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

At Villa Maderni and in the apartments, the rooms are shared with either two, three or four roommates depending on the size of the room. In the Villa Maderni, each student is provided with two drawers under the bed, a closet with hangers, and a night table with lamp. Bathroom facilities are typically shared, coin or debit card operated washing machines and dryers exist in both locations.

Apartments are located within the community of Riva San Vitale and require respect for the neighbors and sensitivity to their need for silence at night. Although the apartments are cleaned by housekeepers at regular intervals, students are required to keep the facilities clean and orderly and take out the trash.

All facilities are approximately a ten minute walk from the local train station.

On arrival, you will need to pay a deposit depending on where you live. The deposit can be paid in dollars or francs.

Bed sheets, blankets, pillows, soap, laundry detergent, hangers, cleaning supplies and a laundry bag are provided while at the Villa. However, THESE ITEMS MAY NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR PERSONAL TRIPS. The housekeeping staff will take care of washing sheets and towels.

There is also an ironing board and irons in each of the houses 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.

Food prepared in the kitchens at the apartments is the responsibility of the students. The CESA housekeepers are not responsible for cleaning dirty dishes in the apartments.

There is a pharmacy in Riva San Vitale that can assist you with over-the-counter medical needs. The pharmacist there speaks English and can give normal advice.

If a student requires medical attention of a doctor, a staff member will drive him/her to see an English speaking physician (Usually Dr. Schwarzenbach in Melide).

An office staff member can make an appointment with a denist in Riva San Vitale or a gynecologist in Lugano.

If a physician is not available, emergency services at the nearest hospital will be used. The nearest hospital is in Mendrisio. The hospital in Lugano provides emergency dental servcies. As in the U.S., the use of an emegency facility is much more expensive than an regular appointment with a doctor.

Please note that typically U.S. health insurance contracts do not cover European territory directly. However, many companies will reimburse the cost of medical care abroad, either fully or in part, upon submission of receipts.

All students are obligated to obtain information about reimbursement shares and procedures prior to departure.

Currently, CESA subscribes to Daily Newspapers, The International Herald-Tribune and The Local Corriere Del Ticino. Further, current periodical subscriptions include Domus, Archi, Business Week, 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. Ask Sandra to help you make an appointment. The Villa also has a set of clippers available for use.

 

 

 

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