Climate change doesn’t discriminate, and if humans don’t take action, it won’t slow down either. In the last few years, Italy has experienced just how damaging the effects of climate change can be, with flash floods decimating the Emilia-Romagna region and nation-wide forest fires wreaking havoc.

Every year since 2001 the third week of October has played host to La Settimana Della Lingua Italiana, celebrated by Italian language learning institutions across the world.

Finding the perfect place to knuckle down and start studying seems to be the eternal problem that students face. Staying in one place too long, or picking an environment too relaxed or serious, these can make studying so much harder than it should be.

Having grown up in the UK, this renaissance city has always been Florence to me. Whilst preparing for my year abroad, if people asked where I was headed the mere mention of “Florence” even sparked excitement. For good reason, the city is known worldwide for its rich history and artistic beauty, and thousands of tourists visit every year.

My name’s George and I’m a Modern Languages student at the University of Bath, but for my third year of studies I’m doing a year abroad, immersing myself in the Italian language and culture. After only three weeks in Florence, I’m confident that there would have been no better place to start.