Located on the eastern edge of Sicily, Syracuse is one of the oldest cities in Italy and one of the ancient world’s most powerful. It is where great scholars and classical world icons lived, studied and invented. Today, it is a beautiful and vibrant city fi lled with warm, inviting people, and one of the world’s most prestigious sites for classical studies. Syracuse is nestled between the Mediterranean on one side and by lush Sicilian countryside on the other. The
historical center of Syracuse is on the island of Ortigia. Established in the 8th century BC, it is a piece of land only one square kilometer and yet home to more than two millennia of history. Syracuse is remarkably well-preserved, and much of its original construction is visible today. Syracuse is also an ideal destination for students of environmental studies, legal studies, history, art, literature and architecture. API is pleased to introduce students to
this spectacular city by the sea.

WHY SYRACUSE?

• Hands-on field courses in archaeology,environmental studies,anthropology, geology, and volcanology
• Greek theater of Syracuse 
• Unique blend of Mediterranean cultures • Beautiful beaches with crystal clear water
• Antiquity abounds
• Center of the Mediterranean
• Proximity to some of the most significant Greek and Roman ruins in the world

API students in Syracuse study at the Mediterranean Center for Arts and Sciences (MCAS). MCAS is located in a completely restored 17th century baroque palazzo in the historical center of the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily and is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea.
Most coursework focuses on the Mediterranean culture and history of the area. It also builds on its location by the sea for archaeology, geology, and environmental studies, and on its place in world history for studies in classics, politics, drama, art, and more. Joining
scholars from all around the world, students have the opportunity to study in a place where the legacy of former cultures is alive and visible. Students walk the same streets and look out onto the same sea that the Corinthians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Spaniards, Austrians, and many others have before. For the student interested in an authentic look at the Mediterranean culture, there is no better place than Syracuse.