B_DD09_ How many students are there in a classroom?

According to the current Regional legislation it is allowed a maximum number of 25 students in each class.
The Institute has anyway fixed a minimum and a maximum number of students for each Institute course (see the single course information).
The maximum number of students admitted in the Institute laboratories is 15.

B_DD12_ When will the final examinations take place and how are they organised?

The final examinations valid for the competences evaluation and for the issue of the qualification title, will take place at the end of the course. The exams commission includes 4 members: a lecturer or an Institute delegate, two members named by the unions, the President named by the Regione Toscana.
The Institute decides the qualification exams together with the internal responsible of the evaluation process. The exam is usually structured in two days. The first day is reserved to the “practical simulation test ” of a project (technical test and written reports); The second day is reserved to an oral discussion based on the results of the practical sessions and on some specific subjects chosen by the commission. Some integrative parts, can be added on commission request (battery tests, close questions, etc.); this is to verify and to complete the practical simulation tests. Students can enrich their dissertation with the help of integrated studies and researches.
After passing the final exams students obtains the following qualifications, which will be issued by Regione Toscana within two months from the date of the exams:
After the biennium: Qualified Technician in restoration
After the third year: Expert Technician in restoration.
At the end of all courses it will be also issued a Certification of the obtained Competences and the Diploma issued by the Istituto per l’Arte e il Restauro “Palazzo Spinelli” signed by the President, the Direction and the course Co-ordinator.
The organization of the Degree final examinations are structured in a totally different way.

D_FS03_ Can Italian scholarship holders follow the Institute academic courses?

Foreign scholarship holders students can be admitted to Institute courses with the observance of the common regulations and if they have a good knowledge of Italian language. Except for particular cases due to specific agreements between the Institute and the local governments, scholarship holders cannot follow the courses for limited period of time and when the classes are full. Scholarship holders haven’t any reduction of the tuition fees, but they should pay the whole amount of the tuition fee fixed by the Institute after the validation of the applicants entry credits.

F_AM02_ What is not included in the tuition fee?

The annual tuition fee doesn’t include the personal expenses for books or photocopies. Each student should provide for his personal main equipments and apparatus for safety ad for all the travel and hospitality expenses on occasion of technical visits or practical internships in Italian or foreign structure. The issue of historic or special certifications is ruled by particular regulations published in the section Student Services.

F_AM03_When does the enrolment is complete?

The enrolment is formalised only after the receipt of the Administrative Regulations duly signed. The sending of the Admission Form does not oblige to the admission, neither in case of acceptance of the application by the Institute.

A_RR01_Are the Institute courses recognised by Italian and European regulations?

According to the National Law no. 845 of the 21st December1978, the Regione Toscana organised the formative professional training through a series of rules and regulations made on respect of the European and Italian indications. Our Institute is part of the Regional Formative System and in this sense the Regione Toscana since1980 has recognizing our courses (Act of the Province of Florence no. 1881 of the 12th June1980 and successive, till the current Act no. 2840 of the 17th August 2009). All the acts were granted by the Province of Florence due to the article 17 comma 1 lett.b of L.R. 32/2002. The Institute was accredited by the Regione Toscana with the Decree no. 1722 of the 25th March 2003. Accreditation Code no. 545. Certification ISO 9001:2000 IMQ/CSQ 9175.IPAR of the 16th May 2005.

A_RR02_Is the title issued by the Regione Toscana also valid in the other Italian regions and in the

The professional qualification title, is issued by a Regional Institution which works as a delegate of the Italian State, according to the National Law no. 845 of the 21st December1978 and for this reason all the issued titles are valid on the whole national territory. The title is also valid in the European countries (Regulations CEE: 89/48 of the 21st December 1988, 92/51 of the 18th June 1992, 319/94 of the 13th December 1994, 1999/42 of the 7th June 1999 (see also http://www.europa.eu).

A_RR03_ The Regione Toscana has changed its professional formative system. Which are the most import

The Regione Toscana has changed on 2008 the general guidelines of its professional formative system, creating a certain number of new professional figures in various sectors, except for the cultural heritage one. This decision was adopted looking at the recent changes made by the National new Laws on this sector (MD 53/89, MD 86/09). The Regional Decree DGR no. 532 of the 22nd June 2009 established that the organization of the restoration courses should follow the following scheme:
a biennium (1800 hours) with the issue of the title of Qualified Technician;
an extra third year (900 hours) with the issue of the title of Expert Technician.
With the Decree DD 3769 of the 6th November 2009, the Regione Toscana confirmed also for the next academic year 2010-2011 the organization of the restoration courses in a biennium and a successive specialization year.
The Institute has so partially changed its 2010-11courses organisation, bearing on mind both the Regione Toscana and the Province of Florence and the new regulations of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage.

A_RR04_How can I do to have some more detailed information about the new Regione Toscana professiona

All the information on the new Regione Toscana professional formative system including the new recently approved qualification and professional figures can be found on the official Regione Toscana web address:
http://www.rete.toscana.it

B_DD01_How does the courses last and how many weekly hours are there?

The restoration courses have a duration of minimum 810 hours and maximum 900 hours for each year. The Masters have a duration of minimum 900 hours and maximum 1000 hours for each year. The Degree courses have a duration of 1500 hours for each year. All the courses are designed for a full time participation because all students have to produce a certain number of individual studies. The weekly timetable is from 4 to 8 daily hours, except for Saturday, it depends from the organization of the theoretical sessions, of the internal laboratories and of the external sites of practical internship sessions.

B_DD02_Which type of sessions are included on the study plan?

The study plan includes theoretical sessions, practical laboratory sessions, visits to exhibitions and firms, conferences and visiting professors sessions, seminars, research and documentation, internal and external experiences, sites of restoration, practical internships in Italy and abroad, check intermediate sessions, dissemination of results, placement and orienteering activities. The hours spent for the final exams are not included in the total duration of the courses.

B_DD03_Are there any safety and health at work sessions?

The Institute has an own Safety Responsible named according to the current Italian laws.
The regional regulations reserve at least 20 hours dedicated to the study of the problems connected with safety and health at work. The Institute gives to each student a specific information handbook.

B_DD04_On which type of artefacts does student work?

In order to assure an high quality of teaching, the Institute has always offered to the students the opportunity to work, during the practical laboratory sessions, on various artworks included in the Italian Superintendences lists. A minimum percentage of interventions (almost the 20%) is made on other private original artworks: these interventions are normally scheduled during the first study year. All the practical laboratory interventions made by our teachers and students, can be considered as true “sponsoring” interventions made in favour of churches and monuments belonging to the city of Florence and they are so made free of charge, with the payment of only the used materials expenses.

B_DD05_How are organised the sites of restoration and the practical internship sessions?

Due to the regional provisions any professional course must include a period of practical internship which should last from the 30% to the 50% of the total course duration.
The Institute believe that one year of practical internship can create some problem to the laboratory formative activities. Besides, it is not easy to find good and professional partners, for qualified practical internships sessions. For these reasons the Institute, if it is considered useful, can change the external internships with practical internal laboratory sessions or with other restoration experiences.
Due to the regional provisions the students have to spend their period of internship in the territory of the province of Florence. Anyway, for particularly important projects of internship is possible to ask and obtain from regional authorities a special authorization for practical internships in Tuscany, in other Italian regions or abroad.

B_DD06_ How are the procedures of orienteering and placement organised?

The Institute offers almost 30 hours of orienteering and placement, with a minimum of eight hours reserved to the individual placement 8.

B_DD08_ Is the attendance at the sessions compulsory?

Yes, it is compulsory.
It is mandatory for the final examinations admittance to have certified at least the 80% of the vocational tuitions and the 50% of the practical internship hours, when scheduled.
These percentages are to be calculated without the allowed absence time (certified disease, reasons due to force majeure recognised by the Province), which will not be calculated on the total number of absences.

B_DD10_ Which are the minimum skills required to our lecturers?

According to the current Regional legislation almost the 50% of the technical-professional teachers, must have at least a five years of certified professional experience in his sector.
In this sense more than the 90% of our teachers has a 20 years certified practical experience. The Degree courses lecturers must have some specific skills as required by the MD 87/09.

B_DD11_What is the composition of the didactic staff of the various courses?

The major part of the competences are managed by the General Direction: project of the courses, management of the laboratories, students admission, internships selection, exams organization.
The process of competences evaluation (entry, mid term and final) is validated by an external subject named by the Institute, due to the current regulations.
The didactic secretariat has the main goal to co-ordinate the activities of teachers and students.
Each group of courses of any single professional qualification is co-ordinated by a single teacher who is always a practical restoration teacher.
A laboratory tutor helps the teacher in the co-ordination, orienteering and placement strategies.
The quinquennial Degree courses have a more complex structure with a Loan-Director and a Deputy- Director for any recognised course.

C_AC01_Are there any preliminary selections to be admitted to Institute courses?

The Institute accepts the applications at the masters and at any professional courses only after an evaluation of the individual motivations, of the study titles and of the applicant references. The Institute reserves the right to ask a preliminary individual talk with the Direction, to be held in Florence. In particular limited cases the Institute can require the organization of an admission preliminary exam.
The admission at the Degree quinquennial courses can be obtained only by means of a preliminary selection based on a series of technical and theoretical battery tests.

C_AC02_ Which are the minimum requirements for the admission at the biennium (Qualified Technician)?

In order to be enrolled at this type of courses is compulsory to have:
- A diploma of a secondary school, or a equivalent title issued by a foreign State or:
- a three year professional experience in the sector or
- competence level 2 EQF, to be certified by means of the entry competences evaluation process.

C_AC03_ Which are the minimum requirements for the admission at the specialization Courses (Expert T

In order to be enrolled at these type of courses is compulsory to have:
- A diploma of a secondary school, or a equivalent title issued by a foreign State or:
- a five year professional experience in the sector or
- competence level 3 EQF, to be certified by means of the competences entry level validation process.

C_AC04_ Which are the minimum requirements for the admission at the Quinquennial degree Courses?

In order to be enrolled at these type of courses is compulsory to have a diploma of a secondary school or a equivalent title issued by a foreign State and it is compulsory to pass a preliminary admission exam.

C_AC05_ Which are the minimum requirements for the admission at the restoration Masters?

The admission at these type of courses (not universitary masters) is reserved to applicants in possession of:
- an old regulation Degree (Letter, History and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Technician of Cultural Heritage, Architecture and similar) or with a new regulation Degree (Science of Cultural Heritage, Technologies for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, History of art and similar), in possession of a professional experience in the field of restoration, which will be preliminarily evaluated by the Technical-Scientific Committee;
- a diploma of an Academy of Fine Art.
- a general diploma and a minimum 3-year professional experience training in sectors different from restoration;
- a general diploma and an experience of at least five year in the chosen sector;
- students with a study title issued by a foreign university or institutions.

C_AC06_ When is the enrolment deadline?

The enrolment deadline is fixed in 20 days before the beginning of any course. The Institute in fact 15 days before the beginning of the course must communicate to the Regione Toscana the list of the enrolled students. The enrolment at the professional courses and at the masters will be closed 20 days before the date of beginning, in case of available places. The enrolment at the Quinquennial Degree Courses must be confirmed after the publication of the list of the enrolled students after the preliminary admission exams. In case of risk of lacking of available places the competent office will directly contact the single applicants.

C_AC07_ How does the system of credits work at Palazzo Spinelli?


The system of credits is an instrument which helps in the measurement of the evaluation of the amount and the quality of students work which is measured in a one hundred mark system. Each credit is represented by the measurement of the amount of the work which every student did in order to reach the programmed formative goals provided by any single course. A credit is equivalent to 25 hours of study, including frontal sessions, laboratory, practical works, internships, seminars and meetings, researches and individual work.
The Institute has activated the requested procedures for the validation of the entry credits level, due to the rules of the Regione Toscana DGR 532/09. The validation responsible does his works following the students credit documentation and if necessary by an individual interview. The assigned credits, can also be used in order to reduce the total amount of the formative process.

C_AC08_Can students use their entry credits in order to obtain a reduction of the tuition fees?

Yes, they can. After the decisions of the Credits Validation Commission about the students positions, which will clearly show the single U.F. (Formative Units) or part of them, applicants could use the assigned credits for applying for a reduction of the tuition fees. Applicants are also requested to send their curricula and all their study and professional qualifications (study titles and professional experiences certifications), which will be used for tracing a single personal student study plan.

D_SF01_ Can foreign students be admitted to the courses? In which language are held the lessons?

Lessons are held in Italian. All the sessions has a practical approach and for this reason it is not necessary a deep knowledge of Italian to follow them. All foreign students of any nationality on condition that they have a minimum knowledge of Italian language can be admitted at the courses. The knowledge of Italian language is, in case of equal qualifications, one of the evaluation criteria for the admission at the courses.
The Quinquennial Degree courses will have a different call reserved to foreign students.
According to the art. 6, AD 3679/09 by Regione Toscana, is compulsory that foreign students have a knowledge of Italian language which can allow them to take part to the final exams. This knowledge will be checked by the teacher responsible of the entry level procedures.

D_SF02_ How can I reach the required level of knowledge of Italian language?

Students can follow a preliminary Italian language course at IIC of his country of origin or in a specialised Italian school of language in Florence obtaining a certificate of medium knowledge of Italian language.
Our enrolled students can also follow a three months course of Italian from July to September in one of the Florentine schools partner of our Institute. In order to help our foreign enrolled students, the Direction organize in the month of September in the Institute venues an intensive course designed for all the students who want to learn the technical terminology of Art and Restoration.
We remind also that for the whole duration of the triennial courses the Institute offers free sessions of Italian language, in the afternoon, one day a week.

E_SS01_Can you help me in finding an accomodation in Florence?

Yes, the Institute helps only the enrolled students offering a list of available accomodations in Florence. Each student should contact the owner for fixing the price and determining all the other services including payments. The Institute is not a property agency and it doesn’t assume any responsibility for apartments and services conditions.

F_AM01_What does the tuition fee include?

The annual tuition fee includes all what concerns the group didactic assistance, the teaching services, tutorship, secretariat services, the issue of certificates of attendance, main equipment and apparatus for safety during group workshops; Inail accident insurance; accident and casualty insurance with a primary insurance company; the medical visits eventually requested by the Institute. The annual tuition fee includes also the exam fee which is considered in a different way because it can be returned to students who cancel their examinations.

F_AM04_What does it happen in case of withdrawing from the course?

According to the Italian legislative Decree no. 185 of the 22nd/May/1999, due to the European directive D97/7/CE, the student can withdraw from the contract within ten working days of having signed it, by sending a fax to the Institute, which must be followed by a letter sent by recorded delivery within 48 hours. In case of withdraw for any reason, including the afterthought, students have the right to receive a refund of all payment made.
All the payments made are refunded in case of lacking of available places in the selected course.
All the payments made are also refunded in case of cancellation of the course by the Institute due to the lacking of the minimum number of 8 participants within the deadline fixed on 20 days before the beginning of the course. Students can in this case, if interested in it, follow an alternative course.

F_AM05_In case of withdraw from the course may I have refunded part of the payment made?

In case of withdraw from the course, the Institute will guarantee a partial refund of the payment made as follows:
- people who withdraw within the 60th day before the beginning of the course: 40% of the payment made
- people who withdraw between the 61st and the 21st day before the beginning of the course: 20% of the payment made
The withdrawing must be sent to the Institute by written communication.
On request of the student, the payments made can be used to be enrolled at any of the courses organised by the Institute in the successive 2 years.
In case of withdraw from the course within the 20th day before the beginning of the course and after the beginning of the course students has not right to any refund of the payments made.

F_AM06_Are there any fee reductions or other economic facilities?

Yes. See the sectionFacilities