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12 classes
What gives iconic cities such as Venice, Paris, and New York their special feel? Their topography, for sure: how each has adapted to a physical situation and developed its own layout and architectural style. Their history: not only the events that have taken place there, but how successful each has been in preserving the ethos of their most formative periods. But it also a matter of how each has captured the imagination of writers, artists, and composers from elsewhere—something that applies not only to cities but also to regions like the English Lakes or the American Southwest. Think of this admittedly personal course as a series of guided tours to a different destination each week, looking past the tourist sites to the factors in history and the arts that has given each such a powerful Sense of Place.