Mercedes Carrara

Mercedes CarraraMercedes Carrara was born in Puerto Rico and holds a B.A. in Art History from Manhattanville College, Purchase, New York, as well as a M.F.A. from Villa Schifanoia, Rosary College, Florence, Italy.

She has taught Italian at the Catholic University in Ponce, Puerto Rico. In 1974, Mercedes was called by the Gonzaga in Florence Dean, Father Clement Regimbald SJ, to teach Italian and do the guided tours for the Introduction to Florence course. She has been teaching with GIF ever since.

Classes include:

  • Survey of Art History I and II (starting with Cave Painting to International Gothic first semester, and Second semester from Renaissance Art to Contemporary Art, Italian Renaissance Art, European Renaissance Art). All courses include weekly tours.
  • Florence of the Medici
  • Roman Art and Architecture (includes a weekend trip to Rome where the roles are reversed and the students act as presenters from ancient art and the Colosseum to Renaissance and Baroque Rome).
  • Modern Italian Art in the Spring (with exclusive visits to the private Florentine collections).

Mercedes received the first Gonzaga in Florence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (2005).