Students who study at the Center are housed in either the Villa Maderni or nearby apartments.

Villa Maderni: is a two hundred and fifty year old restored villa which contains the Center's offices, classrooms, a library, a computer lab as well as residential and dining facilities.

At the Villa Maderni, the rooms are shared with either two, three or four roomates. Each student is provided two drawers under the bed, a closet with hangers, and a night table with lamp. Bathroom facilities are shared. Laundry room with 2 washers and dryers, debit card operated.

Apartments are located within the community of Riva San Vitale and require respect towards neighbours and sensitivity to their need for silence at night. The apartments house 2 / 4 / 5 / 7 students in doubles and triple rooms.

Students will be informed before arrival on the deposits amounts for Villa Maderni house key, apartment keys, towels and laundry debit cards.

Bed sheets, blankets, pillows, hair dryers, laundry detergent, hangers, cleaning supplies and a laundry bag are provided while at the Villa. A set of towels can be requested apon arrival (deposit required). However, THESE ITEMS MAY NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR PERSONAL TRIPS. The housekeeping staff will take care of washing your sheets.

Shampoo and soaps are not provided by CESA.

There is also an ironing boards and irons for student use.

Students living in apartments typically do thier laundry at Villa Maderni if there are no laundry machines in the apartments.

Meals at Villa Maderni will give you the opportunity to experience some of the traditional food of the Ticino region, as well as the manner in which people in the region take meals. While breakfast is self-serve, lunch and dinner are rather formal meals where everyone eats together, but devided into two shifts, at set times. All dishes, except for the salad bar, are served family style. Students take turns setting up, serving and clearing the tables. Students also sign up for meals twice a week, indicating whether or not they will be present. Vegetarian preferences are accommodated. You can also sign up for bag lunches if you plan on being away from Villa for a meal. With prior registration, you can also invite a guest for a meal but the inviting student will be responsible to see that the meal is first signed up for then paid for to the administration. Guest meals are priced as follows: 7 CHF for Breakfast, 12 CHF for Lunch, 16 CHF for Dinner.

There is a pharmacy in Riva San Vitale that can assist you with over-the-counter medical needs.

If a student requires medical attention of a doctor, dentist or any other specialist, a staff member will drive him/her to see an English speaking physician.
If a physician is not available, emergency services at the nearest hospital will be used. The nearest hospital is in Mendrisio.As in the U.S., the use of an emegency facility is much more expensive than an regular appointment with a doctor.

Students are responsible to pay the doctor or hospital invoices and later claim the reimbursement at their insurance companies. All students are obligated to obtain information about reimbursement shares and procedures prior to departure.

Riva San Vitale Grocery Store is Denner.

Department Stores including supermarkets with more selection are Migros, Coop which are located in Mendrisio-Chiasso and manor located in Lugano.

RESTAURANTS IN WALKING DISTANCE:

The Svizzero - Grotto Tiglio: near the train station in Capolago

Unione - Osteria Caffè Sociale - Osteria San Giorgio: in Riva San Vitale

HOTELS:

There are two hotels within walking distance of the Center. The first is the Albergo Chery, which is in the main piazza (Piazza Grande) of Riva S.V. and only one block from the Villa Maderni. Reduced rates can be obtained for students. Current cost is approximately 45 CHF.

The Albergo Svizzero in Capolago is directly across from the train station. It offers breakfast, in-room television and en-suite baths. The rates range from 90 CHF - 180 CHF depending on the number of beds per room.

Although living abroad has many of the same dangers as living in the United States, the excitement of a new environment may make some people a little careless or distracted. Here are a few common-sense precautions that people can follow to increase the chances of an incident-free experience:

* Avoid giving out the address of CESA. Try not to disclose that you live in Riva San Vitale (CESA is the only institution there) Feel free to give the phone numbers or your email address if you want to keep in touch with your new friends.
* Be aware of your surroundings..
* Never leave your luggage or backpack unattended.
* Talk to people who have been to the places you intend to travel to. Their insights may be useful. But be aware though that these are merely their personal opinions.
* Limit your valuables. You should not bring expensive jewelry, for example. Your wallet should be in an obscure, closed pocket or in a waist money-belt. Purses should have zippered closures and should be carried over the shoulder and held close under the arm.
* Make two sets of copies of all your important documents (passport, credit cards and health insurance information). Take one set with you and keep it separate from the actual documents. Leave the other set at home.
* Avoid illegal drugs. In addition to VA TECH's HONOR CODE, you are subject to the laws of the country in which you are staying.
* Travel with a companion at night and stay in populated, well-trafficked area.
* If you are robbed, call the police immediately and fill out a police report. This may be important to file for another passport application.

Currently, CESA subscribes to Daily Newspapers, The International Herald-Tribune and The Local Corriere Del Ticino. Further, current periodical subscriptions include Domus, Archi, The Economist, Rivista Tecnica, and National Geographic.

There are two hairdressers in Riva; one is five minutes’ walk away south of the Villa on the main road to Mendrisio. There are also many salons in downtown Lugano and Mendrisio. The Villa also has a set of clippers available for use.

There are 7 bikes, a croquet set, a badminton net and several balls at the Center for you to use. Across the street from Villa Maderni is a field for playing soccer and volleyball. This field may be used after 4:00 pm on weekdays and anytime on the weekends, as there are children in school nearby during the day. There is also a basketball court next to the elementary school that can be used after 4:30pm. In the area, there is plenty of hiking, swimming (summer only), and places to go for other sports. There are also local, regional and national games to attend for Hockey, Soccer,and Basketball, etc.

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Management Entity: Office of International Research, Education, and Development,
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA - 24061-0334