University for Foreigners of Siena: Italian, languages and cultural mediation in the city of the Palio
Founded in 1917, the University for Foreigners of Siena is the world's oldest institution for teaching Italian to foreigners. With 85% international students, it is famous for CILS certifications and Italian language courses in one of Europe's most beautiful medieval cities.
Unistrasi: the world's oldest Italian school for foreigners, in the heart of medieval Tuscany
The University for Foreigners of Siena — Unistrasi — is the world's oldest institution for teaching Italian as a foreign language, founded in 1917 as the Regia Scuola di Metodo. With approximately 4,000 enrolled students and 12 degree programmes in Italian as L2, foreign languages, linguistic and intercultural mediation, international communication and Italian language teaching, Unistrasi is the world's other great Italian-for-foreigners hub — alongside Perugia.
Unistrasi's most recognised strength is the CILS certification (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera) — the world's most widely used Italian certification — available at 6 levels from A1 to C2 and recognised by the Italian MIUR and dozens of countries worldwide. 85% of students are international, from over 100 countries. Italian courses in Siena are particularly valued for the quality of the Tuscan dialect taught — considered the standard model of the Italian language — and for the city's incomparable cultural context.
Siena — with its medieval UNESCO-listed historic centre, the Palio, Piazza del Campo and its towers — is one of the most evocative places in medieval Italy. Studying Italian in Siena is a total cultural experience, not merely linguistic. The employment rate is 72%, with master's pathways in Italian language teaching and international cooperation opening doors to careers in NGOs, international schools and European institutions.
Academic Areas
University for Foreigners of Siena by the numbers
From 1917 to CILS: the world's oldest Italian school in the heart of Tuscany
The University for Foreigners of Siena was born in 1917 as the Regia Scuola di Metodo, aiming to teach Italian to the foreigners visiting Tuscany. This date makes it the world's oldest institution for teaching Italian as L2, predating even the University for Foreigners of Perugia (founded 1925).
In the 1990s Unistrasi developed the CILS certification — Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera — which rapidly became the world's most widely used Italian certification system, used by millions of candidates in over 100 countries. CILS is today recognised by the Italian government as a requirement for access to many professional and university pathways.
The city of Siena — UNESCO World Heritage, home of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (the world's oldest bank) and venue for the celebrated Palio — offers one of Italy's richest and most authentic cultural contexts for foreign students. The Sienese Tuscan dialect is considered the purest model of standard Italian.
FAQ — Università per Stranieri di Siena
Study Italian in Siena: useful resources
The University for Foreigners of Siena is the historic choice among Italian universities for those wishing to learn Italian in its most authentic form, in the city of the Palio and one of Europe's most beautiful medieval centres. Discover everything about living and studying in Italy.
