Cultural & Artistic Heritage internships in Rome
Cultural internships that are perfect for history or arts students, or anyone interested in a career in museums or art galleries. Interns benefit from a broad scope of creative placements, helping to plan and organise exhibits, events and cultural activities in artistic associations, galleries and museums.
Internship Highlights:
- Contribute to the success of galleries, museums and cultural centers in Rome
- Gain rare insight into the exclusive cultural industry in a world-leading historical city
- Explore all the attractions of Rome and wider Italy, while enjoying amazing Italian food
Type of host organizations:
- Museums
- Galleries
- Cultural centers
Internship details
These are cultural internships that are perfect for history or arts students, or anyone interested in a career in museums or art galleries. Interns benefit from a broad scope of creative placements, helping to plan and organise exhibits, events and cultural activities in artistic associations, galleries and museums.
This is an in-country internship, which includes accommodation and Italian language lessons. Click here to view remote internships, which you can undertake from home.
Rome is a hugely popular city for tourists interested in art, history and culture. As a Cultural & Artistic Heritage intern, as well as contributing to this world-leading industry in Rome, you’ll also gain rare experience to set up your career in this exclusive sector. You’ll learn how cultural centers are run, contribute to planning and marketing campaigns, and get behind the scenes experience contributing to the success of popular cultural organizations in Rome.
With placements available in a broad range of museums, galleries and cultural organizations, there are a wide range of internships available. Each internship is customized to suit your own skills and interests, so you’ll be gaining real life experience in a role that’s highly relevant to your future career. Because the scope of this internship is so broad, the nature of each internship will vary. Examples of internship activities may include (but aren’t limited to):
- Planning, organizing and fundraising for cultural events
- Planning exhibitions for galleries or museums
- Assisting during exhibitions
- Assisting on cultural or artistic trips
- Contacting artists and curators of other galleries
- Social media editing, research, data analyzing and reporting
- Collecting data for exhibition fairs
- Website maintenance
- Graphic design and marketing
In all cases, interns should expect that the first week of your experience will focus on settling in and gaining some introductory knowledge, as you will not “hit the ground running”. Rather, you should start with learning about the placement to gain an understanding of what you can build upon, develop, learn, and contribute. Ensure that you ask questions and provide feedback during the introductory period, so that your supervisor understands how you’re progressing. This will help them to better understand important details, such as how quickly you learn, what you find challenging, what you find interesting, etc.
Understand and expect that individual internship experiences vary, as the specific placement that you’re assigned will depend on review of your resume and your current level of studies and experience. Therefore, if you’re at a more introductory level, you should reasonably expect a more introductory internship. Likewise, if you’re interning for a shorter duration, you will have a different experience from someone who is interning for a longer duration. Placement preferences are considered but always subject to availability.
Note that internships in Rome include mandatory Italian language lessons, which are included within the minimum duration requirement of the internship. While your internship can be conducted in some English, a language barrier can still be encountered to a certain extent. Interns should be prepared for the very natural and normal frustration of not always understanding what is being said around them. Most interns are able to have a successful internship experience and it is essential to come prepared and willing to surmount a language barrier, as opposed to being intimidated by it.
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For beginners to the Italian language (levels A1 and A2), you’re required to complete a four-week Italian language course at an accredited language school in Rome before you start at your internship placement.
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Interns with intermediate Italian will complete two weeks of language lessons, prior to commencing the placement. If you have intermediate language skills, please note that you will be required to provide verification (such as a B1 or B2 level certificate) and/or demonstrate your listening comprehension and spoken proficiency. These two abilities (listening and speaking) are the most important skills that will be assessed, to determine if you’re able to complete your internship as an “intermediate” speaker of Italian.
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Additional language lessons can be arranged in-country, for those who wish to continue classes.
Career Benefits
Cultural & Artistic Heritage interns learn from a qualified and experienced supervisor, and can be involved in:
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Planning and assisting at events and exhibitions
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Assisting with fundraising
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Collecting data for trips, exhibits or events
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Contributing to social media campaigns
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Creating website and social media content, such as articles, photos and blogs
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Graphic design
Professional development opportunities:
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Understand how galleries, museums and cultural centers are run in Rome
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Collaborate with experienced cultural and historical experts
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Gain event management experience
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Develop your marketing skills within the arts and culture industry
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Build your arts and culture knowledge
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Build Italian language skills in a professional environment
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Gain practical skills and boost your employability, with guidance from Intern Abroad HQ’s Experiential Learning Curriculum to support your learning and cultural intelligence.
Italy photo gallery
What recent interns said about their experience
My internship in Italy gave me a lot of “firsts” for my life, and it enabled me to meet a great range of people from different walks of life. The entire experience has without a doubt increased by personal and professional development, improving my skills and knowledge and helping me pave a way forward for my own career. It enabled me to stay in one of my favorite cities in the world - whilst picking up the language, making friends, and embracing a new culture. I would do it all again if I could! The 3-week Italian classes at the start of the internship were one of my highlights from the experience in Rome. Being able to settle in with a nice routine that included language learning and meeting new people from the start, was such a fun way to enter the culture. The language school is incredible in their teaching mechanism. It was a great environment with great teachers!
My internship allowed me to engage with local culture and language. I loved exploring the country and spending time with locals, doing things I normally wouldn't do. I now know that a career in the arts is something I want to do. I have new goals that I want to meet in the future that I did not have before my internship. Overall my experience was positive; I loved Rome, I loved the people I got to meet at both my accommodation and at the school, and I enjoyed that I got to connect with professionals in a field I want to pursue.
To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.
Academic credit available for all internships
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing an internship abroad or remote internship program with Intern Abroad HQ.
Learn about course creditProgram fees
It’s free to apply for this internship. Once we have reviewed your suitability and accepted you onto this program, you’ll need to pay a deposit of US$499 to confirm your place. The remaining balance of your Program Fee (less your initial US$499 deposit payment) will be due no less than 60 days before your internship start date.
Duration |
Program Fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | $5,598 Equivalent to $99 /day |
| 10 weeks | $6,390 Equivalent to $91 /day |
| 12 weeks | $7,083 Equivalent to $84 /day |
- Airport pick-up
- Accommodation
- 24/7 in-country support
- Program orientation
- Dedicated support before, during, and after your internship
- In-country guidance for social and tourist activities
- Sourcing and securing your internship placement
- Personalization of your internship plan
- Coaching from your supervisor
- Documented portfolio of your experiential learnings
- Academic credit facilitation
- International reference letter
- Certificate of Internship Completion
- All meals
- All in-country transportation
- Visa (if required), flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check
- Transfer back to the airport at the end of your internship program
- Personal spending money for snacks, drinks, public transport, laundry, and leisure activities during your free time.
- A deposit of $499 (approximately 499) is required to secure your internship
- It is important to note that internships in Rome include mandatory Italian language lessons, which are taken in conjunction with the internship program. Beginners to the Italian language must commit to a minimum duration of at least 10 weeks, which includes Italian language lessons for the first 4 weeks. Intermediate Italian speakers (B1 or B2 or higher) must commit to a minimum duration of 8 weeks, which includes at least 2 weeks of Italian language lessons, prior to commencing the placement. If you have intermediate Italian language skills, you will be required to provide verification (such as a B1 or B2 level certificate) and/or demonstrate your listening comprehension and spoken proficiency. These two abilities (listening and speaking) are the most important skills that will be assessed, to determine if you're able to complete your internship as an "intermediate" speaker of Italian.
- Balance of your Program Fee is due 60 days before your internship start date.
- All payments attract a 5% transaction fee to cover international banking fees and currency charges.
- Terms and Conditions apply.
Language lessons and internship schedule
It is important to note that internships in Rome include mandatory Italian language lessons, which are taken in conjunction with the internship program. This approach is designed to enhance the enjoyment of being in Italy, while developing professional social, and cultural competencies. While your internship can be conducted in some English, a language barrier can still be encountered to a certain extent. Interns should be prepared for the very natural and normal frustration of not always understanding what is being said around them. Most interns are able to have a successful internship experience and it is essential to come prepared and willing to surmount a language barrier, as opposed to being intimidated by it.
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Beginners to the Italian language must complete the 4-week introductory Italian language course (included in their total duration) before beginning their internship placement.
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Intermediate Italian speakers (B1 or B2 or higher) must complete at least 2 weeks’ Italian language course (included in their total duration) before beginning their internship placement.
The Italian language instruction is offered through an accredited provider and member of the Association of Schools of Italian as a Second Language (ASILS).
Weekends and travel
There’s so much to see and do within the city of Rome, it can almost seem overwhelming! However, our internship hosts in Rome have the best advice and know all the tricks for getting around and making the most out of your time. They are happy to coordinate cultural excursions directly - whether you want guided museum tours, evenings at the opera, or tickets to sporting events. When you’re ready get out of the city and explore the Roman countryside, you won’t be disappointed by a visit to Sermoneta. With its Caetani Castle and beautifully preserved medieval churches, it’s considered to be one of Italy’s loveliest towns. Sermoneta is also home to the Gardens of Ninfa. Famed for their romantic atmosphere, the expansive gardens contain ruins, towers, frescos, and over 13,000 varieties of plantlife. Rome’s central location in Italy makes it conveniently situated to visit other Italian cities, such as Florence, Venice, Milan, Sicily, and Tuscany, as well as other destinations within Europe. Transportation systems are fast and economical, connecting Rome to both regional and international destinations.
Arrival and Orientation
Internships in Rome begin monthly, with the exception of August. Other exceptions to general start date availability throughout the year may occur when start dates are closed due to public holiday disruptions or if the program has already reached capacity. Beginner Italian language speakers typically begin the program on the first Monday of the month. Two start dates per month are available for intermediate Italian language speakers (B1 and B2 or higher).
Airport pick up and accommodation are included in the Program Fee. The accommodation is covered from the Sunday night before the Monday start date - interns are required to arrive no later than the Sunday before their Monday start date, as all orientations are held on Mondays.
All participants fly into the Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO) or Ciampino–G.B. Pastine International Airport (CIA), in order to receive their airport pick up and be transported to the homestay accommodation.
Orientation is held on the afternoon of the Monday start date and covers important details for your internship, including introductions, information about culture, customs, rules, expectations, safety, language lessons, cultural excursions, and more. Your specific internship placement orientation will follow, as you’ll be shown how to travel to and from your internship and be introduced to the team you’ll be joining.
If you are planning to spend time independently in Italy prior to your internship and will not require an airport pick up, we can arrange an alternative pick up from another location within Rome. Otherwise, you may make your own way to the local team’s office on Monday for your start date (and opt to have the return transportation to the airport covered, instead of your airport pick up).
The last night of the accommodation is the Friday night of the final week, leaving interns free to depart on Saturday. Extra nights of accommodation, outside of the program dates, can be arranged in advance and are subject to availability.
All participants are advised not to book flights until they have first registered to confirm their internship placement.
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Accommodation and WiFi
Interns in Rome are hosted in friendly and welcoming homestay accommodations. In the event that home-stay accommodation has reached maximum capacity, interns can alternatively be accommodated in an apartment, sharing with other interns or Italian language students.
Interns can expect to have their own bedroom but may be accommodated alongside 2 to 3 other students or interns. Bathrooms are shared. Living is comfortable and WiFi is provided. Laundry is included within homestay accommodation - usually it will be done once a week.
Accommodation is typically situated within 20-30 minutes walking distance to the local team’s office (where the Italian language lessons also take place). The commute time to internship placements can vary. Although some are quite nearby, in many cases, interns should expect a commute time of 30-45 minutes by public transportation (metro or bus). If interns prefer to stay at accommodation which is further from the office, yet closer to the internship placement instead, this request may be granted (subject to availability).
Please note that the accommodation pictured in the photo gallery of this webpage is provided as an example. Since we work with more than one apartment, the exact accommodation that you’re assigned may differ from the photos. Rooms sizes vary.
Meals
Internships on this program do not include meals, as affordable supermarkets are easily accessible and accomodation will have kitchen facilities for you to utilise. Italy has a thriving coffee culture which is delightful to partake in (there is also WiFi in almost all coffee shops and restaurants). For eating out, interns may budget approximately 3 - 5 Euro for a light breakfast (about US$5 - 7) and 5 - 10 Euro for a simple lunch (about US$5 - 12). There are ample dining options ranging from budget to high end. Italian cuisine offers a range of incredible dishes to experience, including well known classics such as pizza, pasta, and more.
Essential country information
| Capital | Rome |
| Population | 61.7 million |
| Languages | Italian |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 |
Weather and climate:
Italy has a diverse climate, which is influenced by the Apennine Mountains, which form the peninsula’s backbone, and the Alps, which make up most of its northern boundary. Four different seas also surround the Italian Peninsula and influence it’s weather patterns - the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian, Ligurian, and the Tyrrhenian. Due to its geography and longitudinal stretch, the climate ranges from humid subtropical to oceanic. In particular, the Po valley has harsh winters and hot summers.
Focusing on Rome, where the internships are based, summers are short, hot, dry, and humid, while the wintertime is long, cold, wet, and often cloudy. The hottest months of summer are from mid June till mid September. During this time, the average daily high temperature is above 82°F / 28°C. The colder months are from late November through late March, when the average daily high is below 60°F / 15°C. The coldest day of the year is typically recorded in January. The wetter time of year is usually September through May.
