As part of a school assignment for my Writing for Digital Media course, two classmates and I interviewed the creator and one of the professors behind a recently launched and uniquely Florentine course offered through Florence University of the Arts, Wine Windows and Wine Business Walks. Through our conversations with Professor Thomas Lastraioli, one of the faculty members who designed the course, and Professor Alessia Botturi, one of the professors who now delivers it, I gained a compelling look into designing an academically rigorous and culturally relevant study abroad course.

The first interview we conducted was with Thomas Lastraioli, a faculty member and academic advisor who teaches Italian and history-based courses at the university. Lastraioli was responsible for developing the structure, scope, and academic integration of the course. He explained that the inspiration came from the sudden resurgence of Florence’s wine windows during the COVID-19 pandemic, a phenomenon rooted in the 17th century, when wine windows were used to serve drinks during outbreaks of plague. During the pandemic, they were revived as a socially distant way to serve food and beverages and quickly became a viral topic on social media.

However, rather than letting the course become another “Instagrammable” city walk, Thomas Lastraioli had a different vision. He told us that he didn’t want this course to be just about going to a window and taking a picture but instead to blend Florentine history, tradition, and modern marketing into a serious academic offering that students could experience on the streets of Florence. Every class session involves site visits and is anchored by readings from academic articles and business case studies.

What surprised me most was the difficulty of making the course academically sound. Thomas noted that developing a course idea isn’t the hard part, what takes time is building its academic foundation, locating scholarly sources, and mapping out a lesson plan that aligns with FUA’s standards. He worked on this course for over a month and a half, consulting with colleagues in marketing and business, and even went out to walk and map the route himself. His intention, he emphasized, was to help students approach the topic “not as tourists,” but as researchers, analysts, and cultural observers.

On the delivery side of the course, we spoke to Alessia Botturi, who now teaches the course. Botturi has a background in literature and spent 17 years in Los Angeles working in the wine importing industry. Her international experience and familiarity with both business and wine made her a natural fit. She moved back to Florence in 2023, and now teaching this course, combines her expertise with a passion for experiential learning.

Her classes never take place in a traditional classroom. “We always meet in a public square,” she explained, “and from there we start walking.” Along the way, she integrates history, marketing insight, and real-time assignments, asking students to evaluate wine menus, analyze branding, or even imagine themselves as influencers promoting a wine window. She noted that blending business education with a walking format can be challenging, especially with weather and noise, but also deeply rewarding and now, teaching it, she has got used to finding the quieter spots in populated areas where she can teach and talk to students. The course structure, originally designed by Thomas Lastraioli and his colleagues at FUA, gives her the freedom to add her own interpretation and background knowledge.

Both Thomas Lastraioli and Alessia Botturi agreed that the course is about more than wine. It’s about learning how a local historical tradition has evolved into a modern business opportunity, and how Florence as a city continues to reinvent its past for the present. There’s also a clear digital angle; students examine the role of social media in branding and tourism and reflect on how the “wine window trend” took off on platforms.

What I personally took away from these interviews was a new appreciation for how much intentionality and care goes into course design. The course may feel casual to the student walking through the streets, but behind it lies detailed planning, cross-departmental collaboration, and a vision to help students think critically about place, history, and commerce.