Wintersession

Wintersession in Barcelona. January 2023

Spanish 258: Barcelona and the Spirit of Modernity:
Art, History, and Culture (1859-Present)

The city of Barcelona offers a unique site to study some of the most important cultural and historical shifts of the 20th and 21st centuries, in both the Spanish and the global context. In the historical arena, the city has gone from political upheaval and anarchistic rebellions early in the 20th century, to the fight against fascism in the middle years, and finally to the struggle for nationhood and the "joussaince" of democracy at the end of the century. In recent years, immigration, mass tourism and renewed calls for Catalan independence have reshaped the physical environment and the shared imaginary of the city. In art and culture, a walk-physical and textual-through Barcelona presents a mixture of vernacular and international aesthetic modernity hard to find anywhere else. Students will learn about modernity and modernization in Spain in general and Barcelona in particular with special attention to Gaudí, Picasso, Miró, Mies van der Rohe, Sert and Dalí in the historical, aesthetic, and philosophic context that inspired their works. Reactions to the branding of Barcelona as a destination from global cultural tourism, and to the museification of parts of the city will also be explored.

Knowledge of Spanish at the level of one course beyond SPAN 241 (or 5th semester) is required. Language and Literature or Arts, Music, Theatre, Film, and Video distribution credit will be given. This course is worth 0.5 credit.

Dates for the program: January 2-January 21, 2023. MIT students must submit two letters of recommendation from faculty. Preference will be given to students traveling with the group (leaving from Boston Logan, Jan. 2 with Swiss Air at 9:55 pm). 
 
Price of the program for January 2023: $4,890 minus $1,500 grant = $3,390. Includes all travel and lodging, classes and visits.
 
The Provost's Office will offer a $1,500 grant to each student regardless of financial need. Students with additional financial need will receive aid based on the percentage of grant funds that they receive during the academic year, with the first $1,000 in the form of a subsidized loan.
 

Please, download your application here

  • Information meeting: Friday, September 16th, 12:35 pm in GRH 136B
  • Application Deadline: Friday,October 7th by 4:30 pm (to be submitted to Carlos Ramos, in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese)
  • Notification to students: Friday, October 14th
  • Signed Confirmation Form Due: Friday, October 28​th by 4:30 pm
  • First Compulsory Orientation Session: Thursday, November 17th @ 4:00, Department of Spanish & Portuguese, GRH 438A.
  • Second Compulsory Orientation Session: Monday, December 12th @ 4:00, Department of Spanish & Portuguese, GRH 438A.​

 

 
Wellesley students may participate in no more than one college-sponsored wintersession course abroad. Programs are highly subsidized, and financial aid is available to aid-eligible students.
 
Cancellation: Students who withdraw from the program after confirming their participation are liable for a cancellation fee of $200 or the sum of non-recoverable costs, whichever is greater. Financial aid does not apply.
 
From the Travel.State.Gov website:
Spain is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Spain for up to 90 days for tourism or business without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. You must have sufficient funds and a return airline ticket.
 
Find out here: which nationalities need a visa to enter Spain. Pages L 303/51 to L303/53
 
For questions and further information, contact Carlos Ramos (cramos@wellesley.edu).