Study Italian in Bologna, a beautiful and historic city, with a reputation for being a centre for both Italian culture and academic excellence.
Our school in Bologna
Our school in Bologna is located on one of the main bus routes, very close to the historic centre of Bologna. The school has fantastic facilities for students, including 13 air-conditioned classrooms, a library, PC room with Internet access, student common areas, school café and private garden, which is perfect for relaxing in between classes!
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Please note: Since 2023 our Italian school in Bologna is charging a €35 cleaning fee for all types of accommodation. This is extra to the published price.
Bologna
Do you want to learn Italian in a beautiful and historic city, with a reputation for being a centre for both Italian culture and academic excellence? If the answer is yes, then Bologna is the perfect location for you! Sitting in the Po Valley, Bologna is a very typically ‘Italian’ city, with several nicknames that perfectly describe the city’s character. The first, ‘La dotta’, means ‘the learned one’ and refers to the fact that Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world. The second, ‘La Grassa’, is a reference to the city’s fantastic cuisine and means ‘the fat one’. Finally, ‘La Rossa’ means ‘the red one’ and refers to the ochre colour of many of the city’s buildings and roofs.
Courses in Bologna
Available courses
Our Italian language school in Bologna offers a fantastically wide variety of Italian language courses, so that you are sure to find the perfect course for you!
You can choose from group and private courses, as well as combined courses of group and one-to-one tuition. Our school also offers an exam preparation course for students preparing to take their CILS exams.
Our school also offers Business Italian courses and Italian for Law courses. If you would like to combine your Italian language study with lessons and activities focusing on Italian culture, then you may like to consider one of our ‘special interest’ courses, including Italian culture and conversation, Italian cooking, wine tasting, Italian and painting/drawing and Italian and ceramics/pottery. Each lesson last for a full hour.
Special courses in Bologna
Accommodation
Available accommodation
If you wish to fully immerse yourself in the Italian language and culture, then you may like to consider host family accommodation! We always recommend this accommodation type, as your host family will encourage you to speak Italian with them! When staying with a carefully selected host family you can choose either bed and breakfast or half board accommodation.
If you would prefer to live a little more independently, then our school also offers self-catered shared student house or shared apartment accommodation.
We are also able to arrange B&B or hotel accommodation for you.
Activities
The extensive activities programme at our school in Bologna includes Italian film screenings, guided walking tours of Bologna, guided visits to museums and art galleries, cooking classes, meals at typical Bolognese restaurants, parties and wine tasting sessions, amongst many others! These are all offered to provide you with the opportunity to explore Bologna, discover Italian culture and, of course, to practice your Italian outside of the classroom! The school also arranges regular excursions to other places of interest, such as Verona, San Marino, Parma, Florence, Venice and Siena!
How to get there
Fly to Bologna Airport (Guglielmo Marconi Airport). We would be happy to arrange airport transfers for you, although these are not included in the course price.
Location of our school in Bologna
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Student reviews & feedback
Intensive 20 + Private lessons with Host Family
Professional and friendly teachers, high level of classes, very friendly and welcoming host family.
- H. Vande Ginste
Intensive 20 + Cultural lessons with Host Family
The course was great. On reflection I would have been better placed in B2 rather than C1. The teachers were outstanding in every way.
- M. Burrell
Intensive 20 + Private lessons with Host Family
I enjoyed the course very much. The teachers were excellent and the materials used were interesting. Extra events such as lunches, guided visits and aperitif organised by the school were most enjoyable. The total immersion in Italian I was hoping for.
Pleasant, welcoming host and comfortable room. Centrally located and an easy walk to the school.
- H. Shields
Intensive 23 with Host Family
Standard of language teaching was very high and lessons were lots of fun. I appreciated that the teachers got to know their students and encouraged us to draw from our experiences.
Overall accommodation was good. The student house was nice to live in, only some plumbing issues. Host family was also a good experience although I had some communication issues with the host and the school concerning my changeover in accommodation.
Apple Languages have been superb. Their replies are always prompt and their staff have always been friendly and helpful, especially when sorting out a problem that arose between me and the language school.
- J. Geneen
Intensive 20 + Private lessons
The teacher was very friendly and helpfull. A personal approach, and she paid a lot of attention to every individual. We had a nice appartment, near the old centre of Bologna and about 20 mins walking to the school.
- F. Heeringa
Intensive 23 with Host Family
Great school and language program. Lots of activities and possibilities to take extra classes. Very knowledgeable teachers
Very friendly family making sure my stay is memorable. Great facility with a separate room and bathroom
- P. Szewczyl
Intensive 20 + Private lessons with Host Family
The staff were all very friendly and helpful, and there was an excellent range of afternoon and evening activities - from tours of the city, to excursions, to boardgames, to extra grammar and language classes. All of these (except train tickets) were included in the cost of the course which was excellent. The class teaching was done well.
The accommodation was clean and tidy, I was served freshly cooked food every day and it was in a truly excellent location - near the bus stop, the park, the school, and 25 minutes from town.
- J. Boulton
Intensive 23 with Host Family
Apart from being the only (ancient) bloke amongst six undergraduates , I found the whole course very effective and the tutors quick to spot and remediate individual and group needs. The host family was the best I have ever had, in a welcoming and very well briefed family who supported my total immersion into Italian and who were as effective tutors as the college staff.
- A. Murphy
Intensive 20 + Private lessons with Host Family
The focus the school has on speaking skills is very good, in barely one month and with no previous classes I was able to communicate. My host family were very friendly and cultured people, not only did they provided a great place to stay but showed me arround the city and gave me information about places I should visit. They treated me very well and made it feel like home.
- T. Zumarraga
The course was excellent. Staff were dedicated to their job, very patient and encouraging . Students are welcomed with a smile ! Because the number of students was low, everyones needs were met. Thank you to all
- M. Boyer
School statistics
Nationality (%)
Australia (5)
Brazil (3)
French speakers (6)
Germany (11)
Latin America (spanish speakers) (7)
Other (36)
Russia (3)
Switzerland (16)
Uk (6)
Usa (7)
Average Student Numbers
Student stories on our blog
Bologna: the Italian gem

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Prices for Bologna
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