir uns reichlich ausgetauscht, so kam ich noch mehr zum sprechen. 

Der Aufenthalt in Siena hat mir sehr gefallen. Ich freue mich schon darauf, zurückzukommen!

Παρακολουθησα τα μαθηματα στη σχολη για 2 εβδομαδες τον Ιουνιο του 2018.Ηταν μια καταπληκτικη εμπειρια που θα την προτεινα ανεπιφυλακτα,σε ολους οσους θελουν να συνδυασουν την εκμαθηση της γλωσσας και την ζωη σαν πραγματικος κατοικος αυτης της πανεμορφης πολης!

Και τα δυο τα εγγυωνται και τα προσφερουν απλοχερα οι μοναδικοι δασκαλοι αυτης της σχολης!Αριστοι επαγγελματιες αλλα και γνωστες της ιταλικης κουλτουρας και της ζωης της πολης σε κανουν με τις γνωσεις,τον προγραμματισμο και την φιλοξενια τους να αισθανεσαι οικειοτητα και μερος της παρεας.Un italiano vero!

Γνωρισα ανθρωπους απο ολο τον κοσμο,πηγαμε εκδρομες σε πανεμορφα χωρια της Τοσκανης,φαγαμε ολοι μαζι σε τρατοριες,ηπιαμε απεριτιβο και φυσικα εσπρεσο στην μοναδικη πλατεια της πολης,μαγειρεψαμε και γνωρισαμε κρυφα μυστικα και στεκια της πολης.Ολα αυτα μιλωντας ιταλικα και βελτιωνοντας στην πραξη το επιπεδο μου.Καμια μερα δεν ενιωσα μονος χαρις στο προσωπικο της σχολης που  τα οργανωνε και τα πραγματοποιουσε κανοντας με να νιωθω σαν το σπιτι μου!

Τελος θελω να τονισω οτι τα μαθηματα γινονται σε μικρα τμηματα 2-3 ατομων ιδιου επιπεδου με συγχρονες μεθοδους διδασκαλιας,κατι που δινει τη δυνατοτητα για συνεχη ομιλια και βελτιωση.

Ευχαριστω πολυ νεοι μου φιλοι και ελπιζω να επαναλαβω συντομα αυτη την εμπειρια και να σας ξαναδω!

I was only able to spend a week at Saena Iulia, but it was a great experience. I advanced my Italian capability significantly, and it really jump-started my progress in more formally learning the language. My instructor Sara was fantastic - we had a pretty small class, so it was almost like a week of private lessons. She was incredibly patient and flexible in how she arranged each day's lessons, tuning them to our specific needs and levels. If I can scrape together time next year, I'll be back!

Παρακολουθησα τα μαθηματα στη σχολη για 2 εβδομαδες τον Ιουνιο του 2018.Ηταν μια καταπληκτικη εμπειρια που θα την προτεινα ανεπιφυλακτα,σε ολους οσους θελουν να συνδυασουν την εκμαθηση της γλωσσας και την ζωη σαν πραγματικος κατοικος αυτης της πανεμορφης πολης!

Και τα δυο τα εγγυωνται και τα προσφερουν απλοχερα οι μοναδικοι δασκαλοι αυτης της σχολης!Αριστοι επαγγελματιες αλλα και γνωστες της ιταλικης κουλτουρας και της ζωης της πολης σε κανουν με τις γνωσεις,τον προγραμματισμο και την φιλοξενια τους να αισθανεσαι οικειοτητα και μερος της παρεας.Un italiano vero!

Γνωρισα ανθρωπους απο ολο τον κοσμο,πηγαμε εκδρομες σε πανεμορφα χωρια της Τοσκανης,φαγαμε ολοι μαζι σε τρατοριες,ηπιαμε απεριτιβο και φυσικα εσπρεσο στην μοναδικη πλατεια της πολης,μαγειρεψαμε και γνωρισαμε κρυφα μυστικα και στεκια της πολης.Ολα αυτα μιλωντας ιταλικα και βελτιωνοντας στην πραξη το επιπεδο μου.Καμια μερα δεν ενιωσα μονος χαρις στο προσωπικο της σχολης που  τα οργανωνε και τα πραγματοποιουσε κανοντας με να νιωθω σαν το σπιτι μου!

Τελος θελω να τονισω οτι τα μαθηματα γινονται σε μικρα τμηματα 2-3 ατομων ιδιου επιπεδου με συγχρονες μεθοδους διδασκαλιας,κατι που δινει τη δυνατοτητα για συνεχη ομιλια και βελτιωση.

Ευχαριστω πολυ νεοι μου φιλοι και ελπιζω να επαναλαβω συντομα αυτη την εμπειρια και να σας ξαναδω!

Die Scuola Saena Iulia bleibt bei mir nur in bester Erinnerung. Elettra, Mauron und überhaupt das ganze Team ist super. Ich habe mich sehr wohl gefühlt, familiär, freunschaftlich und auch sehr humorvolle Stimmung. Auch ausserhalb der Schule ist der sehr gute, freundschaftlicher Kontakt mit mit Lehrern und Schüler immer sehr abwechslungsreich, Ausflüge, Apero's, gemeinsames Essen etc.... für meinen Teil hoffe ich wiedereinmal 2 oder 3 Monate nach Siena die Scuola Saena Iulia zu besuchen. 

I attended a beginners week at Saena Iulia last May. I was a solo traveller and initially quite aprehensive about the trip. Mauro and the staff were simply fantastic and so welcoming I was swiftly reassured. The teachers are excellent combining a mix of formal and informal learning styles. It was wonderful to meet other students at the school and share in some of the social activities arranged. I would very highly recommend this language school in beautiful Siena and look forward to returning very soon for another course. Thank you so much !!

Italian was my first language, but I haven't spoken it in many years. On my bucket list is the desire to again become fluent in Italian. I choise Saena Iulia because of its location near my zia in Siena and because of its rave reviews. I was not disappointed. On arrival, I spoke with one of the teachers at length - this was the class placement process. I was in the advanced class with two other students. Sabrina was our teacher - she is a master teacher! We spoke almost exclusively in Italian, taking a break mid-class to go for 'un caffe'" at a neighborhood cafe, where we usually met with the other students and teachers. We spent an evening together at an outdoor restaurant in Siena's main piazza - what fun, good eating and drinking! 

Saena Iulia found an apartment for my husband and me, just a short walk from the school. It was a simple apartment but had everything we needed, and the price was so reasonable. We felt like Siennese residents - so much nicer than staying in a hotel!

By the time my week of study ended, I felt so much more confident in my speaking ability. I looked forward to engaging Italians in shops and on the street to try out my newly acquired language skills.

The school is small, the teachers are so dedicated to their profession - I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to study there. Hope to return some day!

Great school: efficient intelligently organized.

Fantastic teachers: thoughtful, caring, highly educated in the subject matter.

Location: cannot be better, ideal place to learn the language and have fun doing it.

We signed up for a week at Saena Iulia and loved it.  It was a wonderful way to enrich our time in Italy.  I had studied Italian for 2 semesters at the community college and my husband was a complete beginner! I was placed with a small group of travelers from various countries (most of whom had been there several times before) for the morning classes while he had a private tutor! Our teachers were professional, engaging and patient. They modified the instruction to fit the group.  The other students were friendly and interesting and we enjoyed getting to know each other--in Italian and English!  The school was more like a community that we were instantly welcomed in to. We also had a wonderful homestay experience. Siena is the best place to study Italian-big enough but not very big at all.  I would recommend it to anyone entertaining the thought of a language school experience. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

I cannot say enough of wonderful things about this school. I was referred to Saena lulia by a friend who raved about it and upon arriving, I immediately understood why.

Mauro, the founder is at the very heart of this school and he and all of his carefully, hand-selected teachers truly put theirs into all that they do. From the private and group lessons, their desire and ability to understand how each and every one of their students' brains operate, as to better help them learn the language. The thought and planning that goes into their weekly events, excursions, culture lessons and Friday potluck lunches. They even help you with your accomodations! They care on such a personal level here, you seriously feel as if you're being looked after by family. 

I stayed at Saena Iulia for 6 weeks during the winter of 2018 but wish it had been longer. I was lucky enough to have Elettra, Sabrina, AND Mauro as my teachers during this time. Each one of them had a different style and approach but all of them were extremely passionate about their vocation. I am not the best student, but they managed to captivate and inspire me on a daily basis. Which was an impressive task considering I was there almost 6 hours a day. As teachers, they are all top-notch and as human beings, even more so. 

I was taught many valuable lessons pertaining to the Italian lanauage and about  life in general. For me, this was so much more than just learning the language- it was an amazing experience that I will treasure forever.

If you want to propel your language skills (whatever your level) in an environment that is both challenging, nuturing, and fun - this is it. This is a turly special way to learn and study the Italian language and I cannot recommend this  wonderful, little school enough. 

We found Saena Iulia from a friend who had been to the school several times over the years. We had a fantastic experience each of the three times we have been there and have recommended it to many others. The teachers and administrators are very warm and strike a great balance between challenging you and encouraging you. Group sizes are small to encourage participation and allow for personal attention with the questions and challenges you bring to the class. Lessons are inventive and not your typical workbook language study. Their goal is to make it easy for you to communicate in Italian, not to follow a rigid pedagogy. Beyond teaching, they offer get togethers and trips in the afternoon/evening to get to know other students and continue your cultural and language immersion. Each teacher is warm, fun to spend time with, and get to know better. Siena is obviously amazing, too! Highly recommended!  

Две недели в этой школе — это лучшее что случилось со мной за два года обучения итальянскому языку. Я изучаю итальянский в Институте Итальянского Языка и Культуры в Барселоне. После 5 семестров и окончания В1.3, я решила осуществить мою мечту и углубиться на 100% в итальянскую культуру, где я бы смогла попрактиковать, узнать, выучить больше, чем в простое путешествие в Италию. Мы очень много путешествуем, и в Италии бываем несколько раз в год, но этого недостаточно чтоб прочувствовать культуру и находиться 24 часа в сутки в постоянном контакте с языком.

Эта школа СаенаИюлия была рекомендована академическим директором Института Итальянской Культуры в Барселоне, так как уже были наслышаны позитивными отзывами наших студентов. Лучшего города чем Сиена для осуществления моей мечты нельзя было и представить. Этот город – изюминка Тосканы, да и всей Италии! (и кстати самый безопасный город Италии). Профессора школы вложи всю свою энергию, энтузиазм и усилия, чтоб мы прочувствовали жизнь Сиены до малейших деталей. Кроме почти индивидуальных групповых занятий (группы действительно достаточно маленькие) каждый день, я так же занималась еще час индивидуально (что было сфокусировано именно на мои проблемы и пробелы в итальянском). Так же каждый день профессора школы организовывали либо совместный ужин, либо лекцию о культуре (конечно же на итальянском), либо совместный поход в музей, либо поездку в соседний городок. После этой поездки для меня Сиена – город мечта, а следующая мечта – повторить этот опыт с моей семьей. Мое небольшое сочинение об этом опыте на итальянском можете прочитать тут:

https://scriviamoinitaliano.wordpress.com/2017/11/10/1307/

Es war eine tolle Woche in der Schule Saena Iulia. Bereits im Vorfeld war alles super von Mauro organisiert worden. Der Unterricht in der kleinen Gruppe war sehr effektiv. Sabrina ist eine super Lehrerin: engagiert, sie macht einen sehr strukturierten Unterricht und das alles mit viel Leidenschaft und einem riesigen Herzen. Auch die Freizeitaktivitäten hatten genau das richtige Maß und das gemeinsame Mittagessen am Freitag in der Schule war eine würdige Abschlussfeier.
Danke an Euch alle. Ich komme gerne wieder (wie übrigens alle meine Klassenkameraden, die alle schon öfters da waren!).
Saena Iulia ist der perfekte Ort zum Lernen und Wohlfühlen!
Anja

Meinen Sprachaufenthalt bei Saena Iulia durchzuführen, war eine der besten Entscheidungen seit langem. Meine Ziele waren, mein bescheidenes Italienisch deutlich zu verbessern und Siena und deren Bewohner näher kennen zu lernen. Die Schule habe ich über das Internet gefunden und vor allem wegen der kleinen Klassen ausgewählt. Weiter hat mir die Präsentation des Teams und der Kurse auf der Webseite sehr gut gefallen und ich sollte nicht enttäuscht werden.

Schon vor meiner Reise nach Siena wurde ich umfassend von Mauro informiert und er hat auch die Unterbringung in einer Gastfamilie organisiert. Es war möglich, bereits am Freitag anzureisen und ich wurde sehr herzlich in Empfang genommen. Einerseits von Mauro, Elettra und Sabrina und andererseits von Silvana sowie Anna und Marcello, bei denen ich je zwei Wochen wohnen durfte ("Fai come a casa tua").

Saena Iulia ist viel mehr als eine Sprachschule. Es ist eine grosse Familie bestehend aus Lehrern, Schülern, ehemaligen Schülern, wiederkehrenden Schülern... Im Vergleich mit anderen Sprachschulen, die ich kenne, geht Saena Iulia einige Schritte weiter. Die Lehrer sind mit "Leib und Seele" bei der Sache und lehren nicht nur die Sprache sondern u.a. auch die Kultur. Es wird auf Wortschatz, Grammatik, Aussprache und Betonung Wert gelegt und jeder Schüler wird individuell gefördert. Es wird ein eigenes, exzellentes Lehrbuch verwendet und die Lektionen finden nicht nur innerhalb des historischen Palazzos sondern auch einmal draussen, auf einem Spaziergang durch die Stadt oder an der Bar statt. Man merkt, dass alle mit Freude und Leidenschaft bei der Sache sind und dies überträgt sich auf die Schüler.

Einmal wöchentlich trifft man sich abends zum Aperitif und freitags gibt es ein gemeinsames Mittagessen. So lernt man auch Schüler kennen, die nicht in der eigenen Gruppe sind.

Sehr empfehlen kann ich, während des Aufenthaltes in einer Gastfamilie zu wohnen. So umgibt man sich ausschliesslich mit der italienischen Sprache. Dies führt zu schnellen Fortschritten und auch zum hautnahmen Kennenlernen des täglichen Lebens der Seneser.

Einige der Möglichkeiten, die die Stadt und das Umland bieten, sind Touristen bestens bekannt. Die Stadt bietet jenseits von Palio und Piazza del Campo jedoch viele weitere Höhepunkte, die es zu entdecken lohnt. Dabei gibt es wertvolle Tipps von den Lehrern, den Mitschülern (zumindest so sie Wiederkehrer sind) und den Gastfamilien.

Vielen Dank an alle, die meinen vierwöchigen Aufenthalt in der wunderbaren Stadt der 17 Contraden zu einem einzigartigen Erlebnis haben werden lassen. Ich werde schon bald wiederkommen. Sowohl die Sprachschule als auch die Stadt kann ich allen Italienisch lernen Wollenden wärmstens ans Herz legen.

Ende Januar/Anfang Februar 2018 war ich für zwei Wochen in Siena, einer der schönsten Städte der Welt. Ich hatte 50 Einzelstunden gebucht und konnte in dieser Zeit dank der sehr engagierten Lehrer/innen Elettra, Sabrina und Mauro meine rudimentär vorhandenen Italienischkenntnisse entscheidend verbessern.

Die perfekte Lage der Schule in einem uralten Palazzo neben dem Dom und die Nähe zur Piazza del Campo waren ideal. Mit den anderen Schülern traf ich mich abends zu einem Aperitivo am Campo und die Schüler und Lehrer gingen zusammen zum "pranzo" ins Ristorante "Desiderio".

In diesen zwei Wochen lernte ich diese unglaublich interessante Stadt sehr gut kennen und besichtigte den Dom, die Krypta, das Baptisterium, das Museo, das ospedale Santa Maria della scala, das Staatsarchiv und einiges mehr. Abends wird ein breit gefächertes Kulturprogramm angeboten.

Um Italienisch zu lernen ist Siena ideal (man sagt, dass man hier das beste Italienisch spricht). Die Sprachschule Saena Iulia kann ich nur wärmstens empfehlen. Ich komme wieder.

What an amazing experience to learn Italian in Italy! I chose Saena Iulia because I wanted an authentic, local school with instructors from the region, rather than a franchise generic course. Saena Iulia proved to be spectacularly rewarding both in terms of the language instruction as well as the cultural experiences. Every instructor was highly competent, friendly, encouraging and genuine. Every day was rich in terms of the language training and the excursions. The courses are challenging, but fun. Siena is the most beautiful city in the world. You cannot go wrong with this choice of school.

I attended Saena Iulia in August 2017 for 3 weeks. It was really intense, but in a good way. I come to Siena every summer and my classes at the school demonstrably improved my Italian conversational skills. I loved that most of the teachers are from Siena as it's such a unique, magical place. It was also important to me to be at a school that was not a large chain-type of establishment, and because of its independent configuation, Seana Iulia is able to give personal attention and adapt to the needs of the students, changing the content every week to match who is studying. Classes are small, teachers are supportive and fun, and the sense of community is great. I was somewhat disappointed to return home to the teachers I have avaiable to me, and will absolutely be returning to Saena Iulia in the future!

I had a great learning experience and a wonderful time at the Scuola Saena Iulia school in Siena.  The teachers are wonderful and enthusiastic.  They are very knowledgable about language learning and the lesson are structured and focus specifically on your level and needs.  At every turn they encourage you to immerse yourself in Italian but they are there to not only serve as role models but also to provide the necessary support.  They give the students sufficient classroom time and homework reinforcement.  The school also provides extra-curricular activities that are not only fun but allow you to interact more with your fellow students.  I had a fabulous time with my adopted Italian family, which also allowed me to be even more immersed in the language.  Of course, Siena is a marvelous environment.  There is so much to see and do - churches, museums, ancient sites, mulltitude of restaurants, stores, and wonderful people. I highly recommend this experience!  

I spent two weeks at Saena Iulia from the end of September. All the staff were excellent, as was the program. My teacher Sabrina was so encouraging and extremely patient. The first week I was by far the least advanced student and did ask myself what am I doing here - I felt that I was hopeless (which is not something I am used to feeling!) In the second week I felt a little more capable and now a month later travelling in Sicily I am actually speaking to the locals and they understand me! 

The program mix is very good - class room activity, drinks and nibbles one evening, a couple of excursions and lunch with the staff (cooked by the staff!) on Fridays. The booklet provided is very good and will be an excellent resource for me when I go home. I will definitely return and will be recommending the school to all my intalian language classmates back home.

I have attended Saena Iulia twice and each time has been an enjoyable and rewarding learning experience. The teachers are excellent; the classes are fun and well-organized; the students are interesting and enthusiastic and the school atmosphere is warm and welcoming.

• In addition to being engaging and effective, the teachers are warm, patient, and kind. Although they are clearly serious about teaching Italian, they also have senses of humor, particularly about the pitfalls of language learning. I very much appreciated their relaxed playfulness. (We laughed a lot.)

• The classes are well-organized, covering lots of grammar but emphasizing speaking. They are conducted in Italian and class sizes are quite small; my last course had 4 students. The class activities were varied and fun. For example, we listened to Italian songs, watched clips from Italian movies, invented stories, and played games. While fun, each activity was serious in purpose and structured so we had to use specific vocabulary and grammatical forms in conversation.

• An especially meaningful part of the experience has been getting to know the other students, who come from all over the world. And the warm and welcoming atmosphere at Saena Iulia helps promote a sense of inclusiveness and camaraderie. The school offers extra-curricular activities, such as social events (aperitivo, Friday lunch at the school), a weekly lecture on some aspect of Italian history or culture, and a weekly excursion to an historical or cultural site or city in Tuscany -- always interesting and enjoyable. 

As a bonus, Saena Iulia is located in a 15th century palazzo near the Duomo and the Campo, in the heart of beautiful Siena.

So...if you choose Saena Iulia, I think you will be very happy.

Sedná škola, kterou jsem navštívil. Umístění na předních místech, velice přátelská atmosféra a individuální přístup k výuce. Příjemná atmosféra i v Sieně. Doporučuji.

In oktober 2017 heb ik 2 weken op de School Saena Iulia in Siena, Italiaanse lessen gevolgd. Dit was een bijzondere en leerzame ervaring. De lessen werden gegeven in kleine groepjes en waren leerzaam en afwisselend van opzet. Verschillende docenten wisselden elkaar af en wisten precies welke lesstof nodig was om het niveau van iedere leerling te verbeteren. Je zou het lessen op maat kunnen noemen. Tevens werden er iedere week culturele excursies georganiseerd en een aperativo en lunch aangeboden om elkaar te leren kennen en om in het Italiaans te communiceren.

De school en de docenten gaven mij een alround pakket aan informatie over Italië en deze prachtige taal. Ik beveel het iedereen aan. In deze 2 weken heb ik héél véél vorderingen gemaakt en véél leuke mensen ontmoet.

Elisabeth

The Saena Iulia School offers comprehensive Italian language instruction in a relaxed setting in the heart of Siena.  The Italian grammar lessons were excellent; and conversation sessions catered to our unique needs and levels of comprehension.  

The staff was very professional, friendly and accommodating.  The other students were equally welcoming and enthusiastic, making us feel like we were all old friends.

We would strongly recommend the school to students interested in perfecting their Italian or to those starting to learn the language from scratch.  The manual the school gives out is thoughtfully prepared, very useful, and something we will keep and refer to as we continue to study this beautiful language.

I have been learning Italian for three years, during which time I have studied in a number of different types of class in the UK and Italy: group lessons, one to one lessons and conversation classes with teaching in both English and Italian. Several of these have been excellent but the teaching at Saena Iulia is exceptional.  I was put in a small class with two other students of similar standard.  The focus, attention to detail and patience of the teachers is just brilliant.  The entire dialogue in class is in Italian, which gives students lots of spoken Italian practice. Not a single mistake goes uncorrected and so, by the end of my week, I felt that many of my bad habits had been corrected and I was a better Italian speaker all round.  Every class was fun and full of variety. Time passed very quickly in such a stimulating environment.

Saena Iulia has a wonderfully warm and friendly atmosphere.  I was only there for a week and yet I feel I have made lifelong friends amongst both staff and other students.

In addition, the school organised some lovely extra-curricular activities: an aperitivo in a bar, an outing to a vineyard and Montalcino, a visit to a Contrada museum and fantastically informative historical tour of Siena with Elettra.  On the final day we were served a feast of Italian food cooked by our lovely teachers.

I can't believe the luck I have had in finding Saena Iulia. I feel there is nowhere else in the world where such safe hands would be able to teach me Italian. I'll definitely return. 

Diese Schule ist etwas ganz Besonderes. Geführt wird sie von kompetenten und sehr engagierten Lehrern, die mir schon am 1. Tag vermittelten in einer liebenswerten Familie angekommen zu sein. Die Schule befindet sich in einem Palazzo am Dom, ich hatte also jeden Morgen das Glück über den wunderschönen Domplatz in Siena in den Unterricht zu gehen.

Zwei Wochen konzentrierten, abwechslungsreichen Unterricht in einer kleinen Gruppe (4 Pers.),indem es viel Gelegenheit zum Sprechen gab, waren beste Voraussetzungen zum Lernen. Auf eine gute Aussprache wurde viel Wert gelegt. Eine schöne Gewohnheit: Für den cafèe in der Pause gehen alle gemeinsam in die Bar, eine weitere Gelegenheit für lebhaften Austausch.

Nach dem Unterricht macht die Schule vielfältige Angebote Kultur+Küche in Siena und Umgebung kennenzulernen. Außerdem haben wir zwei Ausflüge in die herrliche Landschaft der Toskana, nach Volterra und Cortona, gemacht.

Diese Mischung aus qualifizierten Unterricht und der Möglichkeit, mit interessanten Menschen, in das italienische Leben einzutauchen macht das Besondere von SAENAIULIA aus. Beim Abschied hatte ich das Gefühl gute Freunde zu verlassen und der Wunsch möglichst bald wiederzukommen ist groß. Mille grazie.

Wer auf der Suche nach einer Schule ist, die das Erlernen der italienischen Sprache mit der Herzlichkeit und Gastfreundschaft der Sieneser zu verbinden versteht, dem sei Saena Iulia wärmstens ans Herz gelegt.

Diese Erfahrung, die ich in einem einwöchigen Kurs selbst erleben konnte, hängt in erster LInie an den Lehrern von Saena Iulia. Diese ermutligen die Teilnehmer stets und von Anfang an zur Konversation in Italienisch - unabhängig vom jeweiligen Sprachniveau. Das bedeutet nicht nur, dass der Schüler so schnell wie möglich mit dem wirklichen Italienisch wie es eben in den Restaurants und auf den Plätzen gesprochen wird, in Kontakt kommt. Es stellen sich auch sofort Erfolgserlebnisse ein, eben weil man sich verständlich machen konnte. Besonders gut lässt sich dies in der kleinen Pause in einer der vielen Bars von Siena üben, wo bei Cappuccino und Cornetto gemeinsam mit allen Lehrern und Teilnehmern über das vergangene Wochenendes oder die Aussichten für die Woche geplaudert wird. Auch das Treffen zum Aperitivo, der Ausflug auf den Markt, das gemeinsame Mittagessen am Freitag oder die von Mauro so liebevoll geplanten Ausflüge in die näherliegenden Orte der Toskana dienen eben diesem Zweck. Unterstützt wird die Konversation durch systematische Grammatikübungen in den jeweiligen Klassen, die vor Beginn der Woche niveauentsprechend zusammengestellt werden. Ein besonderes Plus der Schule: die Lehrer rotieren bisweilen für eine Stunde am Tag, so dass für Abwechslung bei Themen und Methoden gesorgt ist.

Ich habe meine Zeit in Saena Iulia sehr genossen und für mein Italienisch (trotz der Kürze) viel mitgenommen. Es waren nicht zuletzt Mauro, Sabrina, Elettra, Elena und Franco, die mit ihrer herzlichen Art diesen Aufenthalt so besonders gemacht haben. Ich werde auf jeden Fall zurückkommen!

I'm really pleased with my 2 weeks at Scuola Saena Iulia.  The school has a warm and supportive atmosphere, which I found helpful in learning a new language

My classes were small, the first with 4 students and the second with 2 students.  I felt well-matched to my classmates.  My teachers were adaptable, shaping the material to our needs.  For example, one day most or all of us seriously butchered the reading of some Italian texts.  We immediately shifted the focus of the lesson to Italian pronunciation, to which we returned the next morning.

While rigorous, my classes were FUN.  The emphasis was conversational Italian,
but I learned lots of Italian grammar.  There were several non-class activities, e.g. a trip to Cortona, group meals.  All enjoyable social times.

Siena is a beautiful city with a very long and interesting history.  Many points of interest, which I was only able to sample on this trip.

All-in-all, a great experience. 

I hope to return in the next year to firm up my Italian and to visit my new friends at Scuola Saena Iulia.

This group of teachers was very diverse and extremely talented. Of most importance to me was the warmth and hospitality with which we were received. It was non-judgemental and genuine. The school is run efficiently, and always with an attention to creating a comfortable platform from which to learn, both the language and the culture of Siena, as well as Italy.

This school represents education, not only in language but also the warmth and sincerity of the culture in Italy.

Really, to witness the effort and talent of this group of educators is so rewarding and as heartfelt an experience as one could hope for.

Thank you for everything,

Linda Joshua

Сиена... един от най-красивите за мен градове в Тоскана...

Какво по-красиво и исторически ценно място за учене на италиански език . Преподавателите в "Савна Юлия" успяват да предизвикат интерес към културата и историята на града, пренасят те в атмосферата на палиото, организират събития, където италианският език, история, култура и кухня те карат да заобичаш все повече и повече Сиена и Италия! Двете седмици в Сиена, наученото , новите приятелства остават завинаги в сърцето ми. Говоря италиански с все по-голямо удоволствие , а Сиена е моят град, там се чувствам като у дома си! Щв се връщам отново и отново там! Благодаря ви, Мауро, Сабрина, Елетра и Франко! До скоро!

Klein aber fein

das ist die italienische Sprachschule Saena Iulia in Siena in der Toskana, wo Sie in familiärer Atmosphäre in kleinen Lerngruppen mit kompetenten und sehr engagierten Lehrern Italienisch lernen können. Abgesehen von den Kursen trainieren Sie bei den Ausflügen, kulturellen Aktivitäten, aber auch beim Aperitif auf dem Campo oder beim gemeinsamen Abschiedsessen die Sprache. Sie können sich in einer von der Schule ausgesuchten Familie unterbringen lassen, wo Sie sich mit der Alltagswelt der Italiener vertraut machen und abends mit hausgemachter Pasta verwöhnt werden. Es versteht sich von selbst, dass Kunstliebhaber in einer Stadt wie Siena auf ihre Kosten kommen.

Kurz gesagt, es erwartet Sie ein gelungener Aufenthalt in der Sprachschule Saena Iulia in Siena.

Après dix jours de cours, je ne peux que recommander l’école.

L’accueil est extrêmement chaleureux. L’équipe d’enseignants fait preuve d’une grande disponibilité et est très professionnelle, elle sait en effet tenir compte des besoins de chacun. L’enseignement, dispensé en très petits groupes, est varié et de qualité et les cours sont très bien préparés.

A l’apprentissage formel s’ajoutent de nombreux moments de convivialité (café du matin, apéritifs, excursions, déjeuner hebdomadaire) qui permettent  aux étudiants de tisser des liens tout en continuant à parler italien.

Mauro est aussi d’une grande aide dans l’organisation pratique du séjour, qu’il s’agisse du transport ou du logement.

Tous mes remerciements à Mauro, Elettra, Sabrina, Elena et Franco.

Mein Sprachkurs in Siena

Nachdem ich mich nach zwei Semestern Uni Italienisch für einen Sprachkurs in Italien entschieden hatte, stieß ich schnell auf die Sprachkursförderung von Ihrem "Instituto italiano di Cultura- Monaco".

Für meinen Zeitraum konnte ich mich unter anderem auf Siena bewerben, was ich sofort tat. 

Nach ein paar Wochen hatte ich eine Bestätigung: 100% Förderung für meinen Zwei wöchigen Sprachkurs.

Die Sprachschule "Saena Lulia" befindet sich im Herzen der Altstadt direkt neben dem Dom. Durch viele Treppen gelangt man in die schöne alte Wohnung mit vier Gruppenräumen. In Kleingruppen (3-5 Personen) lernten wir mit einem der 5 Sprachschullehrer Textverständnis, Grammatik sowie einiges über die Kultur und Traditionen von Italien und insbesondere Siena. 

In der Pause besuchten wir alle zusammen eine Bar in der wir das bestellen aber auch Unterhaltungen untereinander übten. 

Besonders diese Form des Unterrichts hat mir geholfen mein Italienisch zu verbessern. Dadurch dass der Lehrer die fehlenden Vokabeln ersetzte oder die Fehler verbesserte stellte sich schnell ein Lerneffekt ein. Und es macht natürlich Spaß sich ordentlich in einer anderen Sprache zu unterhalten.

Nach 4 Stunden Unterricht war die Schule vorbei. Es gab zudem öfters Ausflüge oder Aktivitäten die von der Schule am Abend oder nachmittags organisiert wurden.

In meiner ersten Woche in Siena fande eines der gefährlichsten Pferderennen der Welt statt. Das sogannte "Palio" ist weltweit berühmt. 

Unglaublich dass ich per Zufall genau in dieser Woche in Siena war und dadurch die Stadt mit ihren Traditionen und Einwohnern so kennengelernt habe wie es sonst gar nicht möglich wäre. 

Auch die Sprachschule trug einiges dazu bei und klärte uns auf und besuchte im Anschluss mit uns allen das Rennen. 

Unter anderem organisierte die Sprachschule eine Weinprobe im toskanischen Städtchen Montalcino, eine geschichtliche Stadtführung, Aperitif trinken, essen gehen, Abschluss essen in der Schule, Markt besuchen, Museumsbesuch...

Egal welche Frage man hatte, man wurde  nicht im Stich gelassen. Die Lehrer waren an allen Personen aus der Sprachschule sehr interessiert und hatten tolle Tipps auf Lager was die Stadt anging. Die Lehrer waren nicht nur im Unterricht interessiert und nett, sondern auch danach, wenn meine Fragen beantwortet wurden, mir Buspläne ausgedruckt wurden, Wege zum nächsten Schwimmbad aufgezeichnet wurden, gute Vinotheken empfohlen wurden...

Leider waren in der zweiten Woche keine "Schüler" mehr in meinem Alter da, die Lehrer haben aber trotzdem viel mit uns unternommen was schön für mich war weil ich außer meiner Gastfamilie keinen in Siena kannte.

In diesen zwei Wochen habe ich sehr viel gelernt. Mein Italienisch hat sich sehr verbessert durch die intensive Zeit in diesem vielfältigen und schönen Land. Ich habe sehr herzliche, liebe und interessante Personen in der Zeit kennengelernt und den besten Rotwein (Brunello) getrunken. 

Am Ende meines Aufenthaltes musste ich allen versichern dass ich auf jeden Fall wiederkommen werde. Das werde ich, certamente!

Vielen Dank dass sie mir durch Ihre großzügige Unterstützung eine tolle Zeit bieten konnten. Die Sprachschule Saena Lulia ist auf jeden Fall weiterzuempfehlen! Ich habe selten Menschen gesehen die mit so viel Leidenschaft ihre Arbeit ausführen. 

Jannika Mock

Proveo sam dve predivne nedelje u Sijeni i upoznao zanimljive ličnosti. Škola jezika Saena Iulia pruža savršenu priliku za neformalno učenje italijanskog jezika i italijanske kulture. Završio sam b2 nivo i stekao dobru osnovu za studiranje na italijanskom jeziku. Časovi se odvijaju u malim grupama. U pauzama se ispijaju kafice u lokalnim barovima, dok nakon predavanja u popodnevnim satima, vreme je rezervisano za izlete, seminare, muzeje, izložbe i razgledanje grada koji ima bogatu istoriju. Profesori su odlični i od početka grade drugarski odnos sa učenicima. Prisustvovali smo žurkama, koje organizuju kontrade (delovi grada) i imali smo priliku da vidimo kako teku pripreme za čuveni Palio (konjska trka). imali smo dva izleta u božanstvenim gradićima Toskane. Obišli smo vinograde u kojima se proizvodi poznato vino Kjanti. Naravno, bilo je prilike i za degustaciju. Na tvrđavi jednog malog grada uživali smo u fešti koja se obeležava još od srednjeg veka. Ustaljeni dnevni ritual bio je ispijanje spritz aperola tokom večernjih sati na jednom od najlepših italijanskih trgova, Piazza del Campo. Letnji bioskop na otvorenom (tvrđava) dao je dosta romantike našem boravku u Sijeni. Svakog petka u školi je bio organizovan zajednički ručak koji su spremali profesori. U porodičnoj atmosferi učili smo kako se spremaju italijanski specijaliteti. Slobodno vreme, tokom vikenda, iskoristili smo da skoknemo do magičnih peščanih plaža Tirenskog mora, koje se nalaze na svega sat vremena vožnje od Sijene. Bejaše to nezaboravno iskustvo, Svima bih preporučio školu Saena Iulia!

Provela sam dva tjedna u školi Saena Iulia za koju imam samo riječi hvale. Nastava se odvija u malim grupama tako da je svatko od nas dobio priliku da sudjeluje i već nakon prvih par dana svi smo govorili talijanski bez ikakvog straha i nelagode. Profesori su izuzetno strpljivi, dragi te se zaista trude pripremiti materijale koji bi nam bili zanimljivi. Ono što mi se posebno svidjelo je to što smo svakog dana u jednoj kratkoj pauzi između predavanja otišli u obližnji kafić na kavu i razgovarali na talijanskom. Škola nam je također svakog dana organizirala aktivnosti poput aperitiva, posjeta kontradama, izleta izvan Siene, raznih seminara, zajedničkog ručka te smo na taj način bili još više u kontaktu s jezikom. Uz ovu školu nisam samo poboljšala svoj talijanski, već sam i upoznala talijansku kulturu i običaje. :)
Grazie mille a Mauro, Elettra, Sabrina e Franco per quest'esperienza indimenticabile!

I have just spent two fantastic weeks in August in this language school Saena Iulia in Siena. The city itself is a very old walled city and very easy to walk around. You are surrounded by Medieval art and culture in the streets, the churches, the museums and the houses. Looking at some of the frescoes would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. I was in awe of my surroundings and I know nothing about art! I chose Siena because it is not too big a city. It is easy to get to with good bus and train links. I flew into Pisa.

The school itself is small, personal and very well run. All the teachers are very friendly and supportive. They are very professional in preparing and presenting their lessons and adapt to suit all levels. Their spoken Italian does not have a strong accent and the people in the city do not speak too quickly, which was good for me, and I could carry on a conversation with the locals in the shops and bars.

The classes in the school are small, three in my class, and each person gets lots of attention. Every day we had conversation, grammar, listening, reading, memory and writing activities. The teacher used many methods and fun activities to help us learn Italian and have fun. Everyday was different and we had a good laugh. All of the classes took their coffee break in a local bar and we used our Italian to order food and chat with each other. 

The students come from all over the world and are of all ages. We all mixed well and helped each other and often went out socially together. We went to visit the nearby towns, sample the food and wine and experience the thermal springs. The school organised a trip to the beach, suggested other events for us and we had some lovely meals and drinks together. We experienced the famous festival of the Palio and shared a street party with Mauro's contrada, a great privilege, while all the time listening to and speaking Italian. 

I can't praise this school enough ... small, friendly, helpful, good fun, adaptable, professional, with a genuine interest and love of their language and culture and want to share that with others. It was a great experience and I will be back next year. 

Zažiť krásny čas v spoločností milých ľudí, v nádhernom meste, malebnej krajine a v škole ktorá ponúka viac ako všetko čo človek od jazykového pobytu očakáva. ... To sa mi podarilo v júli 2017 v Siene, škole Saenaiulia.

Elettra, Sabrina a Mauro sú ľudia na správnom mieste!!! Taliančinu vyučujú s láskou, vášňou a tiež s úctou k iným jazykom. Je jedno odkiaľ ste, budete sa tu cítiť ako doma. 

Siena je kúzelná. Je  to mesto, kde sa Palio nielen každoročne 2-krát koná, ale kde sa Palio v skutočnosti žije. Návštevník vidí iba to okolo, ale "la gente saenese" to prežíva veľmi, veľmi intenzívne. Kiežby sme my boli tak presvedčení o význame tradícií a lokálnych zvykoch.... Siena je mestečko o veľkosti "tak akurát" ponúka priestor na kultúrne vyžitie ale i na zábavu. V tom všetkom škola pomože. 

Jedna rada na záver: Žite tu intenzívne od prvého dňa...Nečakajte až na záver, posledné dni, kedy sa Vám určite nebude chcieť odísť....... 

Siena / Siena Iulia grazie! ...ci vediamo :))

Hvad kan jeg sige andet end at Saena Iulia er et helt fantastisk sted! Virkelig kompetente og søde undervisere, der sikre at undervisningen tilpasses niveau og interesser, små hold og super sjove og spændende after-school-aktiviteter. Kan på alle måder varmt anbefale det til alle, der har lyst til at lære (mere) Italiensk, uanset niveau og alder. Jeg vender ihvertfald tilbage!

Mein Aufenthalt von 10 Tagen an der Saena Iulia war ein graßer Erfolg für mich. Die Schule ist gut organisiert, die Lehrpersonen kompetent und freundlich, das Kursangebot ist außerordentlich reich.Da ich bereits ein höheres Sprachniveau erreicht habe, war es für mich besodners wichtig, dass der Unterricht individualisiert auf meine Bedürfnisse abgestimmt war. Diese Erwartung wurde zu meiner vollen Zufriedenheit erfüllt, und zwar nicht nur im Einzel-, sondern auch im Kleingruppenunterricht. 

Zusätzlich organisierte die Schule viele und abwechslungsreiche kulturelle Aktivitäten, die mir einen direkten Kontakt mit der Kultur und der Geschichte Sienas ermöglichten.

Selten habe ich von einem Sprachkurs so profitiert wie dieses Mal. Ich kann die Saena Iulia uneingeschränkt empfehlen.

I was living in Italy for a year with the goal of becoming as fluent in Italian as possible and am so grateful to Saena Iulia for helping me with that goal! I wasn't sure what to expect and was so pleasantly surprised by my entire experience, so much so that I returned for a second time. The teachers are incredibly good at what they do, tailoring the classes to meet the needs of their students.  They quickly recognized where my many weaknesses were (mixing up Spanish and Italian among others) and worked with me to help me improve in those areas. I also appreciated the flexiblity provided by Saena Iulia, they offer a variety of activities after classes which one can choose to participate in, as well as offering the option to help students find housing for the week, etc.  Saena Ilulia was recommneded to me by a friend who has returned multiple times for classes. I agree with him in that I would recommend it whole heartedly to others and I will surely return!

Kao osobi koja dotad nikada nije samostalno putovala i sama boravila u nepoznatom gradu s ljudima čiji jezik ne zna govoriti, odlazak u školu Saena Iulia pomalo me plašio, no na neki uzbudljiv način. Upoznavši školsko osoblje, moj je strah nestao. Iako moj talijanski na početku nije bio dovoljno dobar da bih s njima mogla komunicirati bez konstantnog zapitkivanja poznatog  „Come si dice..?“,  oni su s tolikim strpljenjem meni izlazili u susret da se ponekad pitam kako im to uspijeva.

Nastava se odvija unutar grupa s malim brojem učenika, što je iznimno dobro jer se profesor stigne posvetiti zasebno svakome od učenika. Na početku samo praćenje nastave može biti zahtjevno jer se čitava odvija na talijanskome jeziku, čak i prijevodi riječi objašnjavaju se koristeći isključivo talijanski. Ovakav se način rada pokazao uspješnim jer sam i po sebi primjetila da sve manje u razgovoru upotrebljavam riječi na engleskome jeziku. Također, vrlo inovativne metode usvajanja jezika kao što su slušanje pjesama, gledanje filmova i sl. nastavu čine zabavnijom!

Svaki dan zajedno s profesorima uzme se jedna kratka pauza i otiđe u obližnji kafić. Sa šalicom dobre kave i eventualno nekim pekarskim proizvodom (preporučujem cornetto alla crema), nastavljamo razgovarati (na talijanskom naravno) i samim time može se puno naučiti. Svi su profesori iznimno dragi, zanimljivi ljudi čije sam priče toliko rado slušala.

„Što ću raditi cijelo poslijepodne?“, pitala sam se u početku. Ubrzo sam shvatila da je svako poslijepodne organizirana neka aktivnost. Obavezno aperitiv, ili na Piazzi del Campo ili na fešti nekih od Contrada. Zatim srijedom slijedi izlet izvan Siene (u mojem slučaju Certaldo, Monteriggioni, Chianti, Pienza, Bagna Vignoni). Ovi su izleti vrhunac tjedna; uvijek izrazito zabavni, ali i poučni budući da ih vodi Mauro koji ima široko znanje iz područja umjetnosti, znanosti, povijesti...Organizirani su i seminari jednom tjednom, teme su uvijek vezane uz talijansku kulturu (geste, etimologija riječi...), ali i teme karakteristične za Sienu (neizbježni Palio). I naravno, petkom zajednički ručak u školi. Unaprijed vas osiguravam da su ovdje profesori vješti kuhari. Na ovome ručku prisustvuju i neki bivši učenici i prijatelji, te se uvijek upoznaju novi, interesantni ljudi te se tako lijepo obilježi kraj tjedna.

Vikendom ne manjka mogućnosti. Iz Siene busom možete doći gdje god poželite. Jedna od omiljenih destinacija, gdje smo se i mi vikendom zaputili,  je Castaglione della Pescaia, gdje se možete kupati na prekrasnoj pješčanoj plaži, ali i prošetati jer je jedno vrlo slatko mjestašce. Ako odlučite ipak ostati u Sieni za vikend, nećete se razočarati! Same ulice Siene su kao da hodate kroz muzej. Siena je idealno mjesto za sve ljubitelje arhitekture, slikarstva...i općenito umjetnosti! Čak i glazbe, budući da je u Sieni smještena jedna muzička akademija. Hodajući ulicom nerijetko naiđete na zvukove glazbenika koji uvježbavaju.

Bila sam smještena u obitelji, i nimalo nisam požalila. Ne samo zato što sam imala osiguran doručak i ručak, već iz razloga što sam s tom vrlo simpatičnom gospođom mogla svakodnevno razgovarati istovremeno vježbajući talijanski i snaznajući nešto više o načinu njihovog života ondje.

Sve u svemu, kroz različite načine upoznavala sam talijanski jezik i kulturu i unutar tri tjedna jako se oslobodila i počela više pričati. Iako mi se često potkradu greške, osjećam se puno sigurnijom sama u sebe. Za to najviše mogu zahvaliti svojem dragom školskom osoblju (Mauro, Elettra, Sabrina, Franco) koji su me na dnevnoj bazi nasmijavali i motivirali svojim entuzijazmom. Grazie mille!

Je reviens de Sienne ou je suis restée une petite semaine pour améliorer mon italien. J'ai choisi cette école par hasard et ne regrette rien, bien au contraire. Dès le 1er jour, j'ai été chaudement accueillie. Mauro, Elettra et Sabrina sont très sympathiques et vous font sentir bien, tout simplement. Les cours sont de très bonne qualité, préparés à l'avance et adaptés aux lacunes de chacun. Des sorties extra-muros sont proposées autour de la culture et l'histoire de Sienne et de la Toscane. Des repas chez les profs, des apéros et le déjeuner du vendredi midi ne sont que d'autres moyens conviviaux d'inciter les élèves à pratiquer la langue en dehors de la salle de classe et d'aborder toutes sortes de sujets. Je ne peux que recommander cette école et j'espère moi-même pouvoir y retourner l'année prochaine.

This was my first trip abroad on my own since my husband died and I was very nervous about it.  I need not have been.  All the staff and students were friendly and helpful.  Only on one occasion did I dine alone - on every other occasion I was invited to join other students.

I was the only Brit at the school - though there were two ladies fro Southern Ireland with whom to sneak a few words of English after class.  Most of the other students in the school, and all the other students in my group came from Germany and we tended to converse together at meals in Italian, sprinklrd with English!  The staff at the school were terrific - helpful, good fun and very informative.  When I left after a week my Italian was definately more fluent than when I arrived, as was my confidence in speaking the language.

I'm hoping to return next year - for two weeks!  I can thoroughly recomment Saena Iulia and Siena - una buonissima scuola e una bella citta!

A year ago I turned 40 and decided it was time to do something I had wanted to do for a really, really long time.  I started planning a trip to Italy to study Italian and so began looking online for places to study. I had not yet been to Siena and it had been popping up in conversation for a couple of years as a place I might want to go...so I followed my instincts and started looking into schools there.  I settled on Saena Iulia because after looking at other schools online it had a warmth to it that drew me in. The class sizes were small and I read a lot of positive reviews from adults who had attended and had overwhelmingly positive experiences. So, consider this review an addition to those!  

I signed up as a beginner for four weeks of classes and stayed with a host family for the first three weeks to get me fully immersed in the Italian experience.  I was exhilarated upon my arrival to be staying in a room with a view of not only a gorgeous old church but the rooftops of the homes across the street from me.  My host family spoke no English so I got the immersion I asked for...it was not easy, but that was the point, to shake up my life a bit.  The classes were intensely challenging for me too as very little english was spoken (and often I felt as if I was drowning because I felt so lost!), but in retrospect I was just what I needed because it began loosening up my English-only brain and slowly allowing the new language in. Since then I have been doing at least a little studying/memorizing everyday to keep the words and phrases alive in my consciousness because one day I want to be fluent.  

What drew me to Siena was not only the school and the kind correspondence from Mauro via email, but the size of the town.  It is not so small that you get bored, but not so large that it is overwhelming. It is kind of perfect for a month-long school visit.  And there are so many beautiful towns to visit within just two hours of Siena.  Each week the school planned a trip to a new town...we visited Arezzo, Massa Marattima, San Galgano, Pienza, and Cortona. While there we spent a few hours learning a little something about each place, viewing important architecture, but also having an aperitivo at the end of the evening before the drive home.  

On the weekends I took trains/buses/cars with other students to Pisa, Castiglione della Pescaia, and Montepulciano, among others.  Tuscany is dreamy.  The green fuzzy softness of the landscape and the beauty of the old homes and architecture will mesmerize you.  And I did not know how great it could be to take a trip to the beach in Tuscany! That was a highlight for me. Just rent a lounge chair under an umbrella for a day near a cafe/bar in Castiglione della Pescaia and it will change your life:).  

The teachers at Saena Iulia (Elettra, Mauro, Sabrina and Franco), are charmed.   They have hearts of gold and are servants to the work, making everyone feel welcome upon arrival.  They were very patient with us students, and I honestly do not know how they do it everyday.  We all spoke so many different languages and I am sure it got exhausting trying to understand us all the time!  At any rate, they are passionate about what they do and take the time to help their students learn, and would let us know regularly about activities in town that we could go to to.  Every day during class a coffee break was taken at a local cafe, (my personal favorite, Il Bargello) and each week a night of aperitivo at a local bar/restaurant was part of the curriculum .  These experiences enhanced the learning experience and week after week I felt I was getting to know Italy from the inside out.  

I arrived just as Palio was beginning and highly recommend going to Siena during this time.  It was crazy and exciting and unlike anything I have ever before seen or experienced.  Before the event, the school offered a lecture about Palio so we could more fully understand what it was and what it means to the people of Siena. During the week leading up to it there were parades throughout the city, drummers practicing their drumming, and boys throwing flags into the air and somehow catching them.  There were a series of trials before the actual race that packed Piazza del Campo with spectators.  Mauro took a group of us to the race on August 16th and it was honestly the most exciting thing I have ever been to...to be part of the crowd at an event that goes back hundreds of years is something that one does not get to do in America and should not be missed!  It felt electric.

Oh yes, another thing that the school does that is lovely.  Every Friday we had pranzo together at the school after class.  Everyone brought a little something to the meal and we spent time attempting to talk Italian to each other while eating and drinking.  

After the three weeks with the host family, I stayed in an apartment with other students for a week, then ended up staying two extra weeks because I liked Siena and wanted to do some artwork there after the intense month of classes.  I was happy with the accommodations, though I do recommend you be patient with any last minute changes/miscommunications which seemed to pop up in this area.  It all worked out well for me in the end, and I learned that as long as you can go with the flow and have a sense of humor, all will be well. The last room I stayed in had a dreamy view of Siena's rooftops and at my front door was the baptistry of Siena's duomo.  Incredible!! 

Lastly, I must mention the people I met at the school.  This place draws souls from all over the world and what kind and wonderful people they are!  I met people from Japan, Australia, Germany, America, Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia, etc., and each one had an adventurous soul and a kind spirit.

My experience with Siena Iulia was overwhelmingly positive and quite honestly changed my life.  I recommend it without reservation to anyone passionate about studying Italian. 

Saena came recommended through the Italian Cultural Institute when I was looking for a good language school for myself and a friend in the Siena area. Our experience was incredibly positive and my friend even came back the year after because he had formed meaningful relationships with Mauro, Elettra and Sabrina. It was more than a language learning experience, we were welcomed in like family. Our Italian improved, but most importantly we both grew personally in the beautiful and soulful Italia.

One of the real strengths of Saena Iulia is its small class size (six or fewer--I never had more than four) and its totally personalized approach to match students with others at their level of Italian fluency.  The school's location in Siena is another real plus as it's a walkable, beautiful, interesting, and extremely safe city.  Two other things that added greatly to my own personal experience were attending school during the Palio festivities and living with an Italian family.  I recommend both. I sincerely appreciate everything Saena Iulia did to make my experience so meaningful and memorable.       

Dear Elettra,

I wish to express my gratitude to all involved in the running of La Scuola.La Scuola Saena Iulia had been recommended to me by Irish students who had been with you previouslyand I am pleased to say that my time studying with you surpassed their high praise.

  The atmosphere of joyful tuition,overall communication and easy interaction with fellow students was very good.

  I would like in particular to thank my excellent tutor Sabrina and Mauro for his attention to my various requests re transport and accommodation.

 I look forward to spending time with you all again this year.

Best wishes to all from Irlanda,

Roger Mc Carthy.

Estuve en la escuela Saena Iulia de Siena haciendo un curso de dos semanas de aprendizaje del italiano durante el verano del 2016.

La localización es impecable, realmente al lado del Duomo de la bella localidad toscana.

El pequeño equipo que compone la escuela te hace sentir la experiencia de la lengua italiana de una forma muy particular: con cariño, cercanía y experiencia probada. Al ser los grupos muy pequeños se facilita la constante participación y flujo de información entre los profesorers y el alumno. Si vienes a esta escuela olvídate de aulas masificadas, no podrás escurrir el bulto :)

Sin duda lo mejor de la opción que propone Saena Iulia es el equipo humano que ofrece: desde Mauro, pasando por Elettra, Sabrina y Franco. Son todos magníficos profesores y he de destacar la amabilidad de Mauro, lo agradables y cercanas que son Elettra y Sabrina y cómo no, los inolbidables chistes, en italiano por supuesto, de Franco sobre "i carabinieri".

Además, al aprendizaje tradicional se le une el poder hacer excursiones como las que yo hice junto a los profesores: Arezzo. Así que uno hace realmente una inmersión en el italiano a todos los niveles. Como prueba los aperitivos que degustamos en un par de ocasiones y que tan italianos son.

En fin, una opción óptima para aprender la maravillosa lengua que es el italiano es la escuela Saena Iulia, en Siena.

Un saludo a todos.

Sou brasileira, mas moro nos EUA há quase 10 anos. Com o dominio fluente de inglês e português e o desastre da tentativa de aprender alemão, fiz 6 semestres de aula presencial de italiano em Washington antes de ir para Siena.

Depois de muitas extensas pesquisas de diversas escolas na Itália, todos os caminhos voltavam a me levar a Saena Iulia. Fechei 2 semanas intensivas com a escola e foi a melhor escolha que já fiz! Já penso em voltar todo ano para me aprimorar - como muitos alunos que já passaram por lá.

Mauro, Elettra e as aulas particulares com Sabrina, me deram dimensões diferentes da lingua com seus estilos individuais de ensino. Os intervalos gastos no café da esquina, falando italiano regado a cappuccino, as viagens da escola as cidades vizinhas, os "aperitivos" semanais e os almoços comunais, fazem a experiencia ser única, uma grande "famiglia".

Se você achou essa resenha, como eu, pesquisando escolas, não procure mais. Vá a Saena Iulia, vc vai sair falando italiano e com uma experiencia memoravel!

Grazie, Saena Iulia!!!! <3

Mi experiencia en Siena con la Scuola Siena Iulia fue realmente buena. Como academia para ir a estudiar italiano es 100% recomendable, por el profesorado y la dedicación que tienen a la hora de enseñar. Pero para mi, lo que marca la diferencia respecto a otras academias es la forma que tiene de crear una comunidad cada semana con los nuevos grupos de alumnos, desde ir a tomar algo a irte de excursión a un pueblo cercano. Siena además, tiene una historia y cultura muy particular y en la Scuola te permiten conocer realmente la autentica Siena.

2 heerlijke weken had ik op deze school in het hart van Siena in een prachtig Palazzo.  Docent Elettra gaf op een heel professionele manier les met ook veel humor ( ook niet onbelangrijk)! Na afloop van de les werden interessante excursies georganiseerd door Mauro : de sympathieke directeur. En die uitstapjes vonden natuurlijk plaats in een prachtige Toscaanse omgeving. Ik overnachtte op de nabij gelegen camping en ook dat beviel uitstekend. Heel prettig zo'n verkoelend zwembad in de buurt van je tent.Ook trof ik het met de mensen in mijn klas.De meesten waren leeftijdgenoten en we konden het prima met elkaar vinden. Ik kan iedereen , die overweegt een cursus Italiaans te gaan volgen, deze school met stip aanraden. Anneke Ekelschot

J'ai passé deux merveilleuses semaines à l'école Saena Iulia.  J'ai reçu un accueil chaleureux et bien à l'image et à la hauteur de la réputation des Italiens. Je me suis sentie chez-moi et à l'aise instantanément. J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'environnement d'apprentissage détendu et convivial qu'ils proposent. Les excursions étaient très enrichissantes et pertinentes à l'apprentissage. Il a été très facile de tisser des liens avec cette école puisque le personnel est authentique et généreux. Ils étaient d'une grande disponibilité et ont fait preuve de dévouement envers moi et les autres étudiants. Je souhaite avoir l'opportunité d'y retourner dans un futur rapproché afin de poursuivre mon apprentissage et me replonger dans le quotidien de Sienne.

Škola Saena Iulia je odlična. Nalazi se u samom centru, tik do katedrale i u neposrednoj blizini Piazze del Campo. Svi profesori su vrhunski i rado će pomoći i učenicima koji nisu u njihovoj grupi. Učenici im se mogu obratiti sa bilokakvim problemom te će ga oni pokušat riješiti. Škola je odlično organizirana. Grupe su male, do 5-6 učenika, nastava ne počinje prerano, a na pazu idu sve grupe zajedno sa profesorima u jedan od obližnjih kafića ili profesori pokažu neke skrivene kutke grada koje učenici sami nikada ne bi otkrili. Jako mi se svidjelo što škola organizira druženja učenika i profesora i van nastave te se tim druženjima priključuju i učenici koji individualno rade sa profesorima. Svaki ponedjeljak se ide na aperitiv, mi smo jedan ponedjeljak išli na feštu jedne od kontrada i to je bio jako lijepi doživljaj koji kao turisti nikada ne bi doživjeli jer se to nigdje ne reklamira. Svaki četvrtak škola organizira izlet u obližnje gradiće, a svaki petak nakon nastave se u školi održava ručak. Svatko donese nešto. Ručak bude uvijek odličan jer se mogu probati tipična talijanska jela, ali i jela iz drugih zemalja. Na ručak petkom su pozvani svi bivši učenici koji se nalaze u Sieni. Nastava je odlično koncipirana te škola ima vlastitu knjigu po kojoj rade. Ja sam bila u naprednijoj grupi pa smo imali malo više slobode u odabiru tema te samo svi imali priliku pokazati i poboljšati naše znanje talijanskoga. Atmosfera je cijelo vrijeme bila odlična te su se i učenici koji su na početku bili sramežljivi do kraja tečaja otvorili i slobodno komunicirali sa svima unatoč manjem znanju jezika.

Siena je maleni, ali šarmantni grad. Ima jako puno toga što treba posjetiti, od crkva i muzeja do samih ulica grada. U blizini se nalazi puno manjih gradića koje svakako treba posjetiti, a Pisa i Firenca su isto jako blizu. Sve u svemu, odlično iskustvo koje bi rado ponovila. :)

It is my pleasure to comment on my experience last October in Siena and at Saena Iulia Language School.  It is important to mention that over the years I had studied Italian at language schools in Florence and Rome.  This, after studying for some years at home across Canada at similar language schools.  I feel, given my experience, I can justly say that Saena Iulia is, if not the best school on every front for any Italian language student, then one of the best. Your entire environment of gracious friendliness, inclusion and a superb methodology of language acquistion create a relaxed ease to the learning process.  Not to be forgotten are your extracurricular events that put your students into the “realItaly”.  These latter events include excursions to points of cultural and artistic interest both inSiena and in the neighbouring regions, the “aperitivi” gatherings an evening each week in the Piazza del Campo, the heart ofSiena and the home world famous Palio races in the summer. In these “aperitivi” evenings, our students sit among the Sienese just doing what everyone does in this magical Piazza, partaking of the incredible hors d’oeuvres each patio restaurant offers from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm for pennies with your aperitif.  We were all Sienese on these occasions. Saena Iulia is located in the most wonderful 500 year old building that resonates of Siena’s history.  Its location could easily be in Il Duomo, it so close to its walls.  I was equally blessed with the apartment I lived in next door to the school wherein Il Duomo’s tower’s night lighting shone over my bed as I slept. I so enjoyed our Friday luncheons in school when all the students gathered at the long dining table to partake of the staff’s superb cooking, not neglecting the array of the region’s superb San Giovese wines Mauro would have for us.  Every thing was an introduction and education of our present “home town”,Siena.  Films of the Palio races so famous around the world that still occur after centuries only inSiena twice during the summer.  The significance of Siena’s unique Contrada system is ultra important to the Sienese, integral in every facet of the City’s culture, art, family and social life. I await as I plan my next attendance at Saena Iulia as there is now no other school for my beloved Italian language learning and its beautiful and intimate home,Siena.

Ho partecipato a un corso individuale per raggiungere l'esame di CILS al livello alto. Il corso a Saena Iulia era molto utile per me ho potuto migliorare la grammatica, la comunicazione cosi ho passato l'esame! Alla scuola ha anche attivita interessanti, mi piaceva comunicare con gli studenti prima dell' inizio del corso e andare al piccolo bar vicino a scuola con gli altri studenti e con insegnanti per beve un caffe, praticare la lingua. La gita per Cortona con l'aperitivo, con la cena e l'ultimo pranzo alla piazza del Campo erano fantastiche!

En septiembre pasé dos semanas en Siena gracias a una beca. Tenía 17 años y el equipo de Saena Julia me ayudó mucho tanto antes de llegar para poder organizar mi viaje hasta el que sería mi alojamiento durante esas dos semanas, como cuando me puse enferma y estuvieron muy pendientes de mí y por supuesto a lo largo de todo el curso. Mi profesor Franco, un apasionado del cine, me encantó. Dado que teníamos un nivel de italiano muy alto, las clases eran muy interactivas y productivas ya que siempre estábamos hablando y en cuanto teníamos un fallo lo repasábamos. Este me pareció un muy buen método si ya tienes una base consolidada, pero lo mejor era cuando nos íbamos a pasear por Siena y nos enseñaba sus secretos, cosas que ni los seneses conocían. Me resultó muy interesante tenerle como profesor y aprendí muchísimo.
Las excursiones que organiza la escuela son muy buenas. Nos llevaron a tres pueblos preciosos a los que es muy difícil llegar si no es con coche. Vimos la Toscana típica, descubrimos muchísimas cosas más sobre la cultura y la historia y nos organizaban siempre alguna degustación o llevaban ellos mismos una merienda con productos típicos.
En Siena, organizaban una comida a la semana donde todos los estudiantes y los profesores llevaban algo de comida y podías llegar a explotar de comer tanto y tan bueno. Casi todo se movía en torno a la comida ya que una vez a la semana íbamos a tomar el aperitivo todos juntos, pero con aprovechando la oportunidad para socializar como en España.
Con el alojamiento hubo un pequeño problema al principio, pero lo resolvieron enseguida, nada más llegar. El nuevo alojamiento fue aún mejor: consistía en una habitación enorme con unas vistas preciosas de Siena y el chico con el que compartía el apartamento era el responsable del alojamiento y era muy simpático.
Todo el equipo de la escuela fueron atentísimos y muy simpáticos, hacen que te sientas como si la escuela fuera tu segunda casa en Siena.
En resumen, ha sido la mejor experiencia de mi vida de la que he aprendido mucho y la recomiendo a todos, pero sobre todo a gente de mi edad porque me aportó muchísimo una experiencia así.

Siena e Saena Iulia - una esperienza magica, superando tutte le mie aspettative!

La città affascina e la scuola, situata nel suo cuore e accogliente e familiare. Gli insegnanti, tutti professionisti bravissimi e persone meravigliose, ti fanno immergere nella caratteristica  atmosfera senese. E stato un piacere a tempo pieno - in classe e fuori scuola. Grazie amici!!!

Io sono sempre in cerca di esperienze nuove, pero adesso vorrei tornare - proprio a Siena, proprio a Siena Iulia.

Сиена и Саена Юлия – едно магично изживяване, което надмина всичките ми очаквания.

Градът те очарова, а училището, разположено в самото му сърце, е гостоприемно, чувстваш се като у дома. Преподавателите, всички отлични професионалисти и прекрасни хора, те карат да се потопиш в характерната атмосфера на Сиена.Беше истинско удоволствие, в клас и извън училище. Благодаря ви, приятели!!!

Аз винаги търся нови преживявания, но сега искам да се върна – точно в Сиена, точно в Сиена Юлия. 

Whether you are just beginning your journey into the Italian language, or advanced in your studies, you will love La Scuola Saena Iulia! While immersion learning may seem intimidating, you will find a warm, welcoming staff that is passionate, caring and anxious to draw you in to a very personalized learning experience. Incorporating the sights and sounds of Siena's history, food and culture with the beauty of the Italian language in a small, intimate setting, Saena Iulia is the perfect school to begin or continue your journey. This past summer was my second time there; it most surely will not be my last! Grazie mille, Saena Iulia!

I have tried and failed taking Italian classes for literally all my life and it was not until I joined the team at Saena Iulia that I realized why so many past attempts had left me with so little of this beautiful language.  The problem was in how the language was taught in the classroom setting.  Well, if you hear a similarity in learning Italian to my experience, let me tell you this is the school for you.  I cannot stress how wonderful my experience was.  I lived with a lovely woman whom I saw as my own family, I had the best daily learning experience in my classes whether it was with Elettra, Mauro or Sabrina, and, finally the school's overall pedagogy proved to me that these wonderful teachers know exactly what they are doing.  They have made language learning fun; they have figured out how to make both the drudgery of grammar fun by making you feel that you are capable of learning at your own speed but also how important it is to also experience the Italian culture while you learn the language. Our daily cafe breaks during class sessions, or our weekly organized excursions added a dimension to learning that was phenomenal.  If I could, I would do this every year and I would stay for a month until I perfected the language.  I miss Sienna immensely.  I miss the school immensely.  A city of lovely people, great food, safe and so so incredibly picturesque.  So, don’t doubt just sign up, you will not regret it!!!!

Saena Iulia is without a doubt the best language school that I have ever attended. I have studied Italian in college settings, in private groups and in seven different schools in Italy, I also studied at University how to teach a "second language" and the teachers in Siena, at Saena Iulia utilized best practices to bring their language to their students.

The warmth of the teachers was noticed immediately, producing a comfortable, and thus a risk taking environment. Many of them had been working there for years, and their experience showed. The small classes (6 and under) makes for plenty of time for interaction, laughter and learning.

The school makes use of the beautiful and intimate setting for informal gatherings and takes field trips that are definitely off the beaten path. But most impressive is the number of former "students" who returned in the three weeks that we were in Siena, to enjoy the Friday afternoon "pot luck" or the weekly aperitivo, or simply the daily 'pausa' in the bar down the hill. From the Monday morning, caffe and pastry to the last hug as we were leaving, a truly, uniquly italian learning experience! 

Familär geführte Schule, wo man sich sofort wie zu Hause fühlt, tolles Freizeitangebot. Wunderschön gelegen. Hierher kommt man gerne zurück.

I would like to sincerely thank Mauro and the staff of Saena Iulia

I learnt so much during the week I attended.

Mauro, Sabrina and Elettra are not only patient and passionate, they are true professionals.The warm, friendly atmosphere, and their love of the Italian language, exceeded all expectations

The extra curricular activities are varied and tailored to suit each student's requirements.They offer so much during your stay

Because of all this, I hope to return again very soon to continue my studies and look forward to that.

I highly recommend the school.

Grazie a voi per un eccellente settimana

V Sieně jsem strávil 2 fantastické týdny v březnu 2016. Škola Saena Iulia je umístěna v samém centru Sieny, v jednom z nejstarších paláců města, jen několik kroků od sienského dómu. Za dva týdny jsem se naučil tolik, co před tím cca za rok samostudia. Atmosféra v kurzu byla moc příjemná, za všech okolností se mluvilo italsky, a to i během mimoškolních aktivit (výlety, večerní aperitiv, společný páteční oběd & vaření či procházka městem). Vím jistě, že se vrátím, a i když nevím kdy, už teď se moc těším!!! Díky Sabrina, Mauro & Elettra!

Having previously taken courses in Florence, Rome and Montepulciano, I can say without hesitation that my best experience of Italian-lanugage learning was the two weeks I recently spent at Saena Iulia.  The school, ideally located just a few minutes' walk from the Piazza del Campo, is small and friendly.  The teachers truly take a personal interest in each student, and use a variety of teaching methods to take account of all learning styles.  

The extra-curricular activities are varied and tailored to suit students' interests.  I was particularly lucky to have one-to-one classes with Elettra focussing on Sienese art, which included a memorable visit to the State Archives (an incredible repository which is well off the usual tourist trail).

The other students, ranging in age from 25 - 70, came from as far as Brazil and Canada, as well as many European countries, and all shared an openness to learning that helped to create a relaxed and supportive atomosphere in the classroom.

I had my first experience of living with a local family during my stay in Siena.  I confess I was very nervous about this, but thanks to the thoughtful approach that the staff use in pairing students with host families, I couldn't have been happier with my accommodation, and I hope to stay in touch with the lovely couple who welcomed me so graciously to their home.  

Thank you to Mauro, Elettra, Sabrina, Leonora and Roberto for making my sojourn in Siena such a fantastic experience.  

Meine Beteiligung am Sprachkurs in der Saena Iulia im April 2016 hat alle Erwartungen nicht nur erfüllt, sondern weit übertroffen. Dies betrifft nicht nur den Gruppen- und den Individualunterricht sowie die im Unterricht vermittelte Grammatik , die geläufigen Redewendungen und den Wortschatz, sondern auch das optionale Ausflugs-, Kultur- und Unterhaltungsprogramm. Besonders hervorzuheben ist die kleine Gruppengrösse, die eine Anpassung an fast jedes Leistungsniveau der Schüler ermöglicht. Die Schule und der Unterricht werden sehr familiär geführt und Siena mit seinem städtischen Charme, seiner kulturellen Vielfalt und dem studentischen Flair hat dazu beigetragen, dass ich mich von Anfang an richtig wohlgefühlt und viel gelernt habe. Den Sprachunterricht werde ich sicher nochmals buchen, und auf jeden Fall wieder in Siena und ganz bestimmt in der Saena Iulia! Besser geht's nicht. Danke sn das gesamte engagierte Team!

I spent a week in Siena in May 2016 and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The school arranged accommodation for me in a very comfortable and spacious apartment very conviently situated within about five minutes' walk of the school.  On our first morning everyone was interviewed to assess their level of Italian and to find out what each student was hoping to acieive after which we were divided into suitable groups.  My group consisted of 5 students.  There were classes every morning and afternoons were free unless a student had asked for individual lessons, which took place in the afternoon.

The atmosphere of the school is very relaxed and friendly and in addition to the language classes students are taken to places of interest.  All the members of staff are helpful and flexible.  I am partially sighted and am unable to read but this caused no problem.  I was also so unfortunate as to fall and break my glasses and the staff could not have been more kind and helpful.  I was escorted to an Optometrist who provided me with a new pair of glasses the very next day!

One word of warning if you have never visited Siena before - make sure you take a pair of comfortable walking shoes!  Siena is a mediaeval city with a rich and fascinating history but it is very hilly and some of the hills are very steep indeed so comfortable footwear is essential!

昨日無事帰国しました。マウロ、サブリナ、エレットラ、本当にお世話になりました。

２０１６年１月初めから４週間のグループ学習の予定でしたが、到着してみると生徒は私一人。不安を抱えながらのスタートでした。でも授業は個人でしたが、アクティビティなどはたった一人でもちゃんと計画してくれ、全然寂しくなかったです。一応イタリア語は独学でラジオを何年か聞き、イタリア文化会館で週１回を約１年続け、全くの初心者ではなかったのですが、聞く話すに関しては自信が持てず、結果的にサブリナの個人授業がとても有効に働いたと思います。私の不得意分野と得意分野をきちんと把握して、ツボを得た指導でした。３週間目からはアメリカ人のマイクも加わって、２人でのグループ授業も楽しかったです。

最初にこの学校を選んだポイントは１クラスの生徒数が少ないことでした。大きい学校の授業を体験したこともありますが、自分の年齢から考えても、若い学生たちが賑やかにいるところよりは少人数のほうが合うのではないかと。それが大正解でした。先生たちも本当に家族のようで、暖かな環境の中で学習できました。学校の建物も１５世紀の由緒あるもの、場所もドゥオモのすぐそば。シエナの街を満喫するのにもっておきのところです。

また近い将来、今度はもう少し長く勉強できるように日本で頑張ります。じゃあ、また。

When I decided that I wanted to study Italian in Siena, I chose Saena Iulia for two very simple reasons - small class sizes and the option to study "Italian for Lyrical Opera". But what I got out of the course was so much more than I ever expected. Attending this school means being part of the Saena Iulia family, an extremely special family indeed. The teachers - Mauro, Elettra and Sabrina - are not only exceptional teachers, but some of the loveliest people I have ever met. They're patient, encouraging, and supportive. I also did a homestay (organised by the school) with a lovely lady by the name of Stefania - she was like a mother to me for the 11 weeks I spent in Siena. I couldn't recommend Saena Iulia highly enough. You honestly won't regret any time spent here.

I came to this school to improve my Italian language skills; to get as fluent as I can. I am not disappointed, not one iota. The grammar drills were thorough and challenging, which is what I wanted. I also had an intensive one-on-one hour in the afternoon when we read the news or dissected a song. One of the best things the school does is organize a weekly day trip to a nearby town or village. Get your grammar five days a week but also enjoy the beauty and history of Italy. It's all part of learning the language. Soak in the culture. Meet the locals. Saena Iulia opens the door to all of it. I will go back. 

I've studied Italian on and off over the past decade both in formal classroom settings and with private tutors. However, after completing 2 weeks at Saena Iulia I've now decided that this school offers the preferred method of learning! Aside from being patient and kind, Sabrina, Elettra and Mauro are top notch professionals. This is evident based on the number of former students who return for additional classes year after year, as well as the students who stop in for a visit whenever they return to Siena. Classes are tailored to the needs of the students and the entire staff make themselves available to assist both in or outside of the classroom. Special thanks as well to Paula and Aldo as their assistance behind the scenes adds to the quality of the program at Saena Iulia. What a pity I couldn't stay longer than 2 weeks!       

I would like to sincerely thank the staff of Saena Julia for their very warm welcome to Siena.

I would recommend the school highly, the staff are kind, attentive, professional, and extremely eager to help in any way possible.

I was a complete beginner with about three words of Italian before I attended class with Sabrina and Elletra two amazing teachers. There were 5 people in class so plenty of time for each participant.

As well as attending classes, there are excursions to iinteresting towns and sites. Also, each week concludes with a lunch attended by all class participants and staff.. A very nice touch is going for coffee break to a nearby bar every morning -  to use the language. 

It is a small school which enables it to offer individual attention, and intensive teaching to small groups.

I would certainly go back for further courses if given the opportunity. Siena is a beautiful city and my three week stay there was made much better by attending a language course in Saena Julia.

Grazie Mauro, Sabrina, Elletra, Paula and Aldo.

Penso che La scuola "Saena Iulia" sia un bel posto con atmosfera familiare e la gente amichevole. Sono sicuro che da voi è possibile migliorare e approfondire le conoscenze della lingua italiana perchè in ogni classe non c'è tanta gente e gli vostri insegnanti sono veramente bravi perché insegnano la lingua dal punto di vista pratico. Secondo me Siena è una città meravigliosa e uno dei posti più belli al mondo. Vale la pena vivere l'atmosfera unica di Siena e mi piacerebbe da tornarci regolarmente.

Wat een heerlijke week bracht ik door in de school! Vriendelijke ontvangst, en erg leerrijk. Elettra en Mauro zijn uitstekende leerkrachten! ik heb veel bijgeleerd, en ik kom zeker terug. Deze school is een evhte aanrader voor wie houdt van het Italiaans! 

Saena Julia is een bijzondere school. Er is eerst en vooral de mooie locatie ervan, vlak naast de Duomo. Heerlijk is het dus om elke ochtend langs de kathedraal naar de school te lopen.

Dan is er het super vriendelijke team met competente en enthousiaste leerkrachten. Elke vraag die je stelt krijgt een grondig  antwoord.  

Verder is er de familiale sfeer; van zodra je er aankomt voel je je opgenomen in een familie.

De kleine lesgroepen en de leuke extra activiteiten bieden bijkomende kansen om je Italiaans aan te scherpen en doen je bijgevolg nog meer houden van de taal en het land.

Grazie per tutto!
Nicole

Deze school kan ik iedereen aanraden

Siena je nádherné město a škola  Saena iulia nabízí velmi vstřícný a přátelský přístup i velkou odbornost. Cítila jsem se tu jako doma

Siena e una cittá meravigliosa e la scuola Saena Iulia offre tanta eccellenza e anche accoglienza ed´ amicizia. Ci mi sono sentita come a casa mia

Nachdem ich eine Prüfung in einem Italienischkurs an der Universität nicht bestanden hatte, empfahl mir meine Lehrerin einen zweiwöchigen Sprachkurs an der Schule Saena Iuli. Ich beschloss mich diesem Abenteuer zu stellen. Dies sollte eine der besten Entscheidungen sein, die ich je getroffen habe.

Das Personal von Saena Iulia hatte mich in kürzester Zeit überzeugt. Binnen Minuten wurde jegliche Nervosität abgelegt und sich miteinander angefreundet. Noch nirgends habe ich vom ersten Moment an eine solch warme und offenherzige Atmosphäre verspüren können. Der Kurs war schnell zusammengesetzt und die erste Stunde konnte beginnen. Ich habe genau das bekommen, was ich wollte. Viel Zeit um meine Sprachfähigkeit und mein Hörverstehen zu verbessern. Die tägliche, halbstündige Mittagspause in einer wunderschönen kleinen Bar und mehrere Ausflüge, bzw. Treffen pro Woche halfen mir dabei sehr. Des Weiteren konnte ich genau die grammatikalischen Inhalte wiederholen, die ich eingangs angegeben hatte. Dabei waren die Lehrmethoden, besonders für mich, als angehenden Lehrer, äußerst interessant und vor allem effektiv.

Nun zu den Preisen. Die Unterkunft (3 Zimmerwohnung mit einer Mitbewohnerin) war äußerst günstig und außerdem gut ausgestattet. Der Kurs selbst ist natürlich relativ kostenintensiv, besonders für einen Studenten. Jedoch möchte ich jeden Leser dazu ermutigen, diese Investition zu tätigen. Sie ist es wert.

Zusammenfassend hat mir, besonders in meinem Anfänger- bis fortgeschrittenen Stadium, dieser zweiwöchige Sprachkurs das nötige Selbstvertrauen und die gute Beziehung zur italienischen Sprache gebracht, die ich so sehr gesucht habe. Außerdem habe ich tolle neue Bekanntschaften, nicht nur mit dem Personal der Schule, sondern auch mit liebenswürdigen Menschen aus aller Welt gemacht. Ich komme auf jeden Fall wieder :)

Attending just 2 weeks of this course really improved my confidence to speak Italian. I have met some lovely people through the classes and the staff at the school were just great. I regard this experience as a real highlight of my trip.

Antes de visitar Siena para asistir a una semana de italiano en la escuela Saena Iulia, había leído comentarios sobre los profesores, el ambiente y la experiencia. La verdad es que me llamó mucho la atención el cariño que se notaba en las palabras de los antiguos alumnos. Ahora que yo también he vivido esa maravillosa experiencia de estudiar en vuestra escuela, entiendo perfectamente todas esas emociones de las que hablaban.

La acogida del primer día fue fantástica y en cinco segundos perdí todo el miedo que llevaba, de repente me sentí como en casa y hablaba en italiano como no imaginaba que sabría hacerlo. Cinco días después me sentía tristísima al tener que despedirme de personas que para mí se habían convertido casi en una familia, no solo italiana, sino una familia del mundo.

Nuestra profesora, Sabrina, ha sido impecable, ha conseguido ayudarnos con las necesidades de cada uno, siempre con una mezcla de simpatía y profesionalismo difícil de encontrar. Elettra tampoco se quedaba atrás y con su parte hizo que el curso fuera muy completo. Se nota muchísimo que disfrutan con el trabajo que hacen.

Qué decir de Mauro, el director de la escuela... no he conocido a nadie con más paciencia y sensibilidad para acoger a sus alumnos-amigos, y Paula y Aldo, siempre alegres y dispuestos a ayudar en todo. Ha sido, sin duda, una de las mejores experiencias que he tenido en mi vida, no la olvidaré y seguro que volveré.

Ich war dieses Jahr zum 10. Mal in dieser Schule!
Allein diese Tatsache spricht für sich!
Ich habe mich hier schon seit dem ersten Besuch gut aufgehoben gefühlt und nie den Spaß am Lernen verloren. Das gesamte Team ist wie eine große Familie, so dass einem der Abschied immer wieder schwer fällt.

Wer in einer wundervollen Stadt, mit tollen Leuten und in einer herzlichen Atmosphäre Italienisch lernen möchte ist bei Saena Iulia bestens aufgehoben.

Ich komme wieder....

As always, doing a course at Saena Iulia was sheer pleasure.  The person who first recommended the school to me had returned SIX times, a fact that amazed me then, but I realise that I've now clocked up the same number of visits! The warm, friendly atmosphere, the excellent teaching, the love of Italian language and its fostering, and the opportunity to meet kindred spirits among the language learners are all reasons why I'll continue to return.

We spent an excellent week at Saena Iulia.  The staff were all friendly and welcoming and arranged nice social events and outings.  Franco and Sabrina are excellent teachers.  We were in a class of five with students at a similar level of ability as us and the teaching was well matched to our interests and abilities.  The school is in a lovely old building, right in the town centre, very near the Duomo. 

Midweek, Mauro and Paula took us to Arezzo which was a lovely place to visit.  Mauro is very knowledgable and we were lucky enough to see a jousting match in the piazza in centro.

Thank you for an excellent week; we hope to return.

I really enjoyed my time at Saena Iulia. It was my first time learning Italian and the intense Italian classes really worked for me. I loved learning all about the language, culture and Siena as a city. Especially great having aperitivo with new friends from the classes!

Die zwei Wochen Sprachkurs waren eine wunderschöne Erfahrung. Die Schule ist klein und familiär, die Kurse intensiv, das Miteinander schön. Man kommt schnell in Kontakt mit den anderen Sprachschülern (aus aller Welt) bei den gemeinsamen Unternehmungen wie Aperitivo oder Mittagessen oder dem täglichen Kaffeetrinken. Die Lehrmethoden sind unterschiedlich und abwechslungsreich, die Klassen sehr klein und dem jeweiligen Sprachniveau angepasst; sprich es parliert sich flugs Italienisch.

In diesem Sinne: Vielen vielen Dank an das gesamte Saena Iulia Team!

Die Schule liegt mitten im Zentrum von Siena direkt am Dom in einem größen sehr alten Palazzo mit mittelalterlicher Atmosphäre. Fast alle Lehrer sprechen sehr gut Deutsch, Englisch sowieso und helfen sehr gerne bei der Organisation des Sprachkurses, z.B. bei  Terminsuche, Parken und Essen in Siena, Sightseeing, Übernachtung etc. Jeder wird nach seinem Sprachlevel in Gruppen zugeordnet. Der Kurs hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht, gerne wieder. Noch ein ganz kleiner Hinweis am Rande: ein, zwei kleine Hinweisschilder im Haus würden helfen, die Schule schneller zu finden.

Meine Sprachferien in Siena gefielen mir ausserordentlich gut: Die beiden Lehrer waren sehr kompetent, engagiert und freundlich, so dass die Stunden und Tage und Wochen im Nu vergingen. Es wird fast ausschliesslich mit eigenem Schulmaterial gearbeitet. Die Schule ist klein und bietet den Vorteil, dass sich alle kennen und bei gemeinsamen Aktivitäten ausschliesslich Italienisch gesprochen wird. Das traditionelle Mittagessen jeden Freitag ist ein Höhepunkt der Woche; miteinander essen, trinken und plaudern fördert die Geselligkeit und ist jeweils der letzte positive Eindruck der Schule, bevor die Studentinnen und Studenten nach Hause zurückkehren.

Dear Saena Iulia,

Coming to Siena and to your school was a blessing.
I've been already on Italian summer courses over the last couple of years. I went to schools in Milano, Bologna, Mola di Bari,... But this was one of the best schools I've been to. The teachers are good + friendly! The staff of the school is wonderful! Siena is a beautiful city and Il Palio is an experience you never forget. 

Thank you guys for everything.

Während meiner Zeit in Siena habe ich sehr viele spannende Erfahrungen sammeln können! Die Sprachschule hat mir besonders gut gefallen, da die Stimmung immer sehr herzlich war und man durch die vielen Unternehmungen schnell in Kontakt mit anderen Sprachschülern gekommen ist. Da im August der Palio statt fand, gab es viele gemeinsame Aktionen und ich hatte die Möglichkeit dieses Ereignis aus den Augen eines Einheimischen kennen zu lernen. Ich habe bei einer Gastfamilie gewohnt, was mir außerdem geholfen hat, die Sprache noch intensiver zu lernen.

Der Unterricht hat immer viel Spass gemacht, weil die Gruppen klein waren und individuell auf das Sprachniveau der Schüler eingegangen wurde. Ein besonderes Highlight waren auch die Aperitivi und das Mittagessen, bei dem wir die italienischen Kultur und vor allem das Essen noch mehr lieben gelernt haben.

Saena Iulia ist eine wunderbare kleine Sprachenschule, direkt hinter dem Dom in einem alten Renaissance-Palast gelegen. Die Kurse sind sehr klein (z.T. waren wir nur zu zweit!) und die Dozenten gehen thematisch auf die Interessen der Schüler ein (bei uns war es Kunstgeschichte). Man wird sehr herzlich aufgenommen, die Schule ist sehr familiär und Freundschaften mit anderen Sprachschülern werden schnell geknüpft, v.a. durch das tägliche gemeinsame Kaffeetrinken, wöchentliche Ausflüge und mehrere Möglichkeiten, den Abend gemeinsam zu verbringen. Auch mit der Gastfamilie habe ich beste Erfahrungen gemacht - so lernt sich eine Sprache fast nebenbei! Ich kann die Schule wärmstens empfehlen!

I’ve attempted to learn Italian over the years because of my frequent trips to Italy.  It’s been a struggle and I was sure that language learning was not part of my skill sets.  This summer (2015) I was going to be in Siena for three weeks and decided to try a two week full immersion Italian course at Saena Iulia .  The course was great and the attention given to each individual student went well beyond the class room to trips to the surrounding country side and socializing after class.  Saena Iulia  emphasizes grammar and structure, something I found lacking at other schools. So, after two weeks do I speak Italian?  Somewhat but my comprehension is way up compared to my abilities before attending  Saena Iulia.  The school’s emphasis on structure and grammar has helped me decode the Italian language as never before.       

２０１５年の６月中旬から４週間お世話になりました。HNKのラジオ講座などで２年ほど独学したのち、イタリア文化会館のクラスに週一回ですが一年ほど通い、CILSレベルA２のコースの途中でSienaのこの学校で語学研修を受けることを決めました。欧米人とくらべ、どうしても聞き取りや表現力でハンディがあるだろうと認識していましたので、クラスの人数が少なく生徒へのフォローが行き届いていると思える、また都市の魅力もありということで、この学校を選びました。結果は正解で、滞在中在籍クラスでは３－５名でしたし、先生方はみな優秀で、かつ手を抜かないので、感動すらしました。会話時に文法エラーがあれば、正しい文章になるまで、辛抱強くフォローしてくれます。クラスの仲間は皆モティベーションが高く、一緒に勉強する上で励みになりました。課外活動も毎週企画され、夕方のアペリティボ、文化セミナー、ワイナリなどへの遠足、料理教室、昼食会などがありました。これらはクラスの枠を超えて講師陣、生徒たち全員で参加できる仕組みで、小規模学校だからこそできるすばらしいことだとおもいます。宿泊は２食付のホームステイで、毎日美味しい料理を楽しみましたし、家族の方もいろいろと気遣ってくれ、気持良く過ごすことができました。今回の滞在中、街では有名なPalioの行事が行われ、歴史と伝統に根ざした現地の人たちのお祭りを目の当たりにすることができ、大いに満足しています。研修中に様々な国の人々と知り合うことができましたので、研修成果の一つとして、これからも交流していけるようにしようと思っています。帰国後もSaena Iuliaでの研修を生かして勉強を継続し、つぎはB1を目指してがんばりたいと考えます。 

Diesen Sommer war ich für zwei Wochen bei Freunden in Siena. Die Stadt hat mich sofort begeistert und ich habe mich hier sofort wohlgefühlt. Zudem hatte ich das Vergnügen, in dieser Stadt die Tradition des Palios hautnah mitzuerleben. Bei dieser Gelegenheit wollte ich aber auch etwas Italienisch lernen. Seitens meiner Freunde wurde mir Saena Julia wärmstens empfohlen. 

Was ich dann kennenlernte war mehr als eine Schule, es war eine kleine "Familie" von Schülern verschiedenster Nationalitäten und jeglichen Alters. Es macht wirklich Spass hier Italienisch zu lernen! Immer wird man durch das ganze Schulteam gut betreut und begleitet. Der Unterricht in kleinen Gruppen, die Ausflüge, Apéros und gemeinsamen Mittagessen helfen dabei die Sprache und Siena mit seiner Kultur in sehr unterhaltsamer und lebendiger Art und Weise kennenzulernen.

Das Saena Julia Team ist toll und kompetent! Sicher jedem der einen individuellen Unterricht schätzt nur zu empfehlen.

Ich hoffe, die Schule, das Team und die Stadt bald wieder zu sehen.

What can I say about Saena Iulia...it is not just a language school but a family that welcomes you with open arms. I have been to several language schools for different languages over the past years and Saena Iulia is very special in that they don't just teach you things like verb conjugations and prepositions, they go beyond this and immerse you in italian culture and daily life. I was there for two weeks and each day was interesting, challenging and fun. What I loved was that we were taught practical italian, and the classes really gave me the skills and confidence to communicate outside the classroom. The teachers are passionate, dedicated, experienced, supportive and just truly wonderful people. I really could not have asked for better teachers - thank you so much Sabrina and Franco! Class sizes are small and the other students in my class were so lovely. Also, the learning didn't end after class; we all had coffees, aperitivo, dinner and lunches together with the school, and all this made my time in Siena a very special one. In addition, the accomodation the school arranged was fantastic; I woke up everyday with the most beautiful view over the city and was only a few minutes walk from school. In my class there were other students who were returning for the third, fifth and even I think the 15th time, which is really testament to how good Saena Iulia is. 

Thank you so much for your passion and dedication in teaching not only Italian but giving me the opportunity to be part of the Saena Iulia family. 

For anyone considering learning italian in Italy I cannot recommend this school highly enough.

I have had many happy visits to Siena and Saena Iulia many times and my three weeks in June were no exception.  This time I travelled with my ten month old baby so I was initially a little apprehensive as to whether studying Italian abroad with a baby in toe would be "do-able".  With the help of the school, who arranged for us to stay in a very centrally-located, comfortable, light and airy flat belonging to a local family, and a good babysitter, it was!

Mauro, who runs the school, and his colleagues went out of their way to be supportive and helpful.  Nothing was too much trouble.  The school's small size means that you feel part of the Saena Iulia "family" when you visit.  For first-time visitors to Siena you needn't worry that you will be on your own as the school organises daily activities including a welcome breakfast, drinks on Tuesday evenings, a weekly excursion to another city/region/place of interest, seminars on topics such as opera, film, the Palio, art and much more.  In addition there are often cooking evenings with the lovely Elettra who takes inspiration from her grandmother's venetian recipe book.

Classes are in small groups and are very much tailored towards the students.  If there isn't a suitable group for a student the student will be taught individually.  I would wholeheartedly recommend Saena Iulia to anyone wishing to study Italian.  The school and its staff couldn't be better and Siena is one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities in the world.

Now back in London, I am missing Siena and the lovely Saena Iulia and can't wait to plan my next trip. Thank you so much Mauro, Elettra, Sabrina, Franco, Paula and Aldo. 

As usual, the courses and personnel of Saena Iulia exceeded my expectations this year. I would encourage both beginners and advanced learners to come to Saena Iulia.  The instructors are professional and friendly -- and I always meet wonderful people from all over the world during the classes.  In addition, there are informal gatherings, excursions in Tuscany -- this year, they even offered a cooking class and I learned how make a proper seafood risotta.  I'll be back again next summer for sure!

My husband attended 1 week of classees somewhat reluctantly but to his surprise he benefiitted greatly from Franco's style of teaching and the encouragement of the only other student in the class.

I was fortunate to receive a bursary from the Italian Institute in Dublin to participate in a 2 week programme of classes. There were 2 other students in my class, both of whom were very fluent. i was definitely under pressure to try and keep up! I very much hope that my standard has improved thanks to Franco's quirky and creative approach and Elettra's detailed comprehension pieces- not to mention the marked homework! On one occasion when my  class mates could not attend I had a private lesson with Mauro on the Passato Remoto!

The visit to the Palazzo Pubblico to see the frescoes was all the more interesting due to a prior presentation delivered  by Elettra in the school.

All in all it was a valuable italian learning experience which we very much hope to repeat

Thank you to ALL the staff in the school

Hola amigos de la Escuela Saena Iuilia,

He tenido el privilegio de participar como alumno de su escuela, y creo que ha sido de las mejores experiencias que he tenido, no solo por la excelencia con la que desarrollan la enseñanza del lenguage, sino que también por el espíritu y la mística con que realizan tal labor.

Junto con aprender italiano y defenderme de lo más bien en tan solo un mes de curso (¡en Roma me preguntaron si era romano!), pude conocer gran parte de la Toscana y de la cultura italiana a través de las actividades extraprogramáticas (paseos, viajes, operas, visitas a museos e iglesias, charlas, etc).

Además,  en los exquisitos Pranzos de los viernes y en los aperitivos de los miércoles, pude practicar el italiano mientras interactuaba con mis compañeros de diferentes lugares del mundo (Estados Unidos, Australia, Japón, Polonia, Omán, etc).

Sin duda, el alma de la escuela es su equipo y los profesores, todos grandísimas personas, que hacen su trabajo con mucha dedicación, etrega y pasión.

Espero nos volvamos a ver!

I love the coffee break in between lessons. If your lesson is 3 or 4 hours long, there's always a coffee break when everyone adjourns to a nearby cafe to drink coffee together. And teachers and students of all levels will try to converse in Italian about anything under the sun. 

My teachers were funny and very clever. They taught me the grammar of the Italian language clearly and gave me very fun activities to practise what I learnt. 

The activities after school were varied and gave me many opportunities to learn more about the region and the way of life in Italy. 

Most of all, I love Siena for the passion for Palio, the variety of restaurants and the quaint ways of a simple life within a medieval city. 

We spent just 2 weeks at Saena Iulia School in April 2015.  We decided to learn Italian to make our time in Italy more enjoyable, including conversation with locals.  The school was everything we expected and more.  Elettra was patient and fun.  The school also organised our apartment accommodation.  We were met by Elettra on arrival to Siena and were very happy with the well appointed apartment close to the school.  We really enjoyed out of school time with the teachers and staff including aperitivo, coffee and school excursions.  We enjoyed close conversation with Mauro on excursions and aperitif's in the sun at Piazza del Campo.  On reflection in 2 weeks we had learnt a sound base of Italian basics which we can continue to work on if we are disciplined!  Thanks to Elettra so much.  We wouldn't hesitate to come again and we also enjoyed the company of Sabrina and Aldo very much.  

I very much enjoyed the week I spent at Saena Iulia in Siena in May 2015. The teaching was excellent and fairly intensive, particularly in spoken Italian , which was what I wanted. We were a small group so there was plenty of individual attention and it certainly helped to be hearing Italian all around;  a definite advantage of doing a course in Italy. Everyone at the school was very friendly and welcoming and I would certainly go back. A bonus was to be studying in the beautiful city of Siena, so after the lessons finished at 1 pm we would head off for lunch and then some cultural sightseeing.

Everything about the school exceeded my expectations on this, my first visit to Siena. I stayed for only one week but left wishing I had stayed for more. I had been studying on my own for two years in an effort to communicate with my Italian family that does not speak English. I felt I was ready for some "immersion" and that is just what I got! From the welcome coffee to the going away luncheon, everything seemed custom-designed for my needs... including my two classmates who were so dedicated to the language. We extended our school day by meeting every evening for a walk around the city, staying in Italian the whole time. I cannot think of one thing I would have wanted to be different.

The amount of work the staff goes through to make your stay comfortable and guide you through personaly meaningful lessons and exercises is very impressive. Since I am "older" I have been assuming that achieving fluency is not possible, given time and effort needed to reach that goal. I did not leave fluent after one week, but I left with the feeling that it is POSSIBLE. I believe that is the greatest gift they gave me was a sense of possibility.

Es hat mir äußerst sehr bei Euch gefallen.

Meine Erwartungen Übung beim Sprechen zu bekommen wurden mehr als erfüllt.

Alle SaenaIulianer sind sehr nett und die Lehrer dazu noch sehr kompetent.

Die Übernachtung bei einer Familie hat die Sache abgerundet.

Kann die Sprachschule ohne Einschränkungen weiterempfehlen!

Vtisi iz jezikovne šole za italjanščino ( scuola di lingua italiana - Saena Iulia), ki se nahaja v mestu Siena, v Toskani, v Italiji.

Že samo dejstvo, da sem se letos že tretjič zaporedoma udeležil omenjenega jezikovnega tečaja pove veliko. Šola je zelo prijetna locirana v samem centru mesta, učni program pa zanimiv, preedvem pa prilagojen znanju posameznika. Prvi dan pred začetkom šole se izvede kratko testiranje posameznikov, ki se nato razvrszijo v (običajno so tri skupine) v ustrezno skupino. V posamezni skupini so po tri do pet tečajnikov, tako da pouk poteka dokaj intenzivno. Predavatelji so strokovno in pedagoško zelo dobro usposobljeni, pa tudi zelo prijetni in družabni. Po žečji pa se je možno po zakoljučku vsakodnevnega tečaja dogovoriti še za dodatne individualne ure. Dodal bi še, da šola poskrbi tudi za vse ostalo, to je: kar se tiče prihoda (nekdo te počaka), namestitve, kjer lahko izbiraš med bivanjem pri familiji, apartmaju oz. v hotelu, zavisi od želje posameznika. Kot tećajnik si pri teh storitvah deležen tudi deležen določenih popustov.

Ne na zadnje šola poskrbi tudi za tvoje popoldanske in večerne aktivnosti, ki se jih udeležuješ po svoji želji. Ze aktivnosti vklučujejo popoldansko večerni izlet oz. ogled zanimivosti v Toscani, popoldansko predavanje kulturno, zgodovinskih in družbenih zanimivostih, ki jih ponuja Italija, ter večerna druženja v kakšnem od številnih aperitiv lokalčkov po mestu.

Če bo le mogoče se bom tečaja udečežil tudi v prihodnjem letu, vendar upam da takrat vsaj za dva tedana. Do sedaj sem zaradi službenih obveznosti prihajal samo za teden dni, kar je sicer malo, vendar se pa tudi v tako kratkem času pridobi precej znaja in odnese veliko prijetnih vtisov.

Lep pozdrav / Ivo

Ich habe eine wunderschöne Woche in der Schule Seana Iulia verbracht und kann nur jedem empfehlen diese Schule zu besuchen. Vom ersten Moment an habe ich mich sehr wohl gefühlt. Die Lehrer und Mitarbeiter haben mich sehr herzlich aufgenommen und es war ein sehr kommunikatives Kennenlernen, auch mit den anderen Studenten. So entstand sehr schnell eine entspannte und familiäre Atmosphäre, die sich auch auf das Lernen übertragen hat. Der Unterricht in einer kleinen Gruppe hat sehr viel Saß gemacht und wir haben viel gelernt und dabei viel gelacht. Auch die alternativen Angebote der Schule, wie Kochkurs, Aperitivo, oder das gemeinsame Mittagessen haben für einige schöne gemeinsame Stunden gesorgt. Danke noch mal an alle, an Sabrina, Elettra, Paula, Mauro und Aldo für diese schöne Woche. Ich komme gerne wieder

Eine kleine Schule mit ganz besonderer Atmosphäre: informell, herzlich, hilfreich, flexibel im Lernangebot.  Vorzügliche Lehrer.  Man lernt so viel, wie man will, und auf seinem Niveau. Ich kann die Schule sehr empfehlen.

Small school in fabulous location, very pleasant atmosphere, friendly, helpful, cordial. Flexible study arrangements.  Very nice and knowledgeable teachers. One can learn at one's own pace.  Highly recommended.

Ich war das erste Mal in Siena und bin Anfänger im italienisch Sprechen. Zwar war ich nur 5 Tage in der Sprachschule Saene Iulia, aber die 3 Stunden Unterricht am Tag in einer Zweiergruppe haben mir das Vertrauen gegeben italienisch zu sprechen, zu sprechen und zu sprechen. Es hat riesig Spaß gemacht.

Mauro und sein Team haben sich neben dem Unterricht vorbildlich um alles gekümmert (z. B. Unterkunft, Ausflug nach Arezzo, gemeinsamer Aperitivo).

Es war eine gelungener Aufenthalt in einer lebenswerten Stadt. Gerne wieder.
Grazie e un sorriso

La scuola era una buona esperienza per me.  La classe era piccola e l'insegnante erano preciso ma gentile!  E mi piace molto la sera insieme e la viaggia a Pienza.

Andro' di nuovo.

Grazie

Seit vielen Jahren hatte ich immer diesen Traun: Wenn ich pensioniert bin lerne ich italienisch.

Als es letztes Jahr soweit war, konnte ich es mir aber doch nicht vorstellen.

Freunde haben mir dann aber sehr begeistert von dieser kleinen, feinen Schule in Siena erzählt und mich animiert mit ihnen mitzukommen.

Ich habe es nicht bereut.

Mauro, Sabrina und Elettra sind so tolle Menschen und so verständnisvolle Lehrer, ich habe mich vom ersten Tag „daheim“ und willkommen gefühlt. Die Klassen sind klein, man lernt die andern „Mitschüler“ schnell gut kennen, hat es lustig zusammen, man hilft sich und freut sich, wenn man wieder etwas neues gelernt hat.

Die gemeinsamen Aktivitäten (Kaffeepause am Morgen, zusammensitzen bei einem Gläschen Wein am Dienstagabend, die tollen und interessanten Ausflüge in die Umgebung von Siena am Mittwoch Nachmittag und das Pranzo am Freitag (als wehmütiges Abschiedsessen am Freitag), das alles  macht die ganze Einmaligkeit dieser Schule aus.

Nebst dem eigentlichen Unterricht, tragen all diese Aktivitäten sehr viel dazu bei, dass man die Freude und das Verständnis für die Sprache findet.

Man muss einfach wieder kommen

Everyone at Saena Iulia is lovely, so friendly, knowledgeable and willing to help you in any way that they can. The small class sizes make learning easier and progress faster. The whole ethos of the school is relaxed and welcoming, helped by the weekly lunches where the teachers and students eat together and chat together. Saena Iulia made my experience in Siena wonderful and I cannot wait to go back and visit everybody again!

W 2014 roku bylam na miesięcznym kursie językowym w szkole  Saena Iulia w Sienie, którą polecono mi we Włoskim Instytucie Kultury w Warszawie. Dwie rzeczy okazały się zupełnie wyjątkowe - samo miasto i jego atmosfera oraz najlepsza szkoła językowa, w której miałam okazję się uczyć. Kilka lat wcześniejszych doświadczeń w różnych szkołach we Włoszech pozwala mi to powiedzieć z pełnym przekonaniem. Co do samego miasta - jest super klimatyczne i ma wiele ciekawych, wręcz kultowych miejsc do zwiedzenia w jego okolicach. Z kolei tętniąca życiem i swoim Palio - Siena - szczególnie w miesiącach wakacyjnych, daje możliwość odpoczynku aktywnego i spokojnego zarazem. O szkole mogę mówić w samych superlatywach, grupy są bardzo małe, nauczyciele genialni i atmosfera quasi rodzinna, co odczuwa się już po pierwszym tygodniu :). Szkoła organizuje wspólne wyjścia i wyjazdy, piątkowe wspólne obiady, zajęcia nad morzem co sprawia, że pod koniec pobytu człowiek jest bogatszy i o bardziej płynną włoszczyznę ale też o grono nowych przyjaciół. Faktem jest, że po miesiącu wszyscy czuliśmy postępy w nauce włoskiego i w płynności wypowiedzi i używaniu gramatyki. Jeżeli poszukujecie szkoły we Włoszech to serdecznie polecam Saenę.

私は4か月の受講だったので、学校に学生ビザの取得を手伝ってもらいましたが、日本人スタッフもいて、とても迅速かつ丁寧に対応していただきました。

最初は、日本語や中国語のホームページがないからアジア人が少ないだろうという理由でこの学校に決めたものの、渡航前のまだイタリア語が喋れない段階では、授業料のやり取りや手続きの面では日本語で対応していただけるのはとてもありがたく安心でした。

でも学校に行ってしまえば、予想通りアジア人はほとんどいなくて、日本人がちらほらいても、自立した人が多かったので、日本人同士でつるむようなことはありませんでした。いろんな国のいろんな年代の人とイタリア語でお話ししたり、ご飯食べに行ったり、冗談を言ったりするのは本当に楽しかったです。イタリア語をずっと喋ってるのは確かに疲れるんですが、午前のグループ授業の後は、それぞれ一回家に帰って昼寝や宿題をしてからまた夕方待ち合わせして観光したり、アペリティーボしたり、のんびり生活できました。

私が宿泊してたのはアパートなんですが、どこの家もだいたい寝室は1人１部屋で、居間とキッチンとトイレなどが共用という感じでした。家でも、違う学校の女の子たちと一緒に料理をしたり、宿題をしたり、楽しかったです。私は幸運にもインターネット環境の悪くない家に当たりましたが、もし、家で日本とスカイプしたいとかであれば、事前にネットにつながる家をリクエストしておいた方がいいかもしれません。学校はwi-fi快適につながります。

NHKラジオ講座で１年独学、その後イタリア文化会館に週１回１年半ほど通って、シエナ外国人大学のA２レベルの試験をギリギリ合格したレベルでの渡航でしたが、生活やグループ授業は問題ありませんでした。もちろん最初の１ヶ月は全然言葉が出てこなくて周りには迷惑かけましたが、１ヶ月くらいで会話にも授業にも慣れてきます。先生たちもいろんな生徒がいることには慣れているようで、できない人には簡単な問題を振ってくれたりします。でも、本当に初心者で、英語も喋れない人はマンツーマン授業でも大変そうにみえました。目安ですがA１程度、１年くらいは日本で勉強していった方が実り多い留学になると思います。

4か月のシエナ留学と１か月イタリア中を旅行していましたが、この５カ月で思ったより喋れるようになりました。ある彫刻学校に訪れて、入学に必要な語学力はどのくらいかと聞いたら、きみくらい喋れれば大丈夫だ、と言われました。

I had a wonderful experience at Saena. If I had merely learned a little Italian (I am a beginner) from these wonderful, caring professionals, that would have been enough. If a had merely experienced their hospitality and kindness, that would have been enough. If I had merely been exposed to their Siena, that would have been enough. But Saena offered so much more. I now have true friends in one of the most glorious cities in the world. I cooked with them, dined with them, toured with them, laughed with them—and as a result of their gentle, encouraging, multi-modal teaching style, my Italian is coming along very nicely! I will be continuing my studies through their distance program, and can't wait to visit them next year to continue my journey. If I were Michelin, I would give then ten stars!

Moje zkušenost se školou Saena iulia je velmi pozitivní. Strávila jsem na letním kurzu dva týdny. Líbil se mi systém, že když člověk není začátečník, může začít kdykoliv v pondělí, kdy probíhá krátke seznámení, uvítání nových studentů nad kávou, v příjemné atmosféře! 

Skupinka, do které jsem byla zařazena, byla komorní, o to víc jsme měli šanci mluvit, vyjádřit se. Studovali jsme také gramatiku a například i četli noviny! 

Učitelé byli sympatičtí, příjemní, trpěliví, tolerantní a motivovali nás, bylo zjevné, že s výukou mají mnohaleté zkušenosti. Společně jsme šli jedn večer na aperitiv, organizoval se také výlet a v neposlední řadě i společná veceře.

Studium v této jazykové skole všem jednoznacně doporučuju. Sama se planuju vrátit!

Another beautiful two-week immersion at Saena Iulia in Siena! This was my fourth year, and I will definitely be back again.

As to my high opinion of the school, the curriculum, and especially the teachers, you can see my previous comments in other entries below. They still stand.

This year was a special treat: I persuaded my husband to come too! He joined the beginner class and had a blast! He, too, will return. Ci vediamo prossimo anno!

I took a one-week class at Saena Iulia last August. Classes were very good and helpful. In addition to the formal classes there were many opportunities to speak in Italian with teachers and other students. A daytrip to the beach was a lot of fun. I recommend this school very highly.  

Egy magyarországi ösztöndíjnak köszönhetően jutottam el Sienába a Saena Iulia nyelviskolában, és az ott töltött 2 hét után bármikor szívesen visszamennék. Az iskola sokkal többet nyújt "szimpla" nyelvóráknál: kirándulásokat, délutáni kulturális szemináriumokat, aperitivokat...:).A tanárok és a nyelviskola dolgozói már az első naptól kezdve nagyon barátságosak és segítőkészek voltak. Az órák mindig jó hangultban teltek,tanárom - Elettra- nagyon felkészült, jól felépített órái voltak, érthetően magyarázott, nagyon tetszettek az "alternatív" óráink amikor ellátogattunka piacra vagy a városban sétáltunk, ahol élesben gyakorolhattuk a nyelvet és kicsit beleshettünk az sienaiak mindennapjaiba - azért egy anyanyelvi társaságában mégis más:). Bárkinek bátran ajánlom!

My experience at Saena Iulia was truly special from start to finish. The teachers at Saena Iulia are some of the most talented and personable I have met. Their desire to teach and to help seemed endless and was not confined to the duration of lessons.

The teaching philosophy at Saena Iulia is centered around the idea that the use of a languageis a practical skill which must be taught through the facilitation of its usage, not with lectures and a textbook. Thus, the classroom learning seamlessly fused the explanation and implementation of theoretical and grammatical concepts, as well as explorations of Italian culture. More importantly, the education in the classroom was augmented by the facilitation of participation in Italian society.

Every day, we went out for espresso and pastries between lessons. The finish of each week was celebrated with a homecooked lunch. The teachers tailored their help to my interests and needs. I’m a 21-year-old student and musician. I was introduced to persons and shops I would enjoy, and given recommendations for numerous concerts and bars for the evenings. There was a consistent effort on their part to help me feel comfortable and happy, to learn well, to meet people with interests similar to my own. Their desire to teach me didn’t end with academics.

I also felt very lucky with my homestay family. The school connected me with a generous family, who I have kept in touch with and have plans to visit in the future. The opportunity to live with Italians completely changed my experience. The speed of my language learning was accelerated, and I learned an incredible amount about the history of Italy and Siena, the state of Italian politics, Italian culture and art, and anything else I had the curiousity to ask about.

Saena Iulia’s combination of teaching proficiency with the facilitation of participation in the local society is extremely intelligent and leads to gratifying, meaningful results. I often felt more like a guest than a student, and yet, learned Italian more quickly and effectively than I ever have (I’ve studied Italian at two other language schools in Italy, as well as at college/university in the states). I doubt this sort of personal treatment and thoughtfulness can be found in many other places.

Kiedy powiedziałam, że wybieram się na dwa tygodnie do Sieny do szkoły języka włoskiego, znajoma zareagowała tak : Siena to małe miasto-Plac,Katedra-wystarczy jeden dzień, żeby to zobaczyć, no maksymalnie 1 tydzień,żeby zwiedzić muzea, Katedrę, kościoły i co dalej-zanudzisz się !

Przyjechałam do Sieny wieczorem i w nocy poszłam na spacer pod Katedrę i na Piazza del Campo - wszędzie pełno ludzi, otwarte restauracje, światła, muzyka...magicznie!

Nie wiem, co sprawia, że Siena tak urzeka turystów ? Może to kolory : granatowe niebo, domy w kolorze sepii, ciepły bruk na Piazza del Campo, przepiękna Katedra, albo te nieustające przygotowania do Palio ? Można codziennie odkrywać nowe uliczki i widoki, a wieczorem i tak wraca się na Piazza del Campo...posiedzieć, posłuchać muzyki,napic sie wina.

Tuż obok Katedry znajduje się Saena Iulia-wyjątkowa szkoła,w której Mauro wraz  z przyjaciółmi uczą języka włoskiego z sercem i pasją.

Co tydzień, przy porannej kawie w poniedziałek witają z nieodmienną radością nowych studentów i przedstawiąją im "starych" oraz zespół nauczycieli i biura.

Zamiast testu kwalifikacyjnego jest rozmowa z nauczycielem, który kieruje osobe do odpowiedniej grupy. Grupy są rzeczywiście małe 3-4 osobowe, co sprawia, że mówi sie bardzo dużo.

Atmosfera w szkole jest taka,że ludzie z całego świata czują sie ze sobą dobrze i spędzają ze sobą czas rano i po południu na dodatkowych zajeciach z kultury, historii. Organizowane sa tez wycieczki po pięknych miasteczkach Toskanii.

W piątki po lekcjach wszyscy  przygotowują lunch-to okazja żeby poznać typowe dania regionalne i oczywiście potem wspólnie je spożywać. Ten zwyczaj bardzo mi się podobał.

Po pierwszym tygodniu w szkole-mówiłam,myślałam i śniłam po włosku; po drugim tygodniu-udzieliłam wywiadu o swoich wrażeniach z pobytu i do dziś nie mogę uwierzyć,że mówiłam tak płynnie!

Wiem,że tam wrócę, bo to miasto i szkoła mnie urzekły, bo muszę zobaczyć Palio i miejsca, gdzie nakręcono "Nostalgię" Tarkowskiego....przecież wrzuciłam monetę do Fontebranda!

We have many fond memories of Siena. Despite attending your school only briefly, we found our time there immensely fruitful, not only for the beneficial effects it had on our Italian but also for the wonderful opportunity it gave us to learn about the history and culture of your beautiful city. What impressed us most about your language school was your integrated approach to teaching with your staff spending practically the whole morning or afternoon with the students, including coffee breaks around the Piazza del Campo. We also appreciated your after-hours activities which involved visits to museums and galleries, and to parts of Tuscany not otherwise accessible to the casual tourist. This meant immersing the students totally into language acquisition, enabling them to practise in everyday situations what they learnt in class. Moreover, while your experienced and professional teaching staff made the learning process enjoyable, your teaching programme was flexible enough to cover our particular personal requirements.

The essence of Saena Iulia extends far beyond the experience of learning Italian language and culture. You can read what other students have written in their comments about the small class size, the excellence of instruction, the individual attention, the daily activities and weekly excursions, the Friday family-style lunches, and so forth. All of that is absolutely true, and It is a heck of a lot of fun! For me, the heart and soul of the faculty and staff is what remains the most poignant of my memories there. The oil that lubricates this beautiful mechanism of learning, the glue that holds it all together, is the open-hearted kindness and sincere goodwill of all the people associated with the school. I would guess that every student who has studied at Saena Iulia has felt themselves become a part of this wonderful new family. What a marvelous experience to live in such a beautiful, vibrant city and to study at Saena Iulia amongst such a mosaic of kind, gentle, warm, life affirming people.

I was a student at the school in June 2014, recommended by a friend.  Wonderful to study in Siena, a city not too big but always vibrant and welcoming, where I felt safe wandering around on my own or with friends from the school. 

All the information given about the course and finding accommodation was very much appreciated.  On arrival at the flat there was even someone there to welcome us! We soon felt at home in the city and managed to speak to all the people living in the same house, divided up into a number of apartments.

Joining the school felt very much like being part of a family... the staff all showed great thoughtfulness and gave so much time to the students.  Every morning we all walked together to a local cafe for cappuccinos and cornettos.  There was a varied programme of activities outside the classes...Friday lunch with all the students and staff, trips to local bars, lectures, and who could ever forget Mauro's trips or Elettra and Bastiaan's cooking tips?!!  Students also organised outings themselves and prepared meals.

The classes are small and the staff very supportive.  I will never forget Sabrina's impersonation of an Italian footballer or her warning hand in discussions, raised to show the arrival of the subjunctive!! Good balance between discussion and grammar.  Time spent learning about the local accent and others was incredibly useful and rewarding.

You come away from this experience with Italy under your skin and in your blood.

I loved every moment of my stay and I often think of all the warmth and friendship I found in Siena.  Thank you to everyone.

CG

Tydzień nauki w Saena Iulia w mojej ocenie dał mi więcej niż kilka tygodni nauki w szkole w Polsce. Jadąc na kurs, nie wiedziałem, tak naprawdę, co potrafię i jaki jest poziom mojego włoskiego. W związku z czym, miałem pewne obawy. Na szczeście szybko zniknęły, ponieważ sympatyczni nauczyciele dbali o doskonałą i bezstresową atmosferę. Nauka w szkole była  bardzo przyjemna. Co prawda trudno mówić o dogłębnym przestudiowaniu włoskiego w ciągu tygodnia, ale możliwość obcowania z żywym językiem była nie do przecenienia. Nauczyciele bez trudu rozpoznają poziom ucznia, potrafią dobrać odpowiedni materiał,  żeby skorygować błędy. Lekcje zawierały odrobinę gramatyki i przede wszystkim dyskusje na różne, często przypadkowe tematy.  Poza porannymi zajęciami codziennie wychodziliśmy razem na kawę, zwiedzaliśmy miasto czy oglądaliśmy film. Nauczyciele przekazywali nam też dużo informacji o mieście, jego historii i zwyczajach mieszkańców. Jestem bardzo zadowolony z nauki w Sienie i podejścia do ucznia. Polecam szkołę Saena Iulia wszystkim tym, którzy myślą o kurie we Włoszech. Naprawdę warto!

Serdecznie polecam tę szkołę wszystkim, ktorzy chcą uczyć się języka włoskiego i jednocześnie poznawać kulturę, jedzenie i życie codzienne Włochów z bardzo bliskiej perspektywy.
Wszyscy nauczyciele oraz osoby współpracujące ze szkołą są przesympatyczni, serdeczni
i bardzo dobrze wykształceni. Od pierwszej chwili znika wszelki dystans i okazuje się nagle, że masz bardzo dużo do powiedzenia w języku włoskim, choć zapewniam, że będąc w Polsce wcale tak nie sądziłam ;)
Program zajęć jest niezwykle urozmaicony. Pomimo, że byłam na tygodniowym kursie w mało atrakcyjnym turystycznie miesiącu styczniu, szkoła działała pełną parą, pokazując mi całą gamę swoich możliwości: wspólne wycieczki, spacery, obiady, wyjścia na kawę- to wszystko poza programem obowiązkowym, który wczesniej się wybiera.
To był dla mnie niezapomniany tydzień i na pewno tutaj wrócę :)))

Comme élève à Saena Iulia j'ai déjà dit tout le bien que j'en pensais. Aujourd'hui je suis contente de découvrir sur le web que l'école est connue en France. Elle a été retenue parmi les fournisseurs de comités d'entreprise....voici le lien.

http://www.officielce.com

Bravo Saena Iulia!

Im Herbst 2014 war ich drei Wochen in Siena, mein zweiter Aufenthalt an dieser wunderbaren Schule. Ich war erneut begeistert, wie liebevoll hier Studentinnen und Studenten jeden Alters und jeder Nationalität betreut werden. Hier Italienisch zu lernen macht ebenso Spaß wie vieles andere rund um die Schule: Der abendliche Plausch beim Aperitivo, die Ausflüge, das Kulturprogramm und das gemeinsame Essen jede Woche. Und das alles in einer faszinierenden mittelalterlichen Stadt, die unglaublich viel zu bieten hat. Siena muss man einfach näher kennen lernen, in dieser Umgebung ist es toll, Italienisch nicht nur zu lernen, sondern auch gleich – erfolgreich – anzuwenden. Einen Aufenthalt an der Sprachschule Saena Iulia kann ich nur wärmstens empfehlen!

I just returned from four wonderful weeks at Saena Iulia.  The school exceeded my expectations in every way.  Mauro, the director has created a beautiful and stimulating learning environment with outstanding teachers and a nurturing staff.  The classes were small with lots of individual attention.  

Each day was interesting and challenging.  Sabrina and Eletera, my teachers, made every effort to help us learn as much as possible during our time at the school.  There were numerous additional activities scheduled, mostly at no cost.  All of the activities were interesting and enjoyable. Tuesday nights we met for apertivos.  Fridays we had lunch at school prepared by Elettra and some of the students. We also had fascinating weekly seminars on Italian art, history, or culture.  

What I enjoyed most, were Mauro's weekly outings to visit one of the beautiful sites in Tuscany.  Some of the excursions were to:  Cortona, Montalcino, Masa Marittima, and Assissi.  We also visited several beautiful old monasteries.  

Siena is a wonderful place to go to language school, especially if you love art.  It is a stunning city with lots to offer. The school is located in a wonderful old palazzo between the Duomo and Piazza de Campo.  The neighborhood is full of delightful shops and good restaurants. I enjoyed my experience at Saena Iulia very much and plan to return again next year.  

I would highly recommend Saena Iulia to anyone searching for a great place to study Italian.

Per due settimane sono state in questa scuola con una amica Olga L. Tutto ci è piaciuto tantissimo. L'insegnante era molto bravo e la lezione era sempre interessante. Il diretor organizza diverse attività . Il venerdi lo staff della scuola preparava un pranzo a scuola e noi aiutavamo anche un po'.E cosi l'ambiente diventava molto particolare e tutti eramo amici. Siena è una città belissima !

Vijfentwintig jaar geleden, een avond in Siena. Tijdens een stadswandeling stuitten wij op een openstaande poort met daarachter een tuin, waar een feest aan de gang was. Enkele aanwezigen kregen ons in het vizier en nodigden ons uit mee te eten aan de lange tafels. Het bleek een bijeenkomst te zijn van een van de buurtschappen van Siena, in de aanloop naar de Palio. Het werd een onvergetelijke avond: de groene tuin, het uitzicht over het landschap, de gastvrijheid van de Italianen, alles tegen de achtergrond van middeleeuws Siena zorgde voor een magische sfeer.  Laat op de avond namen wij nog deel aan een balspel. De ballen representeerden de deelnemende paarden aan de Palio, elk in een eigen kleur. Met zes flessen wijn en prosciutto, onze prijs, keerden wij na een hartelijk afscheid terug naar onze tent.

Op zoek naar een talenschool in Italië zorgde deze herinnering ervoor dat de keuze viel op Siena, de Saena Iulia school. Mijn verwachtingen werden niet teleurgesteld. De school ligt op een fantastische locatie middenin de stad. De klassen zijn klein, en de lessen afwisselend, zo maakten wij een wandeling over de markt waar ik veel nieuwe woorden heb geleerd. Door de betrokkenheid van de docenten voelde ik dezelfde vriendelijke gastvrijheid als vijfentwintig jaar eerder. Buiten de lessen om is er veel gelegenheid schoolgenoten en docenten beter te leren kennen, er zijn excursies, lezingen en gezamenlijke lunches. Nog dezelfde zomer ben ik teruggegaan voor een tweede cursus, en er zijn alweer plannen voor een volgende keer.

I spent two amazing weeks at Saena Iulia and I loved every minute. The teaching staff are very patient and supportive, and when I left I definitely felt more confident in speaking Italian. The regular outings and excursions were really great and I met some really amazing friends through the school. I would recommend this school and wouldn't hesitate in returning. Thanks Seana Iulia! :)

My 18-year-old son and I attended classes for 3 weeks during the Summer of 2014.  We both had a wonderful experience from beginning to end and our education is still paying dividends for both of us.  The director of the school, Mauro Faleri, was extremely helpful in getting us enrolled, securing our apartment, and advising us on transportation from the airport in Rome.  We communicated via email and he was responsive and accommodating to our every need.  The highlights of our time as students were the small class size, weekly excursions, and coffee breaks & lunches with fellow students and staff.  The students are considered “family” there and the gracious instructors have high standards in the classroom, but they are also lots of fun!  Siena is a safe and nice size town with everything one could want.  It is an easy bus ride to Florence or Rome and destinations around the area.  Tuscany is breathtakingly beautiful and of course we ate well!  I can see why many students return to Saena Iulia year after year.  Since returning, we have kept in touch with our new friends from around the world.  I now understand much more Italian than when I started and have a better knowledge of the grammar and structure.  I also know what I need to work on (verbs!) and have incorporated daily practice into my routine, which is easier now that I have the “big picture.”  I am also able to converse with the Italian-speaking members at our Sons of Italy Lodge.  Mark was well prepared to begin college classes in Italian this fall and is the top student in his class.  He said recently, “I miss my teacher, Chiara, at Saena Iulia.  I learned so much there.”  I think this says it all!  

Provela sam mesec dana u Sieni. Tesko je prepricati i docarati iskustvo koje sam stekla, i divne ljude koje sam upoznala upravo ovde. Grad koji odise tradicijom i bogatom istorijom, nece nikoga ostaviti ravnodusnim. 

Skolu Saena Iulia bih apsolutno svima preporucila, jer poseduje fenomenalne predavace, koji su strpljivi i veoma profesionalni i strucni. Dodala bih , da se uvek radi u malim grupama, sto je bolje za lakse savladavanje jezika. Ucenje italijanskog u skoli se nastavlja i nakon casova, na zajednickim druzenjima sa profesorima i studentima, ekskurzijama koje organizuje skola. Program rada je odlicno osmisljen i usmeren sto laksem i brzem savladavanju jezika. Skola je toliko intimna i divna, da sam je ja dozivela kao porodicu!

Grad je divan, okolna mesta takodje. Ucenje italijanskog u Sieni, je pravi izbor za ljude koji vole kulturu, istoriju, umetnost ... sporiji je tempo zivljenja, ali emocionalno bogatiji... 

Ja sam odusevljena Sienom i verovatno cu se vratiti uskoro

When I retired I had a list of activities that I wanted to do now that had more time. Top of the list was "learn Italian"  due to a lifelong love of the language, country, people, food, musicc etc etc........Having completed 2 years of study at a school in London I decided it was time for a week or two of "full immersion". Naturally I did research on the internet and eventually narrowed my choices to 3 schools, Saena Iulia being one of them. Then by chance I met two random people on different occasions who had been and could not sing their praises highly enough. Having now spent (sadly only one week) with Mauro, Sabrina and Eletra at their wonderful school I completely agree with everything I was told. It is situated 2 minutes from Piazza del Campo and all "must see" is accessible by foot from the school. The caring, intimate atmosphere is immediately apparant. On the first morning I was given a relaxed little interview to judge my level and put in class with 6 others of similar ability. Our course of study was varied, interesting and although detailed, accuracy was insisted on but all was very relaxed. The afternoons were free to explore the area, get to know other students whatever you please. The week I was there some of us  went on an excursion to Montepulciano and Pienza with Mauro it was wonderful and Sabrina gave a fabulous, moving lecture on Tosca. There is not enough room here to write what fun I had!

 There is a choice of types of accomodation available, I chose to stay with a family chosen by the school. Marcello and Anna are typically hospitable, friendly Italians and I was hapily lodged  with them in their appartment 10 mins walk from school. Needless to say the welcome and the food were superb.

 If you are looking for this type of experience you could not choose a better school than Scuola Saena Iulia. I shall definitely be returning.

Beware: gushing below, because my time at Saena Iulia was perfect.

I enrolled just before Christmas, 6 months before my trip, and was surprised when I received an immediate reply to get an idea of my goals, and the search for my accommodation was kicked off. (This proved to be a lovely appartment in the heart of the historic centre; I was practically on the doorstep of the Duomo's Baptistery.)

The mini group class arrangement worked really well, with a healthy balance between grammar, conversational practice, etc. Our very patient teachers ensured there was never a dull moment. As an example, on my last day of lessons I gave my multinational class a 20 minute introduction to the marvellous game of cricket - in italiano, of course. Bizarre and entirely satisfying.

Siena herself is an absolute charmer of a city, lively but not frenetic. And the school offered plenty of help to get to know her a bit better. I happened to be in town for the Palio of July and wound up amongst a group of students chaperoned to il Campo by Mauro to share the experience alongside the locals. Amazing.

After four weeks I finally discovered a problem with my idyll. My upcoming 18 day giro in Italy had lost its attraction because I wanted to hang around in Tuscany with my new senese family! And then a funny thing happened. I found myself engaging in LONG conversations with all sorts of friendly and chatty Italians (hotel receptionists, museum staff, fellow train passengers, bus drivers). I was floored by this repeated comment: "Complimenti! Parla/i italiano molto bene!" Amidst all the fun at S.I., to my immense joy I had finally developed the ability to communicate in Italian, which after all is the point of learning the language.

So now there's nothing left to do but impatiently wait for my annual leave balance to fatten up again so I can enjoy another "study" holiday with Saena Iulia!

U Sijeni sam provela dva tjedna.Siena je mali ali prekrasan gradic,mirno je i tiho, ljudi su izuzetno simpaticni i uvijek spremni pomoci a mozete naici i na puno turista.Sto se tice same škole nemam zamjerke.Profesori su stvarno odlicni i smireni,ako niste sigurni u nesto ili ne razumijete dati ce si vremena objasnti vam a i ponoviti milion puta.Svaki su dan nasmijani i s jednakim veseljem pristupaju novom satu.Osim profesora i ostalo osoblje skole je vrlo susretljivo i i potrudit ce se da se osjecate kao kod kuce.Program je odlicno osmisljen i uspjela sam puno  toga nauciti sto se nemoze nauciti od profesora koji predaju u nasim skolama jer nisu svakodnevni govornici jezika.Nece vam biti dosadno jer skola svakodnevno organizirava razne izlete,druzenja i uzivanja u talijanskoj kuhinji.

Proveo sam dva tjedna u Sieni. Ovoj školi ne mogu naći niti jednu manu. Svi su zaposlenici dobro raspoloženi, sretni i strpljivi. Profesorica koja je predavala mojoj grupi (Chiara) niti u jednom trenutku nije izgubila volju ili entuzijazam (pa čak kad bi istu stvar objašnjavala po peti put). Uz sve to, program rada je izvrsno osmišljen i, iako je moje znanje talijanskog još uvijek prilično daleko od dobrog, siguran sam da se uz više vremena i uz ovaj pristup jezik može svladati bez većih poteškoća.

Što se tiče samog grada... Siena je mala i lijepa, kao i ostali obližnji gradovi koje sam tijekom ta dva tjedna posjetio. Puno je turista i mladih, ali bolje bi bilo da ne dođete potpuno sami jer bi vam moglo biti dosadno. Naravno, sve to još ovisi o dobi i interesima.

Sve u svemu, za mene je to bilo i lijepo i korisno iskustvo te definitvno razmišljam o tome da se vratim i nastavim s tečajem sljedeće godinee.

Ich war im Mai 2014 bereits das 3. Mal in Folge in dieser Sprachschule und war - wie immer - begeistert. Mauro, Elettra und Sabrina sind freundlich, hilfsbereit und bringen  mit ihrem Enthusiasmus der ital. Sprache und Kultur viel Motivation in die Stunden. Zuwachs Bastiaan passt mit seiner Fröhlichkeit hervorragend in das Team. Die Ausflüge und gemeinsamen Nachmittagsstunden sind eine ideale Ergänzung zum Lernunterricht und man lernt auch die andern Schüler, die aus allen Ecken der Welt kommen, besser kennen. Ich freue mich schon auf den nächsten Kurs 2015!

\"Man kommt als Fremder und geht als guter Freund\".

Zwar ein etwas abgedroschener Satz, aber wenn er zu etwas passt dann zu Saena Iulia. 

2013 war ich zum ersten Mal in Siena um die italienisch Sprache zu lernen. 

Die ersten Schritte in der Stadt waren etwas ungewohnt : Ruhe, Stille, kein Betrieb, es war niemand auf der Strasse. Und das an einem Samstag Mittag.

Ich kenne andere italienische Städte und da war der erste Kontakt mit Siena schon sehr ungewohnt.

Durch meine grosse Neugier habe ich die Stadt am nächsten Tag mit einer anderen Erwartungshaltung angegangen und sie da. Die Stadt lebt auf eine entspannte, lockere

und sehr offenen Art. Man geniesst die Geschichten erzählenden Strassen, Gassen und Häuser. Man wird sehr schnell ein Teil dieser tollen Stadt der kurzen Wege.

Dann kam der erste Tag in der Saena Iulia. Die steile Steintreppe, die leicht klemmende Eingangstür und es folgt eine Begrüssung als wäre man einfach nur etwas lange fortgewesen.

Genial die sehr kleinen Klassen, wir waren zu zweit. Also kein zurücklehnen und warten bis man wieder dran war, man ist immer dran. Es ist zwar ein roter Faden drin, aber es wird sehr

individuell und aus der Situation auf die Teilnehmer eingegangen und die Sprache so äusserst lebendig vermittelt. Dazu gehörten auch die gemeinsamen Besuch von Einkaufszentren, Wochenmärken mit Elettra und Sabrina. Selbstverständlich mit dem Probieren der angebotenen Waren (Käse, Wein, Brot und anderes mehr) und dabei hatte man die Möglichkeit mit den Markleuten über Ihre Produkte sprechen zu können. Aber auch die gemeinsamen Mittagessen mit Elettra, Sabrina und Mauro gaben einem die Möglichkeit der italienischen Sprache zu frönen. 

Die wöchentlichen Besichtigungen einer Stadt unter der Führung von Mauro ist jeweils ein spannendes Erlebnis. Über all das hinaus kümmert man sich auch um das persönliche Wohlergehen der Teilnehmer. Kein Problem, keine Fragen für welche Elettra, Sabrina oder Mauro sich nicht persönlich Zeit genommen oder Hilfe angeboten haben.  

Nun, die zwei Wochen waren schneller vorbei als mir lieb war und viel gelernt habe ich erst noch. 

Zwischenzeitlich wurde Siena Iulia und Siena zu meiner Wahlheimat.

Nach 2014 ist der dritte Schulbesuch für Frühjahr 2015 bereits geplant.

En Saena Iulia me ha quedado demostrado con creces que las mejores instituciones están hechas de personas y no de ladrillos.

Comprender que el aprendizaje de una lengua nueva no se puede aislar a un profesor y un curso en un aula, si no que es un proceso holístico y complejo que debe recoger experiencias, conversación, sociabilidad, y por sobre todo, risas y momentos inolvidables; esto es algo que Mauro y cada uno de los que integra esta escuela tienen muy claro.

En las lecciones, salidas, aperitivos y almuerzos se desarrolla una sinergía donde no solo se aprende la lengua y la cultura, si no también de afectos y lazos que resultarán permanentes en el tiempo.

Gracias por abrirme un espacio como alumno y amigo, y por permitirme formar parte de una escuela de la que me siento orgulloso.

Un fuerte abrazo a cada uno.

Aldo

Meine Frau und ich haben 2 Wochen an der Schule Saena Iulia einen italienisch Kurs besucht. Nach vielen Jahren wieder in die Schule zu gehen hatte uns grossen Spass gemacht. Vom ersten Tag an hat man sich in der Schule Saena Iulia wohl gefühlt. Der Unterricht war professionell und das Ambiente familiär. Der Unterreicht wurde mit kurzen Ausflügen in die Stadt sehr lebhaft geführt. Mauro hat sich um alles gekümmert und war omnipräsent. Wir können uns sehr gut vorstellen, wieder in diese insprierende Stadt Siena zu kommen und in diese Schule zu gehen. Wir können diese kleine und feine Schule nur weiterempfehlen. 

What a wonderful week I had learning Italian at Saena Iulia in May this year. Mauro and staff were helpful, friendly and welcoming and the lessons were interesting and varied.  I surprised myself by feeling relaxed and comfortable with both the staff and students, none of whom I had met before.  I would love to return next year if I can as I felt the whole experience was good not only my knowledge of the Italian language but also for the confidence I gained in speaking it.

I returned to Siena for two weeks in June 2014, and also to Saena Iulia. As usual, I was delighted with the instruction, the skill and friendliness of the staff, and the many new and interesting friends I met among the other students. Saena Iulia is so much more than just learning the beautiful Italian language:  there are weekly topical seminars and afternoon excursions outside Siena, a welcome coffee to greet new students at the start of each week, and occasional no-host lunches and appertivi at local restaurants and wine bars.  At the end of the week, students and staff gather for a potluck lunch.   I have been studying Italian – primarily from Saena Iulia instructors – every summer for several years.  Through their patient and knowledgeable teaching, I can now can converse easily with my Italian friends as well as others who don’t speak my mother language.  We talk in Italian instead.  This little school has opened up the world for me.  Grazie infinite Mauro, Sabrina, Elettra, and all the other great teachers and staff at Saena Iulia!

Paula Frederick, Chile: “Encontré un hogar en Siena”

 “Siempre terminamos llegando donde nos esperan”. Esta frase del escritor portugués José Saramago, hoy me hace más sentido que nunca. Después de dos meses y medio como estudiante en Saena Iulia, tengo la misma sensación que el día que vine a la scuola por primera vez ; la certeza de haber llegado donde me esperaban. Esa familiaridad, transmitida con carisma, simpatía y profesionalismo por cada uno de los excelentes profesores, hace que la experiencia sea integral; no solo fortalece el aprendizaje eficaz de la lengua en su teoria, sino que también permite aprender a desenvolverse en italiano en diversas instancias de encuentro, conocer la cultura italiana de una manera cercana y especial, compartir momentos inolvidables con los profesores y estudiantes y crear lazos con personas de todo el mundo, que a corto andar se transforman en indisolubles.

La experiencia en Saena Iulia, sin duda, superò todas mis expectativas; cada conversaciòn, cada clase, cada paseo por la Toscana, cada cafè compartido, pasaron a formar parte de los recuerdos màs preciados de mi vida. Asi tambièn Mauro, Sabrina, Elettra, Bastiaan, Chiara, Franco y todos quienes conforman Saena Iulia, que màs que profesores, se transformaron en amigos.

Como tantos otros alumnos que han tenido la suerte de llegar a Saena Iulia, tengo la certeza de que esto es solo el comienzo, y que encontré un hogar en Siena; un lugar donde siempre quieres volver, porque es como retornar a casa.

 Paula Frederick, Cile: Ho trovato una famiglia a Siena

"Sempre finiamo arrivando dove ci aspettano". Queste parole dello scrittore portoghese José Saramago, oggi mi fanno più senso che mai. Dopo due messi come studentessa in Saena Iulia, ho la stessa sensazione che quella che avevo quando sono venuta qui per la prima volta; la certezza de avere arrivato al posto giusto dove mi aspettavano. Questa familiarità, trasmessa con carisma, simpatia e professionismo per ogni bravissimi persone che lavorano qui, fa che l'esperienza sia integrale; non solo rafforza l'apprendimento della lingua italiana nella sua teoria, ma anche permette imparare a esprimersi in italiano in diversi istanze d'incontro, conoscere la cultura di questo bel paese di una forma speciale, condividere momenti indimenticabili con gli insegnanti e gli studenti e creare legami con persone provenienti da tutto il mondo, che presto si trasformano in indissolubile. 

L'esperienza in Saena Iulia, senza dubbio, ha superato tutte le mie aspettative; ogni conversazione, ogni lezione, ogni gita per la Toscana, ogni caffè insieme, adesso fanno parte dei ricordi più belli della mia vita. Cosi anche Mauro, Sabrina, Elettra, Bastiaan, Chiara, Franco e tutti quelli che lavorano qui, che più di insegnanti, sono diventati i miei amici. 

Mai avrò abbastanza parole per ringraziarli. 

Come tanti altri studenti che hanno avuto la fortuna di arrivare alla Saena Iulia, ho la certezza di che questo e soltanto l'inizio, e che ho trovato una famiglia a Siena; un posto dove sempre hai voglia di ritornare, perché è come ritornare a casa.

Ich habe im vergangenen September einen 2-wöchigen Kurs in Siena gemacht. Und ich kann nur sagen: Siena ist wunderschön! Das Ambiente, die Leute, einfach das ganze Leben ist bewundernswert dort. Ich habe meinen Aufenthalt völlig genossen. 

Die Sprachschule ist ebenso toll. Es ist eine familiäre Athmosphäre, in der man sich einfach wohlfühlt. Die gemeinsamen Unternehmungen - sei der das gemeinsame Pause-Machen in einer Bar in der Nähe oder die Treffen jeden Dienstag Abend, um bei einem Glas Wein zusammenzusitzen - und das allwöchentliche Abschlussessen freitags, machen die Sprachschule zu etwas ganz Besonderem. 

Durch die Nähe der eigenen Unterkuft zur Sprachschule, ist man nicht noch zusätzlich auf öffentliche Verkehrsmittel angewiesen und spart somit Geld und Zeit. In der Unterkuft selbst habe ich mich auch sehr wohl gefühlt. Es ist alles vorhanden, was man braucht, sogar ein Wasserkocher ;) Ich habe jeden Tag den Blick auf die typischen Häuser im Toskanastil genossen und mich schon wie eine Italienerin gefühlt.

Ich kann nur jedem empfehlen einen Sprachkurs in dieser Schule in Siena zu machen. Diese Erfahrung gibt großen Einblick in die italienische Lebensweise und ganz nebenbei lernt man auch noch sehr viele freundliche Leute kennen! Ich komme gerne wieder!

Hallo zusammen, Jetzt möchte ich nach einem Jahr,auch ein Feedback abgeben,versprochen habe ich es ja schon lange :-) (letztes Jahr schon)  Die "Saena Iulia" habe ich 3 Wochen besucht. Und zwar vom 06.01.-25.01.2013. Angereist,bin ich mit der Bahn.Eine schöne und spannnende Reise,nach Siena. Der Aufenthalt hat mir sehr viel gegeben. Vorallem persönlich ;-) Ich war bei einer Gastfamilie untergebracht.Im Herzen der Stadt.Eine wirklich sehr,sehr nette Familie.Sie haben mich sehr verwöhnt,mit sehr guter toskanischer Küche.Traning für die Sprache inbegriffen. Schule hatte ich immer am Vormittag. Nachmitags waren Hausaufgaben zu erledigen und natürlich Freizeit, um die Stadt und die Umgebung zu erkunden. Eine Sache war etwas negativ,das lag aber gewiss auch am Zeitraum,meines Aufenthaltes. Und zwar,das es zu dieser Zeit keine Schüler hatte,in der Schule.Dies war ein bisschen schade.Der Unterricht war dann zwar schöner gewesen "Einzelunterricht".Aber,man hatte weniger Kontakt,mit Gleichgesinnten. Sonst würde ich die Schule sehr empfehlen.Die Lehrer,um Mauro haben sehr viel Einsatz gegeben. Super fand ich auch die Ausflüge,einmal sind wir sogar, mit dem Rad gefahren. Und das im Januar. War ein super Ausflug. Danke Mauro! Nun möchte ich noch ein Erlebniss erzählen. An einem anderem Tag, bin ich auf eigene Faust mal gestartet.Ich wollte eine Therme in einem Nachbarort besuchen. Dorthin bin ich mit dem Bus gefahren. Leider musste ich feststellen,das diese wegen Wartungarbeiten geschlossen war. Mit den wenigen Italienischkenntnissen,konnte ich erfahren,das es im Nachbardorf auch Therme hat und diese hätte geöffnet. Diese Information,habe ich von einem Gemeindearbeiter bekommen (ein bisschen Hilfe hatte ich schon,ich hatte Elettra´s Handynummer) daraufhin bin ich dann zu Fuß gestartet. Zu dieser Therme. Nach einigen Metern zu Fuß. Hupte ein Fahrzeug hinter mir. Ich dachte erst,für mich wird das bestimmt nicht sein,da ich ja Fremd bin. Ich beachte das Hupen nicht,dann hupte es nochmal,dann musste ich mich einfach mal zurückschauen. Dann stand dort auf einmal ein Ape. (Piaggio,ein Sitzer) und mit großen erstaunen war es der Gemeindearbeiter,den ich nach dem Weg fragte. Dieser brachte mich dann mit seinem Ape,zu dieser Therme. Was für ein Glück für mich. Aber man darf auch nicht vergessen, freundliche Menschen,in der Toskana. Auch wenn man die Sprache nicht beherrscht. Gut und sicher angekommen hatte ich dann einen sehr schönen Tag in dieser Therme,bei Rapolano. Ein Schwefeltherme. Echt super gewessen. Und wärmstens,zu empfehlen. Jetzt komme ich aber dann auch zum Ende. Mein Fazit: Super Reise,sehr freundliche,hilfsbereite Menschen,nicht nur in der saena iulia.Die Schule macht ihre Arbeit sehr gut und das nicht nur im Unterricht,auch die Freizeit wird gut organisiert,im Rahmen der Möglichkeiten.Vielen Dank an meine Gastfamilie,danke Mauro,Elettra und Sabrina und dem Restlichen Team.Wer weiß,vielleicht komme ich nochmal zu Euch.

saluti Mike

Gorąco polecam zarówno zajęcia,nauczycieli (pozdrowienia dlacałej ekipy!),jak i samo miasto,które jest urzekająco piękne. Bardzo miło wspominam spędzony tam czas, którego nigdy nie zapomnę. Jeśli zastanawiacie się nad wyborem tego miejsca, to gorąco wam je polecam, bo spędzony tam czas będzie dla was z pewnością niezapomnianym przeżyciem oraz dobrze wykorzystanym czasem na naukę czegoś nowego w szybkim czasie.

Polecam i pozdrawiam,

Ania

Ende Septemer/ Anfang August 2013 war ich für zwei Wochen in Siena.

An die Zeit erinnere ich mich noch sehr gerne da mich das Team der Sprachschule Saena Julia wie eine kleine Familie begrüsst hat! Ich wurde sehr herzlich empfangen und direkt zu meinem Zimmer im Zentrum Sienas gebracht.

Da wir in sehr kleinen Gruppen Unterrichtet wurden habe ich schnell Fortschritte im Italienisch gemacht. Dies auch Aufgrund der Art des Unterrichts. Wir haben zusammen gekocht, Ausflüge unternommen Siena kennen gelernt wie es sonst nur die Einwohner selbst kennen! Die kleinen Gassen, Orte und Gemüsemärkte die dem gewöhnlichen Urlauber versteckt bleiben zu entdecken, lassen einen selbst in kurzer Zeit wie zu Hause fühlen :)

Durch die kleinen Gruppen gibt es auch schnell einen engen Kontakt zu den anderen Schülern von jung bis alt und auch die Lehrer sind sehr offen und für jede Frage bereit =) 

Auch nach der Schule haben wir uns deshalb gerne noch auf einen Apéro getroffen und die Zeit zusammen genossen =)

Ich freue mich wieder einmal in dieser kleinen aber feinen Schule vorbei zukommen und noch mehr von der italienischen Lebensweise kennen zu lernen =)

Ciao!  I have been coming back to Saena Iulia since 2000, nearly every year, and besides the professional and individualized instruction, I return for the PEOPLE.  The caring staff, as well as the other language learners from all over the world.  I have literally never been disappointed.  Every year it is slightly different, as I improve in my language skills and meet new friends.  I have been to other schools in Siena, Bologna, and Sicily, but Saena Iulia is the absolute BEST.

Unfortunately I only spent one week in Siena, it wasn't long enough. The staff were friendly and helpful, from the first day and even when booking in for my class. Siena is a beautiful place, and the staff and fellow students added to my enjoyable experience with excursions and small class sizes.

I had an excellent experience at Sienaiulia. The teaching was appropriate to the assessed level of knowledge and flexible enough to accommodate each class member, with material produced in a way that challenged without terrifying! The staff are all incredibly patient, skilled and above all friendly and supportive. I cannot praise them and the school too much. Of course, Siena is a magical place to study, and being there in winter with fewer tourists in the streets was wonderful. 

Living with a family was an extra bonus for integration and learning. Italian family life is warm and welcoming, if a bit loud to Northern European ears!

Language school: try it out. You will not regret it!

I attended the Saena Iulia Italian language school in October this year for 3 weeks.  During my 3 weeks in Siena, I stayed with an Italian family, 10 minutes walk from the class room which was arranged by the school.  My tuition at Saena Iulia was in a class with three other students and was a very enjoyable and worthwhile experience.  I spoke elementaly Italian prior to starting clases and during the three weeks improved my skills in Italian and gained confidence in speaking.  The teaching was of a high standard and classes were supplemented by a weekly excursion, weekly lecture and social events.  The staff were very professional and friendly and made every effort to make learning an enjoyable experience.  I enjoyed meeting the other students from a variety of countries and age groups in the friendly atmosphere of the school.  I also enjoyed the antique and comfortable school building centrally located behind the Duomo.  My family was very lovely and made every effort to make me comfortable and provided me with delicious breakfasts and dinners.  I can highly recommend the school to anyone wanting to study Italian in an enjoyable atmosphere with professional teaching.

Koliko god gradova posjetila, niti jedan na mene nije ostavio takav dojam kao Siena.

Ne znam od kud da počnem.. Iako je prošlo već par mjeseci otkako sam se vratila u Zagreb, još uvijek se rado sjetim svakog dana provedenog u Sieni. Koliko god se trudila, jednostavno ne mogu opisati sreću s kojom sam se svakoga jutra budila znajući da me čeka još jedan dan u tom prekrasnom gradu.

Saena Iulija je škola koju bih apsolutno svakome preporučila! Radi se u malim grupama s profesorima koji će dati sve od sebe da ti prenesu svo svoje znanje i odgovore na svako tvoje pitanje. Ali oni nisu samo profesori, već i prijatelji s kojima ćeš rado otići na kavu, ručak ili pak izlet. Ako želite naučiti talijanski a uz to se zabaviti i nauživati uz fina vina i tjesteninu, te upoznati zanimljive ljude iz svih krajeva svijeta, nema vam druge nego otići u Saenu Iuliu!

<3

2013-12-16

I have recently attended a course in SAENA IULIA . I would like to thank Mauro the director and his competent and professional staff for my unforgettable learning experience with them.

Scuola Saena Iulia is situated right in the centre of the stunningly beautiful city of Siena - minutes from the Piazza De Campo where the Palio takes place every summer.

There was great personal contact  between teacher and student. Classes were small. Grammar exercises and vocabulary expansion work were covered daily ending with relevant discussions. Towards the end of week the teacher led the group into the buzzing city to put our new skills into practice. We were learning while enjoying ourselves.

  Numerous afternoon and evening activities were available daily - trips, excursions and lectures.

We all enjoyed student/staff cooked end of week lunches, chats ,after school get togethers, and drinks in the open-air cafes .    Use of the Italian language was always  encouraged. We were learning in a wonderful environment with teachers who always put their students first.

We were all age groups and came from all over the world and as we bade farewell we all agreed we had completed an excellent course in a fantastic school!

It will be a pleasure to return to Scuola Saena Iulia.

Ich habe 2013 einen zweiwöchigen Sprachkurs an der Saena Iulia gemacht und war mit der Entscheidung mehr als zufrieden. Die Lehrer sind ausgesprochen nett, sehr kompetent und auch im Alltag außerhalb der Schule hilfsbereit und unternehmungslustig. Die Unterkunft war unglaublich gut gelegen, direkt neben dem Dom von Siena, also auch nur 50m von der Schule entfernt. Die Zimmer waren geräumig und hatten eine traumhafte Aussicht.

Auch die Stadt an sich ist traumhaft schön und voller Leben, also auch nach der Schule alles andere als langweilig, mit einem überraschend guten Nachtleben und Möglichkeiten Freunde zu finden. Nur zu empfehlen!

Niesamowite przezycie. Nauka jezyka wloskiego w jednym z najpiekniejszych zakatkow Wloch to niezapomniane doswiadczenie. Chlonalem kazda chwile, ktora spedzilem w Sienie (poranna kawa w ulubionej kafejce, przerwa z nauczycielami i innymi studentami, nauka na bruku glownego placu, wysmienite obiady w polecanych przez szkole restauracjach, smakowanie lodow wieczorem). Przezycia, ktore zostaja na zawsze!

Szkola super. Miesci sie w starej kamienicy zaraz obok katedry, co powoduje ze caly czas studenci czuja klimat starej Sieny. Niewielka liczba studentow powoduje, ze uczniowie bardziej sie ze soba zzywaja.

Nauczyciele rewelacyjni, bardzo dobrze przygotowani do zawodu i ktorzy maja super podejscie do studentow.

Polecam i szkole i Siene.

A Escola Saenaiulia com professores experientes é a melhor forma de aprender o italiano. Os professores tem excelente didática e são acolhedores e ajudam os alunos a se adaptarem a esta fantástica cidade de Siena. A professora Elettra e o professor Mauro são muito carismáticos e sabem orientar bem os alunos. A cidade de Siena é belissima e a localização da escola no centro histórico ajuda o estudante a entender a cultura e ao mesmo tempo aproveitar o tempo para conhecer os arredores desta linda região da Toscana. A escola é excelente para fazer o aluno falar corretamente o idioma tanto do ponto de vista gramatical e também do fonético. Altamente recomendável. Miguel F. de São Paulo Brasil

Via een talencursus op de universiteit kwam ik op het idee om een cursus Italiaans te doen in Siena. Ik koos ervoor om een talencursus te doen voor 2 weken i.v.m mijn werk en achteraf had ik daar nog wel een paar maanden kunnen blijven! Zowel de school, de docenten en Siena zijn geweldig! Op de eerste dag van de cursus krijg je een korte intakegesprek waar 1 van de docenten je Italiaanse level bepaald. Daarna wordt je ingedeeld in een kleine klas (max. 4 andere leerlingen) en krijg je les. De lessen zijn heel erg intensief, maar ook erg duidelijk. Vaak wordt een bepaald onderwerp voor een paar dagen behandeld totdat iedereen het begrijpt. De lessen zijn ook ingedeeld, vaak doe je voor de koffiepauze grammatica (bespreken van huiswerk) en na de koffiepauze doe je meer aan spreekvaardigheid. Zo komen alle vaardigheden aan bod. Verder kreeg ik ook les op locatie. Met onze klas gingen wij naar de markt en zo leer je het leven in Siena ook kennen. 

Naast de lessen is er ook de mogelijkheid om je in te schrijven voor trips naar mooie plaatsen vlakbij Siena. Deze trips zijn wel voor eigen kosten, maar het is de moeite waard! Zo zie je meerdere plekken dan alleen Siena. De docnten zijn dan de gids en weten veel te vertellen op de trips. Daarnaast zijn er ook andere evenementen die door de school worden georganiseerd zoals "apperitivo", "pranzo" of een wandeling, drankje op de piazza. Deze evenementen geven je erg de kans om de andere leerlingen beter te leren kennen en je spreekvaardigheid te verbeteren. Verder zijn de docenten erg aardig en heel toeganklijk. Zij staan voor jou klaar en je kunt ze altijd bereiken en proberen je te helpen mocht het nodig zijn. 

Ik vond de school, de docenten, de sfeer en Siena geweldig! Ik heb twee mooie weken beleefd en hopenlijk kom ik in 2014 weer terug. Voor de cursus had ik maar 8 maanden Italiaans gehad en ik merk dat ik veel heb bijgeleerd in die 2 weken. De docenten waren erg aardig en vaardig en mijn mede-leerlingen waren ook erg aardig. Ik hoop dat ik snel terug kan, maar dan wel voor meerdere weken!

Que de bonnes expériences!!

Siena est une ville merveilleuse, plein de charme! L'école et les enseignants super, j'ai pu améliorer mes connaissances de l'italien, les cours sont variés et intéressants, vu le petit nombre d'élèves, on a pleinement l'occasion de parler. Les groupes étaient bien constitués avec des élèves du même niveau.

L'encadrement par l'école est très bien, propositions d'excursions, de conférences, de repas, d'apéro...

Atmosphère très sympa, les enseignants très dispo.

Le logement très bien, l'accueil, la gentillesse, les repas, la conversation... J'étais logée chez un couple aimable, adorable.

je ne peux que recommander un séjour dans cette école!!

Italienisch lernen in Siena ist ein unvergleichliches und unvergessliches Erlebnis. Einen entscheidenden Anteil daran haben die Lehrerinnen und Lehrer der Sprachschule Saena Iulia. Sie befindet sich in einem schönen alten Palast mitten im Zentrum, im Schatten des Doms, und in ihrer familiären und aufgeschlossenen Atmosphäre macht das Lernen in kleinen Gruppen Spaß. Nicht zuletzt deshalb, weil die Lehrer mit viel Geduld liebevoll auf jeden einzelnen Teilnehmer eingehen. Großen Wert legen sie dabei auf das Sprechen der Sprache. Schon bald nicht mehr missen möchte man in der Pause den Gang in die nahegelegene Bar und den aperitivo im Zentrum, bei dem die Gespräche weitergehen – auf Italienisch natürlich, denn die Kursteilnehmerinnen und –teilnehmer kommen aus aller Herren Länder. Es geht erstaunlich gut in der „neuen“ Sprache und man knüpft schnell internationale Bekanntschaften. Siena bietet den passenden Rahmen, denn es ist eine bezaubernde mittelalterliche Stadt. Ich habe es genossen, das Treiben auf der piazza del campo zu beobachten oder abends durch die belebten Gassen zu schlendern. Unbedingt teilnehmen sollte man an der wöchentlichen Exkursion, bei der es Mauro hervorragend versteht, einem seine toskanische Heimat nahezubringen. Ich habe zwei Wochen in einer Gastfamilie gelebt – sehr empfehlenswert! Die Gastgeberin ist eine phantastische Köchin, ich habe selten so gut gegessen wie bei ihr. Gleichzeitig habe ich einen kleinen Einblick in das Leben einer italienischen Familie bekommen und war stets liebevoll umsorgt. Wenn Sie also Urlaub machen und gleichzeitig Italienisch lernen wollen, dann sind Sie in Siena und bei Saena Iulia genau richtig. Mit Sicherheit.

Mauro and Sabrina are gracious and very knowledgeable hosts with much to share about Siena. They are also terrific teachers for anyone wishing to go further in their Italian skills. They embody Tuscan warmth and hospitality. I look forward to seeing them every time I go.

A measure of how much I value Saena Iulia is the fact that this past October was my third time there in three years, despite the long haul and airfare from the United States!  As before, the school creates a relaxed environment where you can learn or improve your Italian and make real progress.  My primary teacher was Elettra (with whom I have an ongoing Skype relationship); she and the other teachers, Sabrina and Guido, are excellent, and passionate about helping you improve.  My fellow students were an interesting mix of backgrounds, nationalities and ages (including a number of older students like me).  Siena is the perfect place to study -- very rich in history and culture, but not overrun with tourists as places like Firenze tend to be.  The school also organizes interesting side trips; the ones to less touristed places like the Maremma and Massa Marittima are particularly valuable.  All in all, if you are thinking of studying Italian in Italy, don't hesitate--this is the place!

Wenn ich auch schon zahlreiche Male in Italien war, so waren meine beiden Aufenthalte in Siena – in Verbindung mit Saena Iulia – einer der schönsten und bewegendsten! Ich war im Herbst 2010 und für drei Wochen da und im vergangenen Sommer (2013) für zwei Wochen. Über die Schule als Einrichtung wie auch über die Unterrichtsgestaltung kann ich nur Gutes erzählen. Zunächst einmal die administrative Versorgung und die freundliche, aufmerksame Unterstützung in allen Fragen – sei es, dass es um winzig kleine Informationen geht oder auch wenn es um eine zufriedenstellende Lösungssuche bei Problematischem. Der Unterricht selbst, in kleinen überschaubaren Gruppen, gab mir Sicherheit und dank der Einfühlsamkeit der Lehrer baute sich zügig meine Sprachscheu ab. Als einen bedeutenden positiven Aspekt erlebte ich, dass die Lehrer sehr „ausgewogen“ unterrichten, also schönerweise jeden Gruppenteilnehmer im Blick behalten. Daher ist man immer geistig da; auch wenn man nicht an der Reihe ist, ist man gefordert; mitdenken, mitmachen, mitlachen. Ein weiterer Punkt, der mich sehr angesprochen hat, war das Miteinanderarbeiten ohne Buch, ohne strikte Vorgehensweise nach Plan. Immer erlebte ich die Unterrichtseinheit ganz nah an dem Vorwissen und aktuellen Bedürfnissen der jeweiligen Gruppenteilnehmer orientiert. An einem Nachmittag in der Woche gibt es das Angebot, an einem kleinen, unkomplizierten Ausflug in nahe oder ferner gelegene Orte teilzunehmen. Das fand ich schön. Es erhöht die Vertrautheit untereinander, und auf diese Weise kann man Kontakt zu den Teilnehmern aus den anderen Lerngruppen vertiefen. Es gäbe noch viel mehr zu sagen und zu erzählen........ unterm Strich: (!) Atmosphärisches Wohlgefühl (!) beim Sprachenlernen Lockerheit und Ernsthaftigkeit gleichermaßen (!) Italienisches Leben zum Anfassen und Mitmachen :-) ich vergebe 10 von 10 möglichen Sternen !! ### DANKE ###

Ankara İtalyan Kültür Derneği'nin öğrencisiyim. Eylül 2013 ayı içinde 2 haftalık kurs için Siena'ya gittim. Saena Iulia daha önce gitmiş oldugum okullardan biraz farklı: Her pazartesi öğrencilerin seviyesine göre yeni gruplar oluşturuyorlar ve her seviye için sınıflar mevcut(İleri düzey hariç). Küçük bir okul, dört öğretmen ders veriyor. Öğrenci sayısı az, sınıflar kalabalık değil. Hiç italyanca bilmeyenler için bile uygun, çünkü, herkes ingilizce biliyor ve anlaşma problemi yok. Zaten genelde öğrencilerin italyanca seviyesi düşük... En azından benim orada olduğum dönemde öyle idi. Ögretmenlerin yaklaşımı çok dostane, her konuda yardımcı oluyorlar. Derslerle ilgili sorulara hiç yüksünmeden uzun uzun detaylı cevaplar veriyorlar. Dersler dilbilgisi ve konuşma şeklinde oluyor. İstendiğinde özel ders alma imkanı da var. Sosyal aktiviteler çok iyi... Her hafta yakın bölgelere tur düzenleniyor, ayrica, bazı akşamlar aperatif toplantıları oluyor. Sonbaharda Biblioteca müzesinin karşısındaki bar çok keyifli idi. Muhteşem Toskana şarafları, hararetli sohbetler, peynir ve salam eşliğinde çok iyi gidiyordu.

Şehre gelince, Siena küçük bir şehir, ancak çok fazla turist alıyor. Benim orada olduğum dönemde gündüzleri çok kalabalıktı, günü birlik gelen turistlerle şehrin her yerinde karşılaşmak mümkündü. Aksama doğru turisler gidip, ortalık sakinleşince gerçek Siena'yi hissedebiliyordum. Daha önce turistik amaçlı iki kez gittiğim Siena bu defa çok farklı geldi bana. Bu dönemde Siena'yı görüp gezmekten öte yaşadım. Siena'yı yaşamak çok keyifli!!! Üstelil etrafta gezip görecek çok yer var. Ben zaten Toskana'yı çok severim. Tekrar gitmek ister miyim? Kesinlikle evet! Görmek istediğim ve gördüğüm halde tam içime sindiremediğim daha çok yer var oralarda. Anlatılacak çok şey var oralara dair. Ancak, anlatmak yetmez. En iyi anlatım bile oraları tanımlamakta kifayetsiz kalır. Gitmek, görmek ve yaşamak gerek...

A friend told me how wonderful her time was at Saenia Iulia, but what I experienced was so much more than I had expected. I knew no Italian when I arrived, but the teachers were patient, encouraging, and insightful. Within days I could speak quite a bit. I am not fluent in any language other than English, so this was not easy - classes were two or three people, of all ages, from many countries, and our common desire to learn brought us together quickly, despite our different bakgrounds.

The excurisions with Mauro show Tuscany in a way that few can access. The teachers have enormous knowledge of art, history, and bring so much more than just their skillful language teaching. I can think of no better way to experience a new part of the world than to try to learn its language, live in a city, experience its culture, and be looked after by the generous souls who teach at the school. I can't wait to return  - a life changing time.

My experience of Saena Iulia was extremely positive. My classes were with Mauro: a mixture of individual classes, classes with my wife and classes with a small number of others. I would highlight five things: First, Mauro is a superb language teacher; he has a passion for the Italian language and for communicating both the language and the passion to others (he is the only teacher of any subject I have met who takes photographs of some of his written explanations to make sure that he is constantly improving his didactic methods). Second, Saena Julia gave me my first knowledge of la bella lingua but, more importantly, gave me the confidence to believe I would eventually be able to speak it. Third: Saena Iulia is in the immensely beautiful city of Siena - a campari in the Campo after a long day of language training makes even conjunctives seem tolerable. Fourth, there is a real sense of community about the school; we learned almost as much during coffee breaks and on our communal exploration of Tuscan villages as we did during the lessons. Fifth, my wife and I are still married despite doing language classes together - what's not to like about Saena Iulia?

The first year I came to Saena Iulia felt like a big risk... who are these people? What will it be like? Will it be worth it? The answers were evident immediately as I was welcomed with exactly the right balance of friendliness, tact and charm. During class my Italian capabilities immediately started to blossom under the school's tutelage.

The teachers are intelligent, cultured, friendly, and extremely professional. They know their own language inside and out but also have a sensitivity to how certain aspects are strange or hard to grasp for a foreigner. This makes all the difference!

But more than that, Siena itself is perfect. Just big enough (and quirky enough!) to be interesting, but not so big as to be overwhelming. A place where you don't feel yourself pulled in all directions all the time; you can just relax and learn the language and make your cultural experiences (which abound!) part of that. 

I have already been back and will continue to return every year that I can. Saena Iulia consistently provides an optimal language-learning experience: challenging, interesting, and includes lots of laughter and fun. Bravi, amici!

Ich kann die Saena Iulia Sprachschule in Siena nur empfehlen. Kleine Klassengrößen, abwechlungsreiche Lermethoden, positive Atmosphäre und vor allem motivierte und sympathische Lehrer, die einen auch über den Unterricht hinaus in die lokale Kultur einführen. Siena und Umgebung sind absolut sehens- und lebenswert - ein weiterer Grund für die Scuola Saena Iulia! Mille grazie a tutti i maestri ed alunni per due settimane stupende!

Ciao Saena Iulia's Staff,

What a great experience I had while attending your school this past September.  I was a beginning student of the Italian language when I arrived and after just one week, I was confident that I could travel throughout Italy without a problem.

The Saena Iulia staff was excellent. It was apparent that each teacher was not only skilled at teaching the language but each also took a personal interest in the students and their progress.

I had the good fortune to have Sabrina as my instructor.  Her teaching methods were most effective and unique.  The class was challenging but fun too.  She was especially interested in her students learning the language and culture.  I hope to have Sabrina as my instructor when I return...but only if she does not require me to do the class skit again :)

Actually, the skit was quite fun and I learned a lot.  

Please tell Sabrina "ciao" from Don and reassure her that I will study the reflexive verbs before returning in the summer.

I wish to thank you all again for a wonderful experience.

With best regards now and always,

Don

对 Saena Iulia 这间学校我就只有“赞”。教师们都非常的友善，非常的有耐心。能从实实在在的意大利人学习语言和文化是一件多么幸福的事！在那里的两个星期我了很多。 除了教室里的课程外还有出外游行的机会：有时是在锡耶纳中世纪的小街上步行，参观只属于托斯卡纳的土产商店；有时是到郊外的地方，例如阿西西等等的城市，这样边看风景，边体验意大利的文化，又同时让自己毫无顾虑的练习那美妙的语言 -- 我真的毕生难忘。

Saena Iulia 的朋友： 宝忠哦，大家！后会一定有期。

I've just finished a three-week course at Saena Iulia.
I am completely satisfied with the course. I found the staff unfailingly helpful and responsive and believe I made considerable progress, achieving a degree of fluency I had never reached before. My class was tiny (three students at the beginning, then two, including myself), which was ideal for learning. I was very impressed by the way in which the staff do everything possible to make students feel at home in Siena, involving them in activities (Friday lunches and many interesting excursions). In fact they never stop teaching, even during the breaks! At other language schools the staff disappear the moment the lesson is over, not here though. Nothing is too much trouble for them. This obviously creates an excellent climate for learning, and in fact many students return year after year.
I was impressed by the fact that the common language among students (even relative beginners) was Italian, rather then English as is usually the case.
Having done many language courses (not only in Italian) over the years, I'm in a position to compare Saena Iulia with other courses:  I really think that Saena Iulia is an exceptional language school, managed very flexibly and calmly by Mauro, and would strongly recommend anyone thinking of doing an Italian language course to enrol with this school.

In oktober 2013 heb ik 1 week doorgebracht op Saena IULIA om mijn kennis van het Italiaans te verbeteren. Ik ben erg onder de indruk van de professionaliteit en de persoonlijke aandacht van het personeel. De lessen zijn afwisselend en erg interessant, de leraren hebben veel ervaring en geven erg goed les, juist van binnen uit (vanuit het gevoel) en niet te technisch.
Naast de lessen komt ook de Italiaanse cultuur aan bod, dmv. excursies interessante lezingen en gezellige ontmoetingen.
De school ligt prachtig midden in het centrum van Siena, naast de dom en een paar stappen van Het Piazza del Campo. Een prachtige, interessante  en fijne stad om een tijd te vertoeven, met een schat aan historie en mogelijkheden, ook in de omgeving!
Een echte aanrader deze Italiaanse taalschool!

Mit keinerlei Vorkenntnissen in Italienisch haben mein Mann und ich eine Woche 1To2 in der Siena Iulia besucht. Atmosphäre in der Schule, Engagement der Lehrer und Qualität des Unterrichts haben alles übertroffen, was wir bisher an Sprachschulen besucht haben. Der tägliche vormittägliche Besuch in der Cafebar, bei dem alle Schüler zusammenkommen, gemeinsames Kochen und Hilfestellung auch bei außerschulischen Fragestellungen. Mauro hat mit angenehmer Gelassenheit unterrichtet,  sich flexibel an unsere Vorstellungen angepasst und jede Frage präzise erklärt. Das schuleigene Lehrbuch ist klar strukturiert und der klare Fokus auf Konversation und Unterhaltungen über die Wesentlichen Elemente des Alltages genau was wir wollten. Und Grammatik lernen kann man auch beim Spaziergang durch Siena. Wir haben uns sehr wohlgefühlt, und würden jederzeit wieder in diese kleine aber feine Schule kommen. 

My Siena - simply said - experiences shared, friendships made, opportunities offered and funny times spent. Two weeks in Siena & Saena Iulia scuola have been a learning and an enjoyable experience for me. Mauro, Sabrina, Elletra and Guido are more than teachers - they become your helpfull friends with open heart and neverending smile : ) I learned a lot, I ate a lot of great italian food, I travelled a lot around Toscana. Special GRAZIE to international friends I've met here. The saying goes - you always meet twice in life, my wish says - more than twice : ) That is why I would like to come back, to enjoy beautiful Siena streets, to visit this sunny soul school, sweet italian family I lived with and come back to time I felt happy - as I really lived La dolce vita.. I totally reccomend you Siena and Saena Iulia. Once you go there, you will not come back home ;)

From when I was younger I have loved Italy, it's people, food, wine and deep diverse culture. This year I choose to start learning Italian to prepare myself for a life here. In January I started with taking class at the Italian Cultural Insitute in Edinburgh and had developed a quick understanding of the language. However, I wanted more and asked what was possible in Italy. I was recomended to go to Siena.

I'm glad that I went to Siena and the language school, from the moment I arrived to the moment I had to leave again it's been a wonderfull experience. It felt like I had been going there for years already because the staff are so friendly, open and helpfull and it feels they are your friends from the beginning.

With regards to the course itself, I found that it was structured and developed to your needs. For example if you would like to focus more on grammar, they would help you with that and explain the way it works in a clear and sufficient way where you would learn as much as possible.

Besides the course there are lots of activities to do during a stay in Siena. The school offers excursions to different cities, wine makers, etc. It's a really good way of getting to know the area around Siena and speaking with people that have lived there whole life in Italy. It's also a good way of sucking up all that culture that's there for you to grab.

Therefore, if you are looking to learn Italian in the country itself and want to be able to enjoy the beauty of Siena, Tuscany, I would highly suggest taking courses at this language school as they are personal, small and in the end your friends.

Thank you very much Mauro, Sabrina, Elettra and Guido for the amazing experience, you are all stars! I think I will see you soon again though as my decision to live in Italy is now set!

Baci e abbracci  

Bastiaan

Vietin kaksi täyteläistä viikkoa Sienan ihastuttavassa kaupungissa keväällä 2013. Mukava perhe, loistavat opettajat ja kulttuurisesti kiinnostava ympäristö tekivät ajasta todella ikimuistoisen. Olin opiskellut italiaa aiemmin vain viikon, mutta ihmeellistä kyllä, kaikki kommunikointi tappahtui italiaksi. Kielikoulun opettajat tekivät kaikkensa rohkaistakseen ja opettaakseen meitä italian sinänsä yksinkertaisesta, mutta ah niin monimutkaisesta, kielestä kiinnostuneita oppilaita. Emäntäni sanoikin, että SI ei ole mikään tavallinen kielikoulu. Se todella ptää paikkansa. Suosittelen lämpimästi!

Vastaanotto koulussa oli ystävällinen ja mutkaton. Pääsin heti tehokkaasti opiskelun alkuun, vaikka italian taitoni olivat ruosteessa. Opettajat selvittivät, missä asioissa tarvitsin lisää opetusta ja sain myös yksityistunteja. Kurssit olivat kohtuuhintaisia. Siena on tavattoman viehättävä kaupunki. Renessanssiajalta periytyvän vanhan keskustan kävelykatujen alue on laajin mitä olen missään nähnyt. Kaupungin ilmapiiri on miellyttävä ja sivistynyt. Koulu sijaitsi vanhassa palatsissa, jonka paksut seinät ovat varmaan viileät kesälläkin. Toisessa palatsissa asuimme kuin ruhtinatteret. Teimme ympäristöön retkiä koulun kanssa ja matkasimme viikonlopuksi merenrantaan.

I spent two weeks in May 2013 at Saena Iulia.  Not an absolute beginmer with studying Italian, I can say that even though I spent a short time there, immersion studying is a much better way to study.  I chose this school due in part to the kindness and promptness of Mauro replying to my questions and encouraging me to make the right decision for me.  I was looking at a school in another city in Italy.  I felt no pressure to make a quick decision.

Elettra was my teacher for two weeks.  Classes are small; my first week there were two students; the second week, there were four.  The more advanced class had small numbers of students, as well.   These small classes offer more opportunities for interactions with other students and with the teachers.  Daily breaks at a coffee bar with the teachers were fun and learning experiences at the same time.

Many thanks to Elettra, Mauro, and Sabrina for a wonderful two-week stay.  I enjoyed the outings; the shared meal; and what a surprise on my last day -- a chilled bottle of Prosecco and good wishes all around.

If you are thinking of studying Italian for pure pleasure or for some other reason, contact Saena Iulia before you decide.  And what a bonus in that it is located in Siena!

Saena Iulia est le souvenir d'une parenthèse hors du temps et du monde.  D'abord, entrer dans la ville de Sienne, irréelle pour nous Français. Aux premiers pas, elle est un décor, et au bout d'un moment, on s'aperçoit qu'elle vit, qu'elle palpite, qu'elle rit..... Le décor, c'est nous !

Et dans cette ville de conte, dans ses rues qui flottent sous les brumes de Printemps, une équipe de vrais professionnels, perfectionnistes, précis, passionnés. Mais pas seulement. Des êtres pleins de générosité, de tolérance, curieux de découvrir l'élève et sa culture, prêts à enrichir et à s'enrichir. Ils sont sérieux et gais à la fois. Ils sont exigeants, et rassurants. Ils sont détendus et ouverts à toutes les compréhensions. Et si on disait "Humains" simplement ?

Sabrina et Elettra, à la diction parfaite (pour perdre votre accent français, vous n'avez qu'à les imiter), qui veillent à tout, voient tout, arrangent tout, et enseignent avec l'air de n'y pas toucher; quand elles ne sourient pas, elles rient, les petites fées ! 

Mauro, amoureux de sa magnifique langue : vous le regarderez contempler un mot, l'interroger des yeux, lui demander d'où il vient, où il va, qui sont ses frères et soeurs... et le mot lui dit tout....vous les verrez discuter tous les deux, en amis, et si vous vous y prenez bien, vous discuterez aussi....

Guido le jeune homme romantique, promène sa douceur comme une fiancée. Et le cotoyer est une façon merveilleuse d'apprendre.

Dans ces conditions, pas étonnant que les élèves soient en majorité des femmes, attirées par la chaleur apaisante. Dommage pour les hommes...mais c'est une autre histoire, qui reste à écrire.

J'ai fait des progrès fulgurants, j'ai acquis l'assurance orale, et j'ai demandé la nationalité de Sienne !

J'ai quitté Saena Iulia sans dire adieu. Tout mon coeur dit merci.

Čudovit teden na jezikovnem tečaju italijanščine v Sieni

V tednu od 13. do 18 maja 2013 sem se udeležil tečaja italijanskega jezika v jezikovni šoli SAENA IULIA v Sieni. Zahvaljujoč dobri organizaciji in izjemno prijaznemu osebju šole, sem preživel zelo lep, in kar se tiče učnega programa, tudi zelo koristen teden.

Sam se učim italijanščino že leto in pol na tečaju v Ljubljani. Kmalu sem ugotovil, da z uro in pol na teden ne bom prišel daleč.  Ker mi je mesto Siena že od nekdaj všeč sem v tem kraju po internetu poiskal jezikovne šole za tujce. Glede na to, da imam že 63, let sem imel pomisleke, da sem morda za to že prestar, vendar mi je gospod Mauro (direktor) iz šole Saena Iulia iz Siene zagotovil, da to ni in ne sme biti problem. Moram reči da je imel prav.

Že ob prihodu me je počakala prijazna gospodična Alesia, ki mi je pokazala kje lahko parkiram avto in me pospremila do apartmaja, kjer sem bil nastanjen. Nato mi je pokazala kako se pride do šole, ter mi dala še nekaj koristnih napotkov. Nastanitev ti po želji uredijo s strani šole, kar tudi priporočam: lahko v apartmaju, pri družini ali pa v hotelu. Sam sem izbral apartma in moram reči, da sem bil z izbiro zelo zadovoljen. V pogovoru z ostalimi tečajniki, nekateri od njih so stanovali pri družinah, sem videl, da je tudi to dobra izbira. Saj šola izbere prave lokacije in ustrezne družine.

V tednu ko sem obiskoval šolo nas je bilo 11 oz. 13 slušateljev iz vsega sveta. Razdeljeni smo bili v tri skupine glede na stopnjo znanja posameznika.

Zaposleni v šoli; direktor, dve učiteljici (Sabrina in Eletra) in en učitelj, so se zelo trudili, da bi nam  prenesli čim več znanja in istočasno napravili naše bivanje čim bolj prijetno. Lahko rečem, da so bili v tem uspešni.

Zraven šole, ki je trajala vsak dan od 9 do 13 ure, je bilo možno imeti še dodatne individualne ure izobraževanja, po želji pa si se lahko udeležil izletov v bližnjo okolico, družabna srečanja in podobno.

Tudi če prideš sam v mesto in na tečaj, imaš občutek, da nisi nikoli sam.

Z mirno vestjo lahko rečem, da je šolanje in dogajanje izven šole vsekakor vredno denarja in časa, ki se ga potroši.

Glede na izkušnjo, ki sem jo pridobil, sem že danes odločen, če bo le mogoče, da se naslednje leto vrnem vsaj za dva tedna.

Ciao Ivo

After having taught music for many years, I've learned more about good and effective teaching from the teachers at this school.  They quickly become personal friends you will never want to lose.  I remember more than once the tears of separation we shared at the end of our weeks(s) there.  Saena Iulia slips you under the skin of Italian culture.  If you want to know more than just the language you would go nowhere else.

You can learn in a safe environment and develop a love for both the language and the culture and above all, a love for the school and its wonderful faculty.

Opiskelin Saena Iuliassa kaksi viikkoa huhtikuussa 2013. Itse koulu sijaitsee ( varmaankin) 1500 -luvulta peräisin olevassa rakennuksessa, niinkuin kaikki muutkin rakennukset Sienassa. Koulu sijaitsee lähellä kuuluisaa Sienan Duomoa.

Opiskelu tapahtuu pienryhmissä, omassa ryhmässäni oli 6 henkilöä, eri puolilta maailmaa. Itse opetus oli äärimmäisen inspiroivaa, opettajani oli etupäässä Elettra Paresi. Hänellä on hyvin joustavat menetelmät, kielioppi solahtaa päähän ihan huomaamatta ja ryhmä rohkaistaan puhumaan. Opetukseen kuuluu myös paljon tietoa Sienasta ja Sienan kiehtovasta historiasta. Pidin kielenopetuksesta tässä muodossa erittäin paljon. Osa oppitunneista kului kaupungilla ja esim. markkinoilla. Opettajat rohkaisivat myös yhteisöllisyyteen oppituntien ( 4h) ohella. Hyvin usein kielikoulussa opiskelevat ja opettavat tapasivat aperitiivien merkeissä. 

Suosittelen koulua ja Sienaa lämpimästi.

Huhtikuusa 2013 opiskelin 2 viikkoa Saena Iuliassa. Koulu on erinomainen: ryhmät ovat pienet (omassani oli 6 henkilöä) ja opettajat loistavat. Opetus oli välin hyvinkin vapaamuotoista ilman kieliopin strukturoitua läpikäyntiä. Tämä antoi oppilaille mahdollisuuden aktiiviseen keskusteluun joka olikin parasta antia koulussa. Opettajat myös järjestivät pari kertaa viikossa vapaamuotoista ohjelmaa jolloin heti tutustui muihin opiskelijoihin.

Siena on uskomattoman kaunis kaupunki, ja ydinkeskusta autoista vapaa. Ravintoloita on runsaasti ja ne ovat erittäin hyviä. Yhteydet Sienasta muihin kohteisiin kuten merelle ja Firenzeen ovat helpot.

Suosittelen lämpimästi!

Rauni

040 559 3049

Mein Besuch in der Schule war bereits mein 2.  Leider hatte ich heuer nur 1 Woche Zeit - es ging mir vor allem darum, Konversation zu betreiben und viel zu sprechen. Elettra ist eine geduldige und äusserst liebenswerte Lehrerin mit der wir in der Gruppe auch sehr viel Spass hatten. Als Alleinreisende fühle ich mich in der Schule sehr gut aufgehoben, man bekommt beste Unterstützung und wertvolle Tipps für Siena. Auch die wöchtentliche Ausflügen zu den verschiedenen Orten in der Toskana sind schon alleine den Besuch wert. Mauro versteht es, seine Heimat den Schülern der Schule näherzubringen! Vielen herzlichen Dank an Elettra, Sabrina, Mauro, Guido für eine wundervolle Woche. Wir sehen uns nächstes Jahr ganz bestimmt wieder !!!!

Saena Iulia is more than a language school: it is a complete cultural experience. I have enrolled in the school twice and completed a total of three weeks of training. Led by a team of gifted, sensitive and intelligent professionals, I have been given the opportunity to explore a side of Siena, Tuscany and Italy that very few stranieri ever have the opportunity to experience.

From class discussions of current events to impromptu tours of local points of interest, the teachers are always gently pointing us through the doorway to deeper understanding and appreciation of Italian culture. The curriculum is built around what the students will be seeing and experiencing in the city outside of the school: if you are there at Easter, you will learn about Siena's traditional Easter celebrations; if you are there during Il Palio, you will learn about that. And in all cases the context and the meaning of local celebrations, traditions, and historical events are carefuly illuminated... all in Italian, of course. 

To me, this is the very best way to explore: using language as a doorway to deeper knowledge and appreciation of the people who embody the culture. At Saena Iulia, all this is done while applying the highest standards of language training, and a level of sensitivity and integrity that keeps me coming back, again and again.

I will return next year, and I hope many years after, you can count on it.

Studying Italian with the dedicated and supportive teaching staff at Saena Iulia is a truly unforgettable experience.  I would recommend Saena Iulia to anyone wishing to learn or enhance their language skills and have a wonderful time doing it. I have spent a total of 5 weeks at the school - 2 weeks the first year and 3 weeks the next year and also took weekly Skype lessons that extended and enriched what I had learned in Siena. The school is unique among language schools in Siena, providing a caring, friendly environment in which the students and teachers share knowledge and experience with each other and become friends. The small classes and availability of individual instruction ensure that each student can progress at her/his own pace and can feel part of a warm circle of friends wile learning the language and enjoying the many cultural opportunities Siena offers.  The teachers are professional, attentive, and patient and demonstrate that a great deal of thought has gone into the teaching methodology and materials made available to students.  Weekly excursions to places in Tuscany that you would rarely find as a tourist provide an opportunity to speak to local people, learn about their lives, and acquire a deeper understanding of the region and its people. Given the outstanding quality of the instruction, friendliness and competence of the staff, and the beautiful yet intimate environment of Siena, I cannot think of a place I would rather study Italian than Saena Iulia. 

Ich habe insgesamt fast 2 Monate an der Siena Iulia verbracht und diese sehr genossen. Die Schule liegt mitten im Zentrum dieser kleinen, mittelalterlichen Stadt und ist, wie fast alles in Siena, klein und hat einen familiàren Charme der einen gleich am ersten Tag Willkommen heisst.

Der Unterricht ist sehr genau an die individuellen Bedùrfnisse der Schùler angepasst und wird durch Exkursionen in die atemberaubende Toskana und Seminare zur Geschichte der Stadt begeleitet.

Ich bin sehr glùcklich eine Weile Teil dieser kleinen Familie gewesen zu sein und endlich italienisch gelernt zu haben!

Among the options of schools in Siena, Saena Iulia is top notch in terms of quality of teaching Italian, taking care of the needs of students, providing information and teaching about culture of Siena and Tuscany, and the amazing warmth from the small, hardworking staff.

The school is in the centre of the historical part of Siena, and provides group and individual Italian lessons at all levels.  They also host small half day trips around the area, making it an enriching experience culturally, even if you travel without a car.   The supportive and positive nature of everyone I have encountered here has made my experience one of the most memorable of my two month stay in italy.

The accomodation recommended by the school is also excellent and affordable, with a choice of type of accodation, also provding comfortable and pleasant places to stay very close to the school.  The staff at the school takes care of any issues or problems that may arise and they respond quickly and with ease.

Thank you for this wonderful experience Mauro, Elettra, Sabrina and Ariela!

Kathie

Liebe Leser dieses Kommentars,

ich möchte euch diese Schule wärmstens ans Herz legen, denn das hat sie verdient!

Um eine Sprache zu lernen, muss man sich wohl fühlen. Man muss sich sicher, verstanden und gut aufgehoben fühlen. All dies konnte das Team der drei Lehrer uns Studenten bieten.

Ich war drei Wochen im Oktober 2012 dort und habe zusammen mit etwa 15 Menschen im Alter von 20-60 Jahren diese Erfahrung machen können. Egal, um was es sich handelte: persönliche Dinge, die Unterkunft, die italienische Sprache oder Kultur, spezielle Wünsche...  alles wurden von dem Lehrer-Team in angenehmster Weise geregelt.

Es war möglich an schönen Ausflügen in die Umgebung von Siena teilzunehmen und auch da stand das Wohlbefinden der Teilnehmer im Vordergrund. Auch Extrawünsche ( ich z.B. wollte unbedingt mal ans Meer ... :) wurden ermöglicht.

Falls ihr bei der Anmeldung noch nicht wisst, welche Art von Kurs/Gruppe euch gefällt, dann ist das kein Problem. Ihr könnt eure Wünsche auch während des Sprachunterrichts äußern und ich weiß aus eigener Erfahrung, dass sie mir erfüllt wurden.

Genug geschwärmt! Ich wünsche der Schule und den LehrerInnen noch viel Erfolg und weiterhin Spaß an der Arbeit!

Arrivederci

Je viens de passer deux semaines extraordinaires à l'école.  Les cours sont vraiment excellents, permettant de progresser tout en ne s'ennuyant jamais.Et l'encadrement est d'une gentillesse et d'une qualité exceptionnelles.

En octobre 2012, j'ai fait un stage de 2 semaines de stages à l'école «Saena Iulia». Ce qui marque le plus, c'est la très grande gentillesse et disponibilité de l'équipe (Mauro, Elletra et Sabrina) qui fait tout ce qui est possible pour rendre le séjour agréable, faire connaissances avec les autres élèves (pots, apéritifs d'arrivée) et découvrir cette magnifique ville et ses bonnes adresses. D'un point de vue pédagogique, l'organisation est aussi excellente : le matin, des cours en petit groupe homogène – 3 personnes la 1ère semaine, 5 la 2ème – permettent d'acquérir les bases, de travailler l'oral avec les autres élèves;la mise en application pratique commence avec la petite pause au bar du coin. L'après-midi, les cours individuels permettent d'approfondir les points durs et de discuter, en italien évidemment. Tous les jours ou presque, un petit supplément culturel : exposé sur le palio, la via francigena, découverte du marché, de la ville … sans parler des excursions plus lointaines (Pienza, Assise) sur l'après-midi. Un manuel, résumant tout ce qu'il faut savoir, sert de support pour les cours et reste un support pour l'avenir. En bref, un excellent souvenir de l'école, de Sienne, de l'Italie.

Im September 2012 verbrachte ich zwei unvergessliche Wochen in Siena und der Sprachschule „Saena Iulia“. Die Schule ist sehr klein und es herrschte eine sehr familiäre Atmosphäre zwischen den Studenten und den Lehrern. Der Unterricht in Kleingruppen war sehr abwechslungsreich und praxisnah. Die Lehrer (Elettra und Sabrina) gingen sehr individuell auf die Bedürfnisse ihrer Studenten ein. Es wurde auch sehr viel Wert auf die mündliche Kommunikation gelegt, so dass man in kürzester Zeit Fortschritte machte. Die Schule organisierte auch einmal pro Woche einen Ausflug in die wunderschöne Region rundum Siena sowie verschiedene Ausflüge in die Stadt. Super! Auch die Unterkunft bei der Gastmutter war super und sehr zentral gelegen. Für mich waren es zwei absolut geniale Wochen und ich habe die Zeit in der Schule und der Stadt sehr genossen. Grazie mille a tutti!

Die Schule ist sehr klein, aber FEIN. Super gute, professionelle und sehr fürsorgliche Lehrer, welche auch gerne Mal am Abend auf ein Glas Wein anstossen. Ich habe mich wahnsinnig wohl gefühlt. Ich war überrascht, dass es nicht sehr viele junge Leute hat (Teenager) das hat mir sehr gefallen. Ich hatte eine super gute Zeit und sehr liebe Menschen kennengelernt. Würde jederzeit wieder die Schule bei Saenaiulia machen!! Einfach nur genial. Auch das Unterrichtsmaterial, Lehrheft, ist sehr gut zusammengestellt. Die Möglichkeit, weiterhin Lektionen per Skype zu machen finde ich grossartig. GRAZIE MILLE ELETTRA, SABRINA, MAURO!!!!!

In August/September 2012 hatte ich einen wunderschönen 2-wöchigen Sprachaufenthalt in Siena. Vormittags gab es Sprachunterricht in einer kleinen Klasse. Der Unterricht war extrem abwechlungsreich und motivierend. Die Lehrerin ging fast unmerklich auf die persönlichen Stärken und Schwächen der einzelnen Schüler ein. Beinahe jeden Tag gab es Hausaufgaben, die einmal mehr einmal weniger fordernd waren. Die Nachmittage und Abende standen zur freien Verfügung. Einmal pro Woche wurde von der Schule eine knapp zweistündige Kulturaktivität (Museumsbesuch, Opernbesprechung) kostenlos angeboten. Einmal pro Woche wurde gegen Bezahlung ein Ausflug in die Toskana mit Besuch eines Weinguts (Chianti, Brunello) gemacht. Ich glaube auch, dass alle anderen Mitschüler genauso zufrieden wie ich waren. Außerdem denke ich, dass wir alle einen ziemlichen Schub in Hinblick auf unsere Italienischkenntnisse gemacht haben.

I can't speak highly enough of my experience studying at Saena Iulia. My month long stay studying and living in Siena has instilled a deep love for this amazing city and its kind and generous people. Mauro, Elettra, Sabrina and the other staff were fantastic. They are excellent teachers and always willing to share their culture and love for Siena. They have a wonderful approach to lessons and empowering students to put into practice what is learnt in the classroom. I made many wonderful friends during my time there and know that I will return many times in the years to come to continue my studies.