Kitija Ernstsone is from Latvia and is a musician. In her country, she studied piano and saxophone, under classical training. When it was time to decide which direction of studies to pursue, she felt she had to cultivate her growing passion for jazz. She also wanted to enrich her experience with a period of study abroad, and began to look around. And so, in 2016 she arrived at AEF. "The course offering at AEF rich and interesting, and the opportunity to come to Florence fascinated me, so I made my decision.

Palazzo Niccolini, the AEF Headquarters, is a historic building located on via Cavour n. 37, one of the most important streets of the city of Florence. Originally, it was called via Larga degli Spadai due to the presence of numerous workshops of armorers who forged swords, but soon the name is simplified in Via Larga in everyday use.
During that time, what made the road magnificent was its breadth compared to others, as evidenced by the 18th century engraving by Giuseppe Zocchi. The current name is dedicated to Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, a central figure in Italian history, who fundamentally contributed to the unification of the Italian State. He died a few months after the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, which took place on March 17, 1861, and in the wake of patriotic emotions and enthusiasm, on June 27 of the same year, Marquis Ferdinando Bartolommei, standard-bearer of Florence, proposed to name the street after him, which up until then had been called Via Larga.

What is the best way to learn about Italian culture? Through food, of course! In Italy, every single city has its own culinary traditions, and Tuscany offers so many dishes that you will have to try. To start you off, we’ll tell you about the most famous dish that you will have the opportunity to taste if you come to study at AEF in Florence: the Florentine steak.

The Gucci company was founded in 1921, by Guccio Gucci in Florence. The founder, a born and bred Florentine, began his professional life as a young elevator-operator at the Savoy in London. This work experience allowed him to learn about English style, horses and riding, which later became fundamental points of the brand's heritage. It was then, in 1934, that the company introduced the bellhop brand with a suitcase and a travel bag.

Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance, the city of art, the homeland of Dante, the language of a true Italian, but did you know that the Florentine dialect has terms and figures of speech that are very different from Italian? Since our Accademia is based in this beautiful city, we decided to reveal these Florentine ways of speaking to you that will put you in direct contact and allow you to integrate even more with the culture and with all the people who live here.