Study at the First School of Sustainability in Rome
The Borromini Institute is an initiative of Gustolab International, promoting Food Studies and Sustainability since 2005!
Helping students of all disciplines prepare for the challenges of climate change with open minds in the world’s most resilient city: Rome.
You will experience sustainable living and local culture in your daily lives, gain tangible skills and gather life-long memories.
Looking for a hands-on learning experience in Italy?
Our Programs May Be for You
You can enroll in our semester, summer or short programs focused on at any point in your studies and regardless of your discipline but all connected by the thread of climate.
You will live in Rome, engage in local and international communities, learn by doing in your daily life and organized travel included in all of our programs.
All of our programs include:
Sustainability
From the outset we have stood by our commitment to sustainability in the way we design and implement our programs and manage our resources.
Research
We promote exhaustive knowledge and passion for Rome and the fields of study for which it serves as a laboratory.
Culture
At the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Rome is host to countless diverse cultures and centuries of cultural artefacts to learn from.
Check out one of our recent programs
Spring 2023 Rome Program
We hosted 25 students from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign in a captivating spring semester experience.
Some of our upcoming programs
SUMMER 2024 Sustainability, Food and Social Justice
FALL 2024 Sustainable Cities and Agriculture
SPRING 2025 Sustainability and Food in Rome
SUMMER 2025 Sustainability, Food and Social Justice
FALL 2025
Sustainable Cities and Agriculture
Volume 3 of our Student Works publication “L’Orologio” is out now. Download it here.
Ways to Join Borromini Institute
student
You can apply now to join any of our programs
- Housing and Classes in Central Rome
- Service Learning and Interships
- Trips and Excursions
- Daily Life in Europe’s Greatest City
advisor
You can match your students to exciting opportunities
- We have years of experience
- Flexible Academic Modules
- Excellent Student Support
- Fully Customised Service
faculty
You can work with us to create your program in Rome
- Support with Budgeting, Planning and Logistics
- Teaching Facilities in Central Rome
- Bilingual Staff
About Us
Why Borromini?
Francesco Borromini (1599-1667) was a builder and an architect, an immigrant to Rome where he spent most of his life. He worked at a time of transition in human thought. Astronomers and physicists such as Kepler and Galileo were rethinking our place in the cosmos and religious leaders were reconsidering our role in communities. A man with religious convictions–but also passionate about science–Borromini embodies the humanist worldview. He embraced ambiguity and diversity and sought through his architecture to create spaces that nurtured human creativity.
At the Borromini Institute we occupy the spaces he built and are surrounded by the buildings he designed. The Borromini Study Center is located in Palazzo Benicelli, conceived by Borromini for the Vatican Bank (though much modified from his original project). The building looks out over one of his greatest works, the clock tower of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. These works inspire us, but we also recognize the challenges bequeathed to us by entire centuries of exploration, development, and growth. Our world is in peril. Only the concentrated efforts of all can save it.
Follow the Borromini Institute on social media to learn more.
Our Story
The Borromini Institute is a new academic organization which provides educational opportunities for students both in and outside the classroom and support for institutions and faculty-led programs. It springs from the nearly 20-year history of Gustolab International investigating food systems and sustainability.
Emerging from the experience of the pandemic — and facing the greater challenge of climate crisis — we have been drawn to widen the focus of the organization from food studies to the broader context of human cohabitation within the planetary ecosystem. At present the Borromini Institute is expanding its partnerships with other institutions.
Announcing our New Academic Clusters
Focused historically on food studies, still a central research interest for us, we are now widening our scope to include new disciplines (and Italian Language and Culture)
Exploring Southern Italy’s Welcoming Coast
The Spring Program Visits Calabria One of the highlights of the program was the 5-day trip…
Spring Newsletter is Out
We’ve just sent out our quarterly newsletter with updates on what’s on in Italy and…
Sustainable Service Learning
Our students love to get involved in environmental projects in their adopted city, Rome. Whether…
Some of our Partners and clients
Testimonials
For almost 20 years we have been serving students and their institutions. Here is what some have had to say.